Many parents want to ask how much time their children or they should put into their piano practicing at home. This, to me, is the bane of existence for piano teachers, students, and parents. We all have this one thorn in common.

As a young girl I started taking piano lessons at the age of 4. I never remember my first teachers making it miserable to practice but I don’t remember specifically what they did to create the opposite feeling. I know that I have never minded playing the piano so practicing was not really something a parent had to nag me about. I hated going and sitting with a stern person for 30 minutes while they put up with my mishaps and noise.

When I teach very young students I suggest 10 minute practice sessions. Perhaps for a first grader 10 minutes in the morning before school, 10 after school and 10 after dinner. This makes it so that no one is nagging for 30 minutes straight or listening to a piano train wreck as nerves wear thin through the day. I do think that 30 minutes for any age is the absolute minimum time that should be spent. If you won’t commit to 30 minutes I believe you are wasting your money on lessons. Even the most talented of students can perfect their assignments and then use practice time for Hanon, scales, sight reading or extra theory. It isn’t like one is every truly finished learning when it comes to music. There is always something more that can be accomplished or learned.

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If you’re new to the piano, this is a great introduction to get you started in minutes! Learn all about locating the Middle C on the piano and then finding notes and chords. Before you know it, you’ll have a few chords under your belt with a good understanding of how to play songs on the piano!

Keep practicing and don’t forget to leave a comment by clicking on the comment link or entering them in the form below!

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Sviatoslav Richter plays Chopin Nocturne E Minor, Op. 72, #1

Levon Oganezov - With just one left hand or Guitar on grand piano

In this video tutorial you are introduced to productive ways of teaching piano to kids. Kids are not always the easiest students to work with but the good news is that if they have not yet had much experience on the piano, then they haven’t yet had the chance to develop any bad habits. This gives you the perfect opportunity to guide and shape their piano-playing.

If you are involved with teaching piano lessons to young students, or are yourself just beginning on the piano, pay close attention to the methods and techniques described in this video. You’ll no doubt learn some creative ways to approach the piano.

Keep practicing and please leave me a comment by clicking on the comment link or entering them in the form below!

Yundi Li - chopin waltz no.5 in A flat major, op42 (piano)

How to Read Piano Tabs

I ran across this nicely composed article on eHow which explains the principles of piano tabs and how they are interpreted. If you’re new to piano, read through and practice the steps and you’ll no doubt be amazed by the simplicity. Of particular interest is the idea that a capital letter in piano tab simply represents the sharpening (or moving up to the next black key) of a note, see below:

Yundi Li - 14th International Chopin Competition (2000)