What to Prepare for Piano Lessons

Here is a quick guide on what you need for our piano lessons. Feel free to ask anything!

1.) Your Instrument: Piano

If you have an upright or grand piano at home, that is the ideal setup for our lessons. Please make sure your instrument is tuned and well-maintained.

Electric keyboards are also perfectly fine. Ideally, it's best to have an 88-key weighted keyboard with pedals, a stand, and a bench. However, if your keyboard has fewer than 88 keys, that's okay too. The setup will depend on your goals. For example, if you plan to study classical pieces, an upright piano or an 88-key weighted keyboard is recommended. If your goal is to learn basic chords and accompany yourself while singing, a smaller keyboard will be enough to get started.

If you are planning to buy or upgrade your instrument, we can discuss your options, and I'll be happy to guide you in choosing what best fits your needs.

2.) Piano Method Books, Scores, and Pieces

I have been teaching piano for many years and am familiar with a wide range of effective method books. During my graduate studies, I conducted a comparative analysis of various children's piano method books. Each book has its own strengths, style, and approach, but they all share the same goal: to help students learn how to play the piano.

For beginners, I recommend books based on each student's personality and learning style. For adult learners, I also consider personal musical interests. There are many excellent adult beginner courses available, along with online resources such as scores, pieces, and chord charts. We are not limited to any single book and can explore different materials depending on the type of music you'd like to learn.

If you have already started a specific method book and wish to continue, that's absolutely fine. We can build from where you left off. So don't worry if you're unsure what books to use on your first lesson.

3.) Music Writing Notebook

Even in today's digital world of iPads, laptops, and phones, a notebook remains a valuable learning tool. A music writing notebook is helpful for composition, theory, lesson notes, practice tips, progress tracking, and anything else you'd like to jot down.

4.) Google Account (Gmail)

I use Google Workspace (Sheets, Classroom, YouTube, Meet, and Drive) to organize lesson materials, videos, attendance, and progress updates.

For younger students, I communicate with parents through email and Google Classroom, where supplementary materials are uploaded for easy access. Parents can also track attendance, schedules, and lesson progress.

Adult learners use these platforms as well. We primarily communicate via email, and lesson summaries are posted in Google Classroom so you can review what we covered and access shared resources anytime.

5.) The Desire to Learn

This is the most important thing you bring to every lesson: the desire to learn.

Just as students feel inspired to learn the piano, I feel inspired to teach. I always remind my students that we learn together. As a teacher, I see myself as a lifelong learner, growing alongside my students. So when you become my student, remember that it's a shared journey of learning for both of us.

"Always walk through life as if you have something new to learn, and you will."
— Vernon Howard