How Do I Get Perfect Pitch?
As a music teacher, I have had music students ask me: “how do I get perfect pitch?” This is a tough question to answer, because there is little definitive medical guidance on perfect pitch, such as whether it is genetic or if it is a skill that can be learned. Growing up, I had perfect pitch but I don’t remember how I obtained it – I just don’t recall ever not having it. In this article, I will explore what perfect pitch is, why certain people have it, and recommendations on how you can obtain perfect pitch.
What is Perfect Pitch?
According to Wikipedia, the definite of perfect pitch (also known as absolute pitch), is:
“Absolute pitch (AP), or perfect pitch, is the ability to name or reproduce a tone without reference to an external standard.”
People with perfect pitch possess the ability to perform all or a majority of the following:
- Identify individual pitches by name (e.g. A, B-flat, C-sharp) without an external reference
- Listen and name the key of a given piece of music
- Identify all the notes of a given chord
- Accurately sing a given pitch without reference to an external tone
- Name the pitches of common everyday noises such as electronic devices or car horns
In everyday terms, individuals with perfect pitch can name musical pitches accurately without having any reference point. For example, if someone plays a random note on a piano, a person with perfect pitch would be able to listen and name the correct note instantly without looking. When a piece of music is played on the radio, a person with perfect pitch would be able to identify the notes being played, including the notes of the chords and bass line.
Relative pitch is similar but more limited. People with relative pitch can hear one identified original pitch, then identify other pitches relative to the stored memory of the original pitch.
Why Do Certain People Have Perfect Pitch?
Perfect pitch is rare among the general population. It is more prevalent among professional top level musicians that started music study at a young age, but even still it is quite rare. Most people with perfect pitch do not recall when they obtained it.
In 2010, a study called University of California Genetics of Absolute Pitch Study was conducted by Dr. Jane Gitschier at the University of California, San Francisco. Although still in progress, the study had the following preliminary findings:
- Start at an early age – The majority of individuals with absolute pitch began formal musical training before age 7.
- Genetics – A sibling (with early musical training) of an absolute pitch possessor is about 15 times more likely to possess absolute pitch than is another individual with early musical training but with no family history of absolute pitch.
- Fades with time – Pitch perception tends to go sharp as subjects age. None of the subjects past the age of 51 identified all of the tones perfectly, unlike their younger counterparts.
- Distortion – Absolute pitch possessors tend to err on G# far more than any other tone (hypothesized given the use of A as the universal tuning pitch in Western music and there being varying frequency standards for A, i.e. A440).
Research is still ongoing to find if there are genetic variants (i.e., DNA changes) that are enriched in individuals with absolute pitch. This study is a fascinating one, and one that we will surely keep our eyes on to see how it unfolds.
How Can I Learn Perfect Pitch?
People with perfect pitch appear to fall into two categories: one group who have always had the ability, and the other group who have acquired the ability at a later age.
If one is not born with perfect pitch, the following are some ear training exercises I would recommend to help improve your ability:
- Interval identification – To help develop perfect pitch, you must first be adept at relative pitch ability. This involves learning to identify intervals accurately and instantaneously. Practice listening to random note intervals and recognizing patterns to identify them. My childhood piano teacher taught me the following mnemonic tools. For example, to identify a 4th interval, think of the Here Comes the Bride. To identify a 5th interval, think of the Star Wars theme. To identify a 6th interval, think of My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean. To identify a 7th interval, think of Somewhere Over the Rainbow (the 1st to 2nd note is an octave, then the 3rd note is the major 7th).
- Practice playing by ear – Try playing songs from ear as often as you can, without the help of any sheet music. This will train your ear to listen carefully and help identify relative pitches. Don’t worry if it is frustrating at first – part of ear training is trial and error until you can recognize patterns.
- Ear training exercises – There are numerous ear training software available, even free ones online, that one can access to practice developing your ear. This will include practicing the identification of notes, scales, chords, intervals, cadences, and others. Student enrollment in music exams such as ABRSM music exam or Certificate of Merit will train and test students in ear training.
- Keep playing music – The more you play, the more your ear listens to the instrument you’re playing. After many years of continuous practice, you will begin to be familiar with the timbre and frequency of certain notes, thus making them easier to identify.
- Try testing your perfect pitch periodically – Periodically, you may wish to have a friend or music teacher play random notes on your instrument and practice naming them instantaneously and as accurate as you can.
Even if one is not born with perfect pitch, with patience and continuous practice, you can learn techniques to help develop the ability to obtain perfect pitch. If you intend to acquire perfect pitch, just be reminded that it often takes years to obtain. But don’t be discouraged – it is possible! Good luck in your journey, and happy listening!
About the Author
Theresa Chen is based in Los Angeles, CA and runs two music education websites, Opus Music Education and Opus Music Worksheets. If you are interested in joining one of the web’s premiere music teacher directories, please check out Opus Music Education at http://www.opusmusiceducation.com. To download free music education worksheets, visit http://www.opusmusicworksheets.com.
Go back to Opus Music Education homepage.
Group vs. Private Piano Lessons – Which One is Better?
When parents consider starting their child in music lessons, often they wonder if private or group lessons would be better suited for their child. In this article, I discuss the advantages and disadvantages of private lessons and group lessons, and later conclude on my assessment of which type is better.
Private Lessons
Advantages:
- Personalized attention – The student gets one-on-one attention from the teacher at all times of the lesson. This means the teacher can tailor the lesson concepts, pace of learning, and progression according to the capability of the student.
- Pace is customized – Music concepts are progressive and build upon previously learned topics. In a private setting, the teacher can go as fast or slow as needed to ensure the student comprehends all of the necessary music concepts before learning the next topics. Students with above-average musical aptitude can move at a much faster pace, which will reduce risk of boredom. On the other hand, students that need extra help can spend extra time with the teacher on certain areas to ensure they understand the concept fully before moving on.
- Faster progress – On average, students who take private lessons will progress faster in their music studies than those who take group lessons.
- Personal connection between student and teacher - Since the teacher and student will spend a lot of time together, a deeper personal connection can be developed between the two. Students who study for the same teacher for many years typically have a strong bond with the teacher.
- Easier to schedule – It may be simpler to schedule lessons since there are only two parties involved in a private lesson (teacher and student), unlike multiple parties in group lessons.
Disadvantages:
- More expensive – Private lessons can be considerably more expensive than group lessons. If a family is on a budget, the price differential can really make a difference.
- Solitary activity – Playing the piano is already a solitary activity, and a child may continue to feel that they are once again alone at their private lessons.
Group Lessons
Advantages:
- Less expensive – The more people in the class, the less each student needs to pay. This can be a large determining factor for some families, especially given the current economic environment.
- Peer competition can be healthy – If a student knows that they will be performing in front of their peers, they may be more likely to practice their assigned pieces to avoid making mistakes in front of others. Also, they may have more incentive to do their homework if they do not wish to be the only student who didn’t finish their homework.
- Social time – Given the peer interaction of group classes, group lessons offer social time for the students. With multiple students, teachers have more flexibility to play games and hence, students may think lessons are more fun.
- Can learn from others – When students see other students their age and level play the piano, they can learn from observation, instead of a teacher verbally telling them.
- Ensemble skills - Playing in a group means that students are forced to listen more to their peers. This can develop their ensemble and ear training skills.
- Longer class time - Group classes are longer than private lessons (group lessons are typically an hour vs. 30 minute lessons for young children beginners).
Disadvantages:
- Less personalized attention – Instead of the teacher focusing on one student, the teacher must divide his or her time among many students at once.
- Different skill levels can be difficult - In a group setting there are lot of different types of learning styles. It can be difficult to handle the various learning styles and pace of learning.
- Less effective for shy students – Children who are shy or who don’t enjoy interacting in groups may be uncomfortable in group lessons.
- Group lessons usually use keyboards, not pianos – The piano is a large instrument. With multiple students, teachers typically do not have one piano per student. Instead, digital pianos or keyboards are used, which is different than an acoustic piano and can be less effective when the student reaches a more advanced level.
- Difficult to teach more advanced piano techniques - Once the level of piano study starts to involve playing with both hands and more advanced piano techniques, it may be more difficult for the teacher to work on the specific advanced details in the piece, such as phrasing, texture, balance between hands, touch, etc.
Consider the following when assessing if your child is better suited for group or private piano lessons.
Consider the following for group lessons:
- Does your child like being in groups and work well with others?
- Do they like team sports?
- Do they have an extremely tight extracurricular schedule that makes it hard to find daily practice time?
- Are they under age 6?
- Are you under a tight budget?
If so, group lessons are probably your first choice.
Consider the following for private lessons:
- Do they dislike team sports or shy around other peers?
- Are they exceptional students academically and tend to progress faster than other kids?
- Or do they tend to progress slower than other kids and sometimes require special personalized attention?
- Do they have a burning desire to learn the piano?
- Are they 6 or older?
- Can you afford private lessons?
If so, private lessons are probably your first choice.
In the end, the decision for a child to begin private or group lessons depends on a number of factors, including the child’s personality, developmental progress as compared to other children their age, and parent’s ability to afford the lessons. In my opinion, private lessons are always the preferred method since it ensures the student has a more comprehensive musical learning experience and allows the student to progress at their own pace (and often a faster pace as compared to other students). If parents can afford the cost of private lessons, private lessons are highly recommended for piano study.
About the author
Theresa Chen runs two music education websites, Opus Music Education and Opus Music Worksheets. If you are interested in finding a music teacher in California, please check out Opus Music Education at http://www.opusmusiceducation.com. To download free music education worksheets, visit http://www.opusmusicworksheets.com.
As a private piano teacher, I have taught students young and old, from ages 3 and up. The longer I taught, the more I began to see a pattern of the stages that piano students go through. I saw my young students start out extremely enthusiastic about their music study, then lose interest, then go through a zig-zag of motivation, gain interest again, then quit. For a small majority of students, they would continue piano studies until they graduated high school, but this was rare. Student drop out rates were an issue. Hence, I began thinking and researching about the issue of piano student drop out rates, and why and when piano students decide to quit lessons.
In this article, I will discuss my findings on:
- the 6 stages of piano study
- the average drop out age of piano students (i.e., at what age piano students typically quit lessons)
- why piano students quit lessons
The 6 stages of piano study
Stage 1 (ages 4-6): “Listen to me play, everybody!”
In this pre-piano stage, children love to make sounds on the piano just for the sake of being able to make sounds themselves. The concept of music is fascinating and they enjoy being able to be in control and produce sounds out of an instrument with their own hands. Children typically learn through peer group interaction and like being in groups, hence their motto: “listen to me play, everybody!”
Stage 2 (ages 7-8): “Not now, later.”
Once piano students enter the beginner and late beginner stages, they find that playing the piano actually takes practice. This is different than before, when playing the piano was fun and like playing a game. All of a sudden, motivation levels have dropped because now piano actually takes work. Note reading is difficult and each lesson is getting progressively harder. The student gets discouraged. The lesson time is often spent with the teacher practicing with the student what they were supposed to practice at home.
Stage 3 (ages 9-10): “Look mom – with my eyes closed!”
Students have gotten past the difficult stage of note reading and music concepts begin to make sense. For some reason, something has “clicked” in the students’ minds and they figured out note reading through ‘every good boy does fine’ or other means. Usually at this stage the student’s goal is to play as fast as possible or play pieces memorized with their eyes closed, in attempts to show off to family and friends. At this age, students enjoy flashcards as a means of learning, showy pieces, and tunes they recognize. Regular practice time can still remain a challenge due to distractions at home (i.e., video games, television, internet, friends, etc.).
Stage 4 (age 11): “Why can’t I have good music – like rock or pop?”
At this age, the adolescent child begins many changes, and it can be quite difficult to continue with piano lessons. Their world is moving out of the family structure and into a world of peer association and approval. Students are in the early intermediate stage and teachers often begin introducing students to easy pieces from the classical era (i.e., Minuets, Sonatinas, etc.). This type of music is so far out of line of what the student enjoys to listen to on a daily basis. The student wonders why they can’t play “cooler” music like the Harry Potter theme song or the rock song they heard on the radio. The student gets discouraged, do not care much for their progress at the piano, and playing the piano is no longer cool.
Stage 5 (ages 12-14): “I want to quit.”
After Stage 4, students often have resentment towards learning the piano. It takes away from the student’s free time, it is hard work to learn the music concepts, and requires a lot of practice that the child does not have diligence for. The teacher has expressed some frustration toward the child and the parent is placing pressure on the student to keep practicing, furthering the child’s resentment towards music lessons. The student is not playing music he or she likes anyway, and figures the easiest thing to is to quit lessons. Unless the parent continues to force the child to go to lessons, many students quit at this age. Parent involvement and support is very important at this stage to ensure that the student continues learning. Even if the parent just has the student merely “show up” to the weekly lessons until the student passes the growing pain hurdles, that is better than the student quitting on his or her own terms. This is the stage that adults who once learned piano often look back on later and regret that they quit.
Stage 6 (ages 15-16): (If you get past the growing pain hurdles) “No more kid stuff.”
After a rough patch of frustration by the student, parents, and teacher, the student will begin to gain an appreciation for classical music in the advanced repertoire. Students will begin to feel satisfied from their ability to play difficult pieces, and the teacher will begin guiding the student on artistry and interpretation aspects of music pieces. The students are approaching adulthood and begin to take on responsibility without reminders. Usually they are taking piano lessons because they want to. The student and teacher begin to develop a strong bond of mutual respect and students can become very close to their piano teachers.
Assessment and Conclusion
As discussed above, the average age that students quit lessons is around ages 12 to 14 (stage 5 out of 6). Students often quit at stage 5 because of their desire to seek peer attention and approval, their realization that learning the piano is hard work, and distractions from other activities, friends, and technology.
Note that Stage 5 is extremely close to the last and final phase of a child’s piano study. I always found it a shame that students often quit at a time (unknown to them) that is right before their motivation level that is about to shoot through the roof. If the student were to continue for an additional year or two, the graph above displays how their motivation level will become far higher than they have ever experienced in their lives. This is why parent involvement is extremely important in Stage 5. It is highly recommended that parents continue taking their child to lessons, even when the child resists and wishes to quit. Parents should realize that this is just the growing pain hurdles of piano study, and once the student passes this stage, they will develop their own self-motivation to learn the piano.
Once the student reaches Stage 6, the child will likely continue with little further effort by the parent. And as an adult, the student will thank the parent wholeheartedly later for pushing them to continue through the growing pains.
About the author
Theresa Chen runs two music education websites, Opus Music Education and Opus Music Worksheets. If you are interested in finding a music teacher in California, please check out Opus Music Education at http://www.opusmusiceducation.com. To download free music education worksheets, visit http://www.opusmusicworksheets.com.
What is the best age to start piano lessons?
When I tell people I am a piano teacher, one of the most common questions I get is “what is the ideal age for my child to start piano lessons?” My initial answer is usually “it depends.” I know, it’s not the most precise answer, but I will tell you why “it depends” and later conclude on my assessment on what I think is truly the best age to begin piano lessons.
How to know when a child is ready to start music lessons
Piano study can begin as early as 3 years old. However, 3 years old is not the right age to start for every child. The reason why it depends is because each child develops key motor and learning skills at different ages. Also, a child’s musical readiness is based on a number of other factors besides just cognitive and motor skills. Finding the right age to start is very important as it prevents the child from feeling burnt out or prematurely giving up on piano lessons because they feel it is too hard.
As a piano teacher, to help me assess if the child is ready to start lessons, I ask the parent to consider the following factors and questions. The parent should be able to answer “yes” to all questions.
- Interest – Does the child express interest in music? Does he or she have a favorable response to the sound of music, or tried to make music on their own?
- Fine motor skills and coordination – Can the child move each arm independently from the other? Can the child lift each finger independently from the others? Have the small muscles of the hand developed?
- Attention span – Is the child able to sit still and concentrate on a task for at least ten minutes at a time?
- Musical readiness – Can the child distinguish between high vs. low, same vs. different, and fast vs. slow? Can the child clap in a steady beat?
- Read alphabet – Is child able to read the letters of the alphabet, at least through G (as the musical alphabet is made up of A through G)?
- Parent involvement – Does the child have a parent that is able to sit at the piano with the child at home to practice? Is the parent willing to bring the child to lessons once a week and be actively engaged in his or her music learning?
Music readiness test
At the first trial lesson with a new child student, I, as the teacher, perform a “music readiness test” (point #4 listed above) on the child to assess if he or she is ready to start music lessons. In the music readiness test, I will see if the child can distinguish the differences in these areas:
- high vs. low
- same vs. different
- fast vs. slow
- steady beat vs. non-steady beat
To do this test, I will start with very obvious differences. For example, I will play the lowest key on the piano and then the highest key on the piano and ask “is the second sound higher or lower?” Then I will make the notes closer and closer until I play two notes right next to each other, and see if they can still tell the difference. It is not uncommon for young students to miss it when it is this close, but it’s okay. This is just to assess how developed their ear and sense of sound is. For the steady beat, I will play a simple march in a steady beat and ask the student to clap along in a steady beat. Then I will suddenly stop playing and ask them to continue clapping in a steady beat on their own.
If a child is able to distinguish most differences in the four areas mentioned above and pass the music readiness test, this may mean they are ready for music lessons.
Developmental milestones of 3 to 6 year olds
According to studies done by individuals at GreatSchools.org, there are general developmental milestones that a child should be able to achieve at each age (from 3 to 6 years old) in the following categories: gross motor skills, fine motor skills, language/thinking development, and social/emotional development. Analyzing this can help a music teacher assess what skills are typically acquired at each age and at what point enough proficiency is gained to provide for effective music learning. In particular, I found the following skills highlighted in bold helpful for beginning music students. This chart shows that by age 6, a child will have developed the ability to move in time to a beat, use fingers independently, learn via language and logic, and be independent. These are very important skills that can help prepare the students to play the piano.
Click here to download the full size pdf version: Developmental-Milestones-3-to-6-Year-Olds.pdf
Conclusion
Since each child develops their interest in music, attention span, and motor skills at their own pace, it can be difficult to generalize at what age a child develops enough abilities to start learning music. However, as a general observation, I have found that by the age of 6, children will usually have acquired enough fine motor skills, attention span, and thinking development to begin effective music learning. Again, this really depends on the child and their pace of cognitive and motor development. Some children may have these skills by the age of 3, and some not until the age of 9. If you are a parent, ask yourself the questions I posed earlier and see if you can say yes to all questions. Also, ensure your child has acquired at least the key developmental skills highlighted in bold in the chart above. Using these guidelines, both you and music teacher can jointly assess your child’s readiness to start music lessons.
About the author
Theresa Chen runs two music education websites, Opus Music Education and Opus Music Worksheets. If you are interested in finding a music teacher in California, please check out Opus Music Education at http://www.opusmusiceducation.com. To download free music education worksheets, visit http://www.opusmusicworksheets.com.
Do you need to go to school to be a music teacher?
Many people wonder if there are education requirements to becoming a music teacher.
There are various forms of musical training that a person can go through, from informal lessons to advanced academic degrees The following lists types of musical training in order from most basic to most formal:
- Private music lessons – Private music lessons from an independent music teacher
- Professional certificate – A certificate program that typically is received in less than two years from a community college or professional trade school
- Associate of Arts – A two-year college degree in music
- Bachelor of Music/Arts – A four-year college or university degree in music
- Master of Music/Arts – Typically an additional two years of music studies at a college or university beyond a BM/BA
- Doctorate of Musical Arts or PhD – An additional 2+ years of advanced music studies beyond a MM/MA.
Typically, to be a music teacher, the only education required is an advanced understanding of music (as informal as simply having taken private music lessons). However, continued education in music can certainly help and advanced degrees can assist greatly when looking for a job at a music school or to attract potential clients such as parents who are looking for music teachers for their children. Higher degrees can also maximize your salary. Advanced degrees can definitely assist on a resume and impress potential clients. At some music school employers, higher education can be a mandatory requirement, with a sliding scale for salary.
Many city community colleges offer programs in music. Music degree programs can also be found at most colleges and universities. In addition, another option is a professional music trade school, such as Musicians Institute in Hollywood, CA. All of thesse programs can give music students a foundation in musical knowledge (such as theory and history), instrument technique, and experience in music performing. Certain universities have gained a reputation as consistently having graduates that are extremely talented and successful in their music careers (such as Juilliard or Curtis).
Since there many options, you may wish to discuss with other music teachers what kind of training they had. You will probably find that there are are wide variety of training levels, and you can find good teachers from each category of music training.
No, a person is not required to go to school to be a music teacher. There are many music teachers that teach music lessons without any advanced music degrees, as long as they have the required amount of knowledge and patience to be an effective music teacher. However, it can certainly be beneficial to those who have continued education in music, since it can make it easier to find work, command higher pay, and some employers may even require you to have gone to school. Good luck!
About the Author
Theresa Chen is the owner of a music school in Los Angeles called Opus Music Education. If you are interested in becoming a music teacher in California, please check out Opus Music Education at http://www.opusmusiceducation.com.
Better employees: Athletes or Musicians?
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I came across a recent New York Times weekly column called Corner Office, which interviews high-level business executives about management style, leadership, and success. In a recent interview on July 3, 2011, Kathy Button Bell, vice president and chief marketing officer of Emerson, was interviewed and shared her insights about endurance as an athlete and as a corporate employee.
Bell: I think everybody benefits from having played sports. It makes you a good sharer, for one thing, in lots of ways. And it makes you more empathetic in general. I love to see sports in a résumé. A woman who works for me right now was a Harvard swimmer, and I can tell that every time I talk to her about something. She’s an endurance athlete. She’s tough in a pinch. She will get it done. And I respect that enormously…
Q. Do you think people can get those qualities just as much from being in an orchestra, or in a dance troupe?
Bell:There’s something about how hard sports are physically that’s helpful.
While I appreciate her thoughts on the similarities between athletes and effective employees, I wish she would address more directly the question on musicians and dancers, and see what her stand is on how musicians/artists compare to athletes. In addition, I would have liked to see a more eloquent response to address the question, such as “I don’t know because I have never formally learned a musical instrument”, instead of implying that there’s something about the physical nature of sports that makes it more beneficial. Nevertheless, in the end, I think almost all of the qualities she mentions (i.e., sharing, empathetic, endurance, getting things done, etc.) as helpful traits in athletes apply directly to musicians.
Eagerly awaiting a sequel interview addressing musicians..
Music Improves Brain Function
We have all heard of scientific studies that indicate that music improves brain function. I wanted to address this fact because this is often a great selling point when I am trying to get parents to sign up for music lessons for their children. Many children have opportunities to learn a musical instrument in their school orchestra, band, or simply private lessons. The good news is that scientific research has shown that there is a strong correlation between musical training in children and certain other mental abilities.
In an article published by Live Science, studies by the Institute for Music and the Mind at McMaster University in West Hamilton, Ontario compared preschool children who had taken music lessons with those who did not. The children with some music training showed larger brain responses on a number of sound recognition tests given to the children. The research concluded that musical training appeared to modify the children’s brain’s auditory cortex.
Other benefits were found with young children who studied music:
- Even a year or two of music training leads to enhanced levels of memory and attention when measured by the same type of tests that monitor electrical and magnetic impulses in the brain.
- Musical training affects attention and memory, which provides a mechanism whereby musical training might lead to better learning across a number of domains.
- The motor and listening skills needed to play an instrument in concert with other people appears to heavily involve attention, memory and the ability to inhibit actions.
- A music intervention that strengthens the basic auditory music perception skills of children with dyslexia may also remediate some of their language deficits.
- Musical training gives an individual the acoustic responsiveness of a child some 2 – 3 years older.
- When a person listens to sounds over and over, especially for something as harmonic or meaningful as music and speech, the appropriate neurons get reinforced in responding preferentially to those sounds compared to other sounds.
- Changes triggered by listening to musical sound increases with age and the greatest increase occur between age 10 and 13.
- Passive listening to music seems to help a person perform certain cognitive tests, at least in the short run. Actual music lessons for kids, however, leads to a longer lasting cognitive success.
So why not learn music today? For adults, it can provide joy and provide a mental challenge. For kids, it could improve brain function that will last the rest of their lives. The scientific research says so.
View the full article here: http://www.livescience.com/7950-music-improves-brain-function.html
thanks for reading music memos!
How to find a piano teacher from the Internet
- You could go to Google and type in “piano teachers in Los Angeles”, “piano lessons in Orange County”, etc. You will find paid advertisers at the top and right sidebar, along with numerous search results. The variety of websites you will come across may include music schools, online referral services, or individual teacher websites. These websites will all offer piano lessons, piano teachers, or even online websites that teach you how to play piano online.
- You could go to teacher directory websites, such as privatelessons.com, where teachers pay to have their profile displayed. Here, you can find piano teachers that teach out of their homes or travel to student’s home for the lessons. There will be numerous teachers that teach piano in all styles to all ages, from beginners to advanced, and early childhood to senior citizens.
- You could go to online music referral websites, such as www.opusmusiceducation.com, where you can search a database of music teachers and sort by distance and price. These music schools often have certified pre-screened piano teachers and you pay the music school, who in turn, pays the piano teacher. For Opus Music Education, these teachers teach in a variety of styles, and you might be able to find both private lesson and group lesson offerings in numerous areas throughout Los Angeles and Orange County. Opus offers piano lessons for children, piano lessons for adults, students who want to learn advanced piano or beginning piano, or just to learn piano for fun.
How do I find the right music teacher?
Trying to find a music teacher may seem like a daunting task. In the following post, I list some steps that will help you find a suitable music teacher. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at contact@opusmusiceducation.com.
1. Know your goals.
The first step to selecting a right teacher is asking yourself what your goals are (for yourself or for your child). Not everyone aspires to be the next Yo-Yo Ma. some questions to consider are:
- Do you wish to focus on the classical style, or another style, such as rock, jazz, gospel, etc?
- Do you want intense conservatory type training or lessons in a more relaxed setting?
- What are your intentions in learning a musical instrument?
- Do you wish to prepare for music exams, competitions, play in front of friends, or just to play for fun?
- How much can you realistically devote to practicing your instrument each week?
2. Find a teacher.
There are many places to go to find a teacher, some of which are listed as follows:
- Local music store or music school
- Referrals from friends or family members
- Google search
- Internet websites that already have pre-screened music teachers, such as http://www.opusmusiceducation.com.
Ask yourself which avenue you are comfortable using to find a music teacher.
3. Assess the teacher.
- Personality – Try to gauge if the teacher has most of the following: empathy, patience, an encouraging personality, positive attitude, and a person you can respect.
- Skills/talent – Assess the education level and experience level to assess if the teacher is a good teacher. I would recommend a teacher that has a college degree in music, or at least working towards a degree. Music training at the college level ensures that the teacher has at least an advanced understanding in their instrument, music theory, music history, and has comprehensive music knowledge. Teachers don’t necessarily need to have won big music competitions in the past. A good player does not mean a good teacher.
- Experience – Ensure that you are not the first student the teacher has ever taught. Ask about the teacher’s experience, how long they have been teaching, and what ages ranges they teach.
- Environment – If the teacher is teaching out of their home or studio, is the environment well suited for learning? Check if the instrument is well kept, if there is adequate lighting, if the place is free of distracting pets or children, and that you feel comfortable in the teacher’s home/studio.
- Opportunities – Will the teacher allow you to grow as a musician? Are there performance opportunities available if you would like to perform publicly? Is the teacher’s skill level advanced enough to be able to teach you in the long-term?
4. Calculate if the teacher’s tuition fits in your budget.
- Do research – You might have to do some research to see what the going rate is for music lessons in your area. Google for teachers in your area and make sure it is within adequate range. For the LA area, the going rate for private piano lessons seems to be about $40 – $50 per hour.
- Check if you can afford it – Normally teachers charge by the month, so ensure that you can fit the lesson costs into your monthly expenses.
- Some teachers offer the first trial lesson/interview for free, such as http://www.opusmusiceducation.com, that offers every first lesson for free.
5. Ask questions.
Examples of questions are:
- What ages do you teach?
- What music methods do you use (your own, Alfred, Bastien, etc.)?
- What styles do you teach (classical, pop, jazz, etc.)?
- Do you offer recitals for your students?
- How much do you charge?
- Do your students compete in competitions?
- Do you offer any technology aids in our lessons (recording, music theory software, etc.)?
- Do you belong to any professional associations? (Music Teachers Association of California (MTAC), Music Teachers National Associate (MTNA), etc.)
6. Start your first lesson!
With these steps in mind, you’ll be on your way to finding a suitable music teacher for you or your child. It may be a trial and error process until you find the best teacher that fits your goals, personality, and style. Good luck in your search!
NAMM Recap
I just finished an exhausting but productive time @NAMMShow, the music industry’s largest trade show event. From pianos to DJ equipment, it brings together the largest music companies in the world in one single place. Visitors are welcome to test out anything they’d like for as long as they want, making the show very high in demand.
I had the privilege to be invited to the NAMM Show as a music educator, and was on the panel for the NAMM 2011 “Best Tools for Schools” Awards. I walked the show floors trying to find the most innovative and effective education products for a music classroom setting. Of the 10 products that won an award, I presented on 3 of the products during a press conference sponsored by NAMM and the School & Band Orchestra Magazine.
The following is a list of selected products that won the 2011 Best Tools for Schools Awards:
- Best teaching tool for young beginners – Joy Tunes (www.joytunes.com) – Joy Tunes is an interactive music education game that is operated by an instrument playing into a computer microphone. The recorder, for example, is used to control a virtual cartoon character through a series of games to teach students the fundamentals of music, including tone production, reading music, coordination, and basic music concepts. It is made for beginning students aged 6-10. I loved this product because it made music learning very fun and enjoyable – by the time all of the levels are completed, the student would have gone through a year’s worth of music lessons. The graphics and visual design is also wonderful and would be very appealing to children.
- Best teaching tool for advanced students – Yamaha Disklavier piano (www.yamaha.com) - Many people know the Disklavier as a type of player piano. However, what many of these people don’t know is that the Disklavier can act as a great teaching tool for teachers. It is an acoustic piano that has sophisticated technology that allows for recording and playback. For the classroom teacher, it can serve very well in ensemble settings (band, orchestra, or choir). For example, a choir teacher can use the Disklavier to pre-record accompaniments so that they no longer need to rely on an accompanist. The teacher can loop sections to allow for more effective rehearsal. In addition, there is a pitch transposition feature so that students can learn to sing in multiples pitch ranges. In addition, the Disklavier’s video sync features allow for possibility of remote music lessons via the internet.
- Best teaching tool for band – Yamaha HD-200 (www.yamaha.com) – The HD-200 (Harmony Director) is a unique tuning tool that allows band directors to tune their students according to “pure temperament”, instead of “equal temperament”. In other words, it allows individuals to tune chords, rather than notes. So instead of having students tune a single note on their instrument to a single pitch tuner, the HD-200 lets students train their ears to listen whether entire chords are in tune. With the product, students can listen to the sound waves as the pitches come in and out of tune, and allows for effective ear training development.
The complete list will be published in the School Band & Orchestra magazine in March 2011. Please check it out!
I was honored to serve on the panel for the Best Tools for Schools, and to contribute my input as a music educator to the NAMM Show. Now, just need to rest up my feet from walking miles and miles around the exhibit aisles…
