Piano Lessons for
Children and Adults

Many piano lessons for children and adults focus on playing the notes on a given page. While this is true to some extent, it must be conducted in an engaging way to enhance learning music. As you could imagine, this itself could be quite tedious! Using different senses and imagination certainly help in making lessons engaging.

Practical Piano lessons
for Children and Adults

Music lessons are have two main parts, practical and theory.

Learning to play the piano is the practical part. This is the part that can be really interesting!

If you are starting off a young child in music some time soon, find out when to start piano lessons for children here. If not, simply read on!

What is so interesting about playing the piano?

Music is music only if the sound produced is pleasing to the ear. This is why the ear is very important to musicians.

When reading a music score, I always imagine what kind of sound the composer intended, whether sweet, dramatic, sad or playful. Then I would play the piano to bring out that character in the music.

It is very interesting as so many things are involved, the thinking about the music, the actual playing, the listening and evaluating to see if you actually like it!

When does the 'going get tough'?

Reading Music Notes

Classical music is usually written and printed in music scores.

Many students, especially at an elementary to intermediate level, find it a real challenge to read the notes written on the score.

In these cases, learning the notes can be tedious if there has been insufficient practice in note-reading.

Exploring a wonderful piece of music which really starts after learning all the notes then becomes a mechanical task of note-learning.

Playing Technique

Good playing technique is essential to making good music, especially at higher levels.

Being tensed gives rise to technical problems for many pianists. Signs of tension include constantly raised shoulders when playing and tired or strained muscles in the arms, back or hands.

Playing with relaxed hands, arms, shoulders and back is essential to playing well. The less tense you are, the more you will enjoy playing!

Aural Skills

Learning aural or listening skills is always beneficial and ideal and quickest between 3 and 6 years old.

Training in sensitivity to musical qualities like beat, rhythm, pitch and timbre helps tremendously in playing any instrument including the piano.

Without a good aural sense of musical qualities, it can be difficult learn music well.

Theory Lessons
for Children and Adults

Music theory refers to the principles of music. Learning music theory either helps us understand things like how music is written and the different musical periods and composers.

Time invested in theory can be interesting and beneficial to practical and aural learning.

From grades 1 to 5, music theory is usually included as part of the piano lesson. In the higher grades, as theory becomes more in depth and time-consuming, theory is often learnt in a separate group setting for greater interest and benefit.

To learn about higher grade theory lessons with Clara Ong, please click here.

To learn about music lessons with Clara Ong, please click here.

To go back to taking piano lessons in Singapore, please click here.