Why people quit taking piano lessons

Starting piano lessons is really fun. It’s always really exciting when someone starts. They get excited and see the possibility of it all. They dream about all the songs they are going to learn how to play. They picture themselves playing at the next family gathering and everyone singing along.

And we, as teachers, can see the hope in their eyes. It is such an inspiring and fun time for any student as well as any teacher.

But the inspiration and excitement never last forever. Those are just chemically induced emotions that go away as soon as the chemicals dry up. And the chemicals always dry up eventually. What is left after the initial inspiration wears off?

Reality. And the reality is this…

Learning anything new is hard

Learning the piano is hard. Learning anything is hard. And it takes a lot of time and effort. I think the number one reason people quit taking piano lessons is they start to see how hard it really is. Once they realize it is going to take some time and effort, they become overwhelmed. The voice of self-doubt starts to kick in and they begin to doubt that they have what it takes to stick it out.

The truth is they do. We all do. But many times we let that voice become so loud that we can’t hear the truth anymore. Once that voice is yelling in our ear, we will do anything to make it stop. This is when most people quit. Quitting makes the voice stop.

But there is another way to make it stop. And that is by NOT quitting.

The voice goes away either way. By running away from it or from facing it and yelling back. So many people choose to run away. It’s easier. It’s quicker. And then they can move on to the next thing they hope will bring them the happiness they crave. But those of us who stick it, get to feel something that these other people don’t.

Victory.

Victory shuts the voice down for good. It closes the argument. It allows you to settle into the life you have chosen. It gives you the freedom and solace from the wariness of constant searching. If you are continually searching for the next best thing, you will never find it. If you constantly live in the mentality of “I’ll be happy when…” you are by definition damning yourself to a life of unhappiness.

If you give up when it gets hard, you will never experience the good part. The victory. The victory is what causes the inspirational and fun emotions to return. The victory is where we all crave to be but tend to give up or let ourselves off the hook right before we get there.

Simple, but not easy.

The answer is simple but not easy. The answer is don’t quit. Don’t give up on something that you cared enough about to look up how to learn it, reach out to a stranger to teach it to you, and then give that stranger some of your hard-earned money to show you how to do it. You would never put that much effort into something that wasn’t really important to you.

If you took all these actions to get here, don’t give up on yourself now. The good part is coming. It is closer than you think, but you will never find it if you keep bailing right before it happens. You need to yell back at that voice of self-doubt and tell it you are doing this no matter what it takes. It will shut up eventually once it sees you are serious.

And then you will be able to settle down and get to work. Even more, you will be able to enjoy the work because you will know why you are doing the work. You are no longer teetering between giving up and sticking it out. You have made the conscious choice to go on.

Our promise to you.

Once you make that choice to go on, it is only a matter of time until you finally experience the victory you have so badly craved. It’s all up to you. It’s all in your mind. And we are here to help you along every step of the way. We won’t give up on you if you promise to not give up on yourself.

What Is The Key To Being a Great Piano Player?

There are so many things that go into being a great piano player. Patience. Discipline. Time. Energy. We could probably make a long list of things. But I think there is one quality that above all others is crucial if you want to be great.

Obsession is the key.

We often talk about obsession like it is a bad thing and for sure it can be. Obsession has been ample fodder for many Hollywood tales of love gone wrong. Or how about that detective who forgets to eat because they are so wrapped up in catching the bad guy. You’ve seen the movies. You know what I am talking about.

But there is also a positive side to obsession and it is this positive side that creates exceptional individuals, whether it is in art, politics, fitness, or any other field. Obsession creates winners.

Have you ever hung out with an exceptional musician? You may notice they can be pretty obsessive about certain things. They only like certain kinds of music. They are very specific about the gear they use. They have to sit a certain way at their instrument. If you pay close attention, you will start to see obsession at it’s best.

Why the best are the best.

There is a reason great piano players are so good at their instrument. It’s because they became obsessed with it. Ask any professional pianist and they will tell you the exact same story. It goes something like this.

When they were little, they heard someone play the piano. It may have been a parent, someone at church, or maybe they heard it on TV or the radio. Wherever their first encounter occurred, the results were always the same. They knew they loved what they heard and they knew that they had to figure out how to play like that.

They probably began tinkering at the piano before they ever took any lessons. They would sit there for hours trying to figure out songs note by note. Once they started taking lessons, they could fill in the gaps quicker which made it even more exciting.

Soon all they wanted to do was play the piano. They wanted to be the best. They wanted to play like their heroes. And as they began to learn more about music, they began to understand just how good they could be at it. It all made sense. And what didn’t make sense they were determined to figure out immediately.

Obsession or love?

This is what obsession looks like. But I think another way to put it is this is what love looks like. When you love someone, you want to spend all of your time with them. You want to get to understand them better. You want to be the best partner you can be. And you want all your friends and family to meet them so they can see how awesome they are too.

Music is the exact same way. When you know you love it, you want to spend all your time with it. You want to understand it better. You want to be the best at it. And you want to be able to share it with others so that it can bring the same joy into their life that it has brought into yours.

Embrace the obsession.

Whether you want to call it obsession or love, I am here say it is a beautiful thing. It has brought a lof of joy into my life over the years. It has also brought a lot of pain, but that’s how it goes with obsession just like love. Sometimes you get hurt, but it’s worth it in order to find the one who is going to bring so much joy into your life.

If you have the obsession don’t be afraid of it. Embrace it. Let it drive you to learn more. Let it take you to new places. It may not always be an easy road, but it will be one well worth traveling. And the world will be a better place because you did.

The Most Important Part Of Your Piano Practice Routine

When we think of musicians, I think a lot of us think of the starving artist. The miserable musician that is suffering for his art. No one understands his genius. He is constantly tormented by those who are better than him, so he puts in absurd hours of practice. It’s the only way to be great.

Then we idolize these people. We put them on a pedestal. And in order to be as great as them, we believe we have to suffer like them.

So we tell ourselves we have to push ourselves harder. We need to reach for perfection to be great. Anything short of perfection is a failure. And failure is not an option.

And so our musical lives begin by committing to all the big principles. Discipline. Perseverance. Consistent practice. Determination. Time. Effort. Blood. Sweat. Tears.

Don’t get me wrong, I am a big fan of all those things. Well, maybe not the blood. I mean, if you are bleeding it is definitely time to take a 10-minute break.

But as important as all these things are, there is one thing that is way more important when it comes to practicing the piano…

You have got to be kind to yourself.

I have seen it time and time again in many of my students. The perfectionist syndrome. We all want to be great at something. And we think the way to become great is to push ourselves harder and harder. We all watch Gary Vaynerchuck videos on YouTube telling us that we are slacking off and so we think the only way to improve is to work harder.

Although hard work does pay off, there is a line that you can cross and once you do, you actually begin to impede your progress.

I am totally a perfectionist. I do it too. I tend to think that in order to be respected, I have to be flawless. I have to be the best. No excuses. But that drive turns into self-loathing really fast. And as soon as I start hating myself for not being good enough, I suddenly lose my motivation to practice. I get down on myself. I lose hope and I see no point in trying anymore. In simple terms, I give up.

If you give up, you will never achieve greatness.

That seems like an obvious point, but the reason I make it is because I want you to see that perfectionism leads to giving up. You may start out with great intentions, but the more you beat yourself up, the more you are setting yourself up to fail. And if you don’t stop yourself from going down that road, it is just a matter of time until you give up. I promise you will.

I don’t want you to give up. I want you to succeed. I want you to achieve your goals with the piano. And the only way you are going to do that is by being kind to yourself. You have to let go of those impossible expectations you keep putting on yourself. You will never achieve perfection. It’s never going to happen. Matter of fact, you can’t get better at something without failing a lot and the piano is no different.

You need to make mistakes.

The mistakes we make while playing the piano are exactly the things that make us better. You need to make mistakes to learn. You need to make a lot of them. Every time you mess up, you shouldn’t yell at yourself expecting perfection. You should smile and be glad you have the opportunity to get better.

Think about it. If you never made a mistake, how would you know how to improve? You wouldn’t. You couldn’t. The mistakes show us new techniques. The mistakes help us fix the small things we are doing wrong. The mistakes make us better. There is no way around it.

So if you know you need to make mistakes to improve, can you learn to be kind to yourself when you make them? I admit it is not always easy. Especially in this culture we live in where we are taught to always work harder and longer. Better. Stronger. Faster.

How to achieve greatness.

We place too much importance on hard work and not enough on giving ourselves a break. In order to be great, we need to have a combination of work ethic and kindness. Kindness is something we need to start practicing, just like our scales. It needs to be a regular part of our practice routine.

As a matter of fact, I think it is the most important element of our practice routine. Without kindness, the whole house of cards will crumble fast. Think of kindness as the foundation for all that you do with music. If you can start from a place of grace, then you can allow yourself to make all the mistakes that you need to make to become the player you want to be.

With a little bit of kindness, it’s just a matter of time until you achieve the greatness you have always dreamed of. And this time you won’t give up before you get there.

Why The Piano Is So Much Cooler Than Any Other Instrument

That’s right. I said it. The piano is way cooler than any other instrument on the planet.

That doesn’t mean I don’t love all types of musical instruments, because I do. I actually used to play trumpet in my younger years and I loved it.

I love my brother and sister musicians and have huge respect for anyone who learns to play an instrument well, so please understand this blog post is all in good fun.

I can’t play the guitar, at least not very well. And I sure can’t play the trombone, so hear me when I say that it takes time and dedication to be good at any instrument. Every instrument is needed to make the world of music the full and wonderful place that it is.

So that being said, here is why the piano is better than any other instrument.

Why The Piano Is So Much Cooler Than Any Other Instrument

1. The piano is the only instrument that is laid out horizontally instead of vertically. It is easier to see what you are doing and understand what is going on. The guitar is vertical. Wind instruments are either vertical or use valve combinations. Most instruments tend to be very confusing at first. But the piano makes sense. You can look at a piano and start to see the patterns. You can see the black note pattern of 2 and 3. That’s why I think the piano is the best instrument to learn first. It’s not just because I am a piano player. It’s because of the way it is laid out which makes it easier to understand and learn music theory.

2. It is super easy to play the piano. Anyone can do it. You don’t have to worry about the proper breathing techniques. Or proper mouth placement. You can just bang on the keys and music comes out. Now, that’s not to say it doesn’t take some time to learn how to make the piano sound good. But to create a sound on the piano is pretty easy compared to other instruments.

3. You can’t play the piano out of tune. As long as the piano has been properly tuned by a professional, you will play in tune every time. There is nothing you can do in your playing to make the piano sound out of tune. I can’t think of any other instruments like that. With the guitar, you have to make sure your fingers are placed right in the center of the tabs. With wind instruments, there are a million things that can cause you to play out of tune like breath support, proper embouchure, your mouthpiece, etc. But with the piano, you just sit down and play.

4. The piano makes you a one-man-band. More than any other instrument, you have everything you need in the piano. Your left hand can cover the bass and rhythm. Your right hand can cover the harmony and melody. You don’t need any other instruments to make a full sound. That’s why you see a lot of piano bars around the world. Have you ever seen a guitar bar or a drum bar?

5. Piano players can play two things at the same time. With piano you have two hands, each playing different parts. Piano players have to be able to read bass clef and treble clef. We can do it all. It’s true that guitar players use both hands, but one is only for strumming or picking. Drummers are for sure the kings of rhythmic coordination, but still, they don’t have to read notes, only rhythms. With piano, we do it all - rhythm, harmony and melody. Left hand and right hand. Bass clef and treble clef.

The best place to start.

I could go on and on but my main purpose for this blog post is to show you all the wonderful qualities of the piano. If you are thinking of learning more about music, or you have a child that you want to expose to the world of music, I highly recommend starting with the piano. They may move on to other instruments down the road, but starting with the piano is going to give them a huge jump start.

What if I don’t want to buy a piano?

The one thing that can be challenging with the piano, is buying and making room for an actual piano. But I have good news for you. With all the amazing technology in the world these days, there are some amazing keyboards out there that sound and feel just like a piano. These keyboards are easy to move, easy to make room for and always stay in tune.

I actually made a Keyboard For Beginners guide. It will give you my top 5 suggestions for really affordable keyboards that sound and feel great. Hit the button below to get the guide for free!

Whatever instrument you land on, I can’t wait to see where it takes you. There is nothing like being able to play a musical instrument. I may be partial to the piano, but the truth is you can’t go wrong. Just pick one and get started today.

Why do I need a piano teacher?

We live in an amazing age. Anything we want to learn is just a Google search away.

Just last weekend I learned how to change the headlight lamp in my car. A simple task for a mechanic, but for me, it was a mystery until I watched two and a half minutes of a YouTube video and suddenly I was an expert.

I think it is amazing what we can learn at the drop of a hat. You used to have to at least get into a car and go to a library. But now all the answers we need are in our laps. Pretty cool.

There are some things, however, that still require some human interaction. Especially if you want to get really good at something.

For instance, to figure out how to fix my car headlight, I just needed to watch a video. But if I wanted to become a mechanic and open my own garage, I would need something more. I would need a mentor to teach me and show me the ropes.

I would also need a guide to help me sort through the information overload that is the internet. Sure there are videos for everything I want to learn, but to become an expert, what order do I watch the videos in? What do I do first? Who do I trust? Which videos are giving me correct information and which videos are creating bad habits in me?

So when people ask me “Why do I need a piano teacher?” here are the 5 reasons I give them:

1. You need a guide. To learn something so complex as piano, you need a guide. There is so much information out there, how can you possibly know where to start? You need someone who can make sense of all the noise out there and show you exactly what to do. They can give you a step by step plan and help you figure out what your musical goals are.

2. You need a mentor. An expert who knows their craft inside and out, can teach you all the subtle things along the way that videos can’t teach you. You can watch them do their thing, in person. You can literally look over their shoulder and see how they do it. Then you can ask them questions and have an instant dialogue instead of hoping some YouTube creator answers your comment when they get around to it.

3. You need accountability. We all have done it. We say we want to do something, we may even start, but usually, we give up quick. We get distracted and make excuses. A teacher keeps you accountable. When you know you have a lesson on Tuesday, you are much more likely to sit down and practice.

4. You need motivation. A teacher is more than just a human YouTube video. They are an actual person. And since they are a person, they can tell when another person needs a push. Your teacher is there to encourage you, to remind you why you started taking piano lessons in the first place. You can think of your piano teacher as a personal trainer. They are there to give you the push you need when you need it. They will keep you focused and headed towards your goal.

5. You need a chance to perform. This may be the biggest thing a YouTube video cannot give you - a chance to actually perform in front of people. A really important part of learning any instrument is being able to show off your hard work. Knowing that you are going to perform a piece in front of people will drive you to work harder. It makes you a better musician. You get to perform in front of your teacher weekly. And then, as a student of your teacher, you get to participate in student recitals where you can perform in front of your friends and family. The feeling of accomplishment you get after performing something in public that you have worked really hard, is truly an amazing feeling. And I promise, once you do it once, you will want to do it again.

The bottom line is if you are serious about becoming a piano player, you need a piano teacher. With all the amazing strides in technology, there is no substitute for the real thing. The tried and true mentor to apprentice relationship still wins every time.

And surely there are some videos you can use along the way to help you learn certain things in more detail. The combination of YouTube and a teacher can make you anything you want to be. And if you want to be a piano player, we have got some amazing teachers just waiting to meet you!

What Age Should My Child Start Piano Lessons

We have been addressing many of our Frequently Asked Questions lately through our blog. I have another good one for you today. This is a question we get a lot.

At what age should my child start piano lessons?

I am going to give you a short answer and then a little longer answer. If you want the short answer, here it is: 5 years old

Now, here is the longer answer. It really depends on your child. We have had 3 year old students who do really great. These kids have shown a lot of interest in music from day one. These are the kids who are always banging on the toy drums or going up to the piano and banging the keys. If your kid is one of these kids who does these things without provocation, then it might not be a bad idea to start piano lessons a little younger - say around 3 years old. I wouldn’t go any younger than that.

That being said, it is not a good idea to force your kid to take piano lesson at that young of an age. They are not quite mature enough to understand why they need to practice or do anything the teacher says, so really it is a waste of time and energy if they are not already seeking it out. If this is your child, I would wait until they are a little older.

5 years old is just about the perfect age.

At 5 years old, they are still young enough to learn things extremely quickly, but they are old enough to start to understand why they need to practice. Even though it doesn’t seem like much, 5-year-olds have a lot more patience than 3-year-olds. They are old enough to sit through a full lesson without getting too distracted.

At 5 years old, they are old enough to start to see the value of learning music. They are also old enough to be familiar with some music that they like and your teacher can use this interest to keep the child engaged.

Should you force your child to take lessons if they don’t want to?

This could be a whole other blog post, but since we are having this conversation now I think it’s a good time to address it. Again, I have a short answer and a long answer to this question. The short answer is yes.

The longer answer is still yes, but I want to tell you why. If you have kids, you know their interests change daily. They may be really excited about music one day, but I guarantee that won’t be every day. Piano practice can never compare to watching a movie on Netflix or playing video games. When you sign your kids up for piano lessons, you need to be prepared for some resistance.

A lot of kids won’t know they even like the piano until they have been in lessons for a few years. It takes time to learn the skills to be able to play a more complex song. If you let them quit right away, they will never get there. Plus, there is something that happens to us when we put time into something. We become more and more committed to it the more time we invest in it. This goes for adults and for kids.

I didn’t want to take piano lessons. I wanted to play outside with my friends. I hated having to go to my lessons. But my parents made me stick it out. They encouraged me to practice. And now I play and teach piano for a living. I love music and I can’t imagine my life without it.

I am very thankful to my parents for making me take piano lessons when I was 5. By the time I was 9 or 10 , I really started to love it. Whether your kid is a prodigy waiting to happen or is just exploring what he or she might be interested in, there is no time like the present to get them started.

For most kids, you want to start them around the age of 5 or 6, whether they want to do it or not. Try to explain how fun it will be to be able to play their favorite songs. Once you get them to their lesson and they bond with their teacher, they will start to like it.

When can I let them quit?

And if they just absolutely hate every day of it, give them two years. Make them stick it out for two years. If they still want to quit, then let them. But I need to tell you this first. Almost all of the adult students we teach were the kids whose parents let them quit right away. And they tell us they have regretted it ever since.

So encourage your kids to stick it out. They are learning so many life skills from piano lessons that will serve them for the rest of their lives. It is totally worth it.

And then maybe one day your kid will grow up and write a blog post like this and thank you for making them take piano lessons. How cool would that be?

P.S. Thank you mom and dad. You guys were right!

Love,
Chris

Why you are practicing the piano too long

We’ve all heard it a million times. To be good at something, you have to practice.

It’s true. There is no way around that.

Matter of fact, the truth is, to be good at something, you have to practice A LOT!

For most people, the piano is an extra-curricular activity. We all have jobs, school, friends, sports, Netflix shows to catch up on, and we’d like to get some sleep in there too if possible.

How are we supposed to fit in piano practice? Even more, how are we supposed to fit in A LOT of piano practice?

Here is the answer.

Stop practicing so long.

So many of us think that in order to get good at the piano, we have to sit there and practice for hours on end. In a perfect world, yes that would be great. But here is what happens in the real world.

You tell yourself that in order to get good at the piano you have to practice at least an hour a day. You start off strong, but then life gets busy. Next thing you know, you have one full day after another and you can’t find an hour anywhere to practice. So instead of practicing a little bit, you blow it all off saying something like “If I can’t get my full hour of practice in then what’s the point?”

After a few weeks of that, you stop trying. Eventually, you don’t even touch the piano anymore. You quit taking lessons because you are frustrated and not making the kind of progress you wanted to.

Sound familiar?

Here is the truth that most people won’t tell you.

You don’t have to practice for an hour for it to count.

You don’t even have to practice for 30 minutes for it to count. Little chunks of practice go a long way.

What if you could practice 10 minutes here and 10 minutes there? Do you think you could find that time? Of course you could.

And you know what else? You would probably enjoy yourself more because you feel way less pressure to sit there for an hour torturing yourself.

And guess what? 10 minutes here and 10 minutes there still adds up to the same amount of practice. Matter of fact, I guarantee you will actually get MORE practice in this way because you are not blowing the whole thing off because you can’t get a full hour of practice in.

So here is your permission to let yourself off the hook. Stop telling yourself you have to practice an hour every day. Stop telling yourself if you don’t, then it’s not even worth practicing at all. It’s not true.

You don’t have to practice as long as you think you do.

You don’t have to be a piano practice superhero. Try getting in 10 minutes before and after work or school. Those 10 minute practices will add up fast and by the time you are sitting at your next lesson, you will see some serious improvement.

And remember, the whole reason you got into this piano thing was to have fun. Let those 10 minute practices be a break from your busy day. A little mini-musical meditation.

I’ll take 10 minutes of peace over 60 minutes of torture any day.

Why your kids should play video games

I still remember getting my first Nintendo. And my first Nintendo was THE first Nintendo.

That’s right kids, I was there when the first Nintendo came out. It was an exciting time.

I used to love playing all the classics - Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Bros. 3…ok it was a lot of Mario but it was also a lot of fun.

When my mom finally made me shut it off at night, I would head off to bed but the game stuck with me. In particular, the MUSIC from the game stuck with me.

I would spend the rest of the night humming Mario’s theme song. When it was raining out and I was feeling sad, I would hum the underground Mario song. You know the one I’m talking about.

The point is, these simple little tunes were memorable even back then. The sound wasn’t good. They had what seems like ancient technology compared to today’s standards, but we all still knew the songs. Somehow those composers made those songs come alive with the limited 16-bit technology that they had.

And a lot of those songs are still considered classics. Kids and adults both still want to learn the Mario Bros. theme song to this day.

There is a reason for that.

Today the technology has improved so much it makes those old games seem almost laughable. Nowadays, composers can use full symphony orchestras to create the soundtracks to these games. Playing a video game now is like walking into a movie. It’s a magical, wonderful place and the music plays a huge role in that.

Don’t believe me? Try turning the sound off next time your kid is playing his favorite game. He will lose his mind!

When kids and adults play video games, they are actually learning a lot. Hand-eye coordination for one. But I’m here to talk about what they are learning from the music.

Without even knowing, gamers are exposing themselves to intricate works of art. Beautiful soundscapes that inform our imagination.

That’s right - your kid is learning while he is playing video games!

And I bet when he walks away from the game (Finally….after you yank the controller from his hands and hide it in the attic), he will walk away humming the tune. Just like I did all those years ago. That song will stick with him. Maybe for the rest of his life.

What if you could teach him how to play that song on the piano? How excited would he be to learn the song and be able to play it for his friends! Oh man. He would be the hit of the party.

And as exciting and fun as that would be for him, he also gets to learn a whole lot about music along the way. Not just music, but discipline and appreciation for the beautiful things in life.

You are molding a genuine, caring human being. And video games can be a big part of creating the person you want him to be.

Video games are here to stay. And I think that’s ok. You don’t have to fight it. Instead, learn to embrace it. Video games are amazing works of art. And maybe sometime soon, when your kid is playing his game, you can close your eyes and just listen. I bet you may just love what you hear.

Mario would be proud.