I want to take lessons but I don't know how to choose who to go with. Most searches come up with piano lessons. Should I go with this or is it important to specifically find a keyboard teacher if that's what I play? If it's relevant, I want to play rock and/or jazz and I live in central New Jersey.
Keyboard Lessons
- Thread starter RTWmaniac
- Start date
The Green Hornet
New member
Yo Maniac:Lots of ways to go about music lessons on piano. It might help if you tried to take some lessons from a Junior college and hooked on to a 101 theory class or 101 music something or another. Cost is not expensive and a good teacher might be what you want for your types of music.
Another try might be bigger. Go to a music conservatory and just BEGIN where you are. You can't avoid learning scales and touch. Also, being around other folks at a JC or conservatory always adds "learning."
Then, you can just go to some school and declare a music Major at the college level.
Last spring I recorded a kid who is 15 years old and can PLAY keys like you can't believe. He has a special teacher who is guiding him towards Juliard when he finishes high school The kid did 14 songs when he recorded and did about 7 of them the "first time." But, he has been doing 88 keys since he was in grade school. He can read, write, and arrange--and he is a nice kid. Hope he comes back to record more at my studio.
Anyway, have a great day and it's about 82 days before the midwest goes to a new golf season.
Green Hornet
If you go a private instructor route - vs. a junior college, etc. then the key is to communicate with a few instructors to make sure they understand what you want to learn (as an example, a classical piano teacher is not going to give you waht you want) and then select the teacher who you feel best about.
Most music stores lease out space to instructors and can likely provide you with the names of the people who teach - I would think there would be many options in the New Jersey area.
Again - decide what you hope to learn. Maybe you want some theory (to understand chords progressions, etc.) - maybe you simply want someone to teach you a new rock song each week, etc. - make sure the instructor understands what you want and if your expectation are reasonable.
If you are just starting out - then you may have to suck it up and have a piano teacher teach you some scales and correct technique. However, if you already have some chops and you are simply hoping to expand your knowledge.....than communicating to find the right teacher becomes more important.
Also - keep in mind that most musicians eventually "outgrow" one instructor. Each teacher teaches a certain way (normally based on the way they were taught) - at some point the student feels they need to learn more form a different teacher.
Most music stores lease out space to instructors and can likely provide you with the names of the people who teach - I would think there would be many options in the New Jersey area.
Again - decide what you hope to learn. Maybe you want some theory (to understand chords progressions, etc.) - maybe you simply want someone to teach you a new rock song each week, etc. - make sure the instructor understands what you want and if your expectation are reasonable.
If you are just starting out - then you may have to suck it up and have a piano teacher teach you some scales and correct technique. However, if you already have some chops and you are simply hoping to expand your knowledge.....than communicating to find the right teacher becomes more important.
Also - keep in mind that most musicians eventually "outgrow" one instructor. Each teacher teaches a certain way (normally based on the way they were taught) - at some point the student feels they need to learn more form a different teacher.
dementedchord
Psychotic State alumni ch
IMO honest or otherwise... the best thing you can do is get a jazz player and take some lessons... no need to go with a group environment unless ya wanna end up playing national anthem in a couple of keys ( that was the final for class piano at the college level) if money is an issue then try the asking at the music school admin office... they'll know if the better students are giving lessons... or if you're lucky you'll find what i did when i took some voice lessons... i was a grad students final project... only thing i had to do was sing one song for her prof (and i knew her)... and then the lessons were free...