How to Teach Group Piano Lessons
As a 20+ year piano industry veteran, I have had the pleasure of working closely with piano teachers, manufacturers, professors, and print music publishers all over the United States. My work has also given me the opportunity to install hundreds of piano labs and provide the necessary training and long-term support for the teachers working with these piano labs. I have seen programs fade and die… and I have seen programs thrive beyond even the wildest expectations. …and – through it all – I have learned what works and what doesn’t. If you’re thinking about adding a piano class to your teaching menu, I hope you’ll find the suggestions below to be very helpful. There’s a lot of bad information on the internet related to group piano teaching, so don’t be surprised if the points I make here contradict what you have seen elsewhere. …and – as always – feel free to contact Riverton Piano Company directly if you need help setting your group piano lessons program on the path to success. That is what we do and we do it very well. Let’s get started.
Private Piano Lessons vs. Group Piano Class – Which Works Best?
Until recently, the type of music lessons a piano student received depended heavily upon the type of instrument he or she was learning. Instruments like trumpet, violin, and voice were taught primarily in ensemble settings (with some individual work mixed in). Piano lessons, however, have traditional been solitary experiences between a single teacher and a single student. As technologies have developed, remote teaching tools, digital piano labs and even online piano lesson programs have given piano students who crave an “ensemble experience” a choice. The question is – which is better? Is the traditional “one on one” method truly the best choice? …or are there benefits to a group piano class that can’t be ignored? As a piano retailer with over 30 years of experience, I get this question a lot. …and my answer might surprise you.
What Are Hybrid Pianos?
Broadly speaking, “hybrid pianos” are keyboard instruments made from a combination of electronic parts taken from digital pianos and mechanical parts taken from traditional acoustic pianos. The resulting instruments deliver the convenience and excitement of modern technology-based pianos without sacrificing the nuance and control of a traditional “wood and strings” piano. Though the concept of including electronic parts in acoustic pianos is not new (manufacturers have been doing this with “player pianos” for decades), recent technological developments have made “hybrid pianos” more diverse and popular than ever before. Now, instead of the seemingly binary choice between a technology-based instrument and the traditional piano aesthetic, modern buyers can enjoy both – if they’re willing to make room in the budget. …but what’s so special about a “hybrid piano” and how are they different?
The Arizona Bösendorfer Piano Salon
Selecting one of the finest pianos in the world demands a superb buying experience like no other. That’s why Riverton Piano Company Scottsdale now features the perfect selection space to present and demonstrate one of the largest collections of new Bösendorfer pianos in the world. As Arizona’s exclusive factory representative for Bösendorfer pianos, we take our role in helping you discover and appreciate the unfathomable magic of joining a piano family that stretches through generations of celebrities, leaders, musicians and royalty very seriously. Now we invite you to experience this magic for yourself as you visit our Scottsdale piano showroom. Introducing, the Arizona Bösendorfer Piano Salon.
My First Piano – What You Need to Start Lessons
If you’re reading this, you’re probably like about 90% of our clients. You or someone in your family has decided to begin taking piano lessons, but you don’t have any idea what kind of tool you (or your student) needs to succeed. “Piano Shaped Objects” (or “PSOs”) exist at just about every price point you can imagine – from toy keyboards in the $100-$500 range to artisan concert grands in the hundreds of thousands. There’s a wide field of options and you have no idea (aside from what fits into your budget) what is “right” for you. …but, luckily, you’ve found this blog and I am going to help you understand what is available… and which features you absolutely must have to succeed with piano lessons.
Anyone Can Learn to Play with Follow Lights!
If you’ve ever played Guitar Hero; tried Dance, Dance, Revolution; or followed “the bouncing ball” while singing karaoke, you know how easy it is to rock along with your favorite songs. Now imagine your PIANO can do that! It’s true. With the Yamaha Clavinova CSP and CVP digital pianos, you can “follow the lights” and play your favorite songs without a single lesson! Yamaha CVP and CSP Clavinova digital pianos use special “ Follow Lights” software to light your way through the world’s most popular music from every genre. Just play the note directly under the light when the piano tells you to and Yamaha’s virtual orchestras will back you up as you play! It’s fast, it’s easy and it makes you sound great!
The Truth About Baldwin Pianos
In 2001, the Baldwin Piano Company filed for bankruptcy. That same year, the Nashville-based Gibson Guitar Corporation purchased Baldwin’s assets and began a major restructuring plan. Their strategy was to reposition Baldwin from the shrinking luxury piano market (where it competed with companies like Steinway and Mason & Hamlin – who were also undergoing major restructuring around this time) to the broader mid-priced piano market (where it would compete with companies like Yamaha and Kawai). Gibson moved Baldwin’s headquarters to Nashville and began promoting Baldwin pianos at their 18 offices around the world. In 2006, Gibson opened a new Baldwin factory in China and, finally, in 2021, Gibson introduced the world to its new, state-of-the-art piano factory in Zhongshan, China (where all Baldwin models will be produced for global distribution). As you might imagine, such a significant restructuring of a beloved American brand created quite a stir. Unfortunately, it also created a storm of misinformation. Baldwin’s competitors used this opportunity to denigrate the brand. Technicians who loved working on a handcrafted American piano panned the decision to modernize the instruments. Americans mourned the loss of yet another American product… and the internet did what it does.
Today, it’s actually quite difficult to find truthful information about Baldwin pianos… so that’s exactly what I am here to do. As a Baldwin piano expert and a piano industry veteran of over 30 years, I’m here to help you learn the truth about today’s Baldwin pianos.
Why Schools and Churches Use Digital Pianos
The piano manufacturing industry has long been challenged with producing pianos that will hold up well under institutional usage. Unlike the average home piano owner, K-12 schools, colleges, universities, and houses of worship use their pianos many hours daily. They also move their pianos often and subject them to temperature and humidity changes that are rare in the home. In short, they put even the best-made pianos to the test. The challenge, then, is maintaining excellent tuning stability and sound despite these rigors. The pianos placed in these institutions are used in a variety of ways, including on the concert stages (or orchestra pits) for performances, in rehearsal rooms for solo work and with ensembles (such as choirs, bands and orchestras), in practice rooms, and – of course – in teaching studios. Unfortunately, due to limited maintenance budgets, aging inventory and the aforementioned rigors of institutional use, most musicians are forced to use inadequate (and often horrible) instruments in these settings – a problem that frequently interferes with a performance, lesson or practice session. …so what’s the solution?
The Ultimate Praise Band Piano
After four years of music ministry training in college and over a decade leading children, youth, and adults in worship at a variety of different churches, I have seen just about every praise band piano out there. …and, in all honesty, I haven’t liked any of them.
The commentaries were no help either. Beyond “do your research, itemize your needs, and use a well-known local music store,” most articles I read had little meaningful advice. In fact, I was shocked to discover that there really weren’t any good sources of information specifically geared towards worship leaders. I had to learn “the hard way.”
Now, as a former music minister and current professional piano consultant, I’m happy to share my experiences (and some of my God-given geekery) with you. I hope the following information blesses you and helps your ministry grow.
Yamaha SX Series – The New Contender in Premium Pianos
Are you familiar with Yamaha’s SX Series pianos? Yamaha has always been known for high quality mass-produced pianos. Indeed, their Conservatory Series (or CX-Series) pianos are the most sought-after pianos for recording studios, universities, schools and churches the world over! Solidly built and consistently reliable, the Conservatory Series grand pianos have long been the “go-to” pianos for many decades.
However, in recent years, Yamaha has put a greater emphasis on building highly expressive and nuanced premium pianos that offer a performance level previously only found in the venerable handcrafted brands of Europe. Created with time-honored methods passed down from generations of master builders, these stunning instruments are often chosen over the CX-Series for their more refined tone, even projection, longer sustain and rugged craftsmanship. The Yamaha SX-Series Pianos are selected by universities, music conservatories, K-12 schools, churches, and discerning retail customers who simply refuse to compromise on quality and tone. As a result, Yamaha has developed a new series of pianos for clients with a discriminating sense of tone and touch – developed to stand “toe to toe” with the iconic European brands – but at a far more accessible price. This is the Yamaha SX-Series of premium grand pianos.
