When most of us think about taking piano lessons, the last thing we think about is turning on our computer. But now, thanks to the Internet, you can take piano lessons online and learn from an online instructor. Let’s see how this might work.

First, you need a computer with speakers. Most computers today either come with speakers or have them built in. If you need them, they are relatively inexpensive and can be purchased at any electronics store. It’s important that your online lessons include audio samples. These will help you immensely as you get to hear your online teacher perform the example for you.

Second, you want to be able to communicate with the instructor. You’re going to have questions so make sure there is a message board or forum available for questions and comments. Also, make sure your instructor actually exists! There are some websites that say they provide feedback to students but this just may be an interactive forum with no instructor present.

Third, make sure the lessons you take are easy to understand. Do you want to learn classical piano? Then make sure the lessons you’ll be taking aren’t over your head. Do you want to learn how to improvise? Take a look around and see if you can actually do it from the examples provided.

Taking online piano lessons is a good choice for you if you like to work on your own and take your time. There’s usually no pressure to perform or complete tasks, so you can relax and work at your own pace.

Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music’s online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Stop by now at http://www.quiescencemusic.com/piano_lessons.html for a FREE piano lesson!

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I’ll never forget the time I took my first piano class. It was at the Community College of Philadelphia 1984. It was a group class with 20 or so electronic keyboards arranged around the room. We each received a class text book titled “Class Piano.” No shocker there.

I opened up the book and saw that I would be learning how to read music and play triads. I also saw that I would be playing very simple classical pieces. Now, while I enjoyed this and learned how to play these easy pieces, it just didn’t do it for me. It was because as I soon as I put the book down, I was dumbfounded! I didn’t know what to do on the piano without the book!

I soon realized that I didn’t want to become a professional note reader. No. I wanted to be able to sit down at the piano, place my fingers on a chord that called to me, and just play. I wanted to express myself at the piano in the same way visual artists are able to take pen and paper and artfully color their inner worlds. Why was this so difficult to do?

It was at this time that I started to look for new ways to play. I came upon a book that taught a modern chord position which could be used right away to make music with. Amazing! No note reading. Just chords. And once I learned a few chords, I was able to create my own music. This open position chord structure allowed me to improvise music quite easily.

Another book influenced me as well. This one showed how to play chord progressions using 4, 8 and 16 bar phrases. With this chord charting technique, I could see that I could create my own pieces. It taught me the principles of repetition and contrast - the cornerstones to musical composition.

A few chords arranged for 8-bars is repeated 2 or more times giving you what is called an “A” section of music. Another few bars of different chord changes and the “B” section is produced. And all of this was taught within a very slim volume. Maybe 46 pages or so.

After a few years of working with this material, I synthesized both methods so beginning piano players can take a modern sounding chord and work with it within a set framework. The result is a method where students are able to improvise their own music right away!

Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music’s online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Stop by now at http://www.quiescencemusic.com/piano_lessons.html for a FREE piano lesson!

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What is it that a beginner at the piano wants to do? They want to make music! It might be classical, jazz, or something else, but one thing’s for sure; they don’t want to spend months studying boring theory.

What if instead of studying note reading, beginners piano lessons were focused on the student actually learning how to create music? Just imagine the excitement when the notes and chords played are all original and express what is actually being felt.

I don’t know why piano teachers start their students off on note reading. It’s boring, unnecessary for most students, and really doesn’t help the student create anything at all. In fact, you could say that by learning to note read, students are speaking the language of music without really understanding the underlying grammar and syntax - which has everything to do with chords!

Chords are where the excitement lies. And when the beginning piano student starts to play chords on the piano, it naturally leads to music making.

Beginning guitar players don’t have the same problems as newbie piano players. They expect to be able to create something that sounds like music immediately. This isn’t to say that learning the guitar or any instrument does not require serious study. It is to say that one need not spend thousands of hours learning note reading while the world of music is only a few chords a way.

Beginners piano lessons should be exciting! They should inspire students to want to study the art of music further. And they should be easy enough where the beginning student is not easily discouraged.

Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music’s online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Stop by now at http://www.quiescencemusic.com/piano_lessons.html for a FREE piano lesson!

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