How is Simply Music different than traditional piano lessons?
Piano teachers have traditionally used reading as a way of teaching students to play. This means learning to interpret musical notation at the same time as you are learning counting and finger numbers and technique. It’s hard to learn so many things at once, trying to keep your eyes on the page while you’re figuring out what to do with your hands on the keys – and the songs in most beginning books are so dull! The result is that most people quit taking lessons long before they have learned to read music well, and if you can’t read music, you can’t play anything!
Unlike traditional piano lessons, Simply Music begins as a 'playing-based' program. The reading process is temporarily delayed until a student can play about forty songs from memory in a wide variety of styles – blues, classical, contemporary and accompaniment – all without notes! This usually takes about twelve to fifteen months of lessons. The songs are taught directly onto the keys in a way that is very natural and easy to understand. You will experience the pleasure and satisfaction of playing great-sounding songs from the very beginning.
This play first, read later approach is similar to the way we learn to speak. We’re born into a family that immerses us in a language from birth. When we begin to read we already have a large vocabulary, so the letters on the page become meaningful words. Likewise, students in the Simply Music program build a large playing-based vocabulary of songs. Students begin to learn reading by using music for the songs they already know how to play. This way, the notes have meaning. It’s the most natural way to learn.
Developing a Comfort and Skill Level
Students develop a comfort and a skill level with the piano that is so much greater than learning the traditional way. This hands-on approach transforms the entire music learning process. Students learn by both teacher guidance and self-discovery. The whole process is creative and inspiring. You have fun and feel great about learning to play the piano!
Anyone who is interested in the Simply Music program can come to Hands Together Piano Studio for a free 30-minute informational session. This way, you can see the materials, listen to the music and have a much better understanding of how this program works.
