Piano | Digital Piano | Electric Keyboard Lessons
CMS offers piano lessons for kids or adults of all ages in Southern California. Students may be beginners, intermediate, or advanced. Have fun, learn how to play piano, whether classical, jazz, pop, or “Crocodile Rock!” Three commonly asked piano lesson questions are answered below.
What age should my child start piano?
Piano lessons for kids can start at age 4. Piano is the best instrument for any student to start, because piano is the basic foundation of music. If you are skilled at the piano, it is a lot easier to learn other instruments. All music majors in college must have courses in piano before they can graduate. CMS highly recommend that students begin musical studies in piano.
I am an adult with no music experience, is it too late for piano lessons?
It is never too late to learn piano, and CMS is happy to help! We are finding more and more adults enrolling everyday. This is usually for one of two reasons. Either they quit as a child and are full of regrets, or they were never given the opportunity to play. Whether it is for relaxation, personal enjoyment, or for a specific purpose, learning piano is a rewarding experience for students of all ages. Don’t give up too quickly, either. It can be more difficult for adults to learn as with many other things, but the benefits will outweigh the obstacles you will overcome. Can adults learn how to play piano? Absolutely!
California Music Studios contracts with independently established instructors who love giving piano lessons. Feel confident and excited to learn how to play piano, keyboard, or organ. Teachers use refined techniques to make learning easier.
I only have a keyboard. Is this okay?
It is fine for beginning piano students to learn to play a keyboard at the start. In the beginning, you would not be using all the keys, and children are generally too short to reach the pedals to start. As the student progresses, you would want to select a piano or full-size keyboard, preferably with “weighted keys” to better emulate the feel of a real piano. There is a different feel to the keys that you will want to address at a later date. Don’t hesitate on taking piano lessons because of the cost of the instrument. There are ways to get around it, and you can always find a used piano at a reasonable cost, or a rental piano at around $30 per month.
An electronic keyboard is always in tune, unlike a piano. Students will likely practice more often if they can do so in any room of the home, or simply take it with them elsewhere. If you can’t have a piano, don’t feel bad about being stuck with a keyboard. Actually, depending upon the type of music you wish to play, an electric keyboard might be more versatile. An electric keyboard is portable and it can readily integrate well with other music gear. Here is an example of a guy in Europe who is really very adept in his small studio. Note his use of keyboards at the start and end of his performance:
Reyn Ouwehand performing Green Beret.
Clips from around the net, to inspire children and teens to try playing piano
• Christina Grimmie Bound to You • Gavin George • Emily Bear
Impressive clips of some famous pianists
- Classic pianist legend Arthur Rubinstein: •Chopin’s “Heroic Polonaise in A-flat major, Op. 53″, •Chopin’s “Waltz Op. 64, No. 2″, •Liszt “Liebestraum n°3″, •Chopin’s “Nocturne in D flat major, Op. 27 No. 2″, •De Falla’s “Ritual Fire Dance”
- Duke Ellington & Orchestra, “It Don’t Mean A Thing”.
- Norah Jones piano & vocals: Don’t Know Y!, I’ve Got To See You Again, Lonestar, Loverman, Sunrise.
- Liberace performing on piano: A piano medley, Young Liberace,
A rendition of Chopin. - Ray Charles playing & singing “Georgia On My Mind” with Edmonton Symphony.
- Elton John playing piano & singing: “Bennie & The Jets”,
“Goodbye Yellowbrick Road”,
“Your Song”.
Read about them: Arthur Rubenstein, Duke Ellington, Elton John, Liberace, Norah Jones, Ray Charles.
