Do you want your children to understand music but don’t know where to start? Are you overwhelmed by the multitude of programs available?
A few years ago I found myself in the same predicament. I grew up in a family where music knowledge was considered part of the basic education and I wanted to provide the same opportunity for my school-age son. I concluded that the best way to do so was to teach him play piano. And this is where my extensive musical research started. (You can read our piano story at the end of this article.)
Before we dive into our recommended choice for free piano lessons for kids, let us look at some of the important parts of music and piano learning.
5 Reasons Why Playing Piano Helps Your Child Understand Music Best
- The piano keys help you “see” the music right in front of your eyes.
- The piano offers all 88 notes of the musical scale. Other musical instruments are much more limited in this aspect.
- The piano teaches both bass and treble clef. Most other instruments teach only one.
- Unlike most other instruments that allow playing only one note at a time, the piano allows you to play all four harmonic parts of music at the same time.
- Learning to play other instruments becomes much easier after learning the piano.
Is It Better to Learn Piano In-Person or Online?
There are a number of pros and cons to learning piano both in-person and online. Let us look at some of these:
- In-person individual lessons: These lessons are the most expensive option of all. However, they are the most efficient way to learn piano. The student receives very intensive instructions and technique corrections.
- In-person group classes: These classes tend to be slightly cheaper than in-person individual lessons. However, they do not provide as high quality of instruction due to the teacher’s attention being divided among a number of students. Also, they do not give faster students ability to speed up their learning nor slower students to catch up.
- Online individual lessons: The cost of these lessons is often comparable to in-person individual lessons; however, you can also find teachers with very reasonable prices. Not all teachers possess the teaching certificate though. Taking these lessons provides you with individual instructions and technique corrections, but this tends to be less intensive than in-person individual lessons offer.
- Online self-paced video courses: With the development of technology, many online courses provide a very suitable option for learning piano. They are significantly cheaper than the first three options and give you a chance to choose between varieties of methodologies, teachers, etc. Even though they provide much instruction that can be digested at one’s pace, the technique correction is left up to you.
What Is the Best Piano Learning Option for Your Family?
When considering which piano learning option is the best match for your family, you have to take into account many factors, such as financial resources, the quality of your internet connection, availability of classes in your area, etc. However, for simplicity and an easy start, let me suggest the following:
- Start with free or reasonably-priced online video course. We highly recommend Hoffman Academy. Their methodology is outstanding and lessons are very engaging for children.
- After a year or two of online lessons, if you determine that your child would profit from more hands-on piano instruction, enroll them in group or individual in-person classes.
Starting with a cheaper online option will not only save you money, but it will also give you more learning flexibility. On the other hand, in-person classes later on will provide your child with ability to play piano on a greater level.
Do I Need to Know How to Play Piano in Order to Teach My Child?
Many parents wonder whether they personally have to play piano in order to be able to teach their children. The answer is, “No.” Even if you opt for online classes, you will be able to follow the program with your child, learn alongside your child and provide the necessary corrections as instructed by the online teacher. You just need to commit yourself to this task and strictly keep the piano practice schedule.
Our Piano Learning Story
As I took eleven years of private piano lessons in my childhood, I was pretty confident I could teach my son this instrument myself. However, I wanted to find suitable materials to use for this purpose. In my research I stumbled upon FREE piano lessons provided by Hoffman Academy. I was very impressed with their teaching style and curriculum as well as an engaging format for children. After following the lessons, the children are not only able to play classical music but also play by ear and improvise.
My son conquered the entire Unit 1 (22 free lessons) and determined that Mr. Hoffman was the right music teacher for him. We purchased worksheets for the following units (not available with the free video lessons) and committed to two years of daily practice. You may wonder: How much can a child learn in two years? Why two years only? I believe two years provide enough foundation for the child to understand the basics of music upon which they can then build later.
My son ended up taking four years of piano instructions followed by one year of guitar. By this time it was obvious that he would never aspire to become a professional musician; there were other things he preferred to dedicate his time to. However, his piano years left him with deep love for classical music and an ability to pick up piano (or, any other musical instrument) any time in the future.
I trust our piano story has encouraged you to introduce piano playing into your own home. If you have your own music story, please share it with us in the comment section below. We would love to hear from you!
