What is enough?
How you define ‘enough’ is a matter of personal preference. That which you consider enough for you might be too long (or too brief) for someone else.
Then, people differ in terms of how quickly they grasp new facts, instructions, knowledge, and training; what you might be able to grasp in a 30-minute lesson could take half or double the time for your neighbor. That said, there is something suitably challenging yet sufficiently convenient with 30 minutes sessions, which is why they’ve become the popular choice of musical knowledge delivery for many maestros.
Efficacy, Cost, and Convenience
Invariably, 30-minute lessons in the piano will give you sufficient value for your money. Not only are these short sessions affordable for many people; teachers also can afford to teach more students and keep their pricing reasonably low.
On the other hand, research and studies carried out at several elite universities across the world have repeatedly demonstrated that most people can concentrate only for brief spells, which can be as short as ten to fifteen minutes. Add to that another five minutes to warm up and ten more minutes to revise previous lessons and clarify any doubts, and you have your perfect piano lesson duration.
Individual versus Group Lessons
You may think that attending longer piano lessons will help you scale up faster, as you will end up playing for more time. But, since pianos are big and costly instruments, most studios have only one or two of them. As such, you will have to wait for your turn to play, thus effectively reducing your playing time to a ten or fifteen-minute stretch.
So while you can attend music theory classes in a group, 30-minute sessions are bound to help young techniques, songs, weak areas, etc. Plus, just remember that music theory is integral to excelling at any musical instrument. Learning to read sheet music, understanding the compositions and playing them exactly as they are meant to are crucial to piano lessons.
Actually Playing the Piano
How much time you actually spend playing the piano during a lesson, speaks a lot about its usefulness. For example: if you are attending piano lessons in a group where you get to spend, say, just ten minutes actually playing the instrument, then it will be better if you sign up for an individual class of 30 minutes a week where you get to play on the instrument for the full 30 minutes. Because it is only by actually playing the piano that you can pick up new pieces.
Importance of Individual Practice
Practice is the key to excelling at the piano. No matter how many hours of classes you take, it will amount to nothing if you do not practice what you learned. Almost all teachers will assign you homework – whether that is practicing finger movements or brushing up on a new piece taught in class; it is paramount you practice diligently.
If you do not do this you will have little to show for in terms of progress. And in any case, if you don’t practice on your own, Beethoven, or a current living maestro, could give your two hours of master classes every week and your progress in learning how to play the piano would be minimal.
Quality of Teaching
It is crucial that you put in the effort to find out a teacher who will invest his/her time into teaching you the piano. Those who know what they are doing as instructors will definitely pack a lot of punch in a 30-minute session, while those who have just started out as teachers will take some time to find their own footing.
Experienced teachers, having seen a large number of students as they do over the years, need just a glance to figure out a student’s capabilities. They can tailor their lessons accordingly to suit your pace and intake capacity.
The secret to excelling at the piano is actual playing time on the instrument. Even if you just fiddle around with the keys, you acquaint yourself to the piano. And as you progress, depending on what you want to achieve with your skills, you can sign up for advanced lessons and begin to make your mark with this fascinating instrument.
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Some people have noticed that I have something written on my hand. Its the waiting number for a piano practice room pic.twitter.com/8x7fdxekFW
— Animenz (in hiatus) (@Animenzzz) October 26, 2016
Austin Carr plays for @NUFBFamily. Carr plays piano. Carr cut his hand with a butter knife. Learn about all it. https://t.co/d1UEzLFw76
— The Journey (@BTNJourney) October 22, 2016
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