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Frugal Piano Lessons
How to Find Economical Piano Lessons
- by Nikki Willhite
Many people think that
learning to play the piano is too expensive and may be stressful for
children. Pianos are costly, they take up a lot of room, and they are hard
to move.
Parents may also concerned that the
stress of recitals may put too much of a burden on their children, and that
the piano will be noisy and disturb the household.
There is a way to get around almost all
of these concerns. If you don't already own a piano, you can buy a digital
piano. They cost less, are lightweight, easy to move, and easy to place in
your home. They are touch sensitive, and are a very good alternative to a
regular piano.
As an added benefit, they come with
earphones- so that practicing can be done at any time, without disturbing
the household.
As for the lessons, they need not be
expensive. Anyone who plays the piano can give piano lessons. The lesson
books do all the work. The teacher only needs to help the child understand
the material and oversee their learning and assignments.
If you go to a professional teacher,
with a music degree, you will pay a lot of money for lessons. However, there
are many stay-at-home moms with this skill. If you ask them to teach your
child, most will be happy to pick up a few extra dollars and the lessons
will be very economical.
Having said this, I wouldn't recommend
this for a child who may potentially choose a career in music. If this is
the case, you want to get the best teacher you can afford.
A professional teacher will move a
student's skill level faster with scales, finger exercises, recitals, and
lessons on music theory.
However, if your child just wants to
learn for fun, you do not need to go that route. Will your child be hurt? I
think not.
Case in point, I know of one very
young girl who wanted to play the piano. She had two older sisters who took
piano lessons, only at the insistence of their mother. There was a lot of
contention in the home, as the older sisters did not want to take the
lessons and trying to get the girls to practice was contentious and
draining. In time, the mother gave up.
However, this little girl was
different. She really wanted to learn to play. She begged and begged for
lessons, but her mother, weary of the struggle with her older sisters, and
sure that things would end up the same, just wouldn't listen.
Thankfully, she eventually gave in, and
sent the little girl to a neighbor down the street, who gave the little girl
lessons for pocket change. After several months, the neighbor approached the
mother and said that the little girl had talent, and she should get her to a
"real teacher."
The mother engaged the services of a
professional teacher who was so strict, and the lessons so boring, that the
little girl started losing interest in the piano. The mother quickly changed
teachers. From then on neighbors or friends, unconventional teachers, or
just students who were further advanced in their training taught the
lessons.
This little girl never learned a scale
or arpeggio. She never gave a recital. However, she loved to play, and
through her constant playing her fingers became very agile and she became a
very good pianist.
And how did she fare in later life? By
the time she was a teenager, she was playing the piano in church services,
and accompanying singers and choirs, often in large halls and in front of
thousands of people. As a young adult she also learned, by herself, to play
the organ.
All this, and she never gave a recital.
I know this little girl well, because I
was the little girl. Music continues to be a big part of my life.
I have taken the time to go back and
learn the theory and skills I missed, but it was my choice, and done in my
time frame.
Learning to play the piano can be a fun
experience, for both mother and child, without straining your budget or
straining your nerves.
If playing the piano is something that you or your children
really want to do, think about doing it the fun and frugal way.
About the Author: Nikki Willhite, mother of 3 and an interior design
graduate, has been writing and publishing articles on the topic of
frugal living for over a
decade. Visit her at
www.frugalhappyfamilies.com
- where you will find hundreds of frugal living tips and articles. Frugal
Happy Families- more than just money! Article first published at
www.allthingsfrugal.com
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