| You don't need to spend long on the internet to find at | | | | that and hearing the piece played properly is an |
| least twenty different systems for learning the piano. | | | | essential part of the learning process. |
| Some are designed for kids and some for adults. | | | | So what about piano teachers? Prices vary |
| Some offer a series of downloadable e-books, some | | | | considerably across the country, of course, but it?s fair |
| have e-books and videos while others offer an online | | | | to say that about $35 per lesson is the going rate at |
| teaching scenario. Some have an emphasis on | | | | present. Most people would opt for a lesson per week. |
| modern music, some on jazz, others on gospel. The | | | | So if you deduct a few weeks here and there for |
| cheapest is about $20. The best is $39.95, going up to | | | | various reasons the number of lessons each year is |
| two hundred dollars or more. | | | | approximately 45. That?s $1575 per year. Of course, |
| So can they be said to offer value for money? You're | | | | human nature being what it is, it's always possible that |
| keen to learn the piano and realistically, there are three | | | | you and your teacher don't get on together very well! |
| different alternatives: The e-books I?ve just mentioned | | | | Even the mots expensive of the courses provides |
| (and it?s important to not that these e-books usually | | | | more bang per buck, so to speak, than a human |
| contain audio clips that you can listen to in order to | | | | teacher could ever provide. And in most of the piano |
| guide you in your playing), ordinary teach yourself | | | | tuition courses I've ever seen there is more than |
| books that you buy from a bookstore and a real | | | | enough material of one sort or another to keep you |
| human piano teacher. | | | | learning for well over a year. In fact some of them |
| The big problem for me with the traditional book | | | | have such a vast quantity of material that it can be |
| format is, of course, that it?s silent. As a novice though | | | | somewhat bewildering. |
| you really do need to listen to a piece of music being | | | | Well, I don?t know about you, but I know where I?m |
| played so that you can copy the style and the | | | | putting my money. I know piano teachers need to |
| emphasis. One you start to learn how to read music | | | | make a living, especially in these difficult times, but as |
| intuitively, it becomes almost second nature to hear the | | | | far as I?m concerned it?s no contest, the software |
| music in your head as you read it. Beginners can't do | | | | wins every time! |