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Private Piano Lessons: Choose Your Own Song to Learn! (Beginners Welcome!)

Do you want a fun, engaging way for your child to learn piano skills? In this course your child will choose a popular song and learn to play it by ear, all while learning important piano techniques and theory!
Paul McFarland
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:
(223)
Star Educator
Class
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What's included

Meets on Demand
schedule meetings as needed
25 mins
per session
Teacher support
Homework
1 hour per week. About an hour of practice is recommended per week.
Assessment
Informal Assessment

Class Experience

I'm currently offering a coupon for $15 off of any of my classes labeled "Private Piano Lessons" (1-1 format) or Flexible Schedule Lessons. Valid for one use per family. Simply apply the following coupon code at checkout: 
MCFARV8D3Q15

During these private piano lessons, your child will learn to play their own chosen song by ear, all while learning important piano techniques and chord progressions. You can choose a song from the list below or message me to see if your song is a good match for your child.  On enrolling in this course, students will be assessed as to their specific strengths and needs. Students who learn privately benefit from individualized pacing, more personalized feedback, and a truly differentiated experience. Students who find improvising in front of other students intimidating would be ideal candidates for private instruction.

The specific class structure will depend on the needs and strengths of each child; each class will be tailored for your child! If your child only wants to learn a small portion of the song, such as the chorus, they may be able to finish as quickly as one week. If your child wants to learn a complex song, it may take longer than four weeks. Students are able to continue on with classes as long they like, and they may switch to new songs when finished. While the lessons are learner-directed, a sample of the first four weeks might be: 

Week 1: informal assessment, learn the song chorus (beginners: right hand only, advanced, right hand and left hand)
Week 2: learn the first part of the verse (beginners: right hand only, advanced, right hand and left hand)
Week 3: learn the second part of the verse (beginners: right hand only, advanced, right hand and left hand)
Week 4: Beginners: put the entire song together, learn how to play with the left hand. Advanced: Combine hands and play the entire song together, learn some basic improvisation techniques.

If your child already knows how to read the melody line on piano, we can work together so that your child can read lead sheets. If your child is new to the piano, they will most likely learn to play by ear (an important skill not always taught in piano lessons!)  This class can be taken as stand alone piano lessons or as a supplement to existing piano lessons. 

Growing Song List (message me if there's a song you want to learn that isn't on the list!) 
*Peaches (Super Mario Bros)
*Super Mario Bros Theme Song
*Part of Your World (The Little Mermaid)
*Happy Birthday
*Jingle Bells
*Deck the Halls

I believe that students learn best by doing. While I model all of the skills taught in the class, the majority of the class will be spent with the students experimenting in a safe environment and receiving instant feedback. Students will learn to improvise by improvising. 

Please send me your song choice when signing up! I'm really looking forward to working with you!
Learning Goals
Students will learn how to play their chosen song. Students may learn left hand, right hand, and/or improvisation. The length of time needed for students to learn the song will depend on the complexity of the song and the student's previous piano experience.
learning goal

Other Details

Supply List
Students will need a keyboard or a piano.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
We will refer to the song that the student chooses.
Joined May, 2020
5.0
223reviews
Star Educator
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
Maryland Teaching Certificate in Music/Theater/Arts
Master's Degree in Music or Theatre or Arts from Loyola University Maryland
Bachelor's Degree in Music or Theatre or Arts from SUNY Fredonia
I'm a certified music teacher with over a decade of experience teaching music in the public schools. My Bachelor's Degree (from SUNY Fredonia) is in music education, and my Master's Degree (from Loyola University Maryland) specializes in Kodály Music Education. 

My mom was a piano teacher and my dad was a public school music teacher, so in one sense you could say I've always grown up around music and the piano. I had traditional piano lessons growing up and in college. However, around Middle School I discovered that my real love for piano is Boogie Woogie music, the blues, and improvisation. I would have given anything at the time for improvisation instruction; that's one of the reasons why I'm so passionate about passing on my love of piano improvisation with young students today! 

Reviews

Live 1-on-1 Lessons
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$35

per session
Meets on demand
25 min

Completed by 6 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 7-18

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