Learning to play the piano is a wonderful experience that brings you that much closer to playing the music you love. Playing with both hands doing two different things is difficult enough, but you also have three pedals at the bottom of the piano that allow you to change the way the instrument plays.

While you can play 88 notes on the piano, it is very difficult to sustain notes, play softly, and determine how long notes will be played. Those types of things are much easier to do on a string or wind instrument. 

As you look through what these pedals do, you need to remember that they are used with varying frequency. Some pedals are more important than others, and you should not try to use them all from the beginning. 

If you would like to improve your child’s playing (or start them as a beginner), please contact MEA Piano Studio for piano lessons in Alexandria, VA. You can also contact us regarding piano lessons in D.C. or online.

Right to Left

From the right to the left, the pedals are:

Right – Sustain

Middle – Sostenuto

Left – Una Corda—soft

You must sit directly in front of the piano so that you can reach all three pedals. Just because the sustain pedal gets used the most, that does not mean you sit a little to the right. It is easy to shift to another pedal, and you also need to make sure that you practice using them as you add them to your repertoire. You can see your hands, but you cannot see your feet.

Pedals Break

This is not really a fun topic, but it must be mentioned. The pedals on a piano can break without anyone noticing because you might do a lot of practice with no pedaling at all. When you are practicing on an older piano, the pedals often break because they are not maintained properly, and no one ever knows there is a problem.

If you are sitting down at a piano you do not know, you should check each pedal to ensure it works. This is a simple thing to do, and it helps you avoid frustration. If you are a parent buying or taking on a piano for the house, the pedals could be broken and you don’t know it. You might find someone on Facebook Marketplace with a free piano. That is a wonderful find, and they just tell you to go find a tuner. While they are right—you need a tuner—the piano could be damaged and they don’t even know there’s a problem. 

The Sustain Pedal

The sustain pedal sustains all the notes you play after you press it down. When you press a key on the piano, the hammer hits the string and the damper lifts. The note starts with a ping, and it dissipates quickly after letting go of the key.

The moment you pick up your finger, the damper comes back down. You only get so much out of the note. That is why you have the sustain pedal. 

When you press the sustain pedal, the note lasts longer, and this pedal can be used to sustain notes while you play something else. The sustain pedal works very well at the end of songs when you want the last note to go on for as long as possible. The sustain pedal also works when you are trying to hold chords in the middle of a song. 

Most people start using the sustain pedal early in their practice, and it stays that way for quite some time because you need to get used to pedaling. Remember, though, it sustains EVERYTHING you play after pressing it down—which can create quite a nice cluster chord.

The Soft Pedal

Some people call this the una corda pedal because it makes all the notes soft. This is a good way to simply quiet the whole piano. It is a lovely effect, but it is not something you will use for a whole song. This means you need to learn how to transition to this pedal to use it for soft notes and get off the pedal for louder notes. If the music is very complex, you are pedaling the soft pedal with your left foot and the sustain pedal with your right foot.

This pedal is very helpful, but it only works in certain circumstances. Think of this as an effect pedal. There are times when there is no way for you to play THAT soft, and you use this pedal so that you can get through a difficult passage or just need to quiet the piano down. 

You will find, however, that the older you get, the more experience you have, the less you need this pedal. As your technique improves, you can play softer and more effectively without automatically turning to the una corda pedal. 

Sostenuto Pedal

When you go to the middle, you have the sostenuto pedal. The word sostenuto implores you to stretch the notes, to lengthen everything, to draw out the most of each note. When you press this pedal, you hold the notes that you already played. Every other note you play after that is not sustained.

Because this is a fairly new addition to the piano, you are likely not going to need it for any music written before someone like Debussy or Ravel (the turn of the 20th Century.) It helps if you are working on the deep, deep details of older music, but it is not required. (In some cases, the middle pedal is actually a bass sustain pedal, and sustains only the lowest notes. Other pianos actually have a “practice pedal” that is even softer than the soft pedal—think of this like a practice mute you would use on a brass instrument where you get almost no sound at all.) 

Study the Piano & Learn Your Pedals Today

Studying the piano is an exercise in learning to do multiple things at the same time. Make sure you know how these pedals work and use them as presented in method books or by your teacher. You cannot really teach yourself to use pedals properly because they are a tricky part of the instrument. They also require some thought because it can be confusing knowing when to press and release. Take your time, mark your pedaling if necessary, and don’t sweat the sostenuto pedal.

Most parents want to know how long it will take for their child to learn the piano, and that question is justifiable – after all, it’s your time and money on the line! The question is reliant on many personal factors, though, and we’ll discuss those factors below.

I offer piano lessons in Fairfax, VA, piano lessons in Washington D.C., and serve the entire Northern Virginia area, so if you’re interested in signing your child up for a free piano lesson trial, I’d love to hear from you!

How Long Does It Take To Learn The Piano?

After one year of lessons, you should be able to read notes on both staffs, identify basic time signatures, and be familiar with the concept of sharps and flats. You may not be able to name advanced key signatures, but those will come a bit later. All told, after 12 months of lessons, you should probably be able to read two lines of notes simultaneously (in the right and left hands) within the five-finger pattern. Adults or older grade school children who are highly motivated will be able to exceed this.

By the end of year two, students should be able to play in 4-5 total key signatures, count in more complicated time signatures (like 6/8 time), and play a melody overlaid with a left hand chord structure.

In year three, students should be playing melodies and lines outside of the five-finger pattern – scales and crossover technique comes into play here.

By the time you reach the end of your fourth year, you should be able to sight read music somewhat fluently with two hands.

How Predictable Is The Piano Learning Curve?

The above timetable can be used as a rough guideline, but please note that this is impossible to predict. There are too many variables at play.

For instance, some parents like to start their children at the piano very young – four years old or so. They may not progress at the same rate as an older beginner. If your child is precocious, they may keep up with the steps outlined above, but it’s not necessarily likely.

Along those lines, let’s take a hypothetical situation. Student #1 starts the piano at age five and follows a pretty normal growth pattern at the piano. Student #2 starts the piano at age 8 and a half, and because of greater maturity and the awareness that they are “behind,” makes above average progress. Both students will end up at roughly the same skill level by the time they are in middle school.

Do Adults Learn The Piano Faster?

Adults have to unlearn more bad habits than children, and the adult mind can’t absorb information as quickly, but adults have two huge advantages: discipline and motivation. Adults can sit down and learn all of the notes on the staff in two weeks if they want two, they can learn their scales in the first year of lessons, and they can be learning intermediate repertoire by the end of year two. It all boils down to your dedication to regular, efficient practice.

How To Speed Up The Piano Learning Practice

The first thing you should do is get in touch with a qualified teacher. No app or self-study book can replace the influence of an experienced piano educator.

Secondly, follow your teacher’s instructions when you practice. The most valuable thing your teacher can do is to show you how to practice the piano, and if you follow the steps they prescribe, you will be ahead of your peers. It takes discipline, and most people are not disciplined!

Third, commit to regular practice, even in small amounts. Twenty minutes of piano practice per day is way more valuable than one 2-hour chunk per week. If you can commit more time, you will learn so much faster – it’s best to practice in 2-3 chunks every day. Each chunk can be only 15 minutes, but it’s a very efficient way to internalize information.

Fourth, remember that you can outpace your teacher! No teacher will be disappointed if you show up to a lesson having learned five more notes than they assigned.

Let’s Get Started With Piano Lessons Today

If you think my Alexandria, VA piano lessons will be a good fit for your child, please get in touch. I have 10+ years of teaching experience, and I offer classes and private lessons to pre-college students. I would love to work with your child at the piano.

Does it matter which instrument your child plays first, or is it beneficial to just get started with music in any capacity? Can your child play different instruments to pick a favorite? And will it set your child’s development back if they change instruments after a year or two?

As one of the leading destinations for piano lessons in Fairfax, VA and the surrounding area, we often help parents answer these questions around music lessons for their children. Keep reading to learn more, and please get in touch if you would like to enroll in a free piano lesson trial.

What Instrument Should Your Child Learn First?

If you are enrolling your 3-5 year old child in music classes, they will probably experience a variety of musical activities and instruments – this is for the best. Especially at the younger end of that spectrum, kids should be having fun, discovering musical concepts, dancing, and preferably using rhythm instruments like hand drums. It’s unlikely that your 3-4 year old will be able to have an effective piano lesson unless the teacher leads a significant amount of away-from-the-keyboard activities.

Things like bells, drums, and other percussion instruments can really help a child learn rhythm, and the voice can be used to train the ear and learn how to recall and reproduce tunes.

If your child is starting lessons after the age of 5, they probably have enough fine motor skills and discipline to jump right into piano or violin (or something else) lessons – although the lessons will still need to be specifically tailored for children.

Once Ready, Should Your Child Learn Piano First?

The piano is an excellent choice because it requires such a fundamental understanding of music and theory. It’s a foundation for a future in music, and whether your child decides to maintain piano studies or pursue a different instrument in the future, a solid understanding of the keyboard is very helpful.

The piano teaches both the bass and the treble clef, your child’s reading ability will be much better than non-pianists at that age, and compared to the piano, most other instruments will seem much easier. For instance, if you can play the piano, you can basically know how to  play the xylophone already, and you already know how to read music and recognize chords.

Many great instrumentalists started with the piano and picked up their brass, woodwind, or string instrument in middle school or high school (violin is usually the exception here), so starting on the piano does not mean they can’t learn other instruments later.

All Things Considered, What Is The Right Age To Start Music Lessons?

This varies from child to child, but you can start as early as you’d like – just realize that they won’t become a great pianist faster just because you enrolled them in lessons when they are three years old.

The earliest years should be spent galvanizing a love of music – if you can lead them to a discovery of the piano or another instrument, they will be happy to take lessons and practice without it becoming another chore. If they are handed a violin when they turn five and told to practice, it won’t be something they enjoy.

Our music classes for young children involve movement, rhythm instruments, teamwork, pre-recorded music, and more – we are trying to inspire kids and make them love music (while also learning!).

Unless your child is especially gifted and disciplined, starting them at the piano at age 4 won’t really increase the likelihood of them becoming an advanced pianist compared to a 6-7 year old who starts piano lessons. Even a child who starts piano as late as age 10 can catch up to the level of his or her peers by high school. It all comes down to practice and discipline.

Are Music Lessons Really Good For Kids?

Yes – music lessons strengthen the same part of the brain used for linguistic development, so one of the advantages of group piano class is that your young child will be more skilled at discerning language and communicating.

Music class also reinforces counting and logic, and it builds self confidence as students start to see that the work they are putting into music is resulting in greater ability at the piano or another instrument.

The social aspect of group music class should also be taken into consideration, and if you commit to practicing with your child, then it becomes a powerful bonding experience as well.

If you’d like to learn more about piano lessons in Alexandria, piano lessons in Washington D.C., or anything else, please don’t hesitate to get in touch – we would love to hear from you.

Maybe you remember being forced to take piano lessons as a kid – and perhaps you don’t want to afflict your child with the same thing. Maybe you “burned out” because of a domineering teacher, or maybe the lonely hours at the piano started to wear on you. Or maybe, as a child, the last thing you needed in your life was another chore! Nothing sucks the joy out of an activity like being forced to do it.

And herein lies the question – should you make your child play a musical instrument? It’s not an easy choice, and plenty of well-intentioned adults have made the wrong decision both in favor or against the piano. Hopefully the thoughts below will help you decide.

And if you do want to enroll your child in fun, interactive classes or piano lessons in Fairfax, VA or Alexandria, please get in touch – I’d be happy to schedule a free trial for you.

Be Careful: You May End Up Causing Your Child To Dislike Piano

Forcing your child to play the piano probably won’t have the impact you think it will — they will most likely end up frustrated, they’ll stop playing as soon as they can (when they reach high school, college, etc.), and they won’t find any joy at the piano. And if they can’t enjoy the piano at all, what’s the point?

Your child probably won’t start playing the piano on their own when they are young, and it is certainly your responsibility to place them in a position to experience and try new things (piano being one of them). So the point isn’t that you should not try out piano lessons for your child; the point is that after giving it a shot, if the child really dislikes the piano, it may not be the right artistic outlet for them.

Does Your Kid Dislike The Piano, Or Do They Dislike Practicing and Work?

Discipline is a character and/or a learned skill. Young children, unless they are an outlier, will not have the discipline to sit at the piano by themself and practice the piano. So naturally, you’ll have to tell them to practice.

But if your child starts saying that they want to quit lessons, you need to get to the bottom of the situation:

1. Are they just frustrated that they aren’t seeing progress?
2. Do they actually dislike the piano, or the other stuff, like practicing?
3. Do they not enjoy the lessons or teacher?
4. Do they hate having to sit at the piano by themself?
5. Do they not understand that there are goals and accomplishments to be met during each practice session?

There are things you can do to remedy the situation. Firstly, talk to your child’s teacher. Are there clear expectations after each lesson? Does the child know why he or she must practice?  If you explain goals and progress to your child, they may understand. Give them items to accomplish during each practice session so they can feel a sense of accomplishment.

Secondly, you can sit and practice with your child. Making piano practice an activity with your child will make it more rewarding for them, you’ll learn the piano too, and they enjoy it. It will also keep their mind focused on practice.

Young Children Need Special Consideration

If your child has taken lessons for a while, and if they’re old enough to make an informed decision that isn’t reactionary, it’s worth considering their desire to quit. But younger children are different.

Firstly, if you force your 3-5 year old to take serious private piano lessons, of course they will complain about practicing – it would be rare for them to like it. There are two routes you can take. One option is to find a fun, activity-oriented piano class that involves rhythm instruments, multimedia, and engaged classmates. That’s what we offer at MEA Piano Studio for beginners.

Your second option is to help your child “discover” music naturally rather than forcing them to sit at the piano. Encourage their curiosity at the piano or keyboard, get them musical toys, and allow them to see you interacting with the piano. If they start to express interest in the piano on their own, you’ve already won half the battle.

Remember, You Have More Perspective On Life Than Your Child

Very few kids would study or engage with any subject in school if they weren’t forced to do so, and music is no different. If you believe that arts education is a worthwhile use of time that will lead to a happier life for your child, then you may need to make the piano a required activity. So many adults wish that they hadn’t quit piano lessons, so you may be saving your child from a lifetime of regret.

The key is to make piano an experience that they love in the first place. Find lessons that are inspiring and fun, get a teacher who loves working with students and brings out the best in each of them, and commit to spending time with your child at the piano. If you do those things, you’ll be off to a great start.

Much has been made of the differences between private piano lessons in Alexandria and group piano class, but which should you choose for your child? Will the young pianist in your home benefit from personalized private instruction, or a group setting with his or her peers?

The good news is that when your child is young, you can’t lose in either scenario – and that’s why we offer both options at MEA Piano Studio. Whether you want piano lessons in Springfield, piano lessons in Fairfax, or live online piano lessons, you’ll find exactly what you need at our studio.

Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of group piano class, or get in touch for a free trial lesson!

Benefits of Group Piano Class

We’ll talk about private lessons more below, but here are the top benefits of enrolling your child in group piano class in Northern Virginia.

Positive Peer Pressure

We often associate peer pressure with negative things – but not all peer pressure is created equal. When a child sees his or her peers practicing, performing, and improving at the keyboard, the student will very often start practicing on their own! Students in group piano class can encourage each other, learn from one another, and inspire each other to get better at the piano. They will also be relying on each other in duets and ensemble repertoire, so the peer pressure kicks in even more at that point.

Diversity of Activities

Piano classes mix classroom instruction with piano playing, and there are often games and away-from-the-piano activities involved. Students will drill things like key signatures and notes, apply what they’ve learned to the keyboard, and interact with one another.

Your child will enjoy mixed-media in piano class: materials on a screen, games and flashcards, audio in the form of recordings and midi files, and more. They will also play for one another and play with each other – wherever you enroll your child in lessons, they won’t have time to get bored.

More Musical Fulfillment At an Early Age

When a student first starts at the piano, they won’t play much “real” music at the beginning. It’s expected that the tunes will be very simple, and the student will be drilling notes and rhythms. However, in a group piano class, each member of the class can play a different musical line, and as a result, they will experience interesting music with a full sound. When you have 5+ students in a room, the individual parts don’t need to be advanced to create a beautiful piece of music! Your child will also experience pre-recorded accompaniments and beats, and there will be accompanying rhythm tracks as well.

Learn Rhythm At An Advanced Level

Believe it or not, rhythm is one of the most difficult concepts for young piano students to learn. That said, group classes are an excellent way to help musicians internalize a good sense of rhythm. Your child will enjoy group activities with clapping rhythm instruments, rhythmic backtracks and more, and the fact that everyone is playing together will help keep their sense of rhythm in check. After all, if you play to the beat of your own drum, you won’t be in time with your peers!

It Becomes a Social Activity

Kids enjoy playing with friends, so why should piano class be any different? They get to experience music with others, make new friends, and learn under the guidance of an expert teacher – it sounds like a winning combination to us. Your child will look forward to piano lessons, they’ll enjoy seeing their new friends, and your family will get to meet other like-minded families at recitals.

Overcome Performance Anxiety

Every pianist knows that playing in front of others can be incredibly stressful, but when students start performing at an early age, they can overcome this fear. In group piano class, young keyboardists will play each other and for each other every week, and they’ll be very comfortable with other people watching their performances by the time they need to give recitals or audition for school.

Why You May Need Private Piano Lessons

While there are innumerable benefits to group piano class, your child may also benefit from private instruction. Some children learn better in a one-on-one setting devoid of distractions; still other students may be too advanced to participate in group class. If your child is older than 10 years old, or if they are advancing at a rapid pace, they may need a teacher who can select repertoire specifically for them. Group class can help your child get better with positive peer pressure, but by that same token, then can also be held back by underperforming peers.

What Should You Learn In Group Piano Class?

Your child should learn all of the same fundamentals that they would learn in private piano lessons. They will learn how to sit correctly at the piano, how to play with correct hand position, how to pedal effectively, how to interpret music, how to count, how to read music, how to play by ear and compose basic tunes, and the fundamentals of music theory.

If you would like to enroll your child in in-person or virtual piano classes at MEA Piano Studio, we would love to hear from you. Get started with a free trial lesson at your convenience.