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.
