Category: singing lessons

learning environment, Music Composition, Music Lessons, piano lessons, piano practice, piano teacher, singing lessons, Singing teacher, Uncategorized

Music Practice and the art of Patience and Self-Discipline

lizteachespiano

Regular music practice is one of the most practical ways to develop patience and self-discipline. This week’s piano and singing lessons offered clear examples of how these skills are built through intentional practice.

In the first video, I’m demonstrating a piece that uses the Phrygian scale, a scale one of my students particularly enjoys. Instead of practicing the scale in isolation, I chose a short piece that shows how the scale functions in real music. Many children and adult learners have thought “Why do I need to learn scales!?” This helps students connect technical material to sound, style, and musical context—an important step in deeper understanding.

‘My Journey leads into the desert’ by Hanz Zimmer-Arrangement by Laurie Theberge.

The first time I played this piece to the student, it wasn’t great! I had to spend time during the week practicing it, refining it, just as a student would. This process reinforced an important learning principle: improvement comes from focused repetition. You wont have patience straight away. Patience develops through practice.

The second video shows me singing a new song and experimenting with it in different styles. This type of practice supports flexibility and musical awareness. Trying multiple approaches encourages active listening and helps develop control, rather than relying on habit or comfort.

Acoustic version of ‘Trees’ written and performed by me.

Both examples highlight how self-discipline in music is less about strict routines and more about consistent, thoughtful engagement. Whether working on a scale through repertoire or exploring style, progress depends on showing up regularly and reflecting on what works.

Music practice provides a clear framework for learning: set a goal, work slowly, evaluate results, and adjust. These habits strengthen patience and self-discipline in a way that naturally transfers to other areas of learning.

For students and teachers alike, staying engaged in this process is essential. Practice is where real learning happens.

Interested in learning the art of patience and Self-Discipline? See if music lessons could work for you today!

beginner tutorial, learning environment, Music Lessons, piano lessons, piano performance, piano practice, piano teacher, singing lessons, Singing teacher, Uncategorized

3 Simple Tips to Encourage Piano Practice for Children and Adults

lizteachespiano

Learning the piano is fun and interesting—but staying motivated can be tricky for both children and adults. Here are 3 Simple Tips to Encourage Piano Practice for Children and Adults.

Children sometimes see practice as a chore, and adults, even though they’ve chosen to learn, often struggle to find time. (Even teachers like me have days when we’d rather not practice!)

The good news? With a few simple strategies, practice can become something enjoyable and rewarding.

1. Create a Predictable Piano Practice Routine

Children (and adults!) thrive when practice becomes part of their daily rhythm—not a surprise or a battle. Short, regular sessions are often more effective than long, occasional ones.

How to do it:

  • Pick a consistent time (after school, before dinner, early morning, etc.)
  • Keep sessions short—10–15 minutes is perfect for beginners
  • Use a visual timer.

Why it works:
Routines reduce resistance. Practice becomes a habit rather than a negotiation.

2. Use Positive Reinforcement and Reward Systems

Rewards can help keep motivation high, especially for younger learners—but adults appreciate them too! Rewards don’t need to be big; they just need to be meaningful.

Ideas for rewards:

  • Sticker charts or progress trackers
  • A favourite meal or coffee at a café
  • A special activity after consistent effort

Tip: Reward effort, not perfection. Consistency is more important than flawless playing.

3. Let Students Choose Some of Their Music

When students enjoy what they play, motivation increases dramatically. Even one favourite piece can make a big difference.

How to apply it:

  • Let students pick a pop song, movie theme, or seasonal piece
  • Ask, “Which piece do you want to start with today?”
  • Balance teacher-chosen music with student-chosen favourites

Why it works: Choice gives students ownership, confidence, and excitement about piano practice.

Final Thoughts

Motivation grows when practice feels predictable, rewarding, and personally meaningful. With a consistent routine, small rewards, and music students enjoy, daily practice can shift from a struggle to a source of pride and accomplishment.

🎹If you are in the Stockholm area and interested in enjoying practice more, or interested in starting to practice, feel free to send me a message!

Please note: picture has been made with AI to aid creativity and add fun!

beginner tutorial, learning environment, singing lessons, Singing teacher, Uncategorized

The Joy of Singing Duets

lizteachespiano

Building Confidence and Harmony in Uppsala

Singing duets is a great way to develop musical skills and enjoy the shared experience of making music. There is just something special about a duet- the harmonies, the shared experience and the building of skill.

As a singing teacher in Uppsala, sometimes it is nice to include duets in my lessons. They’re a fun and effective way to strengthen key skills such as pitch accuracy, rhythm, tone control, and teamwork. Whether you’re new to singing or have some experience, duet work can bring a fresh perspective to your practice.

The bass part of this song is a little low for both of us, but the main thing is my student shone!

Benefits of Singing Duets

  1. Improves Listening Skills – Learn to balance and blend with another voice.
  2. Builds Confidence – Performing with a partner helps ease nerves and develop stage presence.
  3. Encourages Collaboration – Duets promote communication and musical awareness.
  4. Enhances Expression – Two voices allow for greater depth and storytelling in performance.

Getting Started with Duets

Start with a song you would both enjoy. Practice each part separately before combining them. Focus on breathing staying in rhythm, and creating a balanced sound. You need to focus on your part, but also listen out for and be aware of the other persons part.

Duet singing isn’t about perfection — it’s about learning to listen, connect, and enjoy the process of making music together.

If you’re interested in improving your voice or exploring singing lessons in Uppsala, I offer personalized vocal training for all levels. Together, we can develop your technique, build confidence, and help you enjoy singing even more.

🎶 Ready to start local singing lessons?
Book your trial singing lesson today

Business, Entrepreneur, learning environment, Music Lessons, piano lessons, piano teacher, Review, singing lessons, Uncategorized

Inspiring Lessons Through Smart Planning-and a free resource!

lizteachespiano

 Whether you teach piano, violin, or voice — a clear curriculum and planning turns lessons into lasting progress.

Teaching music privately gives flexibility — but without a structured approach, that freedom can become overwhelming. I like organisation and planning. A well-crafted curriculum and plan doesn’t restrict creativity, it supports it. With the right planning and curriculum in place, you can stay consistent, adapt to individual students, and track progress with clarity and confidence.

Here are a few practical tips to help you shape your music lessons:


1. Start with a “Why?”

Ask yourself:

  • What is the goal of your teaching? (Exam prep? Creative expression? Life-long musicality?) These goals may be different for depending on your student.
  • What do you value in a musician? What do you think is important for a student to know?

This helps shape your curriculum— and makes sure every lesson builds toward something meaningful.

Be sure to ask your students “Why?” also. At every trial, I ask my students why they want to learn to play piano or sing. 

2. Design Flexible Learning Plans

You don’t need a rigid syllabus. Instead, create learning levels (e.g. Beginner, Early Intermediate, etc.) and have an idea of what students need to know at each level:

  • Core skills (technique, reading, listening)
  • Repertoire (always get your students input in repertoire also)
  • Creative work (improv, composition, etc.)

A note here: You will be teaching all these things to all your students, but you may have students with particular interests/goals. It is very important that you incorporate their goals into your lessons to give them a personal 1 on 1 experience (after all, that is often what students are having private tuition for) . So if you have a student who wants to get better at sight reading, make sure you plan this into their lesson in a way that works for them. The way one student learns to sight read will be different to another.

3. Plan Lessons in “Mini-Arcs”

Think in 3–5 lesson arcs, rather than one-off lessons. Each arc could have a little focus on:

  • A piece or project
  • A specific technique (e.g. legato playing, bow control)
  • A musical concept (e.g. phrasing, dynamics, rhythm)
  • What do I want the student to know or do by the end of this arc? (Ask the student for their input as well.)
  • How will I break that down across lessons?
    You will still need to be covering everything they need to know in the lesson, but there wil be a time in the lesson you can focus on this particular area. 

4. Keep your Lessons and Curriculum Balanced

A well-balanced music lesson usually includes:

  • Warm-up or review (5–10 min)
  • Technique focus (10–15 min)
  • Repertoire (15–20 min)
  • Creative or listening activity (5–10 min)

Mixing modes — playing, listening, creating — keeps energy up and supports different learning styles.

5. Reflect and Adjust Often

After each lesson, jot down:

  • What worked?
  • Challenges?
  • Next step?

Even a 1-minute note helps you spot patterns and adapt. Over time, this turns into a useful resource for planning and curriculum insight.

It is a lot of work being a private music teacher! Planning and preparation of every students lessons does take time. However, if you do stay consistent with goals and planning- not only is beneficial for the student- but beneficial for you as a teacher- you go into each lesson calm and prepared. 

You don’t need a one-size-fits-all curriculum- you need a framework that guides each student’s journey. If you’re a little stuck on how to begin, use this lesson plan document to jot ideas down. I would recommend in time you begin to make more personal plans and layout, but to make a start I hope this will be useful!

With structure and planning, your lessons become more purposeful, and your students feel the difference. 

beginner tutorial, Entrepreneur, Music Composition, music performance, music production, Review, singing lessons, Singing teacher, synthesizer, Uncategorized

Eventide Space pedal: More Than Just Reverb?

lizteachespiano

I have never used a guitar pedal before, so I wasn’t even sure what to expect. I know pedals add effects like distortion or delay, but does it make a real difference? Pedals all seemed a bit like background stuff, or pedals are for people so proficient they know exactly what it will aid with. So when I managed to try out the Eventide Space pedal — this mysterious, brick with 11 knobs and names like “Blackhole” and “Mangled Verb” — I wondered what it would do.

What happened instead was more like falling to another dimension of live sound 🌠.

There isn’t just delays and distortion. Its texture, depth, movement — sounds I didn’t even know a guitar could make. As someone totally new to the world of pedals, the Eventide Space really inspired me in guitar playing and musical ideas.

If you’ve ever wondererd, “What would it sound like if my guitar was echoing inside a black hole?” —now you can wonder no more!

First Impressions:

Physically, the Eventide Space is built like a tank — solid, black, serious. It looks more like a piece of studio gear than a pedalboard buddy. There’s a screen, 11 knobs, multiple footswitches, and lots of buttons. I like how tactile it is.

If you’re coming from a basic Hall/Room pedal, your first reaction might be: “Wait… what do all these do?” If you take a minute or two to play around with sounds and then twist knobs the other way whilst playing sounds, you’ll figure it out quite quickly.

Yes, Space does hall, room, plate, and spring — and they sound good. But that’s not why people buy this thing.

People buy Space for the Blackhole, Shimmer, and MangledVerb algorithms — lush, sweeping, otherworldly sounds that feel more like film scores than guitar FX.

Put simply- it sounds really cool without having to try.

And the modulation. The delays. The reverse features. You start with reverb, but end up somewhere between Blade Runner and a sunrise on Mars.

Not Just for Guitar

One of the best-kept secrets about Space is that it works on vocals, synths, and even drums. I’ve yet to try this yet, but I will. In fact, some producers treat it more like an outboard effect than a pedal . Ambient musicians and post-rock bands would especially love it for its pad-like qualities.

Specifications

  • 100 presets (including 50 user slots)
  • Full MIDI control
  • Expression pedal inputs
  • tap tempo
  • A “HotSwitch” for instant changes

you can get incredible results by just tweaking three knobs: Mix, Size, and Decay.

This is actually a Drum and Bass song I wrote (which you can check out here with all my music), but I’m demonstrating how inspirational and diverse this pedal is.

Downsides?

Very few.

  • Price: Around 5000kr , so it’s not cheap.
  • Learning curve: If you don’t like menus, be prepared to spend time tweaking.
  • Mono input: It can limit how you use it with stereo rigs without extra routing.

These feel like small trade-offs for what you get in return.

Here is a link if you want to look at it further Eventide Space Pedal

 Who Is This For?

Bedroom guitarist chasing dreamy soundsYes, but expect to lose hours
Ambient musician layeringAbsolutely
Straight-ahead blues playerMaybe try a simpler cheaper pedal
Studio producer or synth wizardThis is gold!

The Eventide Space is the kind of pedal that makes you play differently. Think less about solos and more about soundscapes. Yes, it’s expensive. Yes, it’s deep. But if you want reverb that feels like actual space, this is the one🌌.

Thanks for reading!