Tag: English speaking piano teacher

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 practice, piano teacher, Uncategorized

The Best Way for Beginners to Start Piano in the New Year- with free resource!

lizteachespiano

Welcome back and Happy New year!

I hope everyone has had a happy holiday season. As well as music, I painted, read, did some model making and wore my Mandalorian Christmas Jumper!

Me taking some time off! Wearing my mandalorian jumper!

The New Year is one of the most popular times to start learning piano. A fresh calendar brings fresh motivation. But many beginners quit within months, not because piano is too hard, but because they start with everything.

If you’re new to piano, this guide will show you the best way to start piano in the New Year, avoid common mistakes, and build habits that lead to real progress. If you’re not new, it could give you a warm up to get back into practice again. 🎶

Start With Clear, Realistic Goals

Instead of saying “I want to learn piano”, try:

  • “I want to learn the piano key notes confidently in 15 days”
  • “I want to practice X on piano 10 minutes, 4 days a week”
  • “I want to learn to read simple music in 30 days”

✅ Tip: Write your piano goal down and place it near your keyboard. (Or print out my free infographic at the bottom of the page and set by the piano for a guide!)

A guide for the best way to learn piano.
Download this infographic guide at the bottom of the page

If you haven’t already, get a keyboard. (Keep It Simple)

Beginners don’t need an expensive grand piano.

Best options for beginners:

  • A digital piano or keyboard with 88 keys- Do not label those keys!
  • A sustain pedal

✅ Tip: Avoid starting on tiny keyboards with few keys — they limit progress and can cause frustration

Learn the Basics First (Don’t Skip This)

Many beginners without guidance jump straight into complicated songs and skip basics. This often leads to bad habits.

Focus first on:

  • Finger numbers
  • Reading basic notes
  • Simple rhythms
  • Playing with both hands slowly

✅ Tip: A strong foundation makes everything easier in the long run.

Follow a Structured Learning Path

One of the biggest beginner mistakes is random practice of everything, all the time.

Instead of:
❌ Jumping between YouTube videos
❌ Playing the same song over and over
Try:
✔️ A step by step method
✔️ A piano teacher (in-person or online)

✅ Tip: Structure = faster progress.

Create a Beginner-Friendly Practice Routine

You don’t need hours a day. Consistency matters more.

Ideal beginner routine (20–30 minutes):

  1. Warm-up/Technique or exercises (5–10 minutes)
  2. New material (10-15 minutes)
  3. Review something fun (5 minutes)

✅ Tip: Practicing a little often is better than long, rare sessions.

Expect Slow Progress .

Piano progress is not always up. Some weeks feel amazing, others feel stuck.

Remind yourself:

  • Every pianist started as a beginner
  • Struggle means your brain is learning
  • Consistency beats talent every time

7. Make Piano Part of Your Lifestyle

The easiest way to stick with piano is to attach it to your daily routine.

Try:

  • Practicing right after school or work
  • Playing before screen time
  • Keeping the piano visible and accessible

✅ Tip: The less effort it takes to start, the more often you’ll play.

🎹 I’ve included a little infographic with the 4 key points I would recommend when starting piano. Feel free to print this out and put by your piano when you need a bit of a motivation boost! This will be the year piano becomes part of your life — not just another resolution.

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, Entrepreneur, learning environment, Music Composition, music production, Review, synthesizer, Uncategorized

Teenage Engineering PO-14 Sub Review

lizteachespiano

In a world of synths, Teenage Engineering’s Pocket Operators are quite unique—minimalist, affordable, and surprisingly powerful. The PO-14 Sub, focused on bass synthesis, is the one I chose from the PO family. (I will probably get another!) So here is my Teenage Engineering PO-14 Sub Review!

Here is a link to all the Pocket Operators

Designed for portability and simplicity, the Sub delivers gritty, analogue-style bass sounds with a digital twist. It offers 15 bass synth engines, a 16-step sequencer, built-in effects, and drum sounds—all controlled through a barebones but intuitive interface. It looks like a calculator, and is super fun!

Its raw, punchy tone makes it a great tool for sketching beats, layering textures, or just getting inspired when you’re away from your main setup.

The fact that it fits in your pocket and runs on AAA batteries makes it even more appealing for producers on the move. The sound is surprisingly good for its tiny size (it was even smaller than I thought!).

Thanks for reading my Teenage Engineering PO-14 Sub Review. The PO-14 Sub is a reminder that you don’t need a wall of gear to make interesting music. If you’re into lo-fi aesthetics, heavy bass, or just want a fresh way to explore ideas, the Teenage Engineering’s PO-14 Sub is a great little synth to have!

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.