Lesson Materials:

Students are responsible for the purchase of their books and materials. They may purchase the following at most music stores that carry piano books:

Thompson's Teaching Little Fingers to Play (Primer, red cover)

Dozen A Day Primer (blue cover)

Thompson's Theory Primer (red cover)

#2 pencil

Lessons:

Bring all your books and a #2 pencil to your lesson. Don't waste your or your parent's money by not practicing. Come to your lesson well practiced, ready to advance to your next lesson.

If you've gone beyond your assigned lesson let me know at the start of your lesson. There is no reason you have to work at my pace. These lessons are for you. Don't be discouraged if you practice and I ask you to repeat a lesson. I will work at your pace, but I will also push you to excel.

Practicing:

If you want to learn to play, you must practice daily. Set aside a time where you spend at least 30 minutes daily at the piano. Remember to count your timing out loud until you can play the piece without counting out loud. Start out slow, and then increase your speed. Practice playing at various volumes too.

Sit so your hands rest comfortably on the keys. Make sure your hands are clean and dry before you play. Key your piano keyboard clean. (As part of keeping it clean, don't eat or drink near your keyboard!)

When you make a mistake, keep going. Repeat the song and see if you can make it through again with out making the same mistake. If you don't, work on the section that causes you trouble until you are comfortable with it, and then try playing the entire song. Don't fall into a habit of stopping every time you hit a wrong note. It is more important to complete the song than it is to hit every note.

Make it fun. Once you learn a song you like, play it even if it isn't part of your current lesson. After all, playing should be enjoyable!

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