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18 October 2010

Group #2

How to Learn Piano on a Budget

By Alexandra Slavas

Aspirations do not always have to end on a harsh note. Exploring cheap avenues to fulfilling your goals is the key to unearthing those dreams you have pushed aside for so long due to financial constraints. Matt Netto, a piano teacher at Tracy High School who also gives lessons at a local music store, offers some advice to those seeking inexpensive routes to learning piano.

“The cost of lessons depends upon the educational level of the teacher,” Netto says. On a monthly basis, prices may range from 15 dollars a lesson for a teacher with no degree, up to 100 dollars per lesson for a more experienced teacher.

Although, depending upon your personal goals as a piano learner, these options may sound like the answer if you prefer one-on-one training with a credible source. But for others, time and financial hindrances may leave us seeking other options.

So what else is out there?

As our technologically advanced era gives us an advantage in accessing myriad information, we are left with the responsibility of sifting through the mess with the hope of coming across some reliable and trustworthy material. Netto recommends YouTube when it comes to finding useful tutorials.

“YouTube can have both good and bad content. Sometimes it is just kids trying to explore their own learning and sharing it on video, but some real piano professionals have a lesson or two on there,” says Netto. He explains that combining the more reputable instructional videos on YouTube with an adult beginner book with good diagrams and explanation of technique, repertoire and music literacy will indeed allow you to tap in to the torrent of information out there and use it to advance your own goals and dreams.

So if you have gotten this far, you have probably have a means of accessing the means of learning piano, but have no place to solidify those skills. Whether you choose to rent or buy a piano, there are some facts you should know. Netto mentions that “when selecting a piano or keyboard, you must take into account age, condition, and maker. Baldwin, Kawai, Yahama, and Steinway are the best brands to explore. (That list is from cheapest to most expensive, and least to highest quality.)” Netto says buying used is usually the best option but prices and quality vary significantly. A used upright piano should cost about 700 to 1,500 dollars depending on the makers. New ones range from 3,000 to 4,000 dollars. Used Grand pianos and Baby Grand pianos usually start around 3,000 dollars and go as high as 30,000 depending on the maker. New Grands go as high as 60 to 70,000 dollars.

Netto also says, “You have to shop around. Music stores often do this, or have a dealer with whom they contract. Many piano dealers like to give their new pianos to music schools and private lesson facilities on a loan so that they can later sell them as “high quality” used. Do some research by checking out local music stores to see what they carry.”

Inexpensive approaches to learning piano are out there—all it takes is a little research to access them, and you will be on your way to realizing that your greatest goals in life are not always confined by your wallet!