Not everyone learns in the same way, so piano lessons should vary according to your learning style. I have a few different approaches that I like to take, depending on the student’s interests and goals. The most traditional and well-understood approach is to learn from a method book. I use and really like the Piano Adventures series–it’s a complete, solid, well-paced program.

In addition, I teach chord style piano–also known as popular piano. Playing in this style requires that you memorize some groupings of three to four notes and play them on their own or with a melody. We call it popular piano because it’s similar to how a guitar player strums chords while singing along to popular songs. This is the style we would choose if you wanted to learn to play a particular song, or if you wanted to accompany a singer (yourself or someone else). Please watch the video on this page for a demonstration of chord style piano.

Most students do some combination of traditional lessons and chord style, and I always make room to tailor lessons to the individual.