Learning how to play the piano can be very exciting for both children and adults. If you plan to
send your child for piano lessons, it is best to wait until they are old enough to understand the fundamentals of the musical instrument and read the music notes. Each child is different and you will know when your child is ready. Below, I have compiled several guidelines to finding the best piano lessons in Atlanta.
How Many Years of Experience Does the Piano Teacher Have?
Piano schools will normally hire experienced an piano teacher but a large number of them will hire fresh graduates. Therefore, it is imperative that you determine if you prefer a fresh graduate or an experienced piano teacher. There is nothing wrong in choosing a piano school that has fresh graduates or younger teachers, because they are motivated and they have the necessary drive to teach. At the same time, they are accumulating experience.
Music teachers with plenty of experiences know all the ins and outs, from teaching the basics to preparing you for exams, competitions, performances, and many more. In addition, they are able to help you cope with difficulties in your learning process. You will learn schools with experienced teachers have a record of accomplishment to show. From the studios, you can see the students’ accomplishments and you can evaluate the standard of teaching too.
Nevertheless, you need to understand that teaching experience above a certain number of years will start to make some differences, such as the teachers might have lost their enthusiasm in teaching and grooming beginners from all age groups. Hence, it is imperative to meet with the teachers, and measure the level of compatibility in terms of teaching and learning goals, expectations, as well as personality.
The Teachers’ Performances
From my observation and knowledge in music, I can assure you that good performers do not automatically make good piano teachers. The reason is that they may not understand the challenges or difficulties that students face. I learned that teaching is an art form in itself and it is necessary for good piano teachers to have first-class performance abilities and musicianship. A superior piano teacher should be able to inspire students through live performances and demonstrations. He or she should set an example on the importance of maintaining top performances through consistent practice of the piano lessons.
The School Studio
When it comes to choosing the best piano school, you need to know the very few basic tools that are necessary in the music studio. A good piano is necessary and in 
most music schools, you will find more than one piano. Two pianos allow you and your teacher to play a duo, which can help in determining how far you have progressed. While upright pianos are excellent, the grand pianos are certainly better because in most concerts, music examinations, and competitions, students need to perform using grand pianos. It is advisable to look for a piano school that uses a grand piano, so that you can become acquainted with the feel and touch of it.
Other studios may have two grand pianos, an electric piano, as the third piece of musical instrument, because the latter allows students to become fully adaptable to all types of pianos. In fact, many public schools – elementary and high school – do not use acoustic musical instruments anymore. Most of these schools provide electric pianos for all their student performances. Therefore, many music schools offer electric pianos along with grand pianos to help you become more versatile. When you are looking for a piano school, make sure that the studio has an extensive collection of music scores. Take the time to make a decision and do plenty of research online.
If you were given a choice, would you attend a piano school or hire a personal piano tutor to learn your piano lessons?