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Piano Lessons Online: What to Watch For

Online piano lessons seem to offer an ideal scenario for those who are short on funds or wary of starting a new instrument as an adult with little or no experience. After all, consumers get the anonymity of buying and learning online with the bulk rate offered on packages tailored for quick and easy use. Unfortunately, these very same benefits also present the perfect scenario for online opportunists to take advantage of unwary shoppers. Anonymity and ease of use for learning piano lessons online actually afford the perfect scenario for less-than-useful products, which is why it's important to make sure you know what to look for in a quality online piano lesson deal.

When it Comes to Piano Lessons, You Get What You Pay For

Learning to play the piano is a complicated process - which is why it can be so rewarding to master the skills involved. If you're just starting out, there is a wealth of information to learn, from reading music and understanding the correlation to the keys on the piano to using the correct finger positions and music theory.

The type of education you get from online piano lessons typically corresponds to the same thing you can get from a teach-yourself-at-home piano book or video set. If you have already passed by an in-print piano option because it looked a little bit more complicated than you're ready to take on, chances are the online version will be, too.

The Difference Between Playing a Song on the Piano and Playing the Piano

Almost anyone can learn to play a single song on the piano. When taught the correct notes and exposed to a song enough times, practice will eventually lead you to play a song fairly proficiently. In fact, you may even be good enough to give the appearance of having piano playing skills.

However, being able to play the piano actually involves much more than playing a single (or a handful of) songs. True musicians can look at a sheet of music and play a song they have never heard before. They know the theories and structure behind music, and the skills are transferable to other instruments, as well.

Choosing a Good Online Piano Course

If you feel as though you are ready to try an online course, there are a few guidelines to follow to ensure that you're making the right purchase:

Look for music reading instruction. If you walk away with nothing else from an online piano course, make sure you at least learn the notes and/or chords of the piano. You should be able to see a note on a sheet of music, find it on the keyboard, and play it without referring to a fingering chart or number system.
Dull is good. Although you may want to start playing show tunes right away, basic piano lessons are typically more about scales, repetitive notes, and chords than anything else. These lay the groundwork for future piano development. If your online course skips all the boring stuff, you're getting a popular - but not really good - education.
The courses should be varied. In the beginning, you will need to learn notes, chords, fingering, and even posture. As you move through the class, you may have to work on hand strengthening exercises, sharp and flat notes, and the use of the foot pedal. Make sure your online piano course covers a wide array of topics - even if they don't seem all that necessary at first.

Making an Online Piano Lesson Purchase

As with all online purchases, choose a company that not only provides a quality course, but a safe payment process and return policy, as well. A company that won't let you look at the course syllabus prior to purchase or that refuses any sort of money-back guarantee might not be the best bet for your piano lessons. You should be able to talk with someone at the company - either online or over the phone - to discuss the details of the course to ensure that it aligns with the underlying musicality that all good piano lessons have.

Although you can never really do better than one-on-one personal instruction from a piano tutor you trust, online courses can provide a basic alternative. As long as you do your homework and really look at the course you're purchasing, you should be on the way to piano skills to last a lifetime.