Top 10 Digital Keyboards & Pianos Recommended in 2024
When it comes to choosing a digital keyboard or piano the team at Piano Lessons NYC always recommends students choose one with 88 weighted keys regardless of their age or level.
AFFORDABLE PIANO LESSONS IN NYC
FOR ADULTS & KIDS FROM BEGINNER TO ADVANCED
Our piano instructors are all classically trained with a minimum of a Master’s Degree level of education and have graduated from highly reputable music schools and conservatories from all around the world including the Royal College of Music (RCM), London, The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music and New York University (NYU). Each teacher brings their own unique style of teaching and experience to the piano lesson to help ensure that our students get the best possible piano instruction whilst realizing their full music potential. At Piano Lessons NYC our piano instructors all have the same goal in mind and that is to provide the highest quality education in a fun, energetic and welcoming environment.
Piano Instructor
Originally from Istanbul, Turkey, Aden is an award winning pianist and music educator with a Bachelors of Music Degree with Honors from the Istanbul Technical University and was a Dean’s List Honoree. She went on to complete her Masters of Music Degree specializing in Musicology and Music Theory also from the Istanbul Technical University. Her early musical experiences started at Mimar Sinan Conservatory in 2004 in addition to an exchange program at the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia. In Istanbul, she became a well known music instructor at the Dore Music Academy and Ministry of Education and tutored both children and adults at all levels of their music journey. She has extensive experience preparing students for ABRSM exams, competitions and university entrance auditions. In addition to her teaching schedule she is currently completing an internship as a research scholar in neuromusicology at Mount Sinai in New York City. She has a particular interest in pedagogy and music psychology which she incorporates into each of her piano lessons. Trying to understand and researching music at the intersections of other social sciences is what she enjoys the most.
Piano Instructor
Julia is a New York City based piano pedagogue, performer and piano instructor. Julia previously served as Piano Instructor in Piano Studies at New York University, teaching undergraduate private piano lessons in addition to group piano courses. Additionally, Julia is passionate about pedagogical research in the field of adult beginners, and has been selected to present at multiple conferences, including the Florida State Music Teachers Association State Conference. When teaching, Julia’s largest and most immediate goal is to create a healthy growing space. To do this, she prioritizes maintaining a positive and energetic environment during piano lessons, and she creates an individualized curriculum for each student. Whether a student is learning classical music or improvising over chord charts, Julia stresses the importance of technique, attention to detail, and practice methods. In this way, her students can be independent in the time between lessons, and they gain the capability of learning pieces on their own without risk of injury. Julia holds a Master of Music in Piano Performance from New York University and a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from Florida State University.
Piano Instructor
Lulwa is a Kuwaiti-Bulgarian pianist and piano teacher. She has performed in various venues across Europe, the USA, Central Asia and the Middle East. Some notable performances include her appearance as a soloist with orchestras such as the Uzbekistan State Symphony Orchestra, Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra and the Manhattan School of Music Symphony Orchestra. Lulwa has also given solo recitals at venues such as the House of Pianos in Dubai, Polish Institute in Sofia, Bulgaria and CARA at the Jazz Orchestra of Matosinhos, Portugal. She is also the recipient of numerous competition prizes. As a teacher, Lulwa emphasizes the importance of curating an individual path for each student. She uses a variety of methods and approaches so each student can learn and enjoy the piano to their full potential. She has experience teaching all ages and all levels as well as preparation for ABRSM piano and music theory exams. Lulwa graduated from Wells Cathedral School which is one of four specialized music schools in the United Kingdom. She then went on to study at Manhattan School of Music where she completed her Bachelor of Music degree in Classical Piano and is now pursuing her Master of Music degree.
Piano Instructor
Georgii is a NYC based pianist, recording artist, producer, and songwriter. He started taking piano lessons at age 5 accompanying them with an intense course in music theory, music history and chamber ensembles. After winning several piano competitions and participating in concerts as a soloist and accompanist, he got accepted into Tula Dargomyzhsky Art College. In 2018 Georgii moved to the US to study Piano Performance at Southern Adventist University, Chattanooga, TN where he was honored to study with Dr. Peter Cooper. Upon earning his Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance in 2021, Georgii moved to New York City to continue his teaching and performing career. Georgii has over seven years of experience in teaching piano and music theory and in 2022 became an official Steinway Educational Partner which further advanced his teaching career. Georgii has a unique approach to every student, tailoring each piano lesson to their level of experience, age and specific goals. Georgii guides his students through the world of music, helping them find their passion and making the process of learning not only resultative but enjoyable as well.
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Music theory is the study of the structure of music. Or more simply put, it’s the language used to talk about the music we hear and play. Learning music theory is one of the most important things a musician can do as it helps them to not only become better performers, but also have a better understanding of the music they are playing and hearing. It also makes musical activities such as performing, composing, improvising, arranging, teaching music, or getting a music degree much easier once one gains a basic understanding of music theory.
During our piano lessons students will learn a range of different music theory subjects. The first thing we teach is notation which covers the staff, clefs, note names, rhythms, rests, intervals, meter and time signatures, key signatures, and dynamics. Students will also be taught about scales and chords (harmony), melodies, phrases, and musical forms. Whether you are an absolute beginner or already know a lot about music theory our piano lessons are individually tailored to cover everything from the most basic scales to the most advanced notation.
Sight-reading by definition is the reading and performing of a piece of written music that the performer has not seen before. It is also referred to as prima vista, which translates to “at first sight,” which is exactly what we teach our students to master: the ability to read and play a piece of music upon first sight. Just like learning to read words, learning how to sight-read music takes a lot of practice and discipline until it eventually becomes second nature. In each of our piano lessons, students are given a range of different tasks and activities to help them increase their sight-reading ability. They not only become adept at playing the notes accurately, but also learn to read and anticipate the changing dynamics in speed and volume as written.
Our exercises focus on honing students’ short-term musical memories to allow them to read ahead while playing a piece so that they play it correctly when they get to that section. Often highly skilled musicians can sight-read silently, meaning they can look at printed music and hear it in their heads without playing or singing it. All musicians are required to have good sight-reading skills as this makes learning new pieces much easier and quicker. As a result students are more likely to try learning new pieces of music by themselves, making them stronger and more well-rounded performers.
In music education, solfège is a method used to teach students pitch and sight singing. At Piano Lessons NYC we teach solfège using the Kodály Method at every level of music education, from beginner through to advance. The study of solfège enables the student to audiate, or mentally hear, the pitches of a piece of music which he or she is seeing for the first time and then to play or sing them aloud. Solfège study not only improves recognition of musical intervals but also strengthens a student’s understanding of music theory.
During our piano lessons, we assign each notes of a scale a particular syllable, and then ask the student to practice them by playing different note sequences using these syllables. The sequences get gradually more difficult in terms of intervals and rhythms used as the student progresses. The seven syllables we use for this practice are: do (or doh in tonic sol-fa), re, mi, fa, sol (so in tonic sol-fa), la, and ti, which makes learning and practicing solfège extremely intuitive for players of all levels.
Whilst music theory, sight-reading, and solfège are all used to train a musician’s ears to recognize intervals and chord qualities, learn how to perform melodies and rhythms accurately at sight, and practice writing down musical examples upon hearing them, Musicianship is about training the student not just to be a player of piano, but to be a true musician.
Many pianists are great technically, but they lack that something special which usually separates the great from the average. Good musicianship involves not only understanding how to use the piano but how to convey your story or message to the audience using emotion, passion and flair, allowing you to interpret a piece of music in an original and inventive way while still remaining true to the written score. During each piano lesson students are encouraged to feel the music they are playing and to improvise rather than to simply follow what the teacher is reciting, helping them to develop their confidence and own unique identity as a musician.
Whether you have an upcoming ABRSM or NYSSMA examination our team of experienced piano teachers are all familiar with the length of time it takes to prepare for each exam and the care needed to ensure that the most appropriate and appealing selection of pieces is presented. Preparing for an ABRSM or NYSSMA exam takes careful planning and an awareness of the importance of including all aspects of the exam in the piano lessons on a regular basis.
Prior to any upcoming examination we help our students choose suitable pieces for the exam and make sure they have selected the right combination from the correct syllabus. We also incorporate at least a few minutes’ aural training and sight-reading into every piano lesson as well as giving them a mock exam well before the actual event. Our students are also encouraged to perform the pieces to their family, relatives, and friends and to work through several sample papers before the exam so that they get used to the sort of questions that will be asked while staying within the time limit. Finally, we help students to develop their confidence in themselves and their abilities through practicing walking into a room and setting up to perform, as these are often the most nerve-wrecking moments before the actual exam.
Ms. Mayuko Yamashita is a great teacher. After a month of taking her lessons, there is marked improvement in my playing both technically and musically. Her lessons are very efficient, focused, clear and detailed. She offers flexible lesson plans, which are excellent for students in different levels and goals. I look forward to continuing my studies with her.
Yuzuru Sadashige
I’ve truly enjoyed my private piano lessons with Mayuko. I’m not a complete beginner but it’s been 2 decades since I’ve played the piano and she knew exactly where to start. It’s been a mixture of relearning the basics and playing pieces that are challenging. Mayuko has been very helpful at picking out just the right pieces and also helping me through each piece. She’s incredibly patient and great at pointing out little things that can make all the difference. I can’t wait to continue learning from her and would recommend her to all ages and levels.Julie H.
Our ten year old daughter Tina has started to learn to play the piano with Mayuko. Already after the first lesson she was able to play sequences of “Ode to Joy” and “Amazing Grace”. It has been very motivating to her to play real pieces right from the start, and not having to repeat endless finger exercises. The choice of pieces is very thoughtful, and we see great improvements from week to week. Mayuko is always very kind and patient, but still challenging and efficient. Both our daughter and we parents are very satisfied and would recommend Mayuko unhesitatingly.Urs Lerch
I moved to NYC in April 2014 and was interested in learning piano the traditional way (by sheet music, with a focus on technique). After a few searches for piano lessons near me, I found Piano Lessons NYC. During my time with Mayuko I found her to be very patient and persevering with me. Being a novice of sorts, I needed a bit of guidance but she encouraged and pushed me at the same time. At the end of each session, I felt I was making progress and motivated to prepare for the next lesson. It is important to note that every student can be different and a good tutor is one who has the temperament to deal with this varied audience. Sadly, I had to move out of NYC in February 2015 but I will cherish those piano classes with Mayuko. I have no doubt about Mayuko’s credentials as a tutor and would recommend her to any friend or acquaintance interested in learning the piano at New York.Mohana Shivashankar
Kyndyl teaches all four of our children piano lessons weekly and has done so for more than a year. She is great with the kids (who range in age from 14 to 8). She is not only talented and knowledgeable about music, but also passionate about the art form. She has been excellent about keeping them interested and excited about music and performance. I highly recommend Kyndyl and I’m sure that the other instructors with Piano Lessons NYC are top notch!Heather & Joe Libson
In one word: fantastic! I have always wanted to learn piano, but since I never played any instruments, always felt it was too late for me. I also assumed that it would have been tedious at first. I have now been taking classes with Mayuko for almost a year after searching for piano lessons near me…. and I love every single class! I really feel that Mayuko is understanding of what I am looking for, and perfectly adapting her teaching accordingly. I even had my first recital last month! 🙂 Really could not been happier! Thank you!David Abergel
*Please note that fees vary depending on which payment plan is chosen for your piano lessons. For a full breakdown of fees please visit our detailed rates page here.
As our schedule is constantly changing we recommend you get in touch via the contact form below with your preferred day and time and we will get back to you.
Opera America
330 7th Avenue
New York, NY 10001
Michiko Studios
15 W 39th St
New York, NY 10018
In-Home Lessons
Throughout Manhattan
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Online Lessons
Available Worldwide
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🎵 RESERVATIONS REQUIRED IN ADVANCE FOR PIANO LESSONS AT THE TWO STUDIO LOCATIONS ABOVE 🎵
🚫 NO DROP-INS