Piano Lessons in the Upper West Side

Beginner Piano Lessons For Kids and Adults

We enjoy working with beginners at NY Piano School, and we’ll help you build a strong foundation that will serve you well for a lifetime of music-making. We will start with proper technique, including hand position, posture, wrist rotation, finger positioning, and even breathing while you play (this helps decrease tension). We’ll also dig into note reading early in your piano journey, and we’ll help you fluently sight read music with both hands in both the bass and treble clefs. You will learn basic music theory, accidentals and time signatures, and more. Along the way, we are happy to help you learn the music that you want to play.

Intermediate Piano Lessons

We’ve helped many students break through the intermediate plateau in our studio. Whether you want to move on to professional level repertoire, or you feel deficient in any particular skill, we will create a strategy that will take you to the next level. Very often the hardest part of being an “intermediate” pianist is finding music that you can learn within a reasonable amount of time (3 months, for instance), but that still challenges you to develop your technique, finger speed, and reading skills.

Advanced Piano Coaching

If you or your child are preparing for auditions or recitals, we would love to help you prepare. Considering the number of universities and conservatories in Manhattan, we are familiar with this type of coaching. We’ll help you interpret pieces of music, coach you through practice and music memorization strategies, and refine your music so that it will impress even the toughest jury. Furthermore, we can help you pick literature that will showcase your ability and help you win auditions.

Piano Lessons For All Goals

We do not expect every student to become an international superstar on the piano, and we do not have strict requirements for recital participation, competitions, or auditions. Our primary concern is helping our students enjoy music by becoming fluent and skilled on the piano. When you start lessons at NY Piano School, your instructor will speak with you about the goals you have for yourself or your child. Do you want to play advanced Chopin literature, sight read vocal scores to work as a collaborative pianist, read Christmas carols for fun, or something else? Some of the parents who contact us simply want their child to understand and appreciate music as part of a well-rounded education. That is a wonderful goal in of itself.

We will structure lessons around your goals, all while covering the musical fundamentals. All competent pianists learn to read music, identify keys and chors, play with good technique, and more, but we can specialize your lessons within that framework. From country music to contemporary classical music and pop, we are happy to work with you.

Do We Require That You Have an Acoustic Piano at Home?

It’s not easy for everyone in the Upper West Side to have a full-sized acoustic piano at home, and we completely understand that! In lessons at our studio, you will have access to a professional piano. But at home, an 88-key digital keyboard will more than suffice. Clavinova, Casio, and other brands offer high quality electronic instruments with weighted keys, realistic pedals, and comparable piano console sizing. For a higher-end option, look into digital hybrid pianos from Yamaha and Casio – these have digital sound, but acoustic action. We are happy to provide instrument recommendations if you would like.

Do We Have Practice Requirements?

 No, we do not set forth specific practice requirements for adults or kids. But please understand that you will not improve on the piano unless you set aside at least a few minutes each day to practice the piano on your own. If you can’t get to a piano for a couple of days, you could still practice your note reading, memorization, or other musical drills. Your teacher will create a specific practice strategy for you each week and demonstrate exactly how to practice — so you are never on your own. 

Accessing Our Studio from the Upper West Side

We are conveniently located near the corner of W 65th and Columbus, and students often walk to our studio by following Broadway, a nice stroll through Central Park, southbound on Columbus, or catch the bus or train. Grab a coffee at Don Café, have lunch after your lessons, or stop in for lessons as a break from a long afternoon at the office.