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Piano Lessons in Singapore have changed drastically!

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Piano Lessons in Singapore have changed drastically!: Beyond Classical Music and Examinations

Ryan enjoying his lesson on Blues Piano!

Piano Lessons have changed drastically in today’s world, especially in Singapore. Learning the piano has evolved far beyond the traditional focus on classical pieces and graded examinations like ABRSM. While those aspects are still valuable, modern piano lessons are now more diverse. Students to explores different genres such as jazz, pop, and even electronic music. Instead of focusing solely on technical precision, modern piano lessons emphasize making learning more engaging for today’s students.

Exploration of Multiple Genres

Unlike in the past, where classical music dominated piano lessons, students now have the freedom to explore genres. Pop, rock, jazz, and even video game soundtracks are incorporated into lesson plans. This makes the piano accessible and exciting for a broader audience. This flexibility allows students to connect with the music they enjoy.

Ryan, demonstrating a tune in the style of Boogie.

ANZCA – Alternative Piano Lessons in Singapore

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ANZCA stands for Australian and New Zealand Cultural Arts .The ANZCA piano syllabus offers a modern to piano education, featuring a wider variety of musical genres in its repertoire. Unlike traditional syllabuses that focus heavily on classical music, ANZCA includes contemporary styles such as boogie, jazz, blues, and pop. This modern approach allows students to explore and engage with different types of music that are relevant and exciting, making lessons more enjoyable while still building essential piano skills. The variety ensures a well-rounded musical education that caters to various interests and strengths.

Kaitlyn demonstrating a tune in the style of Tango.

Holistic Learning Experience

Modern piano lessons often take a holistic approach, focusing not just on playing but also on other musical elements like ear training, rhythm, and music theory. Teachers encourage students to develop a well-rounded skill set that goes beyond simply playing notes on a page. This approach enables students to become more versatile musicians, capable of reading sheet music, playing by ear, and even composing their own music.

Kye Hsin demonstrating a tune from Encore! A syllabus we use for younger children.

A Balanced Approach to Examinations

While graded examinations like ABRSM or Trinity remain important for students seeking formal certification, they are no longer the sole focus of piano education. Many music schools now offer optional exam tracks, allowing students to choose whether they want to pursue formal exams or focus on personal enjoyment and creativity. This flexibility ensures that students can learn at their own pace, without the pressure of exams overshadowing their love for music.

Watch the outtakes to see just how much fun the children are having!

Conclusion

Modern piano lessons go beyond just classical music and exams. Our focus is on helping students develop a true love for the piano and enjoy their learning experience. Cultivating a passion for music is our primary goal, and exam preparation is entirely optional, allowing students the freedom to explore music at their own pace and in their own way.

Don’t take our word for it, take a Trial Lesson with us!

Contact us if you wish to find out more! 🙂

dick lee home lesson

Left Hand Piano Styles & Patterns

By Piano No Comments

Bosch Livestream on 9 May 2020, Saturday

Following our short piano tutorial on left-hand piano styles last Saturday, here’s a more detailed explanation of what was covered.

(Click the link if you missed the video! Or click here to download the chord sheet.)

Left-Hand Accompaniment Styles in Music

There are many ways to play a left-hand accompaniment on the keyboard, to convey different modes and show off different music genres. For example, an Alberti bass might sound like this:

Or, you could play the 1-5-8 pattern shown in the video, which is most commonly found in contemporary music. You might find some variation of it in “Faded” by Alan Walker or some parts of “River Flows In You” by Yiruma.

How to Play the 1-5-8 Left-Hand Piano Style

The example we used was “Home”, composed by Dick Lee. You can click here to download the chord sheet if you want to learn to play the left-hand accompaniment for this song.

The chords used in “Home” include C, Am, Em, F, G, Dm and E, represented by chord symbols hovering above certain words in the lyrics, indicating when they are employed. Chord symbols contain information that tell us what type of chord to play. C / F / G /E chords are major chords and Am / Em / Dm are minor chords e.g. A minor, E minor.

There are many types of chords – major, minor, diminished, augmented etc. Each has a different sound quality that lends a song different moods. You can learn the notes for each type of chord by Googling, but having basic knowledge of chords in music theory will help you derive those chords much easier than searching for each chord as you need it.  

To make learning easier, we will play “Home” in the key of C Major so we only need to use the white keys on a keyboard. Here are the notes for each chord, and be sure to play them with a 1-5-8-5 variation at steady intervals from one another.

Left-hand C chord Piano Style

C chord

Left-hand Am chord Piano Style

Am chord

Left-hand Em or E chord Piano Style

Em chord / E chord

Left-hand F chord Piano Style

F chord

Left-hand G chord Piano Style

G chord

Left-hand Dm chord Piano Style

Dm chord

Some words before you leave…

It’s not difficult to learn left-hand piano styles, especially with a plethora of YouTube tutorials out there. But with so much information available on the internet, it can be tricky choosing reliable tutorials that guide you correctly. The text highlighted in blue are important basics to know when you take your first steps into pop piano.

Want to find out more? Sign up for a trial lesson with us! Do also follow us on Facebook or Instagram.

Up next…

Blog post: How to choose your first keyboard/piano