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Is It Too Late to Start Piano Lessons For Adults?

If there’s one thing that many of us regret not starting earlier in life, it’s learning how to play the piano.

Few instruments out there can create or inspire beautiful music like the piano. Its universally-loved nature has a knack of producing exceptional young talents – after all, the one and only Mozart himself has performed at the early age of 5!

While it’s true that children can be exceptionally fast learners, it doesn’t mean adults should abandon their dream of learning how to play the piano.

While starting piano lessons early is great, taking piano classes for adults can be a very rewarding experience.

One reason is that children may lack the drive or motivation to truly master the piano. And the saying of “you can’t teach an old dogs new tricks” has been proven wrong time and time again – an adult’s brain is capable of learning new things at any stage of their life!

Besides, learning the piano can be a very rewarding experience – it’s been proven that learning the piano can effectively reduce stress improve a person’s cognitive ability, instil time-management skills and help with sociability.

However, how long will it take for an adult to learn the piano?

adult-pianoAs vague as this sounds, it really depends on a person’s level of experience in music.

For example, an adult with zero musical training and background might take 3-6 months of learning to start playing simple tunes. On the other hand, an adult who had previous musical training, perhaps for another musical instrument, will find it much easier to pick up the necessary skills and to play the piano naturally.

Of course, every person’s progress will also depend on the level of dedication to practice. It is no secret that practice makes perfect for most things in life, but this is especially true when it comes to musical instruments.

If an adult digs deep into his/her motivation of learning the piano and gets motivated by every step of progress they make, it will be a much faster transition from a complete novice into a competent piano player.

Another distinctive factor in gauging the speed of piano learning is the presence or absence of an experienced piano teacher. As arguably the most important factor of learning the piano, a teacher with the right combination of teaching skills and piano skills can advance your piano lesson progress. !

This is due to the nature of learning itself. A good teacher does not just give instruction – he/she spots your mistakes and guides you on the path to practicing proper techniques to get your foundation right.

All said and done, however, piano lessons for adults are often incredibly personal journeys to musicianship. While envisioning the results of learning the piano is great, isn’t it just as rewarding to enjoy the process without comparing yourself to everyone else?

Ready to start? Here are some quick tips on taking adult piano lessons in Singapore
  1. piano-blogFind a piano teacher whose playing inspires you and teaching fits you
    We all have our heroes that we look up to and aspire to become like them. So why should learning piano be any different? Your chosen piano teacher should be someone who you see yourself in after mastering the piano. This is both great as your day-to-day motivation and also a great roadmap to tackle adult piano lessons!Do also take note of the teaching style of your adult piano lesson teacher. Some teachers may be more methodological and structured in their teaching, whereas some teachers might encourage more experimentation. Ask more questions and see what kind of style suits you.
  2. Master your basics by attending your adult piano lessons from certified professional music schools such as CRISTOFORI
    Like many things, the foundation and basic skills of playing the piano is often the most important part to get right when you embark on your piano journey. In fact, one of the leading causes of adults dropping out of piano lessons midpoint is the lack of progression due to poor mastery of the basics.Think of it this way – you’ll need to learn how to walk really comfortably and confidently before you start running! That’s the same approach to piano playing, where a solid grasp of foundational skills and knowledge will bring you a long way. This is why credentialed and certified professional music teachers at schools like CRISTOFORI provide only accredited music tutors!Think of it this way – you’ll need to learn how to walk really comfortably and confidently before you start running! That’s the same approach to piano playing, where a solid grasp of foundational skills and knowledge will bring you a long way. This is why credentialed and certified professional music teachers at schools like CRISTOFORI provide only accredited music tutors!
  3. Make full use of your age – play to your strengths as a determined adult
    Many would say that adults are at a disadvantage when learning music. The truth is, they can be very wrong about that!As an adult, you can use your highly developed logical and critical thinking skills to improve your learning. This is because learning and interpreting music is a matter of analysis, understanding music’s harmonic vocabulary and what the composer is doing with the musical material.

    You also have an edge at learning complex concepts and understanding technical explanations. The importance of being able to analyze a piece of music from the beginning of study cannot be emphasized more. This is why we see students attaining playing skills on an instrument but who have only a rudimentary understanding of the music, which severely limits their playing in ways they cannot imagine.

  4. Mix up your schedules with strict practice sessions and flexible learning sessions to learn good habits
    Practicing regularly is easier said than done, even for adults with developed attention spans and motivation when compared to children!However, it is undeniable that progress on your adult piano lessons is a matter of accumulating many hours of concentrated, careful practice. Practicing without concentration is not only unproductive, it is outright destructive to your playing!

    That’s why setting up a schedule for strict practice sessions is a key step. As with many passions out there, it’s important to have fun as well – so give yourself some time to play around with what you’ve learned and enjoy yourself!

  5. Make practice a routine by having your very own piano
    While this might sound like a minor detail, owning your own piano can leapfrog your piano learning journey solely because you’ll have access to it 24/7!Think about it – if you have an hour or two to spare in the evening, owning your own piano at home allows you to immediately jump in for a practice session. If having a full-sized traditional piano sounds intimidating at first, you can start with a digital piano beforehand – for example, CRISTOFORI’s affordable digital pianos start from as low as $699!
How much do adult piano lessons cost for beginners?

piano-blog-learningAdult piano lessons in Singapore can vary greatly, starting from $45 per hour all the way to $100 per hour of basic tutoring.

Of course, these will be dependent on the experience and credentials of the teachers themselves. You should also consider the grading exams that all piano students should be taking to measure their progress, as well as the actual cost of a piano itself!

Why Choose CRISTOFORI For Your Adult Piano Lessons?

Founded over 40 years ago, CRISTOFORI has grown to become the largest piano company and music school in Singapore with a network of over 30 centres island-wide. Over the years, we have satisfied more than 60,000 piano customers and taught over a million students to play music.

Today, CRISTOFORI is emerging as one of the new players in the international scene – and our adult piano lessons are designed to give you the best start of your journey to playing the piano. With CRISTOFORI, you can:

  1. Build foundational elements such as musical perception, rhythm, pitch, and time
  2. A comprehensive course that combines technique, theory and lessons in a concise manner
  3. Highlight key concepts and enable adult beginners to play along to familiar songs

Start your piano musical journey today!

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violin blog main
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5 tips to find the right violin school in Singapore

Thinking of starting violin classes? This is often the most exciting stage of your journey in learning how to play the violin! Of course, choosing the right violin school as well as the right teacher will impart lifelong benefits to your violin and music skills.

The right type of teacher or violin school that you choose has a big influence on whether you enjoy your violin classes or give up halfway. This is because learning a violin can be difficult at first. That’s why new students should receive constant encouragement and support to stay enthusiastic about learning and seeing regular improvements to their skill.

Most of that, of course, will depend on finding the right violin teacher and school. So, today, let’s talk about the 5 tips to find the right violin school to learn violin in Singapore.

Assess the expertise and quality of teachers

violin teachingFirst, you should evaluate the expertise and quality of the teachers in that school. This can be done by simply asking the right questions and having an in-depth discussion about the teacher’s credentials and performance history.

An ideal music instructor should have experience in teaching and performing. The teacher’s performance history speaks volumes about their professional experience.

Not only can teachers help you master performances, recitals, or auditions, they can also offer professional insights to performing on a bigger stage. Finally, they should also inspire you to achieve higher skill in violin and music.

Assess the lesson quality and teaching style

After making sure the quality of the teacher is satisfactory, you should ask specific questions about the lesson and teaching style of the teacher.

Have a quick chat with the teacher in the violin school you have chosen. Is the teaching style and structure a bit more flexible or will it be following a curriculum much more closely?

Are they more hands-on or do they encourage students to experiment, practice and discover by themselves?

Do they utilise a combination of different violin learning techniques and curriculums that have proven effective for teaching and learning the violin?

These questions will give you a good impression on what kind of learning experience you or your children will have.

Ask if they set targets and milestones to track progress

violin progressWhile it is important to know how the learning experience will be like, it is equally important to know the goals, targets, and assignments to track your learning progress.

For example you should leave every lesson with assignments or practice guides to make sure you have an opportunity to sharpen your skills at home. One of the most common methods is using a practice journal or any record keeping tool to organise and keep the student accountable for their practice sessions.

This ensures the student will know what to practise at home, what they should be improving on and what they are struggling with that should be addressed by the teacher during the next lesson.

This is also a good time to ask about progression pathways, exams, and any certification that the student will be taking along their violin learning journey.

Do they provide online or studio learning?

violin onlineTraditionally, violin classes are done in-person at regular lessons on a weekly or monthly basis!

However, with Covid-19 in the picture today, it is very common to have violin classes taught online with a few sessions of in-person teaching occasionally.

One of the major factors to consider is whether the school that you have chosen is flexible and well-equipped enough to offer both. It is key to ensure the school has the right online programs such as recorded video lessons and practice tools to allow students to have the full experience of learning even when it’s done virtually.

While there are currently no right or wrong answers when it comes to whether a beginner violin student should start their music journey via online lessons, it is important to consider this as your music school is a long-term commitment.

Choose CRISTOFORI’s violin lessons to unlock you or your child’s musical potential

violin lessonsCRISTOFORI is the best place to learn violin in Singapore. With over 40 years of teaching and 200,000 successful students, we have created an education philosophy that takes the Whole Person Theory approach and focuses on three aspects: academic skills, learning skills and the awareness of the training process itself.

In other words, our students are trained not to be spoon-fed but to seek knowledge and help actively. They find out how to concentrate, learn and organise information into knowledge. As such, students will gain analytical skills, concentration, and abstract thinking skills.
Over the years, we also grasped to our belief producing quality musical instruments and selling them at the most reasonable prices!

Find out more about our violin lessons

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The consumer guide to getting a good piano in Singapore

You could ask us for a thousand reasons why we love playing the piano and why it benefits our lives – but let’s face it, we just love it beyond reason!

Of course, there are scientifically proven benefits to playing the piano as well. It sharpens fine motor skills, improves dexterity and hand-eye coordination. Music has also been proven to scale back heart and respiratory rates, cardiac complications, and to lower vital signs and increase immune reaction.

If you’re interested in playing or buying a piano, here’s a handy guide before you visit a piano shop in Singapore.

How to Pick a Good Piano for yourself:
pianoPiano Makers to Consider

The piano is extremely complicated. Rightfully, countries that have an extended history of creating instruments of fantastic quality boast the foremost highly prized instruments.

European countries known for his or her fine quality include Germany, Austria and France. Eastern European countries like the Czech Republic make excellent instruments also. European makes usually have a great touch with an upscale, full sound.

While European-made pianos have long been known for their quality, Asian makers from China, Japan and Korea have been matching their quality standards in recent times with significantly improved production quality, research and technological improvements.

As a result, while their initial instruments have a thinner tone that lacked character and expressive tonal control, today’s Chinese, Japanese and Korean pianos are recognised by musicians worldwide to be just as good as European pianos.

Piano Sound

piano-soundBefore buying a piano, try playing it to work out whether you like the sound. This is often subjective; some people prefer a brighter tone, while others prefer a mellower tone. An honest piano sound is round and full. You should also get a professional’s opinion, preferably from an experienced pianist or a registered piano technician.

Listen to the consistency of the piano’s sound. Are the volumes of the keys consistent? Play all the notes of the piano with equal strength and listen for any unexpected deviations in volume. In addition, is the quality of the sound consistent? Listen to notes that sound unexpectedly brighter or mellower than the others.

Brand Selection

A piano shop like CRISTOFORI stocks several brands that have consistently produced reliable acoustic pianos. These brands have earned themselves an honest reputation and are generally considered as safer choices. If you have no idea where to begin, start with these brands:

  1. CRISTOFORI
  2. Pearl River
  3. Seiler
  4. C. Bechstein
  5. Ritmuller
Second-hand piano or brand new?

piano-tuningThe biggest draw of shopping for a second-hand piano in Singapore is its price. Good-sounding acoustic pianos are often expensive, so a second-hand one may be a good option for those without an enormous budget.

However, this will be a risky decision, because second-hand pianos do not typically come with factory warranty. This is crucial for second hand pianos as they are susceptible to wear and tear and you risk paying repair fees if things do break down.

Thus, before purchasing the piano, find out when the last maintenance was done and whether the piano was kept in a healthy environment. While second-hand pianos are cheaper, tuning services are more frequently required for older and aged pianos which can increase your costs in the long run.

Additionally, a second-hand piano could have dents and scrapes. You would possibly need to hire a piano refinishing specialist to repair these damages and for care and maintenance, which can increase the cost incurred once more.

If you are looking for second hand pianos for sale in Singapore, why not consider CRISTOFORI? We stock both brand-new and secondhand pianos!

Price Range of CRISTOFORI’s Pianos for Sale:

CRISTOFORI aims to supply a wide range of top quality and reliable instruments at reasonable prices so that everyone can gain access to musical instrumentsinstruments for learning and playing music. CRISTOFORI has grown to become one of the most prominent piano companies and music schools in Singapore.

Over the years, we’ve satisfied 80,000 piano customers and taught over 200,000 students to play music. Here, you will find the finest quality pianos at some of the best piano prices in Singapore.

At CRISTOFORI, you will find pianos of very fine quality and affordable prices, which range from $699 and upwards depending on the functions and features.

Discover our range of pianos at

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guitar blog main
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10 Basics for Learning Acoustic Guitar for Beginners

It’s been widely researched that guitar players’ brains work a touch differently to everyone else’s, and it’s not surprising at all! Learning and playing the acoustic guitar has shown to promote relaxation and improve concentration, especially among children.

The art of learning to play the chords and skim musical composition rewires their brain in a positive way, which results in all types of cognitive benefits. An acoustic guitar is also easily carried around, is easy on your wallet and is a great instrument to play in social settings.

If you’re interested in learning the acoustic guitar, this article will guide you on the 10 basics of acoustic Guitar Lessons for beginners in Singapore!

Note: It is better for young beginners to start learning the guitar with the classical guitar versus the acoustic guitar.

Why should young beginners start out with the classical guitar instead?
  1. The classical guitar’s nylon strings are much more comfortable to play with versus the steel strings of the acoustic guitar
  2. They will spend less on their first instrument
  3. They will master the fundamentals much easier
10 basic things Singaporeans need to know about acoustic guitar lessons
    1. A guitar of reasonable quality:

      Owning a sub-par guitar will stunt your progress. Buying an honest quality guitar makes Guitar Classes easier. Bad quality acoustic guitars are difficult to play and may encourage poor technique. Buying a quality acoustic guitar within a reasonable budget will put you on the road to sounding great!

  1. Tuning is important:

    guitar-tuning
    Learning to tune your guitar is one of the most important steps to playing the guitar. If your guitar is not in tune, your play will be inaccurate, and you will be wasting your practice efforts. Don’t let an easy mistake stunt your progress as a guitarist, find out how to tune your guitar!

  2. Holding the pick:

    Here are some pick-holding rules for you to follow:

    • Point the pick straight down to the guitar
    • Make sure your grip is comfortable• Make sure you’ve got a firm grip
    • Rest your forearm on the guitar for stability
  1. Strumming:

    guitar-strummingEveryone who plays a guitar learns how to strum, which in its basic form is playing multiple strings with one downward or upward movement. Although this looks like an easy movement, it takes time for a beginner to do it naturally. The upstroke is particularly hard due to how the hand wants to maneuver. Beginners often struggle with playing all the strings cleanly too.

  2. Have a good posture:

    One of the foremost important Guitar Classes you will learn is that the quickest and easiest method to master the guitar is to possess good posture. While it’s not the most exciting thing about playing the guitar, it is essential to master if you would like to learn quickly.

  3. Learn the guitar scales:
    • The Minor Pentatonic Scale
      A pentatonic scale is a scale that has 5 notes per octave. This is usually the primary scale guitarists learn to play solo with and is commonly used for solos in rock, blues, and other popular styles.
    • The Blues Scale
      Once you learn the minor pentatonic scale, it should be relatively easy to find out the blues scale because it is an equivalent of the pentatonic with one additional note!
    • The Minor and Major Scales
      The minor and major scales are very commonly used in pop, rock and even blues among other popular styles. The chords formed from the minor and major scales would be the foremost commonly used chords in popular chord progressions.
  1. Scheduling and time management:

    Setting and dedicating time for guitar practices is the single best way of learning and improving on your acoustic guitar playing skills. Just 20 minutes of practice each day can deliver significant results!

  2. Learn simple chords first:

    Chord-diagram-7Small, easy steps can make your guitar learning journey more rewarding. For example, E minor is often the first guitar chord you learn, but it is used all the time in hundreds of thousands of songs. Learn it and you’ll be on your way to play a full song in no time!

  3. Learn different picking techniques:

    There are actually more to picking techniques than the common down pick. There are sweep picking, cross picking, alternative picking or even tremolo picking – try them out and see which one suits your style of play.

  4. Don’t give up when it gets challenging:

    Many beginners let go of their acoustic guitar lessons when the going gets tough. Sticking to practicing and learning the toughest parts of the acoustic guitar is essential to mastering the instrument and rewarding yourself with the songs you love.

How Much Do Acoustic Guitar Lessons Cost in Singapore?

he fees for learners in Singapore is often lesser in group lessons in comparison to one on one lessons. 30-minute group guitar lessons at CRISTOFORI start from $22 per lesson, while individual fees start from $27 per lesson. 2 key factors to keep in mind when considering acoustic guitar lessons are the quality and calibre of the Guitar Teacher Singapore.

Pick experienced teachers:

Professional guitar tutoring services involve experienced MOE and NIE-trained Guitar Teacher Singapore who can understand the varied strengths and weaknesses of every individual student. The course or goal plan that they prescribe caters to the unique needs of the student. Hence, it is strongly advised to never deviate from the prescribed action plan.

guitar-lessonsWhy CRISTOFORI Guitar Lessons for Beginners?

CRISTOFORI is the best place to learn acoustic guitar lessons in Singapore. With over 40 years of teaching and 200,000 successful students, we have created an education philosophy that takes the Whole Person Theory approach that focuses on three aspects: academic skills, learning skills and the awareness of the training process itself.

In other words, our students are trained not to be spoon-fed but to seek knowledge and help actively. They find out how to concentrate, learn and organise information into knowledge. As such, students will gain analytical skills, concentration and abstract thinking skills.

Over the years, we also held firmly to our belief of producing quality musical instruments and selling them at the most reasonable prices.

Find out more about our acoustic Guitar Lessons

Read more