People decide that private lessons are right for them for all sorts of reasons:
1. Students who are new to the instrument may want to learn the fundamentals correctly. Previously self-taught students may need to unlearn the fundamentals they’ve learned incorrectly.
2. Some students feel stuck in their playing and come to me for help in mapping out goals and a way to get there.
3. Sometimes students have very specific goals, for example:
- “I want to learn how to play some Irish jigs and reels.”
- “I want to learn how to learn a song by ear.”
- “I want to learn how to make up a harmony line for a song.”
4. Students with previous piano background want to understand the bass buttons and how phrasing works with the bellows.
My lessons are catered to meet each student's goals, and I often spend time with the student developing and refining these goals. I believe that teaching is much more than merely giving “tips.” Teaching consists of guidance and, at its best, becomes a mentoring relationship.
For adult beginners for whom accordion is their first instrument, I usually teach from a method book that I wrote, the Ducharme Accordion Method. The songs and tone of the Ducharme Accordion Method appeal more to adults than those of children's accordion method books. The first piece taught is from Carmina Burana, by Carl Orff.
Carmina Burana
Two to four months later, those same adults can play a more technically demanding piece, 11 September, 2001, by Henri Ducharme.
11 September
I teach out of my home in West Oakland. Lessons for adults are $50 for one hour and are scheduled either once a week or once every other week. For new students, a discount introductory package is available. Contact me for more information.
