Piano Lessons Putnam Valley New York

Dave Long has been a musician for his entire life. In addition to studying music at the collegiate level and taking lessons with world class pianists, he’s sought a well-rounded education by learning from professional conductors, composers, and music theorists as well.

In addition to his studies at the Aaron Copland School of Music, he studied extensively under acclaimed pianist Seymour Bernstein.

You will enjoy a holistic and fundamentally sound piano education when you work with Dave, and he can help you or your child learn classical playing, jazz, composition, theory and more.

Skills and Principles We Will Cover

You can learn every aspect of piano playing in my studio. My goal is for students to play confidently, comfortably, and independently. I also want my students to achieve their personal goals, whether they are interested in playing jazz, classical, pop, rock, or blues.

Firstly, we’ll learn the basics of piano technique. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced pianist, we need to make sure your hand position, posture, physical movements, and breathing are working together in proper balance. We also need to make sure that you’re not playing with excess tension. Bad technique can cause physical issues like carpal tunnel or soft tissue strains, and it can cause musical issues too – you won’t be able to achieve speed, a beautiful tone, or dynamic contrast.

Secondly, we’ll focus on piano basics like note reading in both clefs, intervals, forte and piano (loud and soft), accidentals (sharps and flats), key signatures, time signatures, and so much more.

As you progress, we will dig into the deeper aspects of music theory, composition, musical interpretation, and more. We’ll identify challenging pieces of piano music that you love, and I’ll teach you exactly how to practice at home so that you maximize progress.