The piano is an impressive instrument. Its keys have a range unlike any other classical instrument's, and it can be played by a soloist or an accompanist. Almost every genre of music features a piano or a keyboard. And with an amazing digital piano, acoustic piano with MIDI, or electronic keyboard, you can even play other instrument sounds using the keys on your piano.

The best way to explore the wonderful features of your piano is to play it yourself. You may need to brush up on your skills if you haven't played for some time, or you might even need to learn to play for the first time. With the right piano-education program - whether traditional lessons or new software - you can learn to play what you want at the pace that feels best to you.

Your First Assignment

If you or your child has never played the piano or if it has been years since your last lesson, you'll be happy to know that endless resources are available for whatever level you're at and for whatever musical goals you have. But before you schedule a lesson with the first teacher you find, try to gather all the information you need to choose the best program for your unique needs: traditional teacher-pupil lessons, a method book, a software program, or a combination of these.

Begin by asking the right questions, the first of which is, What do you want to be able to do? Do you want to play a thrilling Chopin scherzo, or a laid-back jazz number? Do you want to play solo, or with a group? Or do you want to play mostly to accompany yourself as you sing?

The next question will likely be, How much money do you want to invest to acquire this skill? Once you learn to play, you will enjoy playing the piano your entire life, so don't think of this as only a short-term investment.

Then ask, How much time do you have to devote to playing the piano? Your regular time investment will determine your progress far more than anything else.

Narrowing the Field

Once you've answered those three basic questions, you can narrow your choices even further by posing these questions to yourself:

- Are you seeking an instructor for your child? If so, be sure to include your child in the process of choosing a teacher. In a one-on-one weekly relationship, it is important that the student and teacher feel comfortable with each other.

- Do you prefer learning in a one-on-one situation or in a group? If you prefer a group, try to find a music school, piano-and-organ dealer, or community-education program that offers group lessons.

- Do you want to play classical music? If so, you will eventually need to read music well. This involves learning music theory - the grammar of music.

- Do you want to play tunes you pick out by ear and then spice up in your own way? If so, you'll need a teacher who can teach you to improvise.

- Are you interested in playing a specific genre? You may want to look for a teacher who teaches the genre you're most interested in, be it classical, pop, jazz, or rock and roll.

- Do you want performance opportunities such as periodic recitals, or do you want to learn simply for your own enjoyment? If you dreaded recitals when you were young, you might want to try your skills out in a less-frightening environment, like a retirement home or a private dinner party.

Doing Some Research

Now that you've defined what you'd like in a teacher, here are some suggestions for finding the teacher who can guide you to the level of playing you want to achieve.

Start with references from friends. Chances are you or your child has friends who are taking lessons. Ask them about their teachers and whether they are satisfied with their own progress.

You can also ask choral and instrumental teachers from your local schools for their recommendations; they usually know local private teachers, as do church music directors and accompanists. Or you can call music stores and piano and organ dealers and ask whether they have their own in-house private or group instructors. You can even try calling a nearby community college or university to see whether a faculty member teaches any community-oriented noncredit piano classes or private lessons. Be sure to also inquire about lessons offered by student teachers, who can often help get you started for a lower fee than faculty members charge.

Your local chamber of commerce, the public library, local music stores, and the telephone book will often carry contact information for local music clubs and associations. These associations are excellent resources, especially for those students looking for a long-term arrangement. The Music Teachers' National Association

Conducting an Interview

After gathering the numbers of at least two or three teachers, call and set up an interview appointment with each of them. Don't begin by asking about rates; some teachers may feel sensitive about being asked how much they charge before you've met them, seen their studios, or found out what unique services they offer. However, if cost is a major factor in your decision, you may want to ask whether the teacher's fee is within a certain price range. Tuition costs will vary depending upon the part of the country in which you live and the type of teaching you desire.

Because teaching piano is such a varied field, most teachers have a specialty, such as teaching students to read standard music notation. (Classical and popular music are both available as sheet music, but pop music is often learned by ear or by imitation.) Some teachers may specialize in teaching improvisation and composition. Within each of these approaches are numerous other variables as well. Here is a list of questions that may be helpful when interviewing teachers for yourself or for your child:

- Does the teacher have a studio policy? This policy, a copy of which you can get from the teacher, usually outlines the teacher's expectations of the students and parents. It may also outline various fee structures, such as when tuition is due and how the purchase of sheet music will be arranged.

- Does the teacher accept adult students? Teachers who work mostly with young people may have a set curriculum for the year. An adult may not find this flexible enough, especially when work and family schedules are irregular.

- Does the teacher require all students to participate in performances? This may be just what you are looking for, or it may tempt you to forget lessons altogether.

- Does the teacher have a strong preference regarding the type of piano the student will be using? Because students need finger strength to play a large acoustic piano, some teachers require that students have access to an instrument similar to the one used in lessons and performances.

- What is the teacher's philosophy of music and teaching? All work and no play, vice versa, or a little of both?

- Is the teacher's attitude open and positive, and is she responsive to you and your child? Hopefully, the student will be able to take part in choosing the music he'll be studying.

- Does the teacher require a minimum time commitment? Is it the same for adults as it is for children?

- What does the teacher expect from young students' parents? You may be invited to stay and listen to the lesson, but most teachers discourage parents from attending the lessons unless students are very young.

- Does the teacher have any other features in the studio such as a computer lab or a listening library? These additional resources will broaden your education.

- Does she offer a variety of performance opportunities, such as participation in competitions or group lessons in theory or ensemble music? Occasional group lessons can help build friendships, and they provide a less threatening way to begin performing.

Successful private lessons depend largely upon your ability to articulate what you want and your effort to find the teacher willing to teach it to you. Review the questions given above before you ask them of a teacher so you know which answers you're looking for. You will be more likely to find a good, long-lasting match - or a happy short one, as the case may be.

A Class Experience

Piano classes provide a very different learning environment than private lessons do. They are helpful for students who are more motivated by peer pressure than by personal goals. And the ability to read notes and pick out rhythms is sharpened with frequent ensemble playing. Also, teachers often find that students are not nearly as shy about performing for a recital when they have performed for each other on a weekly basis.

Group lessons usually involve the use of several digital pianos with headphones. They are geared to teaching general playing skills and are a wonderful option for those wanting to experiment with taking piano lessons before making a major investment in an acoustic instrument or deciding to commit to long-term private lessons. These classes can be fun, dynamic, and very motivating for the students. Sometimes classmates stay together through several levels for several years.

Method Books and Sheet Music

If you're looking to supplement your lessons or if you learn well on your own, you should consider purchasing some method books. These are designed to lead a student through a logical progression of musical principles and skills over the first few years.

Some methods have several books, such as a lesson book that describes the new concept to be learned, a corresponding performance book with solo pieces that use the new concept, and a theory book that acts as a workbook to reinforce the concept through questions, puzzles, and games. Most method books are not appropriate for self-teaching, except in the case of very self-motivated adult students. Initially, it is most helpful to have a professional teacher to help lead you through the basics.

There are, however, a few effective adult courses that include a workbook and cassette tape with the author's step-by-step instructions. These are often available through city recreation departments or colleges. Some of the courses are provided in a one-day, three-hour seminar format that allows adults to sample various styles such as pop, blues, and playing the piano by ear. If you prefer moving at your own pace and just need a shot in the arm now and then, this is a great way to go.

Many method books now provide MIDI accompaniment software on MIDI song disks. These programs are excellent for helping to secure rhythm and expression - loud, soft, slow, fast, and so on - through listening. Because the tempo can be varied, a student can begin practicing with the disk at an extremely slow speed and gradually build up to the performance speed. It is a great variation on the metronome!

Online Instruction

You may not be able to find a teacher who teaches what you want when you want it and at the price you want. And you might find that method books don't fit your learning style. In that case, you should consider a great alternative - music-education software programs.

Software programs have many advantages over piano lessons. For example, the programs are ready when you are. On the other hand, some programs are less flexible than most teachers: a program that is testing your ability to play the correct notes and rhythm, for example, may make you repeat the entire exercise until you play it perfectly. Playing most of the correct notes at the right rhythm may not be good enough.

If you aren't familiar with any educational software programs, you can begin your search by looking for software-manufacturers' Web pages on the Internet, or you can talk to local teachers who use instructional software and who can assess what you may need at your skill level. Computer stores have a growing stock of good music programs at very reasonable prices, but unfortunately, their salespeople usually don't have a thorough understanding of each program or of how valuable it is in terms of music education.

You can also get catalogs of educational software at no charge from many music-publishing companies and from catalog companies that specialize in children's software. Also, some music stores now provide excellent mail-order services for software and MIDI music of all kinds.

Selecting Software

What if you don't know a computer-savvy piano teacher and your local software dealer isn't very helpful? You can narrow your choices by determining which skills you want to learn. Software programs, like teachers, have specialties.

Say you're having difficulty with rhythm. You could use a rhythm-drilling software program to focus entirely on rhythm without worrying about reading notes at the same time. You simply tap out the rhythm, and the program gives you a score. Some programs will even have a visual representation of how long you held a note as compared with its actual value.

Music-software games provide ingenious ways of drilling basic concepts using fun graphics and exciting scenarios. The player may be asked to save a character in distress by answering questions correctly or by reconstructing music by ear. These programs rarely use a piano keyboard; instead, they rely on the mouse and computer keyboard.

Many software programs have the ability to track the player's progress and start up where the student left off. Basic musical concepts such as notes, rhythm, time signatures, ear training (the ability to play what you have just heard), and sight reading (the ability to read and play music fairly accurately on the first reading) are easily and creatively drilled. Students get caught up in the fun of the game and hardly realize how much they are learning.

Repertoire programs are fun and interesting for those who want to listen and watch as the notes play and change color on the screen. There are several varieties available in classical, jazz, blues, and pop music, and more are being developed every day. These are more flexible and cost-effective than many CD-ROM programs, although pieces are not usually played by your favorite artist. You can, however, manipulate the MIDI files in various ways: you can transpose up or down (if you want to sing along or don't like to play in that key), you can slow down or speed up, or you can even change instruments. It is quite creative! To do all these fun things with MIDI files, you'll need some type of sequencing program.

Traditional private piano lessons are not so traditional any more. According to the Music Teachers' National Association, more than 44 percent of MTNA teachers augment their music lessons with computer-based programs. Many teachers use a variety of computer programs to help with various skills, like rhythm practice and sight-reading. Computer software is also ideal in a teacher's lab where the teacher can use the programs to answer students' questions and to illustrate concepts. Young students especially take quickly to new software programs.

If you're considering using instructional software, remember that it has its own rules and limitations. For example, a music-notation program that scores music as you play it doesn't know which hand is playing which notes, so it may transcribe your composition with the notes on the wrong staff.

The Best Choice

Whether you're learning to play the piano for the first time or simply brushing up after a few years away from the keyboard, the best thing you can do is choose the right educational program. You might choose a private teacher, a class, a book series, or a computer-based curriculum. What matters most is that you find the arrangement that will give you the musical skills you want in a format you'll enjoy.

In My Studio

I've incorporated music software into my teaching several ways. Students create their own arrangements with a sequencing program by playing one or both hands at a time and assigning a different instrumental sound to each part. "I love to explore different sounds after I have recorded something. It really makes it mine," says Jessica Davison of Virginia. When the piece is completed, we simply copy the finished product (a MIDI file) directly onto a tape, and they have a very personal gift for family and friends.

I look for programs that have students use the piano keyboard rather than the computer keyboard because this develops the appropriate eye-hand coordination more effectively. As a teacher, I especially appreciate music-history software that is loaded with colorful photographs and interesting commentary, and that moves around through different parts of history easily. It is a great time-saver in lessons.

I love to work on concertos with students, so I used my sequencing program to record the orchestral parts of some original concerto compositions for young pianists written by my colleague Rosita Kerr Mang. With the flexibility of MIDI, tempos can easily be varied to allow the student to work up to performance speed. "I have been sight-reading these concertos at every speed with the metronome and recording these different performances so that my students could rehearse with them," says Ms. Mang. "Now all I have to do is record it once and let the computer play it back at different speeds. It has saved me hours!"

Nancy Davis conducts music-technology workshops and teaches piano privately from her studio in Springfield, Virginia. She has served as president of the Northern Virginia Music Teachers' Association.

This article presented courtesy of Electronic Musician magazine.