I began teaching the Simply Music Piano method in 2008, after a total of seven years teaching traditional methods. I couldn’t be happier to have switched to Simply Music. Indeed, my students and I have been so thrilled with the results, I only wish I’d learned about Simply Music years earlier.
The Four Distinguishing Features
Why are we so pleased? Because of these four distinguishing features that separate Simply Music from traditional programs:
- The quantity of music that students learn
- The quality of music that students immediately learn to play
- The speed of progress
- The ease with which students experience the process
The Four Goals
When comparing Simply Music to other programs, it is important to understand that our stated goals are distinctly different from traditional methods.
Our overriding goal is to create a culture where people of all ages, easily and readily acquire and maintain music as a lifelong companion. Inside of this goal, our foundation for achieving results, and the thrust of our efforts, are directed towards the following goals for you as a student:
- Having the ability to play a huge repertoire covering classical, popular, blues, jazz and accompaniments;
- Experiencing playing as a natural self-expression;
- Having a highly positive, self-affirming experience with music learning;
- Developing the ability to self-generate, i.e., the ability to progress independently. This includes developing a strong foundation in music reading and theory.
How It Works
Simply Music achieves its breakthrough results because it takes advantage of the natural way that people learn. Children learn to talk and do so fluently for years before they learn to read and spell. Understanding rules of language such as grammar and syntax comes only years after that. Walking, tying our shoes, riding a bike, driving a car and most other things we learn how to do come most naturally when we learn by doing, experiencing them directly instead of first referring to notes or studying the theory behind how and why they work.
By taking this natural approach to leaning, Simply Music is able to harness the musicality that is inside every one us. It’s there when our hearts beat and when our feet walk to a steady rhythm. It’s there in our conversations full of complex rhythms and intricately changing pitch and tone. Both drawing on and cultivating this natural sense of music we all have, Simply Music immerses students in the actual process of playing. Free to relate directly to the piano, they easily and naturally develop a feel for the instrument, quickly building a repertoire of several dozen sophisticated songs from across varied musical styles, and immediately experiencing the joy of playing. The repertoire and the ease of performance then serve as the best possible basis for learning reading, theory and other advanced topics.
“Expecting students to read music before they’ve learned how to play is like expecting children to read & spell before they’ve learned how to talk.”
–Neil Moore, Simply Music founder
On one hand, then, there are traditional methods, where reading, theory, technique and other elements are introduced from the beginning, making it far more difficult for the vast majority of students to learn how to play, even as these topics themselves are learned on only a superficial level. In contrast, with Simply Music, they are absorbed far more easily and deeply after the student has developed the strong foundation of playing that itself was made possible by temporarily delaying these topics. The result: success at every step, and deeper success with every element of music.
More About the Method
- Simply Music Student Brochure — This brochure provides a lot of great information on how the Simply Music program helps so many people have such a great experience learning to play the piano.
- Being a Simply Music Piano Student — Learn about taking lessons, including a video.
Also feel free to contact us with any additional questions you may have.
Learn About…
- Our short-term beginner piano workshops.
- Taking piano lessons live online via videoconference.
- The many advantages of shared lessons.
- Determining an appropriate age for starting lessons.
- See the latest from the Potluck Creative Arts Lesson Line, a newsletter providing special information and useful tips to help make your piano lesson experience as successful as possible!