Al's Piano & Theory Lessons

I have degrees in Music Teaching & Music Theory from San Francisco State and Syracuse University. I am a bandleader, composer, studio musician, and church organist; besides my work as a professional musician I also specialize in beginning and intermediate piano lessons and theory lessons for children and adults.

I have studied classical piano from the age of five and theory from sixteen. I teach classical, blues, rock, gospel, jazz and use elements of the Kodaly and Suzuki method. I believe that no matter what kind of music you wish to play a comprehensive foundation in classical technique should come first. Bad posture, lax hand position, and awkward fingering are very hard to unlearn once ingrained.

Many new exciting technical in ovations have occurred since the days I started playing piano which I employ. I use musical notation software to create short exercises to help my students overcome specific problems the may be experiencing such as contrary motion, chromatic scales, interval recognition, and fingering drills. I also create arpeggio, interval, and scale exercises depending on what the student needs.

I use an Mp3 recorder which I download onto the repertoire link because until a student can truly read music without mistakes they often do not understand that they may be making a mistake. I sometimes break pieces down phrase-by-phrase and let the students repeat each section. I include an accompaniment so that the student can play along. This helps them visualize the harmony and gives them a feel for the subtler aspects of the rhythm.

As I got older in my classical training I yearned to understand how music worked. I started private theory lessons at the age of fifteen. I began with classical theory and taught myself popular music by learning everything that I liked to listen to on the radio in high school during the early 1980's (it was a good time for a lot of good music). I then studied composition at Syracuse University and jazz theory at San Francisco State. I have played in the 17-piece jazz bands both there and at Montclair State.

For those inclined I teach counterpoint, four-part harmony, and jazz theory. Theory helps a musician become whole. Without any knowledge of theory the student is left simply reading a forest of notes of the page. With knowledge of theory the student learns to see a piece of music an integrated whole. Like any art form, a deeper understanding of what processes are involved leads to a greater appreciation.

I have played in bands for many years and can help with all aspects of improvising such as transcribing and mastering chops, developing a personal style, and writing songs. I teach the fundamentals required for improvisation such as chord voicings, scale and mode choices, open fingerings, and the use of analogue synthesizers and effects: their setup, mixing, and amplification.

Here is some casual music I have been playing recently with some friends of mine in Three Martini Lunch

Rates are normally anywhere from $35-50 a lesson depending on location, ability, and duration of lessons. Discounts are available for serious students for whom price is a major consideration and who are flexible in scheduling.