Yesterday I took the day to myself to work on a passion project that has been bouncing around in my head lately — to design and share my own beginner piano book!

I know there are a lot of beginner books on the market already, but every time I use them I end up making supplemental material to fill in gaps I find along my students’ learning journeys.

Why not have fun making my own?

In piano lessons, it’s common for teachers to encourage their students to “upgrade” to an 88-key acoustic piano as soon as possible. This can leave many learners feeling frustrated if they cannot afford to purchase a new instrument or maintain the one they already have!

But I actually embrace the use of digital pianos in my lessons! In fact, I love digital pianos so much that I bought an electric piano for my own use!

Today I want to share five reasons I love having an electric piano, that have nothing to do with cost, so that you can see how an electric piano might actually be a better fit for you! Enjoy!

In my previous post, I encouraged beginner piano players to choose the kind of music they wanted to play before signing up for piano lessons. It seems to have struck a chord (no pun intended!) for some viewers, because I received some comments back about it. Here’s a response from a viewer that really drives home the importance of being purposeful in your music lessons.

I've been teaching for over 20 years and I can say from my experience that the #1 factor that determines whether or not someone is going to be successful in learning is not necessarily the quality of the teaching or the material, but is the motivation of the learner.

And I can also say that motivation lasts longer when it comes from a place deep inside rather than some external motivator, like keeping your teacher happy.

So how do you tap into your internal motivation?

By playing what you love, from the very beginning.

If you're learning piano because you would like to perform one day, here's the game plan I would use to help get you on your way.

If you’re a visual learner, you may prefer to watch the video above. If you prefer to read, here’s a summary of my game plan.

Perfectionism is a motivation killer, and it can be hard to encourage students who struggle with it.

Signs of perfectionism may include: - Unwillingness to practice  - Reluctance to play in front of you - Getting very upset if they make a mistake - Starting the whole piece over again if they make a mistake - Playing more slowly than they need to - Reluctance to sign up for recitals or exams

Here are my best tips on creating a teaching environment that can help a student overcome perfectionism.

If your child or student is stuck in a habit of resisting their piano homework, chances are there’s a really good reason.

It’s important to be mindful of our assumptions when we hit a stress like this. Often, when a student resists practicing, they end up taking on blame for the problem, for being either lazy, unfocused, or lacking discipline.

These are unfounded fears.

Last month I started a new teenage student who wanted to learn to play piano, but didn’t really want to start with a beginner book. They knew they had to start with the basics of sight-reading and rhythm, but didn’t want to start with Old MacDonald Had A Farm. They asked, did they have to start with a beginner book? Or could they start with something else?

I think most adults are familiar with the connection between having an intrinsic source of motivation and being able to stick to a task when the going gets tough. Usually, the intrinsic motivation stems from the reward we know is ahead with just a little bit of grit and determination.

But how do you teach this idea to kids? Because kids are young, most haven’t experienced the payoff that comes with hard work. So how do we encourage them to stay motivated before they even understand its value?