Who We Teach
All ages - from children to senior citizens. 
All levels - from beginning to advanced.

When We Teach
The studio is open Monday through Friday, and typically on Saturdays. The studio is closed on Sundays and major holidays.  We offer morning, afternoon and evening lessons. Please call the studio regarding your specific scheduling needs. 

How We Teach
Each student is an individual.  What may be good for one may not work for another.  We go at a pace that is comfortable and appropriate for each student—based on age, ability, desire and goals.  Are you learning music for enjoyment and growth?  Are you interested in performing?   Are you preparing for college?  Or, are you planning a career in music?  We will tailor your program to your specific needs.

We teach the mechanics with universally recognized techniques and method books.  Typically, this includes learning how to read music, which enables you to advance to higher levels of understanding and performance.  Do you have to learn how to read music?  You don’t have to, but we recommend it.

Most of all, we try to make it enjoyable.  Learning music is an enriching experience—one that has the capacity to enhance your enjoyment of music and quality of life. 

What We Teach
Piano, guitar and voice.  (With interest, we can include other instruments).  Explained separately in the last button below, we incorporate elements of music theory (principles of music) into our piano, voice and guitar lessons.  Please click on the blue button below for your topic of interest. 
 

Piano
An acoustic piano is non-amplified.  Sound is produced when the strings are struck by hammers.  An electronic piano uses electronic pulses to generate an oscillating signal.  It is programmed to replicate the sound of an acoustic piano.  A synthesizer is an electronic piano that has been programmed to replicate (synthesize) the sounds of the piano and other instruments, such as percussion, horns, strings and woodwinds.

The piano produces the fullest and most complete harmonic sound of all the musical instruments, and is the most widely used instrument for vocal accompaniment. Because of its versatility, most composers and songwriters compose at the piano.  Even those who use a computer for composing create the sounds on an electronic keyboard.

Because there is a physical key to identify with each note, the piano is an excellent instrument for learning the principals of music.  Once you know how to play the piano and understand basic music concepts, other instruments are generally easier to learn.   At Joyful Keys, our instruction on the piano involves the following:

The keyboard Body mechanics Hand and finger techniques Reading music Rhythm Pedaling Interpretation and style Musical periods and composers Artistry Memorization methods Performance techniques

A variety of instruments led to the development of the piano.  The earliest known keyboard instrument was a water organ that used sliders to control air (compressed by water) through pipes (around 3^rd century B.C.E.).  Development of a stringed instrument using a keyboard is thought to have appeared around the 10^th century—the hurdy-gurdy. It was somewhat of an outgrowth of the violin, using a wheel rotated against strings to sound notes. 

By the late 1300s, keyboard instruments had mechanisms to strike the strings to make sound.  In the clavichord, the keyboard actuated metal wedges to strike the strings—the basic principle of modern pianos. By the 1600s, the harpsichord was more popular due to its louder sound, though its strings were plucked rather than struck.

The harpsichord was replaced by the pianoforte, which is what we know as the piano today.  Invented in the 1690s, the pianoforte used keyboard-actuated hammers that struck the strings.  By 1735, the first upright piano was made, and by 1844, the eight-octave grand piano was produced.

References: 
Cooper, Paul.  Perspectives in Music Theory (Dodd, Mead & Co., 1974).
Crombie, David.  Piano—Evolution, Design & Performance (Barnes & Noble, 2000).
Grout, Donald.  A History of Western Music (W.W. Norton & Co., 1973).
Website: http://elwood.pionet.net/~hub7/ - Numerous articles and references.

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Guitar
With stringed boards as predecessors, early guitars were formed by fixing strings over various natural shells as sound boxes—turtle shells, fruit shells and others.  The guitar most likely evolved from the lute, a plucked string instrument.  In the 1400s, the guitar came into prominence as an eight-stringed instrument with four double courses that could be rhythmically strummed.  A larger five-course guitar was created in Italy during the 1600s.  As a result, the guitar grew in popularity throughout Europe, and a variety of solo and ensemble music was composed for it. 

In the mid 1800s, the guitar’s design was improved by adding doubled strings, metal tuning screws, and enlarging the sound box, thus creating the forerunner of the modern classical guitar.  In the 20^th century, Andres Segovia helped popularize the guitar by transcribing many works written for the lute and harpsichord.  He influenced composers to write new music for the guitar and music schools to establish courses in classical guitar. 

Today, there are two varieties of acoustic (non-amplified) guitars—the traditional six-string and the classical twelve-string.  In 1931, a commercially viable electric guitar was invented by George Beauchamp.  Popularized by Leo Fender in the early 1950s, today the electric guitar is the lead instrument for most pop music bands.  Though not easy for advanced play, the guitar is considered one of the easier instruments for a beginner’s introduction to music.

At Joyful Keys Music Studio, we teach:

Playing position Guitar tuning Learning notes on the fret board Right and left hand techniques Reading music (notes and tablature) Scales and chords Theory Improvisation Playing styles—classical, rock, popular, jazz and others

References: 
Cooper, Paul.  Perspectives in Music Theory (Dodd, Mead & Co., 1974).
Crombie, David.  Piano—Evolution, Design & Performance (Barnes & Noble, 2000).
Grout, Donald.  A History of Western Music (W.W. Norton & Co., 1973).
Krieger, Diane. “The Astonishing LAGQ,” USC Trojan Family Magazine, Vol.34 #2 (Univ. So. Calif. Summer 2002)
Schmid, Will. Guitar Method (Hal Leonard Corp., 1994).
Web site: Smithsonian National Museum of American History (www.si.edu/lemelson/guitars).
Website: http://elwood.pionet.net/~hub7/ - Numerous articles and references.

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Voice
The vocal process is a method of producing sound that involves use of the jaw, mouth, tongue, throat, vocal chords, lungs and diaphragm.  In order to sing, these components are used.  To sing properly, these components must be well coordinated.

At Joyful Keys Music Studio, our teaching methods employ the correct techniques to enable you to produce the best sounds possible.  Great singers are highly acclaimed not just for their natural talents, but for their excellent technique as well.

Proper vocal technique will not only help you become a better vocalist, but it will help you learn to harmonize, balance and blend with other singers as well.  At Joyful Keys, we are experienced at training soloists and group singers.  Periodically, such as during summer sessions, we form choral groups at the studio.

At Joyful Keys, we teach:
 

Principles of vocal technique Breathing technique Ear training Diction Practicing techniques Music reading Interpretation and style Memorization methods Working with accompanists Performance technique Vocal health

References: 
Cooper, Paul.  Perspectives in Music Theory (Dodd, Mead & Co., 1974).
Schmidt, Jan.  Basics of Singing (Schirmer Books, 1998).

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Music Theory
Music theory is not a mandatory part of our lessons, but it is extremely advantageous.  Whether you are interested in learning how to sing or to play an instrument, we believe in teaching not just the mechanics of playing or singing but, simultaneously, incorporating principles of music.  This lays the proper foundation for learning, developing good habits and advancing.  Music is another language—to understand it and play it properly, you should be able to read it.  Knowledge of music theory enables you to use the appropriate interpretation to achieve the desired effect of each musical composition.

Any instructor can teach you to sing a song or sound notes on an instrument.  Music theory gives you a broader understanding of the principles of music.  With it, you develop the skills to perform music through interpretation rather than through memorization.  Theory also helps you with improvisation and advancement beyond the mechanics of playing known compositions.

Depending on the instrument and the student’s level of skill and experience, we incorporate the following principles to varying degrees: