Now that we have had our PianoPiano piano in our home for almost six months I feel like some sort of expert! Okay, not an expert but I feel like I have figured some stuff out and wanted to share it with you because that’s what we’re here for. We’re a community and we’re supposed to help each other be better. I want to share with you ways to make your piano rental a success. I know renting a piano is simple. You go to PianoPiano’s website, order your piano and learn to play…come on, what else can there be???
The way I see it there are two main reasons why you have decided to rent a piano. You or your little is taking piano lessons and you realize that once a week isn’t enough to really become the next Mozart so you want to have this magnificent instrument sitting in your home so the practice isn’t limited. The second reason is that you have wanted yourself or your little to become the next Mozart and you know that there is an app for that to go along with this remarkable rental. Here are a few tips that can help you not lose focus once you get past the wonderment of having a piano in your home.
- Make it a family affair – Think about it. Congratulations. You have a PIANO in your home!!!! Take advantage of it. Why would you only have one member of the family learn when you can have the entire family can learn? Plus, this will help you each remain accountable. And it works wonders to keep the littles competitive. Once one masters Twinkle Twinkle Little Star you bet the next will want to learn Happy Birthday! And how cool will it be when you can take turns playing Happy Birthday for each other on your actual birthdays?
- Schedule playing time – When the piano arrives everyone will be fighting to be on it. As it sits and becomes a part of the family the truth is that interest will shift. It doesn’t mean that your littles won’t be interested but they might need some reminding. If you set up a schedule in the first days of the piano arriving it will take away lots of stress. You won’t have to worry about bickering or forgetting. It also helps to create the routine. It also makes sure that everyone is getting a minimum playing time. I think that it is also important to allow free play. What has worked in our house is having a set time for doing lessons with an app and separating that time from free play. JustABXgirl works better when she knows what is expected of her and by separating free time on the piano from learning time has been a winner for us both.
- Pay for an app – This is ESSENTIAL (in my opinion). Listen, I am queen of the free app. And you can start your journey using the free version of a number of piano lesson apps BUT to truly get the most out of your in-home lessons you’re going to want to invest in the app. It will make the lessons much more manageable and fun for everyone. I love that the app we use (Flowkey) allows us to go back and work on lessons that we have completed.
- Respect the space – In our home, the rule is nothing and nobody is allowed to be around the piano unless it is in use. The space where you have the piano placed should be used solely for the piano. I say this as a reminder for you and for me! As soon as the piano was delivered I decided that it would be treated with the utmost respect. Nobody would be allowed to sit on the bench unless they were playing the piano or coaching the person playing. Nothing would sit on top of the piano. It is a piano, not a mantle. By keeping the piano and the area around it clear it serves as a reminder that it is a special place. It is a place with a purpose and when you enter that space you have purpose.
There are plenty of other things you can do to make renting a piano a success but know that when you decide to partner with PianoPiano you are already on the path to success. They are professional. Their equipment is beautiful and quality. They have the piano tuned for you so you don’t have to worry about that either. Add the tips I just shared and you will be playing melodious tunes in no time.
