Effinger Music Studio is committed to offering the highest quality private piano lessons in the Salmon Creek, WA area. Whether you have no previous experience and want to learn the piano from scratch, dig deep into music theory with personalized coaching, or learn how to compose your own music, we can help. Thomas and Kassidy hold graduate degrees in Piano Performance, are professional collaborative pianists, and are deeply experienced musicians who have taught students of all ages and abilities. If you would like to start private lessons, please send some information regarding your goals and background and we'll be in touch shortly!
At Effinger Music Studio there are no auditions or entrance requirements. The information you send us regarding your musical background and goals is used to get an idea how we can support you or your child's growth with music most effectively, and we have a free, no obligation consultation in our studio before beginning lessons. We've worked with students of all backgrounds and skill levels from ages 5 to 75.
We work with both children and adults who would like to start learning music at the piano. Using methods and materials that are developmentally appropriate for each student, we follow a path of skills and pieces that make it easy to learn and grow over time. We will learn about rhythms, keyboard geography, the musical alphabet, how to read on the staff using anchor notes and intervallic reading, and help you develop a healthy physical approach to the piano. As we grow together, we will begin learning about musical structures like scales, chords, keys, and forms.
We make lessons fun for kids, and we are happy to engage with adults on questions and concepts that specifically interest them. Concepts are approaching intentionally and sequentially, so that what we learn in one week builds on what we learned the week before.
Most importantly, we help students of all levels learn how to practice at home on their own. We assign materials that reinforce what we learned in the lesson, and we will suggest practice strategies based on your current skill level and goals. Activities may include drills for important elements of musicianship, like ear training, note reading, and interval identification, as well as specific strategies you can use to approach technically and musically challenging passages.
For most beginning children, a 45-minute lesson is the right amount of time. For students wanting to grow faster, or those who are really excited about piano, hour lessons can even be split up into two 30-minute lessons twice a week. Each child is different and we can make a recommendation for you and your child after we meet you for a free consultation!
We enjoy helping intermediate and advanced pianists at Effinger Music Studio. Experienced pianists, or those pianists who want to grow quickly, should consider 45 or 60 minute lessons. After a few years of study, more time is needed to work on repertoire, memorization, practice strategies, technique, and music theory. We will want to cover concepts like:
Whether you are a skilled amateur or aspiring professional pianist, we would be so happy to learn with you at Effinger Music Studio.
We are located about 10 minutes west of Salmon Creek in the Felida neighborhood. Our students sometimes find it easiest to get to us via NW 139th St, while others take NE 119th St. We are near Skyview High School, Alki Middle School, Thomas Jefferson Middle School, Chinook Elementary School, and others. If you would like to know more about our after school hours availability, or if you're an adult trying to fit a lesson in during lunch or between meetings, please get in touch. We offer piano lessons in Vancouver, WA to students in a variety of neighborhoods and from a wide range of backgrounds.