John Viljoen’s Piano Studio

Effective, engaging, fun and relaxed -- that's what piano lessons should be, and that's what I aim for. Effective -- I use a proven step-by-step approach that teaches the fundamentals with well-written and creative piano pieces. Engaging and fun -- I find that playing duets with students is not only good for teaching fundamentals, but really makes pieces come alive for the student. In addition to fundamentals, I include pieces that the student either has asked for, or are well-written and fit the student's stage of learning. I also teach four-chord composing, which begins with chord fundamentals and ends with the student composing their own pieces. Relaxing -- A relaxed approach is essential in learning a piano piece. Piano students frequently expect too much of themselves too soon. Pieces are played too fast, forcing errors. The result is tension. My task is to help the student play in a relaxed state. I slow excessively fast tempos to a speed that allows the student to play correctly and at ease, allowing real learning to begin.   Lessons that are effective, engaging, fun and relaxed lead to progress in learning. That is my approach with my students.