Piano lessons at your home, McLean VA
Start with chords. The reading can wait.
Pop, rock and soul, played along with the original recordings, at your own piano. Four chords in the first lesson, a real song in the first month.
One famous song a month. A recorded performance every month, a living-room concert for your family every quarter, a recital at the end of the year.
How it works
Three steps, and the first one is a visit.
Book a first visit
I come to your home, check your piano or keyboard, and we talk about the songs you love. You play your first song before I leave.
Lessons at your piano
Weekly lessons in your own living room, mostly on weekday daytimes. Four chords in the first lesson, a real song in the first month.
Play for the people you love
A recorded performance every month, a living-room concert for family every quarter, and a recital with a certificate at the end of the year.
The method
Chords before notes. Songs from day one.
Most piano lessons start with reading notes and scales, and many adults give up before they play anything they recognize. I start with the four chords that sit under hundreds of songs, and you play along with the real recording in your first month.
Read about the methodStart with chords, not with reading notes
Four shapes in the first lesson. You learn the shapes, then the songs, then the reading.
Play along with the real recordings
The original track, in the original key. Slowed down at first, then at full speed.
Reading follows playing
Once your hands know the chords, notation becomes a map of something you already play.
Your year in 12 songs
One famous song a month.
- Month 1 Let It Be The Beatles
- Month 2 Stay With Me Sam Smith
- Month 3 Lean on Me Bill Withers
- Month 4 Imagine John Lennon
- Month 5 Hallelujah Leonard Cohen
- Month 6 Piano Man Billy Joel
- Month 7 Hey Jude The Beatles
- Month 8 Shallow Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper
- Month 9 Thinking Out Loud Ed Sheeran
- Month 10 When I Was Your Man Bruno Mars
- Month 11 Someone Like You Adele
- Month 12 Don't Stop Believin' Journey
Each song teaches the next skill. If one is not for you, we swap it for another that teaches the same thing.
No piano yet?
I'll help you buy the right one.
You don't need an instrument to get in touch. Tell me your budget and your room, and I'll help you choose before you spend anything. I don't sell instruments, so the advice is only about what suits you.
Ask me about a pianoDigital or acoustic
A digital piano with 88 weighted keys and a sustain pedal is enough for the whole first year, and you can play it with headphones. An acoustic is lovely if you have the room for it and plan for tuning.
What to look for
88 full-size keys, weighted or semi-weighted. A sustain pedal. A headphone output. A stand and a bench that put your forearms level with the keys.
Before you buy a used piano
Send me the listing first. I'll tell you what to check and what to ask: when it was last tuned, whether any keys stick, whether the pedals work.
Once it is home
At the first visit I check the bench height, the lighting, where the instrument sits in the room, and where your tablet or phone goes.
Service area
I drive to you.
Lessons happen at your piano, so there is nothing to carry and no traffic to sit in. I teach in McLean and the towns around it.
- McLean
- Great Falls
- Vienna
- Tysons
- Falls Church
- North Arlington
- Oakton
- Somewhere nearby? Ask.
Your teacher
I'm Eric. I make records, and I teach the way I learned to make them.
I produced and mixed dance records in Belgium in the 1990s, and I still record cover songs today. Records are built from chords, rhythm and a good ear. That is where we start.
More about meDo I need to read music?
No. You start with chords and chord charts, which take minutes to learn. Reading follows playing: lead sheets by mid-year, notes on the staff in the second half, always on a song you already play.
Do I need an acoustic piano?
No. A digital keyboard with 88 full-size keys and a sustain pedal works well. I check your instrument, the bench and the setup at the first visit and tell you if anything needs attention.
What if I don't have a piano yet?
Book the first visit anyway and choose Neither yet in the form. I help you choose between digital and acoustic, tell you what to look for, and look over a listing before you buy.
I quit lessons as a kid. Is this for me?
Yes. The program is built for adults, including people who stopped years ago. We start from where you are, with chords you can play today.
What if I don't like a song?
We swap it. Every song of the month is there to teach one skill, and for each one there are other songs that teach the same thing. Tell me what you love at the first visit.
Do you teach children?
I teach adults and teens. For a younger child, tell me about them in the booking form and we can talk about whether it is a good fit.
When do lessons happen?
Once a week, 45 or 60 minutes, mostly on weekday daytimes. That suits retirees, people working from home and parents while the kids are at school. If you need another time, ask.
What areas do you cover?
McLean, Great Falls, Vienna, Tysons, Falls Church, North Arlington and Oakton. If you are somewhere nearby, ask.
What does it cost?
Contact me for rates through the booking form.