What happens, step by step?
- I check your piano or keyboard. The instrument, the bench height, the lighting and the setup.
- We talk about the songs you love. And about any lessons you had before. The year gets shaped around your taste.
- You play your first song before I leave. Four chords, along with the recording of Let It Be, while I play the melody.
What do the lessons look like after that?
Weekly lessons at your own piano. Every song takes a month, and every month has the same four lessons:
- Week 1, learn it: the new skill, and the chords of the song played slowly.
- Week 2, build it: skill drills, then the verse with the track slowed down.
- Week 3, shape it: the chorus or the bridge, ear and reading work, and a duet with me.
- Week 4, perform it: the whole song with the original recording, filmed on your phone, at home.
How do I book a first visit?
Send the short booking form or email info@startwithchords.com, and I will get back to you to set a time.
More questions
- How much do in-home piano lessons cost in McLean, VA?
- Can you learn piano without reading music?
- What are the four chords used in hundreds of pop songs?
- Do I need an acoustic piano for lessons, or is a digital keyboard enough?
- Is a piano teacher better than a piano app?
- How long does it take an adult to learn to play a song on the piano?
By Eric Imhauser, piano teacher in McLean, VA. Published October 2026.