Piano lessons are popular. Piano and guitar lessons far outnumber others at music stores.

At Detroit's Saturday School of Music, a cooperative effort between Wayne State University and the Detroit Department of Recreation, 80 piano students make up the largest instrument lessons group of the 243 enrollees; most other instrument groups number 15 at most, says Dr. Shirley Harbin, community arts director for the department.

"We turned away people" interested in piano, Harbin says.

Although almost any child can benefit from learning piano, teachers recommend that parents answer a few questions before investing the time and expense:

If your child expresses a preference for another instrument, it's best to allow him or her lessons in that instrument. Don't force piano on a child.

Also consider the influence of a child's piano lessons on younger siblings. Nothing can motivate a child to take piano lessons more than seeing an older brother or sister playing. "Peer pressure can be just as good as bad," Wolach says.

Natural talent, teachers say, is nice -- but it's neither necessary nor present in most piano students. More important are desire, motivation and, as lessons begin and progress, "the ability to work hard and the ability to accomplish a task," says Marian Boehl, an Ypsilanti piano teacher.

LESSONS

Most teachers recommend that a child should be at least 6 years old to begin lessons, and some say age 8 is better. Children can read by then and their hands are more able to perform keyboard maneuvers. Harriet Evans of Howell, who has taught piano for nearly 50 years, requires that her students know their letters and numbers.

But, she says, "materials for teaching have gotten more and more friendly to young beginners. There's a new book out now that has a Mozart mouse and a Beethoven bear. It's a story of these two little toys that come out at night."

Lessons, generally 30 minutes long, are individual or in groups through music stores or organizations or by private teacher. They can take place away from the home at a school, music store or teacher's home. But increasingly popular are private lessons given by teachers in students' homes, says Paul Cusumano, manager of Evola Music in Canton.

"With Mom and Dad working, they don't have time to bring the child to piano lessons."

Prices range widely, with individual in-home lessons the most expensive, $25-$50 per half hour, down to Detroit's city-sponsored group lessons at $4 per half hour. Books and sheet music are extra.

Individual lessons at music stores or in teachers' homes range from $12 to about $20 per half hour. Group lessons at stores are less. Group lessons at Evola Music, for example, run eight lessons for $80. A private teacher in Ypsilanti charges $95 per month for four individual lessons in a student's home.

Schoolcraft College's Piano Academy offers different programs: an elementary division once-a-week group lesson combined with a once-a-week private lesson for grades 1 through 4 costs $485 per 18-week semester; an intermediate level, once-a-week private lesson combined with group lessons every fourth week is $515 per 18-week semester; and 18 weeks of private lessons once a week at the advanced level costs $620.

Group lessons usually involve five or more students, often playing digital pianos while using headsets. They are recommended for beginners who have no prior knowledge of music. They're a less expensive way to find out how much a child will take to piano, as well. Students usually advance to individual instruction after a certain time in group lessons. Individual lessons tend to use acoustic pianos.

Location also affects price. Lessons in Ann Arbor, for instance, will likely cost more than those in Wayne, Detroit or smaller, mid-Michigan towns and suburbs.

CHOOSING A TEACHER

Parents can find teachers from several sources: friends' recommendations, music stores, college or university music departments, schoolteachers, churches and city programs.

Teachers have different approaches, but most piano instruction advances in levels, from Level 1 to Level 8. Books are labeled according to levels, but teachers often recommend additional books or songs tailored to specific student abilities and tastes.

For example, most music stores recommend that teachers have either music degrees or music teaching certification. Schoolcraft College, for instance, offers a piano teachers certification program. Teachers also are certified by the Michigan Music Teachers Association.

A good piano teacher needs more than adequate certification, however.

"Having a good teacher is just as important as having a good piano," says Grant Wolach, owner of Pianoworks in Fenton, who has played, sold and taught piano for more than 20 years. "A good teacher usually can work to the fullest potential of the student. Other teachers just teach the same book" to everyone.

Personality, experience and interest in teaching are also crucial. Sometimes, Wolach says, student and teacher don't mix. "It's a matter of matching personalities. If a kid is miserable because of the dislike of the teacher, don't continue" with that teacher.

PRACTICE

There is no guarantee, despite a child's interest and a good teacher, that a child will do what is necessary to learn piano: practice. Some of the impetus will come from the child, but when lessons get more challenging, children may back off.

It helps, says teacher Marian Boehl of Ypsilanti, for teacher and student to have a "clear understanding about where piano fits into their lives. If piano is considered a part of their education, it's like a math assignment or like a chore. Those children seem to have a pretty easy time of it. They tend to get around to practicing. It also helps for children to know: When is this going to end?" If a child knows there is a 1- or 2-year commitment, he or she may cope better.

Evans in Howell says a common obstacle to success is "the parents not taking it as a serious commitment. There are going to be days when the kids are not going to want to practice. It helps if the parent genuinely wants a child to do it and lets them know it's going to be part of their education."

Regular daily practice times help. Practice duration begins with 15 minutes and moves up to 30 minutes in the first year of lessons.

Set realistic goals, offer specific rewards for achieving and show interest in your child's progress. But, experts warn, if this kind of encouragement and praise fail and the child refuses to practice without coercion, consider discontinuing the lessons. But leave the door open. And above all, don't make a child feel guilty.

BUYING A PIANO

Piano lessons make little sense if you don't have a piano. Buying the right piano is complex, time-consuming and perilous. Most compare it to buying a used car: You are at the mercy of the salesperson if you don't do your homework. First, some general information about what's out there:

Acoustic pianos, meaning the traditional wood-case pianos, come in general sizes. The smallest is the spinet. Next, in order of size, are the console piano, which looks like a larger spinet; the studio piano, which most people call the upright piano, and the grand piano. Newer on the scene are digital pianos, which are electronic. Less expensive models have fewer keys than a standard piano keyboard.

A new acoustic spinet costs from $3,000 up. Consoles and uprights will be $10,000 or more. Higher-end, acoustic pianos that are at least partially handmade start at $25,000-$35,000, Wolach says. Baby grand and grand pianos can cost $80,000 or more. All new pianos include guarantees, usually 10 years, on parts and labor; some guarantee parts for 25 years. All pianos must be tuned twice a year. A tuning costs $65-$80.

Digital pianos start at about $1,000. The most expensive is the Yamaha Clavinova, which retails at about $9,000. Digital pianos are gaining in popularity. Not to be confused with electronic keyboards, digital pianos are "a nice alternative to a standard console piano," says Glynn in Brighton. "They're cheaper, require less maintenance and no tuning." They offer additional features and computer enhancements, as well.

You can buy used or new pianos. Both are readily available. Beware of buying used pianos through personal advertisements, however; there is no way, unless you are a player or piano technician, to know the condition of the piano, not to mention the quality of its components.

Used pianos are available at music stores throughout the metro area for prices ranging from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars. The condition of the piano and the quality of its restoration determine its value. If you think you have found a good used piano, you might hire a piano tuner to evaluate it for you. It should cost no more than a tuning.

New acoustic pianos generally come from the United States, Europe or Asia. Pianos are machine-manufactured entirely, or partly handmade.

Educate yourself by reading available materials in books and online before going to music stores. Music store sales personnel can add to your knowledge, but they also may push their particular piano brands. Stores have franchise agreements with manufacturers, and, says Cusumano, "there's not a lot of overlapping."

Many piano merchants prefer European or American-made pianos. Look for a solid, white spruce sound board (the major component inside the piano -- vertical in uprights, horizontal in grands). Spinets are OK, but pianos 42 inches high or higher are better. Structurally, look for solid wood versus particle board casing and components, metal versus plastic parts, real leather rather than synthetic.

As for sound, Wolach points to "sustaining capability, or resonance. Once you play a note, the sound board picks up on it and amplifies it and sustains it as a whole." Less desirable is an initial harder tone that decays more quickly.

One hundred years ago, when the piano was a youthful 200, it was almost a commandment that young people, especially young ladies, learn piano. That has faded with time. But there is a place for music in a child's life, many say.

Your child may not be Mozart. Few child basketball players turn out to be Michael Jordan, few young golfers Tiger Woods. But that does not stop parents from exposing them to the benefits of learning these sports and applying their lessons to other endeavors.

So it is with music. And the recent studies showing academic benefits reinforce that, says teacher Harriet Evans.

"Piano is such a thorough study," she says, recalling her lessons some 50 years ago. "I felt that if I could learn that, I could learn anything."

Contact SHERYL JAMES at 313-223-4552 or at sjames@freepress.com.

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