Free Piano Lessons by Hoffman Academy

Do you want your kids to learn to play the piano both by ear and sight? Are you looking for a  piano course for kids that is  fun and offers a complete music education? Is your child bored with traditional piano lessons?  Then, you should consider Hoffman Academy.

Early on I wanted my daughter to learn to play the piano both by ear and sight. I took Suzuki lessons as a child for a few years and like the way it taught kids to play by ear. However, we live far from the Suzuki School of Music. I searched for an online equivalent and found Hoffman Academy. It is a good fit for my 7-year-old since she hates sitting down for traditional piano lessons. In fact, she used to literally RUN from her teacher. Not so with her  Hoffman Academy online lessons.

The Hoffman Method, says its website, is based on research in child development and learning theory which teaches students to play both by ear and sight. It engages a child’s natural curiosity and creativity using a multi-sensory approach while providing the kind of training needed to reach a high level of musical proficiency. Its child-friendly teaching tools make deep, meaningful learning both easy and fun, and it creates well rounded musicians who will love making music throughout their lifetime.

Here’s what you need to know about Hoffman Academy’s Online Piano Lessons:

• All lessons are free.  All you need is a piano and internet connection.

• A unit takes around 6 to 12 months to finish.

• Unlike traditional piano lessons where you go through a book and learn to play by looking at a piece, Hoffman Academy students learn to play 10 to 12 songs per unit by heart.

• There are lively music tracks that accompany your child’s practice sessions for the premium version, which are really engaging and entertaining even for adult listeners. Practice sessions sound like jamming sessions to me. 🙂

• It uses fun games that teach kids staff reading, rhythm, music theory, and ear training.

  

Located in Portland, Oregon, Hoffman Academy is run by master conductor and pianist Joseph Hoffman. Mr. Hoffman wanted to give kids around the world a chance to learn the piano so he started offering free online piano lessons in 2010. To date, he has uploaded more than 2oo lessons. The lessons are 100% free. You only need to pay if you want to avail of the printed materials, games and practice sessions. Even then, the fee is just $18 a month for premium subscribers. An additional child costs just $9 per month.

We were given the opportunity to try out Hoffman Academy’s premium features for 3 months. I love how organized the website is. It has a separate progress tracking for each child, if you have more than one student taking the classes. The lessons are very engaging. It’s obvious that Mr. Hoffman knows and loves kids. The lessons and practice sessions are easy to follow. I can let my 7-year-old practice on her own  with minimal supervision.   Mishca and  I love the music tracks that she plays along with during the practice sessions. The accompaniment makes her feel like an accomplished musician. I, on the other hand, am able to gauge if she is playing the right notes and if it is according to the beat. Her little brother also enjoys listening to her play as the music tracks are lively and upbeat.

Here is Mishca during a practice session where she shares what she likes about her piano lessons:

Here is what she as to say: “It’s really a great experience for me. Because I don’t like the thought of just learning piano and sitting with a teacher and looking at a book that is just black and white. But when you think it’s like a video game, it’s a lot of fun. And there are a lot of puppets so it’s a lot of fun. And you don’t think like you’re learning piano because it’s FUN!”

I am really grateful for this online course. Now my children can have quality piano education right at home! Join Hoffman Academy worldwide community of  more than 192,000 learners today.  You easily create an account by logging on to https://www.hoffmanacademy.com/ Try it out! There is nothing to lose.  You can even learn alongside your child.