Piano lessons: Popular musical genres and beyond

On Long Island, you get innumerable choices in private piano classes, and similar can be the experience when you have to pick a specific musical style for specialization. While choosing a course can be methodical, you need to listen to your inner calling to recognize which music you would enjoy playing the most on this percussion instrument.
Those who have already made their names as pianist feel that to be able to have control over several styles can be a massive plus for a piano player. That means if you plan to join one of the premier piano lessons on Long Island, you should also aim for a rich repertoire of music styles.
Although there are many genres to choose from, classical, pop-rock, liturgical, jazz, and musical theater piano styles seem to be the popular choices.

Classical style
Even trainers insist that students should have a background in classical education to progress in this field. They give this advice to both novice and experienced pianists. It is a belief that having roots in classical music can help you pick up piano lessons faster and better. It can also make your foundation stronger. However, while some learners naturally incline towards this style, others need additional motivation to embrace it.  The reason for it is that classical music is a bit difficult to learn compared to other genres. But if you get hold of classical training, you would not have to spend longer time adjusting to any different style. The process will become rapid and easy.

Classical piano music spans over four distinct periods, including Baroque, Classical, Modern Classical Music, and Romantic. Every era has its unique characteristic, which you will also realize while doing your lessons on Long Island. Classical classes can help improve your sight-reading, technique, theory, and playing skills.

Pop/Rock style
The contemporary rock or pop piano music has lots of demand in the market. It may not be an easy feat, but it can be a rewarding experience for sure. The piano started featuring in pop and rock songs in the '50s, and by '70s, it occupied a prominent place for its ability to create fantastic electric sounds. For a career also, it can be an excellent choice. You can expect to get paid well in bands, recordings, concerts, and weddings. One of the best things about this music is that you can experiment with different sounds. Since you can sing too while playing this piano style, your performance is also going to be more appealing.

Liturgical style
Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish religious ceremonies have unique liturgical music that contains special cultural bond. It’s a generational thing. People compose and perform new music for recordings, religious services, and gigs. Some individuals start their professional journey from here.

Jazz style
The origin of American jazz goes back to 1918. People who contributed immensely to the popularity of this form of music are Jelly Roll Morton, Fats Waller, and Scott Joplin. They made jazz a thing in New Orleans, Chicago, and New York. Because its rhythm and technique are different from classical, many considered it to be rebellious in style. It finds its place during celebrations as well as in gloom.

There are boogie-woogie, improvisation, swing, and other elements in it. That's why it sounds rhythmic and melodious. If you take up a lesson in this on Long Island, you can hone your playing skills to satisfaction. Many musical styles borrow their improvisation and chord techniques from it; hence, you can understand its impact.

Musical theater style 
The piano is an integral part of musical theater. Due to the variety of productions, musical theater pianists need to be great at sight-reading along with having versatility.  From serving in bands to playing with singers during competitions, they can work in many areas. You can hear Gershwin, Rodgers & Hart, Steven Sondheim, and Steven Schwartz from different periods for inspiration. 

These are the most common choices, but there are Blues, Latin, country, and western and other musical styles also that you can pick up along your piano journey. The more you go deeper, the stronger your piano playing skills will become. You will be able to fit into any musical situation with ease. Collaborating with singers and instrument artists will not be a challenge for you whether it concerns duet, musical group, or band. In essence, you can expect to lead a decent life after carving a niche for yourself as a pianist.

Nowadays, private lessons have become a good source of education. You can also go for it if you want perfection, support, motivation, and right guidance. Apart from a private instructor, you will get access to the best music books, videos, and playing sessions. All this can be an enriching experience overall. Just make sure you choose the comfortable timings and locations so that you don't feel overwhelmed due to other responsibilities.