The answer to this question is Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu, Op. 66. The song "I'm Always Chasing Rainbow" is based off the captivating melody featured in the Largo section. You can compare the song by watching an excerpt of Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1qrz5h2QWs

90% confident that it will have a negative impact. A lot of learning comes from the ability to feel the keys/hammer, and to control how much / fast to strike them. Your reactions / responses are according to what you heard, and you train your muscles memory based on these. Unless the training is purely for getting notes right, at the stage where expression doesn't matter, and just accuracy matters.

Albert and Soo Hin, thanks for sharing your thoughts! I have the inkling that the current situation is not ideal but unfortunately, it is unlikely to change. I love my upright and would like to keep it in its original form. :)

Will keep the muted practice for getting the notes right or for loud passages. I agree that the softer/more delicate passages should not be practiced with the muted pedal at the first instance. If the passages are meant to be soft, I think it is still ok to practice without the muted pedal even at 10+ pm or 11 pm. :p

Wow, thanks Zensen! That's very comprehensive. ?? I have mixed feelings la. For me, it's good to start playing casually. But if I can progress well (god knows), might as well take some exams to prove something? Definitely not to become concert pianist like you mentioned. I'm working, so, being able to play at night is a big deal to me, cos that's the time I probably can practise (I hope so!) ?

That being the case, I'd recommend that you start small by buying a digital piano. If space or mobility isn't a constraint for you, I'd recommend a full-fledged one with 88 keys. Depending on your budget, a high-end one costs S$2,699 while an entry-level one costs S$700. Mid-range will be around S$1,699. But if you are space-conscious and prefer it to be more mobile (so that it can be moved around easily), then I have a 76-key version ($400+) and a 61-version (also $400+) to recommend for you. If you are ultra-budget conscious, it will be $269.

61 keys (5 octaves) is really the minimum you should start with. This is because any shorter (e.g. 49 keys, 4 octaves) won't allow you to play it with both hands (meaning right hand on melody and left hand on bass and chords). Also, you'd need to look for a model that has touch response/touch sensitivity. This is because some very cheap ones don't come with this, thus no matter how soft or hard you strike the keys, the volume/loudness is the same, which makes the music you play sound monotonous/robotic/expressionless!

The short answer to your question is to interview, audition and examine the portfolio of the teacher-to-be. The latter includes his experience in the music industry, his works, etc. For me (and several others in the music education industry) will also observe a demo lesson by him to gauge pedagogical suitability. Many a time, these supersede the paper qualifications he possesses (if any).

Disciplines like medicine and engineering would definitely need certified credentials because we can't risk doctors prescribing the wrong medication leading to deaths; and neither can we risk living in buildings that might collapse anytime. But what is music? What is its inherent risk?

But if we are talking about teaching FOR THE SAKE of letting students go through the graded EXAMS, then of course his credentials would ONLY matter then.

But for many parents like me, I dunno music. So I can't interview them the way you can. I need something easier to measure with. Paper qualifications will be one consideration, of cos. Just wondering can any person who knows how to play the piano, and take some exams b4, just suddenly one day decides to teach, and can teach straight away?

If you are thinking of finding a piano teacher for your child, then you'd need consider your objective. If you want him/her to take the graded exams (for whatever purpose later in life is yet another big topic by itself, which I shall skip for now) then your question is valid, which I will illustrate below. But if the objective is to let him/her appreciate music, learn it with joy and motivation and to be empowered to play music in a carefree way (without the exam stress) by ear and improvisation for whatever music he likes/listens to, then the paper qualifications of the teacher become highly irrelevant.

Let's assume it is the former. Teachers with a teaching licence at a govt school have gone through proper certification and training in pedagogy - explaining why a PhD in Maths may not teach as well as an A Level holder in Maths for a primary school maths syllabus, especially if the latter possess a teaching license (and not the former). In the music ed industry - the phenomenon is similar - my counterparts and I have seen several top notch musicians with superior qualifications but are unable to teach - yet those with lower qualifications can teach better (though their own musicianship isn't that strong).

Thus if you are considering between two piano teachers - one with a Diploma in Piano Performance and the other a Diploma in Piano Teaching, and OTHER THINGS BEING EQUAL, the latter is a better choice for your child.

Read this link to understand the difference between them.

This type of piano is a rare sight in Singapore! In fact, yours is the first such piano that I came across.

Thanks for hosting Pianovers Meetup #12 and giving so many of us a chance to actually play on it!