Where to purchase sheet music and method books:
1. https://www.lintonmilano.com/ - Linton-Milano Music is a music store located in Mesa, AZ. They have an online store and ship music quickly.
2. https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/ - Sheet Music Plus has pretty much anything you are looking for. It usually takes on average 5-7 days to receive orders from them.
3. https://www.musicnotes.com/ - Music Notes offers music in PDF and digital form. They carry a good selection of classical, pop, movie, etc. music.
4. https://imslp.org/wiki/Main_Page - IMSLP offers digital downloads of music that is in the public domain. Downloads are free. You will find classical music on IMSLP.
5. https://www.amazon.com/ - You can find pretty much anything on Amazon.
6. https://www.alfred.com/ - Alfred is one of the biggest music publishers. You'll find everything here. Alfred puts out well-edited editions.
7. https://www.halleonard.com/ - Hal Leonard is another big music publisher. Hal Leonard publishes a lot of popular and movie music. You will also find a good selection of classical music.
Practicing Recommendations:
1. Practice a minimum of 5 days each week. Remember that whatever effort you put into your music lessons is what you will get out of music lessons. Minimal effort = minimal results.
2. Make practicing part of your daily routine. Set aside specific time, free of distractions to concentrate and practice.
3. Practice for results instead of practicing for a specific amount of time. When you begin your practice session, have a specific goal in mind to accomplish during that practice time. Practicing without a goal is like driving somewhere you've never been with no map or directions.
4. Parents, be interested in what your child is learning. Ask them to play for you. Younger students will most likely need some supervision during practice time while older students can work independently. Ask your student to explain things that he/she is working on.
5. Place your piano/keyboard in a prominent place in the house. Learning to play an instrument can be a solitary experience and sometimes practicing can seem rather lonely. By keeping it in a prominent place in the home, you are indicating the value and importance of the instrument.
Here is a link to some other useful recommendations regarding practicing:
https://hub.yamaha.com/pianos/p-how-to/eight-great-tips-for-practicing-piano/
https://www.alfred.com/blog/12-ways-parents-can-help-piano-practice/
Benefits of Piano Lessons:
Did you know that medical schools and law schools love to accept people who have completed a music degree? Music lessons teach you patience and attention to detail, two very important characteristics doctors and lawyers need! Here are some other benefits of piano lessons:
https://www.flowkey.com/en/benefits-playing-piano
1. Playing the piano sharpens your concentration.
2. Playing the piano teaches you perseverance.
3. Playing the piano teaches you discipline.
4. Playing the piano improves your time management skills.
5. Playing the piano improves your emotional intelligence.
6. Playing the piano increases your memory capacity.