About PIANO-OLOGY

Piano-ology is a huge multi-media library of learn-by-doing music lessons that instill the knowledge, skills, and habits that will enable you to play piano like an artist!

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Welcome to Piano-ology!

Welcome to Piano-ology–an enormous multi-media library of learn-by-doing music and piano lessons that gives you the knowledge and skills you need to play like an artist…

One man’s humble effort to share with the world everything he knows about how MUSIC works… how your musical MIND works… and how your musical BODY works… all applied to the art of expressing yourself at the piano.

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What Makes Piano-ology Different?

Piano-ology is an alternative to the sad state of music “education” that has students struggling to play notation using BRUTE FORCE—both MENTALLY and PHYSICALLY–rather than by expressing themselves using their MUSICAL MIND.

BTW, those who are willing to work hard enough using the brute force method eventually become quite “skilled” at mechanically regurgitating music that they cannot hear and do not understand. (Irony–these are the “successful” ones!) How do I know this? Because I used to be one of them!

My “claim to fame” is that I profoundly understand your frustrations as a student because I have struggled with the very same things myself—reading, memorization, theory, ear training, technique, rhythm, and stage fright. And I still remember how unnecessarily difficult and disheartening everything was at the time.

Ans so, I’m on a mission to challenge the many widespread myths about what music is and isn’t. To clean up all the bad advice and misinformation out there (regarding technique, theory, ear training, and practice habits) that is continues to pollute the musical drinking water.

Now that I have my rant out of the way, my goal is to teach you how to play like an artist. I personally have no interest in playing any other way… and I have no interest in teaching you how to play any other way.

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What is Piano-ology?

It’s a huge multi-media library of learn-by-doing lessons that covers the knowledge and skills you need to master if you want to play like an artist.

Piano-ology teaches you the fundamental building blocks of music–things like form, meter, rhythm, scales, chords, and chord progressions– by explaining not just what these building blocks are (as musical nouns) but by what they do (as musical verbs).

Piano-ology teaches you to think and hear in musically meaningful patterns that will enable you to “speak” the language of music.

Piano-ology teaches you how your brain works and how to use all four musical intelligences: ears, intellect, eyes, and muscles.

And Piano-ology teaches you how to study and practice the right things the right way–so that learning is fun, fast, and enduring.

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Piano-ology makes no cheap promises of success.

I cannot make you play like an artist. I can only show you three things the knowledge, skills, and study and practice habits that you need to get good.

And I will not bore you by touting my credentials. Neither am I asking you to just trust me. I’m just going to let the lessons speak for themselves.

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Piano-ology is dedicated to the following truths…

1. You can’t put real music education in a can and sell it.
2. The reason why you do not make progress is not that you are untalented… but that you are studying & practicing the wrong things the wrong way.
3. Mastery requires that you align the way your “left” brain thinks about the music with the way your “right” brain experiences the music.
4. The goal of studying music theory is to PERFORM better, not to get better grades on a music theory test.
5. Technique and interpretation are inseparable. In other words, how you move your body is how the music is going to sound and feel.
6. All progress in piano technique is achieved by changing your BRAIN, not by changing your muscles.
7. If you want to get good, all you need to do is replace a very short list (emphasis short) of bad study-practice habits… with a very short (emphasis short) list of good study-practice habits.
8. Learning how to play music is like learning to speak a second language. And so, learning how to play is no harder than, but requires no less effort than learning to speak a second language.
9. If you want to play like an artist, you must learn to study, practice, and perform with your Musical Mind (Piano-ology will teach what that means and how to do it!)
10. If you study and practice the right things the right way, you should expect to make immediate and monumental breakthroughs in performance… not painfully slow progress after years and years of drudgery and physical exercises.
11. Confident and artistic piano performance is the inevitable… I repeat the inevitable… reward for studying and practicing the right things the right way.
12. Piano-ology is predicated on the belief that the real gift is not talent (six letter word)… The real gift is LOVE.
13. The most valuable gift a teacher can give you is to show you how to study and practice the right things the right way–so that YOU can become your own best teacher. In other words, my ultimate goal is to put myself out of business!

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Piano-ology is one man’s conviction that knowledge belongs to everyone–and should be freely available to anyone who seeks it. And so, Piano-ology is 100% FREE and open to the world: no passwords, no subscriptions, no clickbait, no advertising, no strings attached!

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The Piano-ology Story

Piano-ology is not a “method”.

Piano-ology is so much more than a collection of music and piano lessons...It’s a huge multi-media library of learn-by-doing lessons that cover the entire range of things you need to master if you want to play like an artist.

Piano-ology is an unflinching rejection of all pedantic teaching methods–and dispels many widespread myths about music-making and piano practice.

Piano-ology demystifies the many things that make music seem harder than it really is.

Piano-ology instills the attitudes, knowledge, and practice habits required to become your own best teacher!

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Piano-ology is for You if…

• You are a self-motivated STUDENT who desires to study music for the right reasons: love of life and the love of people.
• You are a self-motivated TEACHER who wants to deepen their practice and share their love of music with others.
• You know that overnight success is a myth–that real SUCCESS requires love, work, and discipline.
• You are tired of being a “Beginner”. Despite all your dedication and hard work, you feel frustrated by painfully slow progress and feel like you haven’t really mastered anything.
• You know that there is an ARTIST inside you, despite being told that you are “untalented”.
• You are an accomplished player who wants to take their playing to the NEXT LEVEL.

If you can sway to the rhythm and be moved by a beautiful melody, you are already musical. You already possess the raw materials to play at a level far beyond anything you’ve ever dreamed possible.

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What does Piano-ology Teach?

Built upon a solid foundation of musical subject matter expertise and proven educational psychology principles, Piano-ology immerses you in a holistic process of discovery that touches upon every aspects of music-making!

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How does Piano-ology Teach?

Piano-ology immerses you in a variety of transformational experiences that will excite and nurture all aspects of your being: body, mind, & spirit.

Piano-ology teaches you the fundamental building blocks of music by explaining not just what they are but what they do.

Piano-ology teaches you to think and hear in musically useful patterns–musical grammar and vocabulary that will enable you to “speak” the language of music.

Piano-ology shows you how to use all four musical intelligences: ears, intellect, eyes, and muscles.

Piano-ology immerse you in a process where theory & practice are always aligned with each other–and aligned with musical reality.

Piano-ology teaches you how to study-practice the right things the right way–so that learning is enjoyable, fast, and enduring.

Piano-ology is a journey of self-discovery that will enable you to play with more confidence, conviction, and artistry–and help you to realize that you are more capable than you’ve ever imagined.

Piano-ology is infused with a healthy emotional approach that allows you to enjoy the process of learning without self-condemnation and fear.

Piano-ology is a celebration of one of the greatest joys of being human–mastery of something of value that once seemed beyond one’s reach.

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Finally, Piano-ology is one man’s conviction that knowledge belongs to everyone–and should be freely available to anyone who seeks it. To that end, Piano-ology is 100% FREE and open to the world–no passwords, no subscriptions, no clickbait, no advertising, no strings attached!

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The Creative Commons

In the spirit of supporting democratic access to high-quality education, Piano-ology embraces the ethic of the Creative Commons…

To that end, Piano-ology is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

In a nutshell, this grants you permission to download and edit any content for your personal, non-commercial use or to download, edit, and share any content as long as you give credit to Frank Peter/Piano-ology as the original source.

Spread the Joy!

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Piano-ology Testimonials

The greatest gift a Piano-ology visitor can give to Frank is to let him know that he’s been of service.

It gives him the deepest satisfaction when students and teachers discover his work and resonate with the messages he’s trying to share with the world.

At the risk of tooting his own horn, here’s a sample of what such rare, gracious, and generous people have said about the impact that Piano-ology has had on their musicianship and overall well-being…

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Frank doesn’t just teach music. He teaches life.

Martin from Canada

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People like you make students become musicians and musicians become artists.

Sergio G from Earth

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Listen up, people. These aren’t just killer piano lessons. Frank is on a mission. Check it out and be among the lucky few who get it! (Johnny from Ireland)

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It seems you are not a Piano teacher, Frank. There are a lot of them more or less able to “teach”. It looks like you are THE Piano Teacher … at least one of the few. Seems me you are a Piano WHISPERER for pupils … somebody who is able see and hear what each pupil really needs. Thanks and best regards. (Volker from Panama)

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Frank is a master debunker of the finger training methods that cause most students to quit. (Karen from California)

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Piano-ology = 400 years + 1000 books of pedagogy distilled into a unified field theory of music. (Gerald the Mathematician from Earth)

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Piano-ology is so honest and real, courageous and generous. To challenge the horrible ways music is being taught. Listen to Frank. He talks because he knows. (János from Hungary)

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Just a few minutes into your site made me realize I never had a proper music education. Thank you for saving me before it was too late. Thanks to Piano-ology, I discovered I had more talent than I realized! (Jackie from Australia)

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Your website is a true gift to the music world and world in general. I’m soaking up every word, sound, and image as I wait for my new keyboard to arrive, and thinking about how to hear the music coming out of my hands. You’re da man! (Jeff from Earth)

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Thank you for your hard work. Your teaching is extremely honest and to the point, with no puffs and fluffs. I wish I had seen your videos when I was 14, and not 44. Oh well. Better late than never. Thanks again. (Rolf from Germany)

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Thanks to Piano-ology, am starting to practice the right way. Am learning to dance with the Piano. Your site is chock-full of genius. Breakthrough after breakthrough. What a gift to music education. (Mark from England)

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Blown away by how quickly your technique videos helped me remove all tension from my playing. Some tension I didn’t even know I had! (Rizz from Earth)

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I wasted so many years thinking that music is math. Thank you, Mister Frank, for teaching me that music is language. LANGUAGE! Everything now makes sense. (Sergio from Bilbao Spain)

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I can’t thank you enough for sharing such valuable words of wisdom, they have helped me so much, even outside of piano playing. Thank you! (D from Earth)

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Your humanity, kindness and humour convinced me that even at 35 it’s not too late to learn piano! (Damien from Earth)

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Why didn’t any of my music professors teach me this stuff? (P from Music Conservatory X)

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Just what the doctor ordered! (Suzanne from Earth)

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In just a few days following your straightforward advice on how to practice my playing is transformed. Saying thank you feels so small. (Bernhard from Deutschland)

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I just can’t explain in words how much you helped me with a lot of my questions that I’ve been asking myself for so long. (Zdeno from Earth)

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Thanks, man. A combination of education and motivation like nowhere else! (TB from Earth)

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You are a refreshing ray of sunshine in the piano teaching world. I’m a grade 8 adult student that has developed bad habits over the years and you are helping me to loosen up and ‘own’ the music I play. I love your down to earth, no nonsense approach to practice. (Deb from England)

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You are so very detail-minded, organized and full of inspiration. I am so thankful to you for this lifetime of work. (Samath from Earth)

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I can’t believe you don’t have a thousand donors, a million followers, and a billion likes. Why no one likes your lessons?(Swami from Singapore)

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 I can’t describe how much your videos help me. Not just in music but in life. (Tal from Earth)

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Pure gold!!! The knowledge I have gained and improvements I am seeing have reignited my passion for playing. (Ronisch from Earth)

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Frank is the Socrates of piano teachers. His philosophical approach inspired me to see music in a totally different light now. (Jonah from Earth)

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I’ve learned more about what it really takes to get good from your site than from every other source on the web and otherwise over forty years. Nobody’s going to believe that you do this without asking for anything in return. (Chuck from Earth)

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OMG, Frank! Your piano technique videos made me realize I’ve been wasting my time doing finger exercises. I am dancing on the keys now! Pieces that seemed impossible are now super easy to play thanks to you. (Michael from New Jersey USA)

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Thank you for the wonderful work you are doing. Discovering your website has had a significant effect on my mindset as a musician. (Freya from New Zealand)

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By combining practical piano technique training with philosophy and a deep understanding of musical perception, you have opened a new and unique way that has not only changed my perspective on teaching the art of piano playing, but also expressed a clear understanding of the relationship between effort, talent and results. (Alireza from Karaj Iran)

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I started at 6 years old. Today 53 years old. I play same songs (with many mistakes ). Your teaching touches me and is the answer to doing it the wrong way and no evolution since 47 years! (Circe from Earth)

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I just found this channel today, at first I thought you were a little weird, but you are terribly wise! Thanks a lot. So insightful. (Ron from Earth)

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Your piano lessons have transformed and improved my playing enormously in just a weeks time. The uneasy feeling, harsh tone, lack of stability, and tension is disappearing. I am back on track after years of frustrating search. Thank You. (Dan from Netherlands)

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Thanks to you, Frank, I rediscovered my LOVE of music and now I know I can do it! (Karen from Australia)

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Your teaching art is no less than your piano playing art. (Stormy from Earth)

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Frank is more than just a teacher. He’s a coach and a mentor. (JD from Earth)

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Thanks a million, Frank, for teaching me how to practice the right way. Your lessons take my playing to a whole new level I never thought possible. (Paul from Earth)

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Thank you. You address so many issues about the piano that are subtle, yet important, and not even noticed by a lot of instructors and students. (Soho from Earth)

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Pure genius! You so elegantly and simply answered so many questions I didn’t even know I needed to ask. (Seamus form Belfast)

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I’m a pianist who went to two music conservatories and has thought about technique neurotically for years now. Your videos are by far the best I’ve seen on how to use natural body movements. I feel sorry for those who continue to suffer because they have not yet discovered your insights. I know it’s hard for you to get the message out when you are being effectively censored by social media stars selling the same old myths with empty promises and flashy marketing campaigns. Thank you. (Tim from Illinois USA)

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Piano-ology is the most honest and effective approach to developing your musicianship I have seen on the web, giving me the understanding I need to become the musician I want to be and ways to improve their skills for a lifetime. Thanks a million. (Ryan from Ireland)

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What a kind soul you are to freely share your knowledge and teaching talents!!! (Silvia from Earth)

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Every lesson, every tip and instruction rewired my thinking and completely changed the way I practice and play. (Venkat from India)

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Such a pleasure to discover your ministry. I can’t believe it took so many years to find you. Your teaching is the answer to my prayers with so much to offer in so many different ways. I’m afraid I learned how to play and practice all the wrong ways. Thank you for all you have given. God bless you. (Theresa from North Carolina USA)

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What a great attitude and approach to music! For both information and inspiration. (Jeremy from Maine USA)

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Wonderful work! More people need to see this. And not only piano players and musicians! (AF from Bulgaria)

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If my piano teacher had taught me this way, I never would have quite learning the piano 35 years ago. (BC from Earth)

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Geez, Frank. You’re like the Dude and Bob Ross of piano teachers in one body! (RH from Earth)

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Thanks to finding your lessons, my music life is happy again! (Katerina from Russia)

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I have seen many books and websites but I found your teaching way is the best. I admire your good character. Because without any expectation you share your knowledge and experience with the others humbly and sincerely. Thank you and I wish you success. (MN from Bulgaria)

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I was a music major. I played Hanon and Czerny for years, but did not understand why I was not getting anywhere. Your website is so honest and uplifting. Makes you think about what is really important. Love what you do. Your lesson on circular movement with the Moonlight sonata freed me completely. I just wanted you to know there are people that really appreciate your hard work and generosity. Take care and thanks. (Robert from Earth)

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Your lessons and other content are first rate! I stumbled onto this site thanks to a referral from Marc at MyKeysToMusic. I was trying to learn the keyboard parts of Won’t Get Fooled Again and your site had the sheet music. Discovering your lessons really lit a spark in me. I’m a life-long player who plateaued in early adulthood and didn’t work hard enough to improve. Until now. Thank you, Frank! I am enjoying playing again and credit you and your site. I hope others join me in supporting it. (John from Minnesota)

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What a great site. I loved learning about scales, solfege, and ear training. I rarely bookmark sites but this one was well worth doing. (Anonymous from Earth)

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You changed my life, man. Thank you! (Stephan from Earth)

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Dear Frank, I have begun to play piano for about a year ago. I have seen some few videos of you explaining art of playing piano on YouTube and it was (is) a great source of inspiration – wonderful approach. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Best regards. (Victor from Denmark)

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Thank you very much for your videos and your website. The material provides a unique perspective on the notion of “Deliberate Practice”. My primary take-away is the biggest change is in our mental perspective on the challenge of learning the piano and that is the most significant issue to be addressed. (Anonymous from Earth)

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I forgot your YouTube name, and I tried to find your channel again. Searching all kinds of stuff like “piano teacher barefoot”, “eccentric piano teacher”, “piano teacher no shoes” etc. But alas.. You can imagine my surprise yesterday when I clicked on a video and suddenly saw my long lost friend.  I love your style and already you instilled some very important lessons and help me break some horrible habits. You are the piano teacher I always needed but didn’t realize it until now. Cheers and thanks for taking time to giving so much free advice. (Christopher from Norway)

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Frank is the Bruce Lee of music teachers!!! (Robert from Earth)

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I have always regretted quitting piano when I was young, but you helped me rediscover my long lost love of music. (Ben from Earth)

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I love the work you’re doing and really appreciate it. You are really inspiring both as a musician and as human. (Kabeer S from India)

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I wish that, when I was younger, I had had access to what you are teaching. I am 86 years old and longed to play piano since I was a child. I am impressed with how you teach. So unlike the strict type method of old. Thankfully, (Mary from Earth)

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Thanks for all your hard work and the passion you put into this! I started learning piano earlier this year and your work has already helped me greatly in the short amount of time of me discovering it. (Mark from Earth)

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Prior to listening to your material, I was a bit of a Hanon junkie. I knew in my heart that the exercises weren’t really helping that much and that they were an easy and safe place to run when I felt overwhelmed by the “real music” that I was working on. Putting Hanon aside will add an additional day and a half to my practice week. Thank you. (Angus from Scotland)

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Came upon your website via YouTube… Love your unique playing and your story and holistic view of music and life. (Lionel from Earth)

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In just a few hours, my approach to piano has completely changed after watching your lessons. (Suzy from Earth)

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Your teaching completely change the way I think and feel about music. No piano instructor in a conservatory teaches the way you do. Thank you and congratulations on your website. (Jimmy from Earth)

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Your way of explaining things really touches me very deeply … You make everything more meaningful and feel much stronger (something that not many teachers do). I want to thank you for this work that you do and I hope that this project will last a long time because, really, it is beautiful. Is there any way to contribute to your project to help you maintain it? Thank you! (Emma from Earth)

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Had your videos existed when I was a kid trying to learn to play keys on my own, today I’d be able to play something beautiful instead of “structured noise”. Suddenly everything makes sense, and now I’m aware of the true reason why I stopped playing music years ago. It simply was no music at all. Thanks for saving me. (Dani from Earth)

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Glad to support such a wealth of knowledge and inspiration! (Mike T from Earth)

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Lucky to be a complete beginner and finding you (almost) randomly from some 2 million YouTube piano “teachers”. You have merged body ergonomics, musical intentions, and heart into a course that gets you playing like a musician in about a month (my experience) rather than years. Thank you forever. (Ila from Earth)

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I found your site by way of YouTube and putting ‘motivational musicians’ in as a search criteria. Because of your great teaching I have become aware of my flawed thinking about music and how to practice. Thanks to your love of music and teaching I now know the path to success and I know I can do it. As my father taught me to give credit where credit is due, a big THANK YOU for all of your hard work. (Estelle from Earth)

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Pure genius! Your amazingly simple approach has freed my piano playing – especially with Moonlight Sonata which was causing me so much pain in my wrists and forearms. Now I’m teaching your approach to technique to others. It is truly a great gift. Please KEEP sharing! YOU ABSOLUTELY ROCK a million times over. THANK YOU from the very depths of my heart! <3 <3 <3 (Carol W from Earth)

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Your piano technique videos are amazing. Thanks to you, in a few days I learned to fluently play CPE Bach’s Solfegieto at 150 bpm after struggling for years to play it badly and with pain at 90 bpm. Playing at my max speed now feels amazing, even kind of relaxing and meditative. Thanks for saving my love of music. (AG from Earth)

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I have to reprimand you very much!!!! : )

|Where were you when i had my first piano lessons almost 50 years ago? Why didn’t you rescue me from my bad piano lessons that lead to quitting after a few years of frustration? Now as a re-beginner with the help of your channel i actually begin to understand how terrible my piano lessons really had been: no ear training, no rhythm training, no music theory, no understanding of body movements, The list of failures could go forever… Instead my piano lessons were a mixture of “finger strengthening” by mindless usage of Czerny and Hanon exercises paired with a kind of “painting by numbers” type of piano playing … following your eyes on the music sheets instead of following your ears. First thing i learned was how to READ music instead of how to HEAR it … to make things “perfect” … came hand in hand with the monotonous “tock tock tock tock…” of the metronome.

Now after having come into my “best” years i try to catch up the things i should have learned as a child with the help of such generous people like you who are publicly sharing their knowledge. HUGE thanks for that. (May from Earth)

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I effing love you man….. whyyyyyy doesn’t everyone teach music like you do!!?!?!??!?!?!? (Jenna from Florida)

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I came across your website and YouTube channel (by chance) while I spent 4 months focusing on my technical approach to the piano (without playing any pieces) after realising that, despite four years at university, I knew almost nothing about how to use my body in relation to the instrument. This caused me to greatly question my talent and ability and I was almost ready to cave in and give up; something that would have previously been unthinkable.

In the autumn I’m applying for a Masters in Piano Performance at the major UK conservatories and I just want to thank you wholeheartedly for what you’re doing. I read on your website that you’re largely self-taught and I can’t imagine the effort, focus and energy that you’ve put into developing such an approach. Many of the things you mention seem to be locked in ivory towers. I’m also willing to bet that a whole bunch of moral support was required too (I’ve sure needed heaps of it). I hope that life is treating you very well – I think that it’s the least you deserve for selflessly helping out people like me and surely thousands of others. Thank you so much, Frank. With very best wishes. (Adam from Scotland)

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My mind is blown by how much knowledge and insight you pack into so few words and pictures and sounds. The simple way you explain music has plugged dozens of holes in my musical understanding. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. (E from Earth)

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You’re a special teacher. In just a few hours of reading, listening, and watching, Piano-ology totally changed my relationship with music. (Andrew R from Earth)

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With sincere teacher like you , world is going to be ruled by music , great work and thanks. (Tushar from Earth)

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Love your philosophy of music and of life. Your website and videos should be the most viewed music resources on the web. Why is this not the default way of teaching music? Makes me so angry, the time I have wasted. Keep going please, I know you don’t have many visitors etc. But the few of us who are getting this, are so very grateful. (Tech Tins from Earth)

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How in the world did it take me 20 years to find a teacher who really understands how music works and how to teach it. (Rebecca from Earth)

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I was really depressed before I found your website searching for the correct way to learn and I found a treasure. The way you describe Talent made me cry. You were describing me in some part of this article and I just cried. I just began my journey with 31 years old. I knew I was late for competitions, most of them are for kids and teenagers. I thought then, that there should be competitions for adults too, because it requires more effort between family and job… And we still want to share music with the world. So now, I’m gonna sit in front of my piano and I will give my best. Wish me luck, next week I’m gonna start music school. Thanks a lot for sharing that love for music. Sorry about my English. (ML from Earth)

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The effectiveness of your teaching is miraculous. Studying it truly enables the student to experience non-stop “quantum leaps”. Sincere THANKS!! (Zuhair from Earth)

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I’m a teacher age 60. Your videos on whole body piano technique are are truly inspired and inspiring. I got it at once about the spirit of rhythmic passion. Sorry that so few people “like” your lesson or donate to support all your hard and selfless work. (G from Mumbai)

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Meet Your Teacher

My name is Frank Peter, a semi-pro musician and the sole proprietor and creator of Piano-ology…

What Music Means to Me

I LOVE music…

And have made it a big part of my life because it challenges and excites so many things that make me feel alive.

I do not consider myself to be “talented”. I don’t have perfect pitch. Technique did not come naturally to me. I’ve overcome problems with rhythm. My memory is so-so. I enjoy performing even though I still deal with performance anxiety. But I’ve worked very hard to get where I am today and take immense pride in never giving up when things get tough.

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Whether as student, teacher, composer, or performer, music has greatly enriched my life in countless ways and continues to be food for my body, mind, and spirit.

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And it gives me great joy to share my love and knowledge of music with others so that they, too, can fall in love with it and realize their full potential… not only as musicians, but as self-actualized human beings.

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My gift is LOVE… love of life, love of music, and love of people.

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And I play, study, and teach music for personal growth, fraternity, and peace.

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My Teaching Philosophy

Teaching is my greatest joy because it integrates those values that are most important to me: freedom, self-awareness, discipline, self-improvement, creativity, self-expression, fun, adventure, sharing, education, courage, and service.

The bedrock of my teaching philosophy is as simple as it is challenging…

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My Credentials

I have no musical degrees or diplomas, no credentials in the conventional sense. My credibility stems from the diversity and authenticity of my unique smorgasbord of musical and life experiences. My real claim to fame is that I profoundly understand your frustrations as a student because I have struggled with the very same challenges myself. And I still remember how [unnecessarily] difficult everything seemed at the time.

That said, I will allow the effectiveness of my teaching (not my credentials) to speak for itself.

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Piano-ology is the fruit of countless cycles of frustration and joy, repeated bouts with self-doubt, thousands of hours and thousands of dollars spent over three decades on books, recordings, videos, magazines, private lessons, independent research, college classes, and a huge amount of plain old hard work.

Piano-ology is the fruit my unrelenting commitment to fuss over things until they make sense–separating the bogus and the authentic and gleaning the signal from the noise. Forever in search of the good, true, and beautiful–not just in the world of music but in life in general.

In a phrase, Piano-ology is frustration transformed into joy.

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My Musical Resumé

• As long as I can remember, I have always loved music. Decades later I would come to appreciate that LOVE, not talent, is the real gift.
• My earliest musical memory: Age five in the cellar of my buddy Scott’s cellar, an entire day “squandered” playing his dad’s stack of 45 rpm fifties records on an old beaten-up moldy turntable. We danced around like crazy.
• My first experience creating music: First grade. Flutophones. I learned how play a few simple tunes and was eventually given the honor of directing the flutophone orchestra, wearing a red blazer with baton in hand.
• Sadly, the rest of my grammar school years were a musical black hole. Perhaps nobody noticed my love of music. Perhaps they all sincerely believed that there were more important things to do.
• Fortunately, my parents had a spinet piano in the house. I never took lessons, but I would dabble over the years, picking out a few simple tunes by ear. Only now do I see the profound importance of having access to a real instrument.
• During my high school years, I taught myself how to read music (badly) and played a few easy songs by ear (actually by trial and error), but I was horribly frustrated because I really couldn’t play much of anything.
• In college, my fascination with music continued and I decided to study music theory and music history for my liberal arts electives while getting an engineering degree. Still, I knew almost nothing about the piano and so little about what really makes music tick.
• After graduation, I immediately jumped into an engineering career… and my sporadic musical life went back into hibernation, until…
• At the age of twenty-eight, I got invited to a jam session by some friends from work who had a band. I was amazed that a bunch of people could just show up and start playing together without sheet music. I was bitten by the music bug once again and committed then and there to learn what this music thing was really all about. I no longer wanted to just listen to music. I wanted to participate in the world of music, just like I had in first grade, so…
• I bought a very cheesy electric piano (it did not even have full sized keys), started showing up to the jam sessions, and learned something new every week. After about a year, I could play some simple blues, rock, and country music ideas in a handful of keys. After a couple more years, I got good enough that they invited me to join the band. I was shocked and honored and scared to death.
• I played my first gig (at a grungy, softcore biker bar) the week before my thirtieth birthday. I didn’t eat or sleep for days beforehand. Despite my nausea and terror, I survived and realized that it’s all part of the process. My life, musically and otherwise, has been expanding ever since.
• In the ensuing years, I simply followed my musical heart and walked through each musical door as it opened along the way.
• Through a semi-miraculous series of coincidences, I met my first piano teacher and took my first piano lesson at the age of thirty-two.
• I have had several teachers since, learning something from each of the unique influences, then quietly moved on to learn other things.
• Over the years, I’ve bought and read dozens and dozens of books and watched as many videos on theory, technique, styles, ear training, and improvisation… some worthwhile, most not so. Along the way I learned that the music library is full of musical untruths, that traditions die hard, and that the ability to market and sell something does not make something valuable.
• I have studied biomechanics, somatics, and the Alexander Technique–each giving me deep understanding of how your piano playing body moves.
• On the jazz front, I bought and studied dozens of improvisation books and play along packages (Aebersold, David Baker, Bert Ligon, etc.). While I learned the basics of the jazz language, I always hit the same brick wall and disconnect: Almost total emphasis on left-brain constructs (knowledge) and almost no emphasis on right-brain experiences (ear training) and performance (skill).
• I bought some of the Dick Grove “School without Walls” CDs, which introduced me to Solfege ear training and to the notion and importance of having “flexible” ears.
• I bought “the” perfect pitch course and gave it an honest hearing. It did not work for me. (My perfect pitch experiences are discussed at length on our aural comprehension pages).
• I took two ear-training classes and a blues-rock improv class at Berklee music school on-line. There I learned two huge (albeit expensive) lessons: 1) the importance of singing out loud when doing ear training and 2) the priority of rhythmic groove over flash when improvising. Also, Berklee confirmed that my approach to ear training (using Solfege) was clearly on the right track.
• I’ve studied educational psychology extensively at the university level which gives me a deep practical understanding of how your brain works. (Piano-ology is infused with these discoveries and principles in a way that is largely incidental and invisible.)
• During all the above, no musical skills came naturally to me. I have struggled with every aspect of musicianship: technique, rhythm, theory, reading, memorization, performance, interpretation, and ear training. But, in the torturous process of overcoming these obstacles, I discovered a priceless lesson that goes way beyond playing the piano: We are all far more capable than we realize (“You either have it or you don’t!” is a poisonous myth that tragically prevents us from reaching our full potential.)
• I started teaching music at the age of forty and have loved it ever since. Teaching has made me a much better player, because each lesson is an experiment in truth that forces me to be honest and to understand things deeply enough and clearly enough to be able to share them with others so that they, too, will understand.
• I retired from my engineering career on my fiftieth birthday in order to pursue my authentic dreams. Piano-ology… freely sharing what I have learned about music, piano, and life over the years… is one of those dreams. Piano-ology is not perfect, but it is honest.
• My continuing goal is to cultivate my uniqueness as a musician and human being: teaching in a way that only I can teach and making music that only I can make.
• To that end I have never stopped being a serious student. As my time and energy allow, I continue to refine my technique, develop my ears, tighten my rhythm, and expand my improvisation vocabulary in many genres.
• And musical doors continue to open. One particular set of doors is the great pleasure and privilege to do live webcam lessons with some wonderful students (and human beings) from all around the world!

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Hear Your Teacher Play

Frank, the one man show at Piano-ology, takes immense pride in being a jack of all trades who enjoys playing a wide variety of genres and styles…

When he plays, his goal is always to connect, not to impress. So please don’t judge me on how many notes and how fast I play.

Here’re a few samples for your consideration, all played live without any editing whatsoever…

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The Piano-ology Theme…

(written and performed by your teacher, Frank Peter)…

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For Elise (Beethoven)…

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Little Sunflower (Freddie Hubbard)…

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Chameleon (Herbie Hancock)… Frank comping on a Wurlitzer Piano, then Soloing on Moog Synth…

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Minuet in D minor (Bach)…

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Maybe I’m Amazed (Paul McCartney)…

One of Frank’s great joys is to accompany vocalists for pop-rock and traditional standards…

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Autumn Leaves (Johnny Mercer)…

Frank enjoys playing jazz ballads in a way that respects the mood of the song…

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Riders on the Storm (The Doors)…

Frank playing a Wurly (in case you’re wondering what flavor of piano this is)…

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As the Deer (Martin Nystrom)…

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Linus and Lucy (Vince Guaraldi)…

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Prelude in E Minor (Chopin)…

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Twinkle Twinkle Little Star…

One of Frank’s great joys is to play the simplest songs with the deepest feeling…

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Let’s Connect!

A warm welcome to Piano-ology students, teachers, and friends from around the globe!

Piano-ology is forever dedicated to continuous improvement. To that end, all constructive comments, questions, suggestions, and lesson requests are always welcome and deeply appreciated.

Email frank@piano-ology.com

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Who Are You?

Frank would like to learn about your musical life (interests, experience, goals) so he can make piano-ology as valuable to you as possible.

• Are you a student, teacher, performer?
• What instruments do you play?
• What are your musical life goals?
• What kinds of music do you enjoy playing most?
• What aspect of music-making do you find most challenging?
• What aspects of musicianship would you like to learn more about?
• How did you discover Piano-ology?
• And if you feel comfortable sharing… where do you live?

Comment below or email frank@piano-ology.com

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Webcam Lessons

One of my greatest joys is sharing my love and knowledge of music with others… so that they, too, can make music a big parts of their lives… by discovering and liberating the artist trapped inside them.

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Frank’s Teaching Studio

Three high resolution cameras: tablet camera on music stand for talking, side camera and overhead camera for details.

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What will you learn?

Frank’s specialties include piano technique, music theory & ear training, composition & improvisation, and managing performance anxiety.

With your musical and life goals in mind, we will develop a deep understanding of how music works and learn how to use your ears, intellect, eyes, and muscles to create beautiful sounds.

Along the way, we will cultivate a short list of highly productive study and practice habits that will revolutionize your relationship to music making, guarantee progress in leaps and bounds, and transform your musical identity. After just a few lessons, you’ll have the knowledge required to become your own best teacher. After that, how much progress you make is up to you.

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How much does it cost?

I teach for the love of music, love of people, and love of life. Money is secondary. I’d rather teach a sincere student for free than an insincere student for $1000 an hour. That said, I can’t afford to give lessons for free, but am happy to teach for donations to the website. Specific terms depend on how sincere you are, how much fun we’re having, and how much you can afford. You can donate by PayPal or Venmo after each lesson and quit any time.

Frank doesn’t charge by the hour. He teaches based on transmitting something, not by spending time. He typically teaches without time limits. In other words, once a lesson starts, he does not watch the clock. In fact, many of his lessons have gone over three hours because so much progress was being made so much fun was being had that ending the lesson would have been a sad mistake.

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What about scheduling?

Frank’s schedule is flexible and always tailored to suit the interests and other life responsibilities of the student. Frank has done everything from fixed weekly time slots to “as needed” to four days in a row because the student progressed so quickly.

Interested? Email frank@piano-ology.com describing your musical life goals and background (Sincere inquiries only).

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Donations

https://piano-ology.com/about/donations

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