In my ideal group class, each student has their own piano and they play along with the teacher. The benefit of this is that students improve their touch at the piano because they are imitating the teacher, and they start to develop that all-important sense of timing and rhythm because the teacher sets the pace and they can count on playing at a constant tempo.

In my class, as each new topic is discussed, I demonstrate the topic, maybe get some interactive demonstrations going and then start playing the example from the practice CD. The class plays along with the CD using their headsets for a few minutes and I observe each student and provide assistance where needed.

After the individual practice period, we start ensemble play. This is the fun part, as we mix and match different groups within the class. Everybody gets into ensemble play in some way or another. They can sing, hum, play the bass or play the treble, whatever they are comfortable with.

We do note singing, beat clapping, toe tapping and whatever it takes to keep the music playing and reinforce the new technique.

My Beginner I class starts a student with suggestions on posture and hand position through the course of playing bass and treble clefs with notes and chords in eight one hour lessons over the course of eight weeks.

At the end of Beginner I, students can play "Saints" with melody in the left or right hand while playing chords with the other hand. There's a lot of smiling going on during session eight.