At Sally Piano Music, we’ve taught over 1,000 students since 1999. Our conveniently located studios in San Diego make it easy for students to reach us, but we also offer in-home music lessons. Our friendly San Diego music teachers offer customized lessons in voice, piano, violin and guitar for students of all ages, from elementary school children to Grandmas and Grandpas.

Sally Piano’s founder,  Sally Kafaei has taught over 300 students personally in the last 17 years. Her musical education, background and experience give her an insight into each student’s needs. Since she knows our instructors personally and is familiar with their teaching styles, she can assist parents in picking the right teacher for their child. This gives Sally Piano Music an advantage over many other music schools, which tend to place kids with teachers randomly, without any vetting into personal teaching styles or musical background.  

Although we teach students of all ages, our focus is on helping children discover the fulfilling world of playing music. We sponsor recitals each semester to highlight students’ accomplishments and introduce them to performing in front of an audience.

Piano Lessons in San Diego 

Piano is traditionally the first instrument most students master, and it provides the basic music theory background necessary to learn other instruments. San Diego piano lessons for kids are available to children 3 and up.

San Diego piano lessons for kids teach them to engage in active hearing, express emotions and become more creative. It’s easier for children to learn piano because they have more time to practice and have a supportive environment from parents and teachers. Children’s developing brains can easily absorb concepts and sounds, though there’s some debate as to whether not they learn music faster than adults. One study conducted for the California State Science Fair, concluded that adults learn faster.

According to an article in the LA Times, children who learn how to play an instrument experience increased focus and better memory. Listening to music boosts happiness, but learning to play piano offers physical benefits as well. It improves a child’s hand-eye coordination, motor skills, finger dexterity. It’s been shown to improve neural connections in the brain, which contributes to better cognitive function.

Students can learn on upright or digital pianos. If you don’t have a piano at home for practice, ask us how to rent one or buy one used.  Keyboards or digital piano are fine for beginning students, as they progress, we recommend moving to full-size piano. We customize lessons to each student’s interests. All children don’t learn at the same pace, and our patient teachers use different methods depending on a child’s progress.

Taking up the piano as an adult (or returning to it) offers older students a chance to reduce stress, improve memory and most of all, have fun.

Guitar Lessons in San Diego 

Guitar is the most popular instrument for teens wanting to play rock or pop music, but students of all age can choose from jazz, classical, flamenco, country and other musical genres. Our guitar teachers can customize lessons for your interests and playing ability.  

The first decision a new student makes is whether to play an acoustic or electric guitar. There aren’t any hard and fast rules, although acoustic guitars are easier for children to carry and learn basics. Discuss which guitar is right for you (or your child) with teacher. Once you’ve mastered playing one type of guitar, you can always move to another.

You’ll learn to play simple songs on the guitar during your first few lessons, usually well-known public domain songs like Silent Night or You Are My Sunshine. Many favorite pop, rock and country songs are appropriate for beginners, including hits by the Beatles and Tom Petty.

Voice Lessons in San Diego 

Anyone can sing. Singing well is another thing entirely. Pitch, tempo, projection, proper breathing all contribute to a pleasant singing voice. Voice lessons in San Diego to teach you how to use your voice to the fullest.

Just like exercising regularly keeps your body in good shape, practicing scales and singing daily (or a few times a week) keeps your voice full and vibrant. The remedy for a thin or out-of-pitch voice is practice. Singers need to warm up with scales and other exercises for about ten minutes, and practice songs and other exercises for 30 to 60 minutes a day.  Stop practicing when your voice feels fatigued. Unlike instruments, the human voice isn’t built for hours and hours of practice a day.

By taking singing lessons in San Diego, you’ll learn proper vocal technique and discover the most suitable keys for your voice. You’ll also learn about the anatomy of singing. The intercostals (rib muscles), abdominal muscles, lungs, diaphragm, and even the lower back muscles are used for breath support. Singing gives more than your vocal chords a workout.  You might say it’s another form of exercise!

The best singers start training early in life, with their teachers helping them adjust for puberty and other developments as they grow.  Before puberty, both boys and girls naturally sing in a higher range. During puberty, females sing softly and explore all areas of their range.  Boys should sing softly, and continue working on their upper register as well as lower register to maintain high notes after puberty. The singing teacher will guide students on the best way to make the transition from a “tween” voice in an adult voice.  

Violin Lessons in San Diego 

At Sally Piano Music, we offer traditional and Suzuki method violin lessons. Violin is best learned from an early age, and the average student starts training around 4 or 5, although students can start as early as 3 years. When teaching children violin, the instructor should ensure the student is using both hands from the first lesson. (This is true for adult students, too).

During the first few lessons, violin students learn:

• How to hold the violin
• The parts of the violin ( pegbox, scroll, tailpiece, strings, bridge, neck, fingerboard, etc.)
• How to pluck open strings
• Basic bowing technique

If you’re taking traditional violin lessons, reading music will be part of your lessons from your first few classes. In the Suzuki method, the emphasis is on playing and listening long before you learn music theory.

Call Sally Piano Music today if you are interested in private music lessons in San Diego. We offer in-home or studio lessons, and flexible, seven day a week scheduling options. Fill out our inquiry form or call us at (858)552-0822 for more information about San Diego private music lessons.

Address: 12364 Carmel Country Rd, San Diego, CA 92130

Locations in San Diego County