Welcome to Hadi Sumoro's
Private Piano Music Studio
Unleash Your Musical Potential
Welcome to Hadi Sumoro's Private Piano Music Studio. A place where you can explore and develop your passion for music. We are committed to providing a nurturing environment where students can learn and grow as musicians.
Piano
Music Theory
Jazz Theory
Hammond Organ
Clavinet
Electric Pianos
Roots Rock
Jazz
Pop & Rock
Welcome to my Music Studio, where I share and impart my piano-playing skills with my students. I have been playing the keyboard since the 1990s and graduated from Berklee College of Music with degrees in Jazz Composition and Music Production and engineering. With over 20 years of teaching experience, I have worked with young children, teenagers, adults, and even music professionals (including classical pianists looking to expand their repertoire to include modern music).
Since 2009, I have completed over 700 public music performances in the USA as a band member and solo keyboardist. I have played at over 50 venues across Philadelphia, Wilmington, New York City, Baltimore, and New Jersey. My primary instruments are the piano, electric piano, and Hammond organ.
As a band member, I have performed in a variety of genres with different groups, including Funk, New Orleans music, Classic Rock, Blues, Jazz, and Fusion. I am a long-standing member of New Pony Funk, a local band based in Philadelphia that specializes in Funk and New Orleans music. Additionally, as a solo pianist, my playing style encompasses easy jazz listening (such as Swing, Bossa Nova, and Foxtrot), Pop, Rock, Blues, and New Orleans music, as well as ragtime.
As a veteran piano teacher, I follow the Alfred and John Thompson curricula. I have since developed my own curriculum called the Modern Music Curriculum for Keyboards. This curriculum is designed not just to teach songs but to help students understand stylistic piano playing and foster self-independence, providing a solid foundation for future self-development. The key concepts include developing left-hand independence to create harmonic accompaniment for any song, as well as enhancing right-hand independence through effective fingering techniques.
Currently serving Radnor Township and the Surrounding: Wayne, Bryn Mawr, Villanova, Rosemont, Ardmore, Bala Cynwyd, Wynnewood, and Haverford. Please use the "Contact" section to send a message to me.
What do you offer for a beginner?
If a student is 10 years old or older and has never played the piano before, lessons will focus on the fundamentals of technique and sight-reading classical-oriented material. I follow the piano curriculum developed by John Thompson and Alfred. A preparatory book may be used for students under 10 years old with no prior piano training.
Hadi’s Modern Music Curriculum will be introduced once the student has completed the necessary prerequisites.
What do you offer for a non-beginner?
Each student will be interviewed at the beginning. Lesson materials will be determined after the initial interview, and the skill level required to follow Hadi’s Modern Music Curriculum will be assessed.
Do I need a keyboard or a piano at home?
Yes, otherwise, how will you or your child practice? Piano training will only succeed with consistent practice at home. I recommend at least 2 hours of piano playing exposure each week.
Do you teach music theory?
Yes. In my Modern Music Curriculum, I have developed a Verbal Music Theory training program. This approach focuses on helping students visualize music theory concepts on the keyboard.
For students interested in learning Jazz or more advanced music theory (such as college-level), I am happy to provide these lessons. Advanced topics include harmonic function analysis, modes and modal interchange, chord scales, tension theory, reharmonization, and the Lydian chromatic concept.
Please note that music theory is an integral part of Hadi’s Modern Music Curriculum. Every student will receive music theory instruction tailored to their appropriate level as part of their weekly lessons.
How young can my kid start to learn piano with you?
Starting piano lessons at the age of six (or occasionally five) is usually great for children. At this age, kids can effectively engage with and follow their teacher's instructions. However, the success of their training largely depends on parental involvement. Parents play a crucial role in motivating their children and ensuring they practice at home.
Do you offer a free trial lesson?
Yes, I offer a free trial lesson for the first meeting. This trial lesson is meant to be the initial interview for non-beginners and to develop a connection for a young student (as young as six years old).
Do you Give Certifications or students' recitals?
Currently, I do not offer recitals or certifications, but I do create video recordings after a student has acquired a significant skill set. In some cases, I will submit the video recordings to online piano competitions.
Are five lessons adequate to boost one's skill?
The answer is no. A piano lesson requires commitment, not only to attending the lesson itself but also to continuous practice at home. For beginners, significant progress in piano playing is typically observed after completing approximately 20 to 25 lessons, which usually spans a 4 to 6-month period with weekly lessons. Developing a new skill takes time for both the muscles and the brain. As a result, taking lessons for less than one year on any musical instrument is generally ineffective.
Please follow this link for Hadi's student videos.
What do you offer for intermediate-advanced players or Professionals?
I have taught several classical pianists with Bachelor's and Master's degrees who are interested in learning modern piano styles such as Pop, Rock, Jazz, and Blues. Over my 20+ years of teaching experience, I have developed a private curriculum designed to effectively introduce chord playing, train left-hand movement specific to each style, and help students communicate in the language of modern musicians. Additionally, I teach students how to capture specific musical feelings.
Training to understand a certain musical feeling is not overly complicated, but it's a nuanced process that requires customization based on each student's skill level. I employ various teaching techniques, such as adjusting metronome counts, creating different beat subdivisions for the same song, and providing guided improvisations, among others. These strategies help students grasp the nuances of various musical styles.
Learning how to improvise can be confusing or nonexistent for students who have never learned how to improvise or want to learn more about modern music (such as moving from classically oriented training). Starting with pop songs, I will guide learning improvisation by writing the notes in different colors. Please see the partial score below, where the red color shows improvisation or melody fills.
When a student has learned about guided melodic improvisation and would like to know, for example, how to play Jazz independently (including getting the feel right). I will provide customized sheet music with modified chords and melodies tailored to your needs. The example below is a jazz rendition of "Little Brown Jug."
By learning a familiar song, such as a children's tune, with a modified melody or chord progression, students can explore different playing styles. This teaching method can be further enhanced by learning to play the same song in two or three different styles, such as transitioning from pop to ballad to bossa nova, or from bossa nova to stride to walking bass/swing.
