We offer instruction in piano and digital piano; acoustic guitar, Loog (three-string) guitar, and electric guitar; and ukulele. If you’re interested in learning more than one instrument, consider taking a combo lesson.

We teach students of all ages—from preschool kids to the empty nester who always wanted to learn to play. 

Piano

If your young child is interested in piano lessons, please schedule a free Meet & Greet Lesson, and together we can determine if your budding musician has the attention span needed for practicing at home. An evaluation helps us prevent a false start--beginning too young for your student to succeed and giving them a negative first impression of music.

If you and I agree that your preschooler might be successful, Strings & Keys Studio offers a starter season (three months), during which you and your child can experience piano lessons and the discipline of daily practice. At the end of the starter season, you and your instructor can evaluate whether to continue with lessons or pause until your child is older.

Guitar, Three-String Loog Guitar, or Ukulele

Playing a six-string guitar requires fine-motor skills and coordination that can be challenging for children under age eight. For the young child whose heart is set on learning a stringed instrument, Strings & Keys Studio recommends two options:

• Three-String Loog Guitar: This variation of a six-string guitar is ideal for younger children because it only has three strings to master and it is tiny in size. Transitioning to a six-string guitar when your child is older is seamless.

• Ukulele: The ukulele is small in size, and its nylon strings are easier on young fingers. The ukulele has only four strings to master, rather than six. Later, your student can transition from ukulele to guitar.

• Guitar: For children ready to learn guitar, selecting the right instrument is vital to their success. I recommend starting young students on a classical guitar, whose nylon strings are gentler on fingertips than the steel strings of a folk guitar.  Guitars come in four sizes (read the FAQ, “What type and size of guitar should I buy?” for details). A guitar specialist at your local music store can help you determine which size best suits your child.

If your student wants to learn electric guitar, we recommend building a foundation on an acoustic guitar first, then adding the electric instrument.

Absolutely! We love helping adults fulfill their dream of learning an instrument, even if they never took lessons when they were younger. And adults who played as kids often make rapid progress as they awaken their latent skills through our program.

For piano instruction, we use Alfred’s Basic Piano Library and supplement with additional music from different genres (pop, rock, worship, country, etc.) to provide a well-rounded musical education.

For guitar instruction, young students use the Mel Bay method. Older students begin with the Hal Leonard library. These methods provide a foundation in chording and reading tablature. We then augment with skill-appropriate charts and music from a variety of genres (pop, rock, worship, country, etc.). As a student progresses, we introduce the GuitarTab app to access a broad selection of music.

For ukulele instruction, students begin with the Hal Leonard method, then progress to tablature or transition to guitar.

Yes! Virtual lessons are a great option for students who are out of town or live far away. Ask Deb for details during your free Meet & Greet Lesson & Assessment, which is also offered virtually!

Strings & Keys Studio is a year-round program to honor your investment of time and money in musical instruction. A tremendous amount of skill and progress is lost when students miss a summer’s worth of lessons.

Strings & Keys follows the holiday schedule of the Leander Independent School District (LISD). Our studio is dark for Thanksgiving week, winter break, spring break, and Friday and Monday of Easter weekend. During the summer months, the studio is dark on Memorial Day, the week of Independence Day, and Labor Day.

During the summer months, weekly lessons and our Summer Accelerator program boost each student’s progress. Make-up lessons and virtual lessons are also available to accommodate family travel plans.

Your instructor will provide you with the list of books you’ll need to purchase. Click here for links to lesson books. Click here to explore music from your favorite playlists. And click here for links to instruments, gear & supplies.

Guitars come in several types and sizes.

Types of Guitar

• Steel-String (acoustic): A steel-string guitar has steel-wrapped nylon strings, a narrower neck than a classical guitar, and a larger body. It also has a pick guard to protect the wood near the guitar’s sound hole from scratches. Most acoustic guitarists play steel-string guitars.

• Classical: A classical guitar has nylon strings, a wider neck than a steel-string guitar, and a curvier body. Classical guitars are designed for fretwork and finger-picking, rather than strumming.

• Electric: A solid-body electric guitar has a long, narrow neck and requires an amplifier to create sound. Students wishing to learn electric guitar often begin with acoustic guitar lessons to master chords, fretwork, and finger technique, then transition to electric guitar lessons once they’ve learned the basics. 

Guitar Sizes: Choosing the ideal size instrument helps students master guitar with greater success. See a guitar specialist at your local music store for recommendations on sizing. We recommend Guitar Center or Strait Music as a great place to start.

• Full size (4/4): Suitable for most adults and taller teenagers. 

• 3/4 size: Recommended for children between 8 and 12 years old, or smaller adults. 

• 1/2 size: For children between 5 and 8 years old. 

• Loog Pro Guitar: This tiny guitar is ideal for younger students because it only has three strings to master.

Ukulele Sizes: This four-stringed instrument comes in five sizes, and we recommend beginning a younger student on a soprano or concert size. A ukulele specialist at your local music store can help you choose the ideal size for your child.

• Soprano (21 inches)

• Concert (23 inches)

To cancel a lesson you cannot attend, text Deb at 512-586-8258, and she will remove your existing lesson from our calendar. If you would like to schedule a make-up lesson, go to our Lesson Scheduler and choose from the available times.

To request a virtual lesson, schedule an available time as usual, then email Deb to let her know the lesson will be virtual.

Note: Lessons canceled with less than 24 hours’ notice are not eligible for rescheduling unless the absence is due to illness.

If your instructor is sick or out-of-town and must cancel a lesson, we will let you know ASAP. You’ll have two options:

1. Reschedule the lesson using our Lesson Scheduler.

2. Receive a prorated discount of 25% per missed lesson on your next month’s tuition. To choose this option, email Deb. Be sure to include the date(s) of the missed lesson(s).

If your current time isn’t working for you, check to see if your preferred new day or time appears to be available on our Lesson Scheduler, then contact Deb to confirm its availability and request a permanent change.

If your preferred day or time is currently unavailable, email Deb the possible day/time options that you’d prefer and Deb will add them to the waitlist.