How 1-on-1 piano lessons helped Emily improve hand coordination and master finger placement

Emily, a hardworking professional, had always been passionate about learning the piano. But her busy work schedule, which often had her working late into the evening, made it difficult to find consistent practice time. 

She was struggling with two key pieces, “Moon River” and “Hallelujah.” Both pieces posed unique challenges: for “Moon River,” she struggled with finding the right rhythm, and for “Hallelujah,” the left-hand chords felt awkward and difficult to manage.

But with the help of her dedicated tutor, Stephan Elvin, Emily made significant progress with 1-on-1 piano lessons. Here’s how her lessons helped her overcome these challenges.

Real class insight: Emily’s one-on-one piano session

In her recent lesson, Emily worked on mastering the left-hand chords for “Hallelujah” and improving her left-hand coordination for “Moon River.” 

Stephan provided clear guidance, helping Emily focus on muscle memory and efficient practice techniques.

Improving left-hand coordination – focusing on repetitive patterns

Emily’s main struggle with “Hallelujah” was her left-hand chord transitions. She found herself constantly looking down at the keyboard, making it difficult to focus on her right-hand melody. 

Stephan reassured her that the repetitive nature of the left-hand chords would help her build muscle memory. By committing the left-hand patterns to memory, she could free up her focus to play the right-hand melody with more confidence.

What Emily learned: 

“I was really struggling with the left-hand chords,” Emily says. “Stephan showed me how to break down the repetitive sections and not focus so much on looking at the keyboard. As I practiced, it started feeling more natural.”

By slowing down and focusing on the repetitive nature of the left-hand, Emily began to play with more fluidity and less hesitation.

Mastering time management – balancing work and practice

One of the challenges Emily faced was finding time to practice. Her job often kept her working late into the evening, making it hard to focus on the piano. 

Stephan suggested that she take short breaks while working to avoid back pain, which was also affecting her practice time. Despite limited practice hours, Emily made the most of her available time.

What Emily learned:

“It’s hard to find time to practice, especially with my work schedule, but Stephan helped me realize that even short, focused practice sessions can lead to improvement.”

By adjusting her practice schedule and using short, focused sessions, Emily was able to make progress, even with her busy work life.

Navigating finger placement – making tricky transitions smoother

Emily found some transitions in bars 14 to 18 of Hallelujah especially challenging, particularly when switching between hand positions mid-bar.

Stephan worked with her to choose consistent fingerings and emphasized planning fingering in advance to ease transitions.

What Emily learned:

“I wasn’t sure when to switch fingers and it kept throwing me off,” Emily said. “But Stephan helped me mark the fingerings, and now it makes a lot more sense. I feel more in control when I know what’s coming next.”

Marking down finger numbers and practicing deliberate shifts helped Emily play more smoothly and confidently through complex sections.

Understanding musical structure – decoding repeat signs and form

Emily was confused by the repeat structure in Hallelujah, especially the “first-time” and “second-time” bars. Stephan explained how first and second endings work, and walked her through where to jump back and skip to when repeating sections.

What Emily learned:

“I kept playing both endings back to back and thought something sounded off,” Emily laughed. “Now I understand how the repetition works and where to jump to. It finally sounds like the real song!”

By learning how to interpret musical roadmaps, Emily avoided awkward phrasing and could perform the piece as intended.

Why this matters: You can improve too

Emily’s experience highlights how personalized 1-on-1 piano lessons can help students improve even when they face challenges like time constraints or technical difficulties.

With Stephan’s support, Emily gained greater control over her left hand and developed better practice techniques, allowing her to make consistent progress.

Want to improve your piano technique like this?

Work with expert piano tutors who can:

• Help with left-hand coordination, finger positioning, and rhythm control
• Address real-time challenges with personalized feedback
• Offer structured lessons tailored to your progress and needs

Book your piano lesson today – your first session is on us!

See more transformation stories

Every student’s journey is unique, but one thing remains the same: personalized 1-on-1 piano classes make all the difference in achieving your musical goals. 

Whether it’s mastering left-hand coordination, building confidence, or refining your technique, Wiingy tutors help students break through challenges and make real progress.

• How 1-on-1 piano lessons helped Taylor improve rhythm and timing with metronome practice

These are just a few of the real-world success stories from students who’ve benefited from private piano lessons. Explore how personalized tutoring can help you break through your own barriers and take your piano skills to the next level.

Link to Stephan Elvin’s profile:

Stephan Elvin

Footnote: The student’s name has been changed for privacy reasons.