Otha Lewis
Discover classical piano through personalized lessons that emphasize musical nuance and sound technique.
Private lessons - Otha Lewis
Diploma degree
$19
$17
/ 30 min
About your piano teacher
My name is Otha Lewis, an American piano teacher of 7 years teaching students in both in personal and remote capacities. I hold an Associate's Degree in Piano Performance, soon graduating with a Bachelor's from California State University - Northridge. My approach to teaching ensures that students are an active participant in their learning not just at home in the practice room or executing the performance of a piece, but understanding and critically thinking about their intent, musicality, and process. I have learned that progress happens best when a student of any level has a well-rounded understanding of multiple musical facets: history, theory, ear training, rote, technique, creativity. Every student requires a unique approach, simultaneously tuned to their strengths and improving their weaknesses. Come join me in exploring the world of music! Let's grow together as musicians!
Otha graduated from Fresno City College
Piano lessons overview
Anyone can read a method book and attempt to apply it. I did so for 17 years before I ever sat in front of a piano teacher, internalizing the good and the bad that comes without a guide or professional direction. Of the good comes my approach to teaching, relating back to the steps I took to learn by repetition and rote, and further developing upon such a foundation with the invaluable information and practice I continue to received in my college education. Not only must a student graduate from levels of piano playing through any number of methods to evaluate progress, they must do so with a thorough comfort in multiple levels of execution. Here, I separate my approach from other teachers, favoring constructive methods of the 19th century to supplement the modern pedagogical practice. My curriculum has served over 50 students, tailored to suit students of all levels and ages, and aims to remain as open as a possible to develop supplementary material as needed, composing exercises for a specific need if warranted.
Trusted piano teacher for real results
88% students feel more skilled, confident, and ready to perform
Rated 4.9/5 by parents for piano classes
Families love the balance between structure and creativity in each lesson
Step-by-step piano lessons structure
Lessons break down complex pieces into manageable parts
Your piano teacher specialities
Piano Technique
Chord Theory
Music theory
Finger Placement & Hand Position
Ear training
Performance Skills
Piano Repertoire
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Piano concept taught by Otha
Mr. Lewis and Jennifer Crisp worked on piano technique, focusing on simplifying left-hand patterns in Czerny 599, interval recognition, and bass clef reading. Jennifer was assigned exercises from her lesson book and introduced to a new piece, "Little Flower Girl of Paris" by William Gillock. She was instructed to practice these assignments, prioritizing Czerny exercises for warm-up and to focus on the new piece after completing the assigned exercises.
Principal Tones
Intervals
Bass Clef Reading
Dynamics
Time Signatures
Moving in Seconds (Steps)
Mr. Lewis tutored Hogan Shrum in piano, focusing on exercises from Opus 802, the Gillock piece, and Bach's Prelude in C Major. They worked on finger independence, rhythm, note values, chord inversions, and musicality. Hogan was assigned specific practice tasks for the week, and they scheduled another lesson for the following weekend.
Principal Tones
Musical Piece Intention
16th Note Subdivisions
Ties
Dotted Notes
Chord Inversions
Mr. Lewis and Dan de Lion reviewed Czerny exercises, focusing on fingering techniques and rhythmic accuracy. Dan was assigned Opus 802 to improve hand coordination and foundational technique. They discussed future lessons, a potential recital performance, and the pieces Dan is currently working on, including "These Foolish Things," "Into My Arms," and "Perfect Day."
Triad over Root
Elevation of Fingers
Stop-Start Practice
Dotted Notes
Polyrhythms
In a piano lesson on July 26, 2025, Mr. Lewis worked with Keli on technique, focusing on exercises from Opus 802 and 599. He emphasized conscious thought and critical thinking while playing, particularly regarding trills, broken chords, finger placement, and chord inversions. He assigned specific practice sections, focusing on musicality, volume, and visualizing intervals and patterns. Keli also expressed concern about note reading speed, which Mr. Lewis said he would address. The lesson was interrupted by a noisy plane.
Lesson Time
Musicality and Volume
Intervals
Neighbor Tone
Triplets
Trills
Stop-Start Method
Mr. Lewis is giving James B. a music lesson focused on strengthening his understanding of chord progressions, inversions, and music theory fundamentals. They discussed applying a chord movement technique, reviewed figured bass notation and its relation to jazz chord symbols, and explored the importance of the leading tone in different keys. James was assigned homework to practice exercises in G, F, and D major, focusing on inversions and voice leading.
Leading Tone
Figured Bass
Chord Inversions
Tendency Tones
Major and Minor Modes
Relative Minor
Mr. Lewis worked with Lauren on sight-reading, rhythm, and musical notation, focusing on intervals, time signatures, and chord recognition. Lauren practiced exercises from Opus 599 and 500. They agreed to revisit the adult piano course book in future lessons, and the next lesson is scheduled for July 27th.
Reading Music Fluently
Identifying Intervals
Pattern Recognition
Time Signatures
Reference Notes
Types of piano lessons
Grand Piano
Digital Piano
Upright Piano
Classical Piano
Free lesson slots
1 / 1
Teaching tools used in piano classes
PDF Sheet Music Libraries
Metronome Apps
Chord & Scale Reference Apps
Ear Training Software
Virtual Piano Apps
Student types for piano lessons
Piano for advanced
Piano for kids
Piano for intermediate
Interactive piano lessons
Record lessons
Note taking
Parent feedback
Open Q&A
Chat for quick help
Piano teachers on Wiingy are vetted for quality
Every tutor is interviewed and selected for subject expertise and teaching skill.