Top 3: Piano, Guitar, Violin

My favorite instrument is the piano

Sara Mendes is a pianist and piano teacher. She studied in St. Petersburg and Switzerland, and after working in Wollerau, Sydney, and Willisau, she has now been teaching at the Lucerne City Music School for four years. She teaches children and adults and, starting in the fall semester of 2026, will introduce the new course „Early Piano“ together with three colleagues.

For years, the piano has been the most popular instrument of all. Why do you think that is?

Maybe because it goes well with so many styles of music. The piano always works. It’s a very visual instrument; there are lots of great tutorials on YouTube where you can see the keys from above and learn pieces quite easily. Many children and teens do it this way, and for us educators, these are often interesting discoveries as well. And the piano is very accessible. We have a grand piano in the entryway of our home that’s always open. Everyone who comes over—even little kids—tries out the instrument. It’s very spontaneous, it happens quickly, and it’s uncomplicated. And yet there are so many other great instruments out there (laughs).

How did you get into playing the piano?

For me, it was a bit of a coincidence. As a child, I attended a ballet school that also offered music lessons, and the ballet teacher gave me piano lessons. She had a small class, but she was very active and even sent us to competitions in Italy. When I was about 12 or 13 years old, I realized that I wanted to learn more and continue my studies—that I wanted this to be my career.

Have you ever gone through some kind of crisis and wished you played a different instrument?

As a teenager, I wasn’t so much going through an “instrument crisis” as a “time crisis”: I wondered if I wanted to keep devoting so much time to music. My friends were doing a lot of other things in their free time, and I practiced a lot every day. My teacher was very strict. The other things came later. I often think I should have chosen the cello instead. I feel like a melodic instrument would suit me even better. The cello is my favorite instrument after the piano—or maybe they’re both tied for first place.

So you're going to learn to play the cello, too?

No. I’ve already tried it—my son plays the cello, and I quickly realized how difficult it is. It’s a long road to reaching a certain level; it takes time, which I don’t have right now. So I guess it’ll remain a dream. With the cello and many other instruments, you have such a close connection—you can actually hug it. You can’t do that with the piano. The relationship with the instrument—that physical closeness—has to come from the imagination. That’s why I’m a little jealous of cellists (laughs).

Is there anything you do with all your students in their very first piano lesson?

I place a lot of importance on good finger placement on the keys. I try everything out with the students—all the octaves, including the pedals. We improvise with animal sounds, play high and low notes. The children make up sounds, play only on the black keys—all kinds of experiments. That way, they get a feel for the size of the instrument right from the start.

How old are the students when they start, for example?

There’s still this idea that you shouldn’t start playing the piano until third grade—I don’t know where that comes from. I think it’s wonderful to start as early as age five. I love this work. Sure, the pace is different; you can’t have the same expectations, but if you’re patient, you can achieve so much through play, spark the student’s imagination, and really connect with the child. In Lucerne, we’re now starting early piano classes in groups for five- to seven-year-olds. I really like this teaching format—it creates a different dynamic. As a piano teacher, I usually spend a lot of time sitting at the piano, but in a group there’s a lot of variety—you stand up, you dance—it’s very playful. The idea is for the children to have a positive introduction to music and to be able to play together with others.

How many of your students have a real piano at home?

About half. I always recommend acoustic instruments, but I also understand that this isn’t possible for every family. However, it’s important to know that a piano doesn’t have to be expensive. There are so many good instruments on Ricardo that are practically being given away. And it’s enough to have the piano tuned once a year. But ultimately, of course, it’s up to the family to decide what’s feasible.

What has been your experience—on average, how many years do the children attend classes? Is there a critical phase?

As teenagers, they often realize that they’re interested in other things as well and want to hang out with friends. When they start high school or begin an apprenticeship, they often participate less. In elementary school, however, it’s rather rare for them to drop out.

How much should piano students practice, roughly?

I always say: play five times a week, including piano lessons—that means four times at home. That’s how I do it with my kids, too, both of whom are learning an instrument. A large part of the responsibility falls on us, the parents: we have to create the structure for it. They need help organizing it, at least during elementary school. After all, we remind them to brush their teeth and take a shower, too. At the City of Lucerne Music School, we have annual parent-teacher conferences—this year, I focused on the topic of practicing. Parents keep saying that their children forget to practice, and I tell them, “You’re allowed to remind them; they’ll thank you for it later.” But I know from my own experience what it’s like: as a mother, it takes an enormous amount of energy for me to take on this role after a long day at work and practice with the children. But then they sit down at their instruments, and it’s wonderful.

How long should they practice?

I don’t think it makes sense to give them a set amount of time; it can tempt them to just sit through it. I give the children a specific plan to follow. We often roll dice during class to determine how many times they should repeat something—they really enjoy doing that. I always assign three homework pieces: a short exercise to get started, a piece we’re working on, and then either a bit of theory, a rhythm exercise, or the “treasure chest.” This is a way to maintain their repertoire—playing a piece they really enjoy.

You also teach adults. Who takes piano lessons as an adult?

Some people long to return to their youth and want to play more again. There are those who were already very advanced as children, and I can always give them new challenges. Then there are those who want to start from scratch. They often come with high expectations of themselves, and their minds grasp things very quickly, but putting that knowledge into practice—something that comes so intuitively to children—is much more difficult. Coordination is also a challenge. I noticed that myself when I tried to learn the cello.

Do you also use digital tools in class or at home?

I have an online platform where every student has their own folder. There, for example, we save recordings of the pieces they play so that when they leave the program, they can download a portfolio of their best pieces. I also post recordings or exercises there—videos or audio files—that might help them practice at home. I think this is great. They can access it anytime via a QR code.

More about the Statistical Report learn