Steinway Top Teacher David Chang | Learn Piano 3x-5x Faster Than Traditional Methods
If you’re an adult pianist who wants to play Chopin, Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, pop, rock, movie themes, TV show themes, game music, or indeed any genre at all from sheet music, please get in touch at your earliest convenience.
I help piano students of all levels - from total beginner to professional level - accomplish in 6-12 months what would normally take 3-5+ years through my original techniques and systems for extremely rapid learning.
You will learn to play your favorite pieces of piano music beautifully and from memory, gaining an entirely new mindset for learning along the way.
Please reach out for a free consultation - let’s start working on your favorite pieces of music right away.
Tackle Serious Pieces of Music Right Away
In my piano studio, serious adult students start working on their aspirational music by the third lesson. Perhaps you love the Moonlight Sonata, River Flows In You, Yann Tiersen, Philip Glass, Adele, Ludovico Einaudi, or Animenz arrangements. Whatever it is you want to perfect at the piano, I will help you to get started very quickly.
I ask each student in my community of motivated professionals in NYC to generate a list of unfiltered goal pieces right from the beginning. Don’t worry about difficulty - just write out every piece it would be amazing to play one day.
We’ll choose a piece from that list within a few lessons and begin working on it immediately!
How is My Method Different?
First, I won’t take you through method books like Alfred, Faber, John Thompson, or other publishers. Why spend literally years of your life going through simple, boring pieces when we can just go for the main thing in a straight line? The goal is to have you performing your dream piece in 6-12 months.
Second, we will work on your technique and playing ability directly through your chosen music. I won’t send you home from lessons with a book of scales to practice, a sheet of arpeggios, or other drills. We are able to expedite your ability to perform high-level music by learning directly from the actual piece itself.
Third, you won’t be bogged down with music theory unless you have a particular interest. My goal is instead to help you play the pieces you’ve always wanted to play as soon as possible.
In short, I help my students learn, memorize, and perform one or more pieces of advanced piano music within their very first year of study.
We don’t cut any corners, though. We continue to uphold the very highest quality in terms of technique, coordination, musicality, and more while advancing with all possible speed and independence.
In addition, if you then turn around and learn traditional aspects such as theory and scales after focusing on your main pieces for some time, you’ll find the process much faster and smoother than it would have been originally.
This is because you’ll have learned how to learn itself way more effectively… the true foundation of learning anything.
About Your Experienced Piano Teacher in NYC
Who Is David Chang?
I received my bachelor’s degree in education from New York University and my master’s degree in classical piano performance from Manhattan School of Music.
It was what I did out of school, though, that resulted in genuinely unusual teaching and truly abnormal results.
From the age of 13, I taught countless private lessons and group classes as well as all ages (from ages 3 to 80+) for over 20 years.
After my master’s degree, unlike my colleagues, I dedicated myself to a self-imposed regimen of practice, training, and research - often including over 8 hours of piano practice a day and tons of scrappy, unconventional thinking.
To this day, I believe it was my tireless dedication to the crafts of piano, learning, and teaching that brought my studio and my students to the levels of success we enjoy today.
I have performed at the Manhattan International Film Festival, Steinway Hall, Taipei, Prague, Surrey (UK), Gijón (Spain), Shanghai, and many other venues around the world.
David’s Unique Piano Learning Methodology
My one-of-a-kind approach to music and the piano has gone through countless iterations and improvements for over 15 years.
Through continuous research, practice, and teaching, my methods are constantly in a state of ceaseless, relentless innovation and evolution.
A lot of my unconventional tactics will answer big questions related to strategy and problem-solving such as these:
- What’s the best possible decision I can make right now for the fastest and strongest short-term and long-term progress?
- What are the principles I can follow to predictably make the best possible strategic practice decisions at all times?
- What’s something simple and straightforward I can do a lot of right now in my practice that will completely transform my current abilities?
- How can I quickly break down a piece of seemingly impossible music into approachable, manageable chunks?
- How do I get away from surface-level “tips and tricks” I see all over YouTube and Facebook groups? Instead, how can I layer dozens or hundreds of strategies and mindsets on top of each other to achieve results of devastating power?
- Really, at an even deeper level, what can be more important than learning how to learn and how to think? How can I then apply my newfound mindset to piano specifically to maximum effect?
Rather than spending years on drills and exercises with no context, we’ll also be able to answer questions such as these through working directly on pieces you know and love:
- How can I quickly memorize even challenging pieces?
- How can I play a difficult passage with great speed and accuracy?
- How can I play with great expression and emotion?
- How can I perform for anyone, anywhere, anytime, on any instrument, and in any situation?
- How can I just “sit down and play” beautiful music?
A Social and Performance-Driven Studio
My adult piano students - many of whom are like-minded, highly motivated professionals - meet each other over the course of the year in strategic team sessions, studio classes, and regular recitals.
While not required, you will have numerous opportunities to perform your memorized piano music for your peers. This process helps you gain confidence, share music effectively with others, enjoy playing for yourself more, and greatly accelerate your progress.
In many of these settings, I will provide feedback on your music and on that of your peers. In addition, you will also be able to learn from and interact with your fellow students.
When I ask serious adult amateurs if they know anyone else like them, they almost always answer “no”. Because of this, I make it my mission to bring together a truly unique community of dedicated adult piano enthusiasts. We join together through our shared passion for the piano regardless of our backgrounds or fields of expertise.
Piano Lessons in New York City For Motivated Professionals
My students have included attorneys, judges, bankers, engineers, politicians, doctors, dentists, jewelers, fashion designers, investors, entrepreneurs, other professional musicians, and other piano teachers, but they all share one trait in common - they are exceptionally driven to success both in life and in music.
I also have numerous students from other cities throughout the United States, and you’ll have the opportunity to meet peers from Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, Denver, and beyond.
FAQs Regarding Piano Lessons in New York City With David Chang
Who Typically Studies Piano With David Chang in NYC?
David Chang works primarily with driven adults who approach the piano with the same seriousness they bring to their professional lives. His NYC students often include attorneys, entrepreneurs, physicians, and creatives who want a structured path to mastery. Every lesson is designed for adults who want significant progress and deep satisfaction from their playing.
What Is the Core Goal of David Chang's Piano Method?
David's mission is to help students play the music they love at the highest level in a fraction of the usual time. He teaches students to learn, memorize, and perform advanced repertoire directly from sheet music without wasting years on simplified materials. The method blends logic, strategy, and science-based learning to help students achieve results that are both rapid and artistically refined.
Can I Take Piano Lessons in NYC as a Complete Beginner?
Yes. Many of David's NYC students arrive with little or no background in piano. His system introduces reading, coordination, and interpretation in a way that feels natural from the start. Within a few lessons, beginners begin learning real pieces, not children's method book exercises. The process builds confidence while fostering genuine artistry from day one.
Do You Offer Lessons for Advanced or Professional-Level Players?
Absolutely. David frequently teaches other music professionals and experienced pianists who want to refine technique, expand repertoire, or prepare for auditions and recitals. Advanced students benefit from his strategic problem-solving methods, detailed performance feedback, and his ability to diagnose subtle technical or musical challenges that may have limited progress in the past.
How Do the NYC Piano Lessons Differ From Traditional Teaching?
Most teachers follow a fixed curriculum or method book. David designs each lesson from the ground up based on your unique goals and current level. You will not spend years working through generic material. Instead, you will immediately begin applying technical and theoretical concepts to music you genuinely care about. This approach accelerates learning while maintaining the same artistic integrity as a conservatory education.
Do Students Really Start Working on Their Dream Piece Right Away?
Yes. Every new student identifies a "goal piece" during the first consultation. Within the first two or three lessons, you will begin working directly on that piece. The process is highly structured, breaking the music into logical sections that make complex works manageable. Students are often surprised at how quickly they begin performing excerpts of repertoire they once considered unattainable.
What Kind of Environment Can I Expect in the NYC Studio?
The studio in New York City is a calm, focused, and supportive space where students of all backgrounds are united by a shared love of music. David provides a professional yet approachable atmosphere that encourages experimentation, discovery, and collaboration. Students often find that the studio becomes a creative retreat from their daily routines.
Are There Opportunities to Perform?
Yes. Students who wish to perform can participate in studio recitals, strategic team sessions, and online or in-person classes. These performances are optional but are strongly encouraged because they dramatically improve confidence and consistency. Past recitals have been held at Steinway Hall and other prestigious New York venues. Each performance opportunity is designed as both a celebration of progress and a valuable training experience.
What Makes David Chang's Teaching Approach So Effective?
David's method integrates advanced principles from learning science, mental training, and musical analysis. Students learn how to practice with awareness, how to solve problems efficiently, and how to retain music with long-term memory. The system removes guesswork and teaches students to think like professional pianists, which leads to extraordinary speed and quality of progress.
Do You Teach Classical Music Only?
Not at all. While many students study classical repertoire, others pursue jazz, film music, pop, or contemporary piano arrangements. The unifying element is that everything is taught from authentic sheet music, never watered-down versions. The technique, theory, and artistry learned through this process apply to any genre.
Where Are Lessons Located in New York City?
David's NYC piano studio is located in the heart of Manhattan and serves students from across all five boroughs. The location is easily accessible by subway and near many cultural landmarks, making it convenient for busy professionals. For students outside New York, online lessons replicate the full experience of the in-person studio with identical quality and interaction.
How Can I Schedule a Consultation or Join the Studio?
To begin, prospective students schedule a free consultation directly with David. The meeting helps determine the right fit, set goals, and select between Strategic Teams or Elite Private Coaching. Most students start lessons soon after acceptance. Consultations can be booked through the online form or by calling (914) 560-6265 to arrange a convenient time.
Schedule a Free Consultation Today
I would love to speak with you about your pianistic goals, so please feel free to schedule a free consultation at your earliest convenience. I would be happy to provide more information about my piano lessons in NYC and at my studio. Whether you are looking for online instruction, want to join a musical community, or wish to meet with me for piano lessons in Brooklyn, get in touch.
I very much look forward to hearing your story and what you hope to accomplish at the piano!
