Marianne, this is such a huge topic that I hardly know where to begin.

Like Wade, my favorite teaching method is Alfred's Basic Piano Library. For students age 7 and younger, I use the preparatory lesson books, the ones with levels like A, B, C, etc. For older students, I use the basic lesson books with levels like 1A, 1B, 2, 3, etc.

Once students learn to read notation, they really enjoy contemporary sheet music. Some level 1 sheet music that my students have really enjoyed are "Victory Bells", "Ancient Temple", "The Shark", "Festiva", and "Mist On the Lake". A great online source for ordering lesson materials is www.pianoatpepper.com.

When students progress to the intermediate level, you will need to be familiar with classical music at that level. A good source, though it can be a bit overwhelming, is Jane McGrath's "The Pianist's Guide to Standard Teaching and Performance Repertoire." I have been working on a database of repertoire that is searchable by composer and/or level, but it is not nearly complete, or I would offer you use of it.

Tuition varies depending on the area and a teacher's education and experience. I find that it is easier for parents and for me when the tuition is the same every month, so I calculate the number of lessons that will be offered between June and September (not including holidays and vacations), multiply that number by the tuition amount for each lesson, then divide it by 10 months. For example, I charge $40 for a 45-minute lesson. So I would multiply $40 by $35 lessons ($1400), then divide that amount by 10 months to come up with a monthly tuition of $140. this means that some months will have 5 lessons, and some may only have 2 (December?), but the monthly tuition amount is always the same. I do not offer refunds for missed lessons, but I do try to offer makeup lessons when possible. I also teach during the summer, but I calculate that differently, because so many students go on vacation during the summer.

Another suggestion, but one that will take a lot more preparation, is to have a website on which the students' performances can be posted for their friends and relatives to see. This gives them regular motivation to try and perfect their pieces as much as possible. If you like, you may visit my site at www.pianodreamsstudio.com.

I hope this helps. I will write more if I think of other suggestions.

Teaching music to children is a wonderfully rewarding experience. I congratulate and with you much success and joy in this incredible journey.

Hi Marriane,

I have also faced these concerns during my early years in the profession. I am also a private music teacher doing business just beside my house.

Those years are indeed hard for me. I even thought of giving up because I was not able to earn much money. I have faced problems in track payments, lesson schedules, and sending invoices to my students. Until the time that my friend introduce to me this music teacher's software. This website has indeed helped me in many aspects of music teaching. It also offers some credible resources and tips for music teachers.

Take some time to visit and learn how you may also gain from it.

Good for you! I have taught piano for many years! I really enjoy it and plan to continue. You would be wise to find a piano or music teacher's organization in your area. Then you would be able to find out about fees and where to find students etc.As to materials.I really like the Faber Piano Adventures series.

To get the Frances Clark book, go to www.francesclarkcenter.org and click on the store. You should be able to get it there. I just bought one in April at the MTNA convention.

Re: Musical Fingers This is a set of technique books, not a core method series.

Anything to do with the Music Tree series is now published by Alfred since they bought the license a few years ago.

In addition to being a private piano teacher, I was also a student of William Westney for a couple years at Texas Tech before changing majors, and have a signed copy of "The Perfect Wrong Note", but have not been able to make it through the whole thing for some reason. I suppose I should give it another go.

PS: While I haven't been able to finish his book, I am not trying to demean him as a musician or teacher, as he is excellent at both.

I am also a private piano teacher, as posted above, and found "Music Teacher's Helper" to be a very interesting and informative website. As my husband and I run a studio together (I teach piano, especially the young ones, he teaches adult piano and voice), we have found several resources that help us with the business of running a studio. First, "The PracticeSpot Guide to Promoting Your Teaching Studio" by Philip Johnston, and also "The Independent Piano Teacher's Studio Handbook" by Beth Gigante Klingenstein." They have helped us immensely.

For example, as per the PracticeSpot book (for which there is also a website, by the way), we passed out flyers to the neighborhood and held an intensive two-week piano workshop for free, at the end of which we gave a small concert. I ended up teaching three students, and picked up two permanently after that. We also auctioned off piano and voice lessons at a local silent auction and got students who were very interested, and while they may not continue, will be great word of mouth.

I would also encourage you to have a web presence. As our culture continues to be more and more inundated with technology, it benefits the new private teacher to have a website full of studio information, etc. We also post a blog on our website, and the articles are not only interesting, but increase our visibility using keywords to help bump us up in Google listings. We have definitely gotten business off of our website.

Finally, regarding business, we put magnets on our car advertising our studio, and we have gotten calls and responses from that. Also, make business cards and never neglect to carry them around. You never know who you might meet that will strike up a conversation about music and end up wanting more information.

Regarding teaching and instruction books, I try to change things up. I have some VERY young ones (the youngest was 3 when she started), and for those, I like the "Music for Little Mozarts" series. For all older ages, I love the "Dozen A Day" books for exercise and technique. They are interesting and creative and cover a broad range of exercises. I tend to switch out lesson books frequently as we are only a year old, and I haven't really found a FAVORITE favorite yet. I also make sure to incorporate theory (notespelling for the very young) and history into every lesson. We are also in the process of purchasing some percussion instruments to help kids learn rhythms getting away from a metronome and piano for a minute.

One thing I picked up from another teacher: If you have an electric keyboard that makes different sounds this is great. Lay out a bunch of different pictures on the floor, and then play something on the keyboard and ask the student which picture it makes them think of. You can play sad things, happy things, royal things, rainy things, etc. It's a great little game.

Hope this helps and good luck with your studio.

There are, indeed, a lot of very helpful resources and information that music teachers may find on the internet. It is just that we must learn how to use them to become effective teachers and to make our music teaching career productive and sustainable.:)

I can barely believe it's been 15 years since I started teaching piano and guitar! I started after earning my music degree from a Chicago college. I'm now an extremely successful (wait-list!!) but a trite bit overloaded teacher w/my own Studio in the Chicago suburbs. All my best to you as a new teacher!!

Stuff I've learned:

--Yeah, I use Faber but all the methods lack in some huge way. Always be ready to supplement with your own innovations/worksheets/other books.

--Come up with a firm, easy to understand Studio Policy with a liability waiver that parents sign & return. You can have a look at mine at kimberlysteelemusic.com/policy.html and you are free to paraphrase it.

--Make sure you have a website. Better if it's your own name like MariannesAwesomePianoLessons.com or whatever. I swear, 50 percent of my new students are coming from my dot com these days.

--Make it funny. I have always incorporated humor into my lessons, silly voices, funny snippets of popular music thrown into Music Theory demos, et. al. They love it.

--Joining the MTNA can help. It costs around 100 dollars a year but it's tax deductible. If only to meet some other teachers and network at the very least.

--HAVE RECITALS. OMG so important. Mine are 2x a year and not mandatory. Nevertheless, 75 percent of the students participate.