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Brian, hope that 2nd cup of coffee helped.

As Morodiene noted, two pianos, side by side. Having a second instrument behind you isn't very much help to student or teacher. Side by side, my students can see my hands and watch/listen as I play. No lesson time is lost switching places. And also of great importance, playing together, not just duets, but playing in unison helps students immensely. Things like rhythm, dynamics, voicing, etc. And of course, I'm totally focused on my student's playing. I know the scores quite well, and seldom have to stare at them (exception - when we're doing an accuracy check). Mostly, I watch my student's hands, wrists, and body positions. And I often stand and walk around the student. In point of fact, if you take lessons with most any other instrumental teacher, the student brings their own instrument to the lesson. This isn't practical for piano students, so teachers provide one. The laws of learning and teaching aren't negated just because we've switched from a clarinet to a piano. To summarize, having a second instrument, side by side, provides the teacher greater flexibility and possibilities in their teaching. It isn't mandatory, and not all teachers can manage a second instrument, for a variety of reasons, but all other things being equal, it really helps!

It did!

Now that I think about it, I will ask my teacher next week if she ever uses the second piano and for what purposes. It never dawned on me to ask before now...

I sit on my piano bench, at my piano. But occasionally I will stand right next to the student to monitor the fingering or to write an important message in the book.

And, yes, having two grands side-by-side is quite crucial to my teaching.

But, for beginners, I've found that it's easier to grab a chair and sit right next to the student. This is especially true if the student is younger than 7.

Thanks for all the responses! I never dreamed there was so much diversity in what piano teachers sit on during the lesson.

I asked because, for the first time ever, I will be teaching in a room more or less only for teaching piano (it will double as a formal front room, but it probably won't often be used for that). So I'm trying to decide how to furnish it, besides the piano, of course. In the past, I've grabbed an office chair or a dining chair, whatever was closest, and sat near the piano bench (or on it with the student).

Nobody has mentioned back problems, or bad chair problems, so I'll chime in. Some years back I switched to an expensive office chair (Global/Obus Form) for teaching. Before that I just used any old chair and put up with it. Nowadays I can spend hours sitting in my teaching chair without even knowing time has passed.

Yes, I also spend a fair bit of time sitting on the piano stool of a digital second instrument - for duets, or for a bit of demonstrating - but let me put in a strong plug for purchasing a good teaching chair. I paid about $600 and depreciated the cost.

P.S. A prominent piano teaching colleague with back/neck issues swears by by one of those big rubber balls he sits on for teaching many hours a week. You can buy them in health or yoga stores. I tried one but I kept falling off....

Peter, I have to confess that I, too, switched to a very comfortable office type swivel chair a few years back. But it's positioned where the bench used to be.

John, that's a fine confession. I was amazed at the improvement in my back when I switched teaching chairs.

I try to stand up as much as I can during lessons. Once in a while I'll sit down in the chair I have in the room as well. I figure the worst thing to do is the same thing for an extended period of time.

In my case, and probably Peter's, the chair isn't for relaxing; it provides back support. Wait until you're 70+. Anyway, I play with my students so much that standing has become the exception, not the rule.

I suppose the teacher must be quite on the ball for that to work.


Sorry--I just couldn't believe no one had said it yet!
Seriously, you can get those big balls now with little feet that will keep them from rolling away when you stand up, or you can get a frame with legs and a back for it.