New member here. This is an amazing site. I am so glad that I found it out!

I am going to graduate highschool soon, and I am planning to open up a small studio in my home. I own a grand piano, and my family will be moving into town and I will be closer to my future students homes.
I just want to start out with some young beginners maybe between 4 and 10.

Can anyone give me some good advice as to what books it will be necessary to purchase before starting out? How should I advertise myself? How long should I make me lessons? How much should I charge?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks.

Hi Marianne!

Welcome! I am not a teacher myself, but this topic has come up in this forum from time to time. I looked around and found a few links to threads that discuss this topic. You can probably find others by doing a search. These are what I found:

http://www.pianoworld.com/ubb/ubb/ultimatebb.php?/topic/27/1083.html
http://www.pianoworld.com/ubb/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?/topic/27/892.html
http://www.pianoworld.com/ubb/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?/topic/27/894.html

Hope this helps.

Ken

Wow! Thank you!

Marianne, the art of teaching is not the same as the art of musicianship. To help yourself become a better teacher, the study of pedagogy (the art of teaching) is a must. There are lots of excellent helps out there for you to draw on.

"A Piano Teacher's Legacy" by Richard Chronister
"Practical Pedagogy" by Martha Baker-Jordon
Marianne Uzler's "The Well-Tempered Keyboard Teacher")
Frances Clark's "Questions & Answers"

to name a few.

Best of luck and keep posting questions.

Welcome! Hope you stick around and post your opinions on the topics here. Even getting ready to start teaching means I'm sure you have a lot of ideas on how you want to teach and how kids should be taught already. You might have some neat ideas for teaching you can share the rest of us haven't thought of as everyone has different ideas. Check the link I provided on "The Teaching Studio" in one of the threads Ken Knapp listed. It's an article on setting up a studio and getting started teaching.

Again welcome!

Yes, I know it's a quibble - and I'm sorry - but surely pedagogy is the science of teaching not the art of teaching. Just as technique is the science of instrumental playing or singing.


John

That quibble would make for an interesting and inspriring thread, John

I've featured this topic, so everyone feel free to post all the links and helpful advice you can think of for aspiring teachers. Besides being a resource for current teachers, this forum has huge potential for nurturing and mentoring future teachers.

Ken

Wikepedia defines pedagogy as "the art or science of being a teacher."

Talk about sitting on the fence!

Could we start a campaign to ban (and I never would have thought myself a lexico-fascist) "Wikepedia defines" from these forums. People refer to it as an authority, which it certainly is not - it's just folks like you and me who may or may not get it right.


John

OK, I'm sorry . I know it is not a great source. I just saw it when looking up the spelling for my other thread and threw it out there as food for thought. - Nothing seriously intended by it.

Well, it is both and art, and a science. The science comes in with the teacher's understanding of the craft of teaching, and the art comes in the quest creative repsonses a teacher must make with each individual student.

Back OT, as far as method books go, I have started using Faber & Faber's My First Piano Adventures with the young ones, and I really enjoy it. I also like their Adventures methods, and Hal Leonard's as well. They both avoid the 5 finger patterns until later, so students aren't stuck putitng their hands in Middle C position (which inhibits reading, imo). It's good when you have several beginners to use different method books so you don't get sick of the songs.

I second the list of books that John VD Brook listed, but I would add to that, "The Perfect Wrong Note" by William Westney.

Best of luck to you!

PS: I would also look into joining your local MTNA chapter.

hi i am a piano student but i have a serious issue with my right thumb,let me explain:as soon as i hit a note with it my index blocks and my wrist starts to hurt,that problem slow down a great deal my advancement in my studies would anybody be kind enough to give me some advice .i'm so depressed that i even think about giving up my studies.

Moz,
Sounds like carpal tunnel. I have had it for years and at its worst it can make playing piano impossible. Go see a physician and he/she will give you simple treatments (exercises/stretches) that should solve your problem. It is, however, important to pay attention to what your body is telling you before you do serious damage.

This is a good thread, the book recommendations are particularly good.

Is there anything specific to the UK, in terms of guide books for teachers just starting out? I'm asking because it's possible those books mentioned above might refer me to other american books for students to use, which would be hard for me to get hold of.

Thanks,
jon

Moz, You probably may want to read one or both of these very good books on RSI. Your problem can become extremely severe if left untreated.

It\'s Not Carpal Tunnel Syndrome! RSI Theory & Therapy for Computer Professionals

Dr. Pascarelli\'s Complete Guide to Repetitive Strain Injury: What You Need to Know About RSI and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Marianne,

Any book or video about teaching, by Frances Clark, will help and inspire you. There's a video by Jane Bastien that shows an extremely organized studio and many tried and true teaching techniques.

I love Alfred books for teaching. I usually start a young beginner with 5 Level A books - Lesson, Theory, Notespeller, Activity, and Technic.

Best wishes teaching piano!

I have a feeling about young children and their suitability to be taught the piano. I'm not a teacher but a parent/grand P/great-grand parent.

I suppose it is a good idea to be able to diagnose the success/probability factor of teaching piano playing to children. Do you teachers have a 'suitability level' that you feel about the teaching of children. If so, what happens next when you observe this developing ? Just curious.

I was taught by my mother because I had the use of the family piano and was always tinkling on it from an early age, say 5. My mother showed me how to find the correct notes for a simple tune.

There were 3 children and I was the only one that showed the interest in playing; 'by ear', same as my mother did. I have never learned to read music and so I'm a jazz player.

I only make this point, because I rather have the feeling that the art of music is something deep inside the mind and senses that you either have or have not got.

My wife and I had a family of five and although music would ring through our house 24/7 and apart from teenage pop stuff, these five never showed any desire to take piano playing at all.

I wonder sometimes if the children got too much music in the house. But whatever the reason, none showed the inclination to seriously learn the piano.

So many times I have seen children being taught the piano only to drop it eventually.

Perhaps this is a calculated factor and is taken as inevitable. But isn't that possibly rather destructive, by the very act of teaching children before they have shown spontaneous initial interest instead.

Finally, I think the ones, like me, who play by ear purely, rarely loose interest and keep at it. I know lots of adults of all ages that have been taught the piano formally and even reached good grades yet drop the whole thing, sooner of later.

You rarely find a ear player doing that.

Alan

i think that to be a good piano player first of all you have to be mystified by the intrument,i mean,myself when i see a piano ,i do not perceive a a box that makes sounds.i rather see a perfect peice of machinery that deserve a lot of respect,and needless to say that if you wanna learn it.you have to keep in mind that the instrument deserve respect like it was a living thing.to answer to your question the true musicians feel in some way the attracktion to music.the instrument you choose depend largely on your personnality as a person.

moz. How very true what you say. Though I have not felt a mystification personally. Probably because it was always in my life as far back as I can remember.

I have a very strong mental and physical bond with this instrument. In fact every time I come on this forum to converse and read I want to get back to the piano.

I have huge respect for the pianos I have owned up to and including the one I now own. It is perfect in my view and I love it like I do a women.

Alan.

Swingal:
I think that children stop taking lessons for any number of reasons, and not necessarily due to not liking the instrument. Many children are encouraged to take on way too many activities, which leaves little or no time to simply play and relax, let alone work on a discipline such as music. I try to warn my student's parents if I feel a child has too much on their plate, and sometimes this means they quit piano, sometimes they quit something else, or don't take on something new. Either way, the child benefits.

hello! Congratulations on becoming a teacher--I don't think I'd have the will or patience to do it, hehe. That's great though, I admire you. I'm not a teacher, but I loved these books that I started with, so here they are:

The John Thompson Piano Books
The Faber and Faber Books:
- Nursery Rhymes
- Rock and Boogie (I think)
Master Theory Lvls I-III (and more)

Those I pretty much used in my first year or so and then I went on to Sonatinas and Classical pieces.

Marianne,
Hello I am new here also. However I have been teaching piano for about 20 years. I begin teaching private piano lessons when I was 15! I thought I was doing well until I went to college and majored in Music Education. WOW! I have to agree about the pedegogy study. I helps tremendously, however not necessary or for everyone.

I have used the Bastien Series of books primarly. I find the students (especially younger) enjoy the pics and pages. That is just a personal preference. There are some series that are just as good. See if you local music store will let you borrow one Primer book from each series to take home and look over. Make your own judgement. Then end result is what matters, not what roady you took!

Also don't forget about your bookkeeping for the IRS etc. Good luck

* I love the book "The Music Teachers' Survival Guide"
this was a great one for me.

I wanted to chime in. I noticed everyone here uses different methods, but the common ones are Alfred, Faber and Faber, Thompson, Bastien, sometimes Hal Leonard.

Me, I use Frances Clark's The Music Tree (Time to Begin is the primer book) but there needs to be some dedicated study of pedagogy before teaching students using Music Tree. Still, I love it. I can fill in any areas where the Music Tree falls through (among one of them is the amount of music provided, though the Side by Side series alleviates this somewhat) and the students I have started on Music Tree all have a good grasp of basic skills.

I do find that it is rare to see other people using The Music Tree, and I sort of understand why more don't use it simply because of the knowledge one must have prior to using it. In some places it may be more difficult to get this series than the rest, and after the primer level the activities books take a drop in quality. But what I like the most about it is that it tries to avoid all the major beginner pitfalls. The students I have taught using Music Tree are all wonderful, lovely students with no particular attachment to any one position.

Alfred has in recent years come out with their Premier Series, which has taken a lot of ideas from Music Tree. It's been completely revamped. It's quite a good series, and more accessible than the Clark. I'd look into those also.

Edit: One other book to read is Bastien's "How To Teach Piano Successfully". It is a great resource. I refer to it, as well as Frances Clark's "Questions and Answers".

Minaku,

Are you aware of Frances Clark's Musical Fingers series? What do you thnik of it comparing with The Music Tree?

I do know of the musical fingers series, but I haven't given it a good thorough look like the others. When I go back to the sheet music store I'll take a look and play though some examples.

Hello Minaku,
I'm a brand new member and wanted to ask you some questions about the Music Tree method. I've been teaching for about 5 years now and have used traditional methods beginning with the Alfred's method, which I used growing up...the switched to mostly Faber Piano Adventures, which I'm not completely in love with like everybody else.
I've been intrigued by the Music Tree Method for a while now but have not tried it out because it is so different from those other methods I am used to.
However, I share the same opinion as you and do not want my students to be limited by position playing. My question is, what are the necessary skills that a teacher must have to switch to this method? Is it simply reading the Clarke and Bastien pedagogy books or are there workshops that might be offered? How did you begin using these methods, what did you use before and why did you stop using it?
Also, does anybody else here have an opinion or some pros and cons about position playing?
Thanks!

The Frances Clark book, Questions and Answers is currently out of print! How unfortunate! I wonder if I could find it at the library?

You might be able to find it at the library. Check out university libraries, as they're more likely to have it. Preferably a university with a pedagogical inclination.

The Music Tree, like anything else, takes a good deal of dedication and understanding of how the method is built before teaching from it. If one teaches solely from the book itself the learning will be sparse and I'm pretty sure the student will get bored.

I would say in order to teach using The Music Tree, one has to be quite knowledgeable about intervallic reading, kinesthetics of playing, sightread well, and have a good sense of what it takes to be play piano properly. The method is also given to group classes, which I find is wonderful.

Before I started teaching using Music Tree I had to go observe classes at my university (Carnegie Mellon). The first thing my professor had me do was learn a specific exercise called "drop-up-move". This is extremely difficult for the student to master, and it does take a bit of thought on the teacher's part to get the exercise down.

First, we take the second finger of the hand and place it on C with a good "piano hand". Keeping the second finger curved with the fingertip contacting the key squarely, drop the wrist down, letting the weight of the drop depress the key ("drop"). Second, keeping the wrist loose, let it come up, while still holding the key down with the finger ("up"). Third, shift the entire mechanism to the right by one key ("move"). Repeat.

The shortest it's ever taken me to teach this to a student was three weeks. It is an extremely difficult exercise, like I've said, but we start with these wrist dropping exercises, and by proxy 3-2-3-2 + wrist drop exercises first simply because they are the most difficult. So, here is where knowledge of kinesthetics would help out the most.

The Music Tree spends about 3-4 units in freeform prereading, so the teacher has to be quite comfortable with intervallic reading to teach it. After that the method branches out into 2-line staffs and teaches seconds. When I teach seconds I make sure students understand seconds up and seconds down, both on the piano, by ear, and on the paper (the ear training is the fun part). We translate this to the book. Seconds down means we go backwards in the alphabet. Seconds up means we go forwards. Etc. with 3rds, 4ths.

I totally forgot! The prerequisites to Music Tree are important. First, the child MUST start learning his alphabet from G backwards. Second, finger numbers must be learned and continually enforced.

I've made this massive post and now I'm short on time because I have to go teach, so if you have more questions please feel free to PM me and I will happy to answer them.

PS: I hate hand positions. Nothing annoys me more than giving a student a new piece of music and getting asked, "What position does this start in?"

jazzyclassical:

The Questions and Answers book by Frances Clark is still listed on her website - Frances Clark Center for Keyboard Pedagogy $25. I bought one at Christmas last year. Did you try there? It is a great book worth having a copy on hand.

Try e-bay or amazon?

And, I just have to add that I love teaching 5 Finger Hand Positions as it is the precursor to 6ths, 7th, and octaves. From 5 finger positions we can teach hand expansions to navigate to close lying positions...for instance the I-IV-V chord exercises (I-IV-I-V-I)

The 5 Finger positions give us 5 of the 7 letter names of the scale, why would we think this is not important to know? I think it is very efficient and effective and I have been using it for many, many years with no regrets. It makes fingering choices easier and when you want to teach intervals, the hand is useful for counting distances and direction of any size.

Always, my lesson one is about A-B-C-D-E-F-G and backwards G-F-E-D-C-B-A (retrograde)and finding all the keys of the same name and sound on the keyboard based on the groups of 2 black notes and 3 black notes and their white note "neighbors". Keyboard orientation comes before seeing the music staff in my mind.

Nice to get acquainted with you today! Keep posting!

Betty

I Marianne, it's my tenth year of teaching in a private school right now, and I've seen around 25-30 students a week on average. I would strongly recommend you do not force your teaching methods on the students, but rather build your methods around their strong point (like reading / hearing etc...) and what they like the most. Or course they all have to go through a first preliminary book, but the most "intelligent" ones can sometimes start directly with the first WTC prelude. I do not use any technique books after that besides some exercises I feel they may need (depends on the student)

The most important thing is to make them love not only piano but music as a whole. You want to make musicians, not only robotic pianists.

Once they love it and the technique/reading is in place, then you can make them do "miracles", like get them to play Beethoven sonatas after 3 years at age 10 and so on.

I also recommend playing a lot in front of your students to show them where they have to get at eventually and why they want to practice. Im not forcing them to practice their scales (besides the first ones) without having having a piece that place them in context (technique for the sake of technique can be one of the reasons why they would quit eventually).

Yet after 3-4 years all my students have quite good dexterity compared to other teachers who force technique on their students and make them learn less pieces.

All my students learn to do jazz also to give them a more free and creative challenge after playing some harder classical piece.

I teach them the chords theory as soon as the first technique book is done and even if they only understand like 10%, dont worry, after a year or two they start to hear chords and circle of fifth, etc...

Of course, some are hopeless too... Dont waste your energy on them, just be patient.

Well, maybe something in this messy post can help you.

Thank you Minaku I am going to get the teacher guide for the Music Tree and study the Clarke website. I'll probably have lots of questions but I'll try not to bug you too much!!

As a fairly new teacher, I would like to say that this forum is great, even though I've only been a member for a day! I am so happy that there is a place like this for piano teachers, because I often feel alone in the teacher world. And often I feel that my questions will go unanswered and that I just have to figure them out myself by trial and error.
Thanks to everyone for their suggestions too! It's really cool to hear what other teachers are doing. I find in the method books there are strengths and weaknesses. So I guess the task is to find the one that suits you and the students best.

I've had a few different teachers. Just remember to keep it fun. I left my first teacher because I got bored. The other two teachers move out of state, but I loved them and loved playing with them.

I try to keep it fun for my students. I always try to take the last five minutes of the lesson and play a "note game" where they close their eyes and I play a note or an interval etc. and they try to guess it. Not only do they have fun, but it is good ear training as well.

You might check out this link:

http://pianofundamentals.com/

It is an online textbook for teachers (and students) that discusses effective practice methods. It is interesting, much of it is confirmed by my own experience, and it is free.

Good luck with your teaching.

Hi and welcome Marianne!

I would recommend to check out and attend some Suzuki Piano Basics workshops to learn how, IMO, to learn to teach young children WELL.

Not to say that any other method or books mentioned are not effective or valid. They may certainly be for those that are comfortable with teaching piano this way. Really it is something that you need to experience and find out what is right for you, like I did.

Doing a search on Suzuki Piano on this site will give you lots of info.

Here is the link to their website if you are interested in Suzuki workshops:

http://core.ecu.edu/hist/wilburnk/SuzukiPianoBasics/

For info on what to charge, studio policies... etc. Do a search on this forum, a lot of talk regarding these subjects have been discussed in length.

All the best to your endeavor! And again welcome to PW!

I'm fairly new to teaching as well. I started teaching young beginners at 14, under the tutelage and supervision of my private instructor (I taught for her). I majored in Piano Performance, taking four pedagogy courses, and now am a piano teacher at my old middle/high school (it's a magnet college prep school). I teach privately on the side. Observing other teachers has benefitted me greatly, but this will only help if you have a knack for understanding concepts quickly.

I don't have a lot of advice, but seeing as how I have a little experience, I'll share with you what I know now. I want to go back to school to get my education degree. While I can relate to my students and explain things, I feel I'm only effective in the smaller picture (lesson to lesson). I feel that if I don't have formal training, I can't lay a proper foundation.

Anyone can instruct. I can instruct a student where middle C is. Heck, my boyfriend can do that. He plays guitar. But to teach someone is to stimulate their mind and perspective to see everything musically.

I recommend the Faber series as it seems to be the most popular currently. Their technique books also give proper technique tips.
As for proper technique, and I hate to promote here, but I have a pdf booklet, Advanced Piano Secrets, that spells out much piano technique that will turn beginners into strong players and keep your students around for years due to their steady success and confidence in recitals.
Here is the link: http://www.keithphillips.net/AdvancedPianoSecrets.htm

Ihave really enjoyed this thread. Am mostly new to these forums and am thinking of teaching lessons out of my home starting later this spring, mostly adult students. I will be sure to check out the resources mentioned here.

Welcome to the forum, Mechinese,

I like your sentence: ...."But to teach someone is to stimulate their mind and perspective to see everything musically."

Yes, there is something happening during piano lessons! It's the inner experience! (Not just the turning of pages in a method.)

Betty

I have to get my 2-cents in before reading all the posts...

Yeah!! You want to teach piano! I hope you fully enjoy it!

I would second the book "The Well-Tempered Keyboard Teacher". It will give you a great oversight into beginners through pre-college.

I would also HIGHLY RECOMMEND you find and join a local music teachers association. You can find one near you via website www.mtna.org. This was one of the first things I did and I have never regretted it. I have learned, borrowed, begged, and stolen (not really, they offered) ideas from the teachers in my local group. The support you gain from teachers you have been there, done that is tremendous. If your group turns out to be not so fabulous, come join mine. You don't have to be a career teacher to join, you have to be willing to continue to learn and to strive for excellence in what you teach.
I can't remember if you are student age or not, but if you are, you can get a student rate to join.

I could go on and on about things I didn't do and now do and wish I did earlier, but I won't. If you want me to, let me know.

Of course, some are hopeless too... Dont waste your energy on them, just be patient -quote from Xill

Well, that can open a whole new can of worms.

Yes, there are going to be some students that you are not successful with. It may be either you, them, both, parents, etc. But I'd like to make two points: 1) You never know how that student will be affected by you time sharing the love of music with them, although seemingly discouraging. 2) You, the teacher, can always learn from the experience.

What an astute observation! I would suggest you look into getting your Master's in piano performance/pedagogy. ASU School of Music (Arizona) has a phenomenal program - I'm doing my doctorate here now. Once you get through THIS program, you'll know so much more about teaching piano/music specifically than if you go get an education degree because it is not targeted to piano at all. PM me and I'll give you more info so we don't cramp th space at the forum with it. :p :p

Hello, Alan. I am an Alan to and also an "ear player", though I have had 5 years of college level study.

Your question of how to judge if a new student will be a success is interesting. MOST of my students in the past have been self motivated and WANTED to learn to play. A far lesser percentage have been "encouraged" by well meaning parents to kake lessons and a small handful have been referred for piano lessons by well meaning therapists or school teachers as a way to help a child with ADD or other learning issue. Good kids, all, to be sure. Needless to say, the students that were internally motivated tended to stick with it and I've taken my share with me from elementary school to college. That is REALLY rewarding! I like to get a sense of WHY the student is taking lessons. If the answer is, "my MOM wants me to", the warning flags go up just a bit and the same for when a parent tells me it is for therapy for the child. My policy has always been not to drop a student but if he/she isn't making progress or is not really interested, I tried to talk to the parents and explain that perhaps another area might be more rewarding.
I explain that piano lessons are just one of many options for their children. If it works out and the child "clicks", that's great. But some children are good at boy scouts, baseball, soccer and the like and it is MY job to see if piano is a good fit. If not, it's the parent's job to keep trying to find a match.

I have to go back and see if I can find your post again because you made another point that I wanted to discuss but anyway, hope this is helpful.

Alan RI AL

Good for you in your teaching endevours. I've been teaching for almost a year so I'm still new to this. I like all the ideas for books on piano pedagogy...I think I'll go find one and buy it.

One thing to remember is never let the parents of your students make you feel less of yourself if they notice that their child may not be understanding something. That has happened to me a few times.

Be CONSISTENT!! It will eat you if you don't. Parents will refer you to others that they know who they probably talk to and will talk about the lessons. If you do one thing to show favor it can come back to haunt you.

I have learned that parents are not always crazy about a teacher with ten degrees, they want their kids to enjoy themselves, but also learning. Just because maybe one of your students may not play perfect rythm or counting at a recital or messes up, doesn't mean you aren't a good teacher.

Children also never feel less of themselves when they make mistakes. They do not listen to you play beautifully and feel that they can not meet up to you, infact they will ask you how to play what you play so they can do it.

You can't spend the whole lesson at the piano. Play games with music theory...I do matching with note cards of the staff and notes of the clefts.

When the kids get frustrated in something, take a break and let them practice songs they know they can play, or add a different book with songs they can play. When they feel it's too easy, they will tell you. Doing this gives you the ability to work on other things, like posture, fingering, rythem, and learning to play legato and very staccato.

My gosh, I love teaching. If you ever want someone to talk to PM me!!!!

I just wanted to give you well wishes as well! I'm in my 15th year of teaching and the most important thing I've learned is that you have to keep things fun for your students.

Expose them to all types of music and really let them steer their own musical path. Their happiness and love for particular styles of music always trumps my personal agenda.

Marianne,
I teach 15 to 20 private student a week, have for years, after gaining a master's degree in Education and teaching public school music for twenty years. I do feel that one needs some background other than just playing with one teacher who may or may not have been good! It takes more than just interest and you will have much to learn. The books mentioned above will certainly help. Teaching is a different skill than performing and takes great patience and knowledge.

But on the issue of what method books to use, I have used them all and found many lacking. What I use now and LOVE is the Faber and Faber, "Piano Adventures", starting with 7 or 8 year olds. They have all the books Wade mentioned above but unless you are going to teach hour long lessons, using too many books, Lesson, Theory, Technic, Activities, etc. you will never get them all in, in a half hour to 45 minute lesson. A young child can't handle too many books and besides, that would be a huge cost to the parent. I use only the Lesson Book plus the Performance Book for each level. The lessons include technique and theory and the Performance books are coordinated to give lovely additional pieces which reinforce the lessons. If you teach well you will be augmenting those with some exercises of your own devising for technique and always speaking of the theory behind each piece as you go.

I personally feel that 4 years old is way too soon to start unless you have an exceptional child (and of course every parent will tell you his/her child IS exceptional! You can do some readiness that young with concepts such as high and low, fast and slow, loud and soft that young but I feel they need to have reading rather under their belts. To teach music symbols on top of their study of letters and numbers is too much abstract thinking for a 4 or 5 or even some 6 year olds.

This is my first posting, just joined yesterday, and I apologize for the wordiness. Best wishes in your studies.

Hi All --

Another resource that you should definitely check out is Randall and Nancy Faber's website: www.pianoteaching.com . It has a teacher's guide to the Piano Adventures Primer that is fantastic and the videos that accompany each piece have tons of great ideas. Even if you don't end up using the Faber books with your students, there is much to be learned on their site. Check it out!

After posting yesterday, I had another idea for a resource that I highly recommend. Frederick Harris just published their new Celebration Series PERSPECTIVES -- a set of Repertoire, Etudes, and Student Workbooks spanning all periods, in 11 levels. The Handbook for Teachers that accompanies the series is FANTASTIC -- every piece in the repertoire and etude books is included, with practical and immediately useful information for how to teach each piece. There are also suggestions for student practice at home and optional creative activities that build on concepts from the pieces. I would buy the Handbook for Teachers first, then as you have students in each level, you can buy the repertoire and etude books. Even experienced teachers will glean a lot from this book!

Best wishes for your teaching!

Minaku: It's wonderful to find someone who uses Music Tree. It was when my students started asking, 'What position do I put my hand in' that I began to use it.

My students became better readers when they used Music Tree. I also found that I myself became much more adept at transposing non-C instruments' parts at the keyboard.

I eventually stopped using MT, because I felt that Book One greatly lost the momentum that Time to Begin had. I used Faber now, but I cross all the 'position' #&%*@ out (is that "word" allowed? )

There are lots of wonderful posts here on a topic I find so fascinating! I'd just like to add, that whatever method you use, be sure to analyze it's strengths and weaknesses. No method can be all things at all times. (So long as your students like the book, and you enjoy teaching from it - it's highly likely it's a good choice!) Multi-key methods (based on "positions" such as C, F, G, etc) will benefit from sight-reading practice that requires students to get OUT of positions so that they don't think "the fifth finger is G" all the time. Intervallic approaches benefit from flashcard drills, as students get so proficient at reading intervals, they're not as sharp at quickly identifying note names. These are just examples - the big picture is . . . watch for weaknesses that might arise in your students study and don't rely solely on a method book. There are many wonderful methods on the market, but not one that is perfect for every student!

OK, I can see the original post is old and, perhaps, the person who started is not even here any more. However, for that person and everyone else, there's a great book on piano pedagogy: The Well Tempered Keyboard Teacher, by Marienne Uszler, Stewart Gordon, and Scott McBride-Smith. It's insanely expensive, but very good for teachers who are just starting out, or getting ready to do so. I found it to be just barely OK, but that's because of my very extensive teaching and performing experience. For the teaching "freshmen" (and women!) it would be an invaluable resource!

If you get Border's membership, card, or whatever they call it, you can get it with coupons they send and save a lot! I got mine for $60, and the median price in all places on the internet or regular shops is about $100!

I just found this website for piano pedagogy, it has some interesting things on there...hopefully it's helpful information...

http://www.serve.com/marbeth/pedagogy.html

There are some good ideas there, but I find it a bit of an "information overload".

By this, I mean that I can follow everything because I already know it, but I do see some mistakes that need to be corrected:
There is a line right below it. This is not a true mistake. It's a typo. The site needs to be proofed.

Another:
Here the flat was not removed from the diminished triad right above.

And this is bad advice:
While it is true that Beethoven uses many B and E sharps, a much larger problem is why he uses F double sharp (as in measure 34), and from experience I can tell you that learning something famous in a key one half step away from the original is a bad idea unless you are positive that you have a wall that will ALWAYS prevent you from getting to the original key and composition.

As I said, there are some good ideas here, but if this site is truly useful, people visiting it will not only use the tips but also mention mistakes that need to be corrected!

Oh, I didn't read that part. They had a part on the different age levels of the kids and stuff that I thought was pretty interesting...but I'm only going into my 2nd year of teaching so I'm still learning.

that's interesting Gary. A pedagogy book teaching prolatio imperfectum? gee--do they get to the Guidonian hand also (actually that's not so bad, especially for transposition of the hexachord)? solfeg is great. --I haven't seen any one mention Kodaly?

I read this thread with great interest. I will be a new teacher, soon.

I've taught voice, choral conducting, but only my son, at the piano. (he was playing mov. 3 of the Beethoven, Op 14 (moonlight) at age 10.
He'd take lesson from a beginning teacher, then I'd listen and show, reinforce ideas, how to play, at home.

New to piano teaching at age 60, am I too old?

I'm trying to absorb everything that's being said for the beginning teacher.

As a coach, I think I'm pretty good. But good musicanship, performer doesn't equate to a good teacher. I need all the help I can get. Everyone with all the experience, please keep posting ideas--for the young teacher as well as the older, beginning teacher.

There does seem to be an overload of books out there for the beginning student. For the advanced, you might as well throw away Hanon, if you want to get anywhere, and even Czerny.

As the person who began this thread is young, she has much ahead of her. For me, I have much behind me, to give away--such as learning of Rachmaninoff from Gina Bachauer (a student of his).

I play, I know music. I try to make the piano sing as well as be an orchestra, especially if I'm doing something like the Rach. 3rd. But how do I convey what I know to the beginning student? I think I helped my son. I always never said, "no." but would mitigate that with "almost, try it like this." then show him.

--regarding technique, hand positions? I didn't even know there is a teaching method of finger hand position--I guess that shows how lacking my experience is.

To me, a simple melody, whether it be in c or pentatonic--just play, I'll help & we'll figure out what to do to make it right. --my son never knew he was learning theory as well as learning to compose on his own.

But I'll have students soon. So, I need like the young lady who started this, all the pedagogical information I can get. Or is there a way to get advanced students and be more of a coach, vs. teacher?

I think I have lots to share, after 56 yrs of music. Even flat-fingered technique, when, where and why, as well as arched. So please, all keep posting.

I'm trying to learn, so I can give away.

Bob

Hi Marianne, good thing that another music teacher will be added to our list. I recommend these sites not only to you but for other your music teachers out there who are searching for some music teaching resources.

I also am a new piano teacher...just started this year. My teacher recommended a really great book-How to Teach piano Successfully by Jane Bastien. I got my copy off of amazon, but they have it other places to. It is a very practical book...setting up studio, tips for first lessons, etc. It even has a chart comparing all the different method books. It helped me a lot.

i would recommend sitting in with your own teacher while she/he teaches other students and see how she/he does it. i know that helped me a lot when i first started

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.:)