Piano Teaching Tips

Here are some piano teaching tips for those who enjoy piano are considering the possibility of piano teaching. It's a great idea because if you enjoy the piano and love children, this could be the ideal job for you!

It's quite simple to get started. Either teach with a school or teach privately, keep up with your own music development and keep on improving your teaching!

Here are some general tips on:

1. Managing your work
2. Keeping up interest
3. Learning to teach
4. Establishing a firm foundation
5. Making it interesting

For more specific help on teaching to improve your students' exam results, click here.

1. Managing your work

If you're a private piano teacher like myself, you will know that teaching can be very flexible. You can always choose what you teach, how you teach it, the depth of teaching and the breadth of teaching.

What you teach is quite standard nowadays. With ABRSM exams for example, most teachers would teach practical, theory, aural and sight reading. Differences between teachers arise more in "how" teaching is conducted.

"How" includes:
1. The values upheld in teaching
2. The timing of teaching
3. The communication of knowledge

Read here about piano teaching tips on managing schedule, admin and expectations.

2. Keeping up excellence and interest

I love to keep up with my own learning as a pianist even as I teach others.

Attending lessons and seminars, watching masterclasses and attending concerts are excellent ways to enhance musicianship. What more, it's also very enjoyable.

Read on for more piano teaching tips!

3. Learning to teach

Every student differs in character, ability, in practice habits and home environment.

Much of teaching well comes from experience, adapting your teaching in a way that would be well-received and effective to the student. A lot of reflection and self-evaluation helps to refine the teaching approach. Read books, attend lessons and seminars to get new ideas!

I believe that piano teaching is really an art, something we can continually work on to refine. With an active, flexible approach, much of the fulfillment in teaching comes from finding successful approaches for individual students.

Taking a piano teaching diploma or piano teaching course can greatly improve your teaching!

4. Establishing a firm foundation

In learning music, there is a paradox between enjoyment and discipline. Some discipline is necessary to enjoy music in the long run.

It is very important to establish a firm musical foundation for students. Besides building a strong foundation in rhythm, pitch, technique and tone sensitivity, I find that building values in the student is also very important. Among my students, I find this most effective starting at a young age.

Cultivating values of patience and discipline in practice and an appreciation for a fine quality of music making will prepare students well for many years of piano playing.