Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Teachers Forum Teaching, some questions.

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.

Hello All...New member as well ! and i agree its a great website ! so much info !
i'm new to the website...but definitely not to piano or teaching piano.
to the question asked: good luck with the studio, i want to attack the question from a different angle, whaever books you got,and i saw that you got plenty of suggestions, make sure that you don't get locked into the same books and bore yourself and your student to death...keep it fresh, thats the important thing, find always new music, find different music for different students, bring them music that they like in addition to whatever method books you use to teach the fundementals, transcribe music of their choice to them, with them, you probably get the drift...

as for the advertise part...craigslist and flyers at the music stores and supermarket can't heart

how long...i think that no longer than 45 min..and you got to remember to be sensitive to it, each lesson has its own momentum

as for how much to charge...that depends on where are you located, i think that probably in every state the market is very different.

good luck!

Dror Perl. Pianist, Composer, teacher, author of the coming soon COLOR piano books series. www.SheerPiano.com, www.myspace.com/120674416, look me up on facebook

Marianne,

I am new here as well and since I have been in the teaching business for about 2 or 3 hundred years I thought I would share a bit of a different take on what it is to be a great teacher.

First I have to agree with all the advice you have received in this thread. You can never stop learning. Now having said that I will share my story as a first year band teacher that will give you a bit to ponder.

My first year teaching I was teaching at 3 different school. On the first day of classes just before my first class the Principal took me aside and gave me this advice. In a gruff and assertive voice He said, "In my school teachers to do not teach math, they don't teach science, nor do they teach language arts or physical education and I sure as heck hope your not going to teach music!". Well I was stunned to say the least. I had just graduated with a Bach of Music Education and had been chosen to take over a very large and successful Band program. Who was this hick telling me not to teach music? So I asked him what do you want me to teach if not music? He responded with a one word answer, "Students", and walked away.

Now with 30 years of hindsight behind me it was the single most valuable lesson a teacher could be taught. Over the years my PrinciPAL was proven correct many times.

Over the years I have been reminded over and over of this lesson that no matter how much we strive to learn teaching methods, techniques and become better musicians we must never forget that we are really not teaching music or piano we are indeed teaching students.

Over the years music has really not changed much and really the most interesting and rewarding aspect of being a music teacher is not teaching music or piano, but your students. They are far more interesting and surprising than teaching music theory.

In 30 years when you look back you will not remember the music taught as much as you will remember the students.

Hi!

I'm looking for "A Piano Teacher's Legacy" by Richard Chronister.

Can't find it on any serios european homepage... Were have you bought your book?

Emil, Sweden

www.francesclarkcenter.org

There should be a link to the store.

So exciting that you are choosing this profession right out of high school!

You're asking some big questions - but as someone who also started teaching young here are my most important suggestions below. I never expected to be able to teach full time, but now, 10 years later, I run a studio of over 300 students....so if you have the desire it can be done!

1) Advertising yourself: It is really important when you're first starting out (and are competing with other more experienced and well-known piano teachers) to choose a niche market. Decide what area of piano teaching you are passionate about and direct all of your marketing to this target group. Once you've identified this group, select areas where these people congregate and centre your advertising here.

2) Try offering a period of free lessons. Our studio regularly holds "one month free trial lessons". It costs you nothing but your time and people WILL phone as it's fairly substantial to offer this. Then, wow them with your amazingly engaging lessons and they'll be hooked!

3) Charge the going rate. Nobody wants cheap lessons as it carries a negative connotation. Don't charge more, don't charge less. Word of mouth will accomplish much of your advertising if you are delivering what you promise. Don't sell yourself short with charging a nominal fee. Show confidence in your abilities.

4) 30 minute lessons are perfect for beginning students ages 4-15. Teens or beginning adults do well wtih 45 minutes. Unless a student is an advanced player, anything longer than that becomes too much for both the teacher and the student.

There is much to know when starting a new studio - but if you decide what kind of program you are going to teach, advertise this program to a niche market, and deliver fantastic lessons you'll be well on your way to having a successful business.

Good luck!

When do you teach 300 students? I'm finding that I can't start teaching until 3:00 because my students get out of school at 2:45. I must stop teaching, at least for a while, at 5:00 so I can make and eat dinner. I could probably teach a few more lessons in the evenings if I didn't have young children and a small house.

But 300? Do you teach at a music school? Do you teach them in groups?

Tdow runs a studio and is not the only teacher.

Phew! That makes sense.

I just browsed a couple of performances there and from what I've seen it seems that your students play well and I think it is great that you have your site displaying their fine playing . I'm relatively new to teaching so it is of special interest to see what pieces/arrangements are chosen for performance. Thank you for the link as an example.

I'm new to this thread but am troubled by a few things. Someone who graduates from high school is thinking about becoming a piano teacher and is asking for which method books to use?

My initial question would be, what makes the original poster think she is qualified to teach to begin with? Shouldn't she already have a good idea of what books to use if any?

I've had a few bad teachers in my life, all with advanced musical degrees and here is someone graduating from high school ready to open a studio. What am I missing here?

Welcome to the world of teaching! I believe lessons should be only as long as the student can handle. For little ones ages 4-8, I always make them 30 min two times per week and older ones, one hour long, once or twice a week depending on what the parents want. The cost depends on where you live and ongoing rate. 10 years ago I use to charge $30 per hour in Broward County....now I charge $25 in north Florida and I know there are many who charge more and some less. I have the students purchase their own books (exercise book, theory, song, lesson, and extra song book of choice). I stopped teaching years ago cuz students just don't study like they use to..time is much more limited these days. I have taken on one student again and it has brought back so many memories of why I loved it. Good luck!

I'd like to throw in my 2¢ - one thing that makes sense from a business point of view is that you need to make sure your students pay at the beginning of the month for a full month. The new policy also needs to state that if they miss a lesson, they will receive a makeup lesson if there's time available. If YOU miss a lesson, you obviously have to make it up no matter what.

Back when I had a full teaching schedule, (60 students!) it took me about a year to come to this policy. Without it, I found that students would be a lot more apt to miss their lessons and then expect me to sit there was nothing to do for 30 minutes plus find a time to make their lesson up.

Like one of the earlier posters said, you have to have confidence in your abilities, and there's nothing wrong with having good policies like this.

Your piano students will respect you for it.