Piano lessons

Choosing The Right Method Book Tip #1

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The most important decision you’ll make when starting a new student is the right curriculum or method book. It will determine how they learn and how you teach!

Since most piano method books are merely a book of songs with little information, you, the instructor, may have to use multiple books, requiring you to explain everything. Not only does that make more work for you, but it can also be confusing for the student. This also requires the student to use and bring multiple books to the lessons.

What if there was one book that made teaching SO easy, you’re hardly teaching at all! That’s exactly what the “Drill & Excel On the Piano” method book series does!

Only one book Is needed! Each book includes everything a student needs, from written worksheets to learn the notes, intervals, triads, and chords, to rhythm drills, exercises, scales, and 60 original songs per book to help the student sight-read.

When I started using these books on my students, (I called them my guinea pigs), I noticed right away how they improved in their playing and sight-reading skill, even passing songs they played the first time.

I hope this tip helps in your teaching. Thank you for your dedication and passion to music education.

Please leave a comment to let other music teachers know what you think!

Kathi Kerr founded Melody Music Studios in 1989, a nationwide music instruction studio. In 2017, she founded an independent publishing company called Melody Music Publishers for piano and singing method books. The learning model is small steps using drills and repetition, how students think and learn.

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Piano Lessons

How To Teach a Piano Transfer Student

2 Comments / Piano lessons, Piano Method Book Review, Piano Teachers /

Teaching a piano transfer student can be the most difficult type of student for a teacher. This is the student that has had lessons for 6 months or more, ranging from late beginning to late intermediate level. Inevitably, the student is going to compare you to their previous instructor. And since no two people teach the same, you’re going to offer a different style and approach. If the student has bad technique, or wrong or missing information, this can create even more difficulty. So what are the best ways to create a smooth transition into your teaching style?

Be Prepared

Before the first lesson, find out what books the student has been using and ask for any notes from the previous instructor. Take the time to become acquainted with the curriculum if needed, and read the notes if possible. This will also give you insight into the previous teacher’s style and approach, as well as the direction of the student’s past lessons.

Establish a Rapport

The very first lesson is the most critical. It’s important to start out by getting to know the student and letting the student get to know you. Spend a few minutes to let the student know your training background and experience. Then take a few minutes to ask the student questions about their past piano experience and what he or she is interested in learning. The student will feel more comfortable with you and will feel you’re interested in what their interested in. Then have the student play the last song they were studying or their favorite song. Ask him or her a lot of musical questions to find out what they know or don’t know. Even an intermediate student may have missing or wrong information.

Make Changes Slowly

Changing too much too soon for the piano transfer student is usually the biggest mistake made. This is especially true for an intermediate student that has been playing a year or more with wrong technique or information. Changing a bad habit is the most difficult part of learning. Most students want you to validate their ability, so begin by complimenting him or her on anything done well. Even though it may go against your grain to allow bad technique, it’s best to wait until you’ve given several lessons and established a rapport before making huge changes. If there are multiple changes needed, take one at a time so not to overwhelm the student. That being said, it’s also important to show the student you can challenge them to the next level, so give the new student a few bread crumbs of information and things to work on in the assignments.

Be Careful Commenting on the Previous Piano Teacher

Each piano transfer student will have had a positive or negative experience from the previous instructor. With either scenario, it’s important to keep your comments about him or her at a minimum, especially negative comments. First, you want keep the focus on the direction between you and the student. Second, if you tell the student he or she was taught incorrectly, it may cause frustration and a sense of wasted time and money. If the student had a good rapport with the previous instructor, it may create a division between you both. Once you’ve received the curriculum and notes from the previous instructor, keep the conversation on how you will be teaching and the direction you would like to take.

Not every student-teacher is a match

I believe being the right instructor for a transfer student is more difficult than for the beginning student. If the student is an intermediate level, he or she may have specific interests. You may not be able to take the student where their interests lie. If that is the case, be honest with the student, letting him or her know you have THEIR best interest at heart, and kindly refer them to another instructor you may know that can offer what they want to learn. Also, not every personality types are a match. If this should happen, don’t beat yourself up over it. There are plenty of other students your teaching style and personality will be a great fit for.

It Gets Easier

While you may feel like you’ll be the “new” instructor forever, before long, you’ll be their new favorite! Just like any relationship, it takes time to establish. Be patient and soon you’ll be the instructor they compare others to!

Kathi Kerr - owner Melody Music Publishers

Kathi Kerr founded Melody Music Studios in 1989, a nationwide music instruction studio. She also founded Melody Music Publishers in 2017, an independent piano method books written how students think and learn.

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Intermediate Piano student

Are Piano Method Books Needed For Intermediate Students?

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I recently read a piano teacher’s blog that stated the intermediate student no longer needed a method book. His point was there was nothing “new” after level 3 in the method books. He continued, saying the intermediate student only required repertoire to play and practice. But are piano method books needed for the intermediate student? Before six months ago, I would have totally agreed! Most piano method books offer nothing new after level 3 except songs to play. However, after writing Drill & Excel On the Piano book 3 and Drill & Excel On the Piano Book 4, I now realize there’s actually MORE skills and concepts for the intermediate student to learn than the beginning student. Here are some of the things I’ve included in books 3 and 4 for the intermediate student.

#1 Intervals

While intervals are mentioned in most of the early level piano method books, they don’t explain the KINDS of intervals. In Drill & Excel book 3, there are interval worksheets for the student to identify the intervals in various key signatures. Then in book 4, ALTERED intervals are introduced, with worksheets for the student to identify the kind of interval (major, minor, diminished, or augmented). Giving the student writing assignments helps the student to learn in a deeper way, rather than simply reading the information.

#2 Rhythm

In teaching rhythm, most method books only show how many counts a note is held. However, in Drill & Excel On the Piano series, there are multiple rhythm drill pages for the student to play on one note and count out loud. This gives the student a lot of repetition in reading the rhythm to create fluency. And in books 3 and 4, the rhythm goes beyond most method books, including sixteenth notes, triplets, and triplets against other notes (even or other triplets). Learning to read rhythm is much like driving a car. It can’t be taught be explanation, but in DOING.

#3 Exercises

Exercises are not included in most method books, even in levels 1 and 2. Piano instructors that want their students to play exercises use a separate book for that. However, the Drill & Excel On the Piano series includes exercises in all 4 books. Books 3 and 4 are especially important, because they offer specific exercises for the skills introduced. For example, book 3 has a chromatic scale exercise, finger pedaling exercises, and repeated notes using different fingers. Not only are these skills added in the chapter’s songs, but is common among other pieces. Another exercise in book 3 is changing fingers on a held note. Book 4 has ascending and descending 3rds, 4ths, 5ths, 6th, and 7ths. It also includes the “independence of fingers”, playing a triad and emphasizing each note of the triad. These are important skills for the intermediate student to acquire when playing difficult pieces.

#4 Theory

For the intermediate student, theory is especially important. A beginning student has difficulty in just playing and reading to even think about theory, while the intermediate student can understand concepts. And knowing theory helps in the student’s reading skill. It can also help in songwriting and improvisation. The Drill & Excel On the Piano books 3 & 4 include a lot of theory beyond the altered intervals mentioned earlier. It includes triads, triad numbers, and transposing songs to other keys by using the triad numbers. These are important skills and knowledge for the intermediate student to acquire, which may not be understood by simply playing various pieces.

#5 Songs

Since the songs in the Drill & Excel On the Piano series are written specifically with the information and skills taught in each chapter, they’re especially valuable in the learning progress for the intermediate student. Instead of playing random pieces, the songs are strategically planned to teach what is taught. Each song increases slowly in difficulty , giving the student a challenge incrementally as he or she plays them.

To Summarize

So are piano method books needed for the intermediate student? In short, yes, because the intermediate student needs to learn certain skills that may not be taught by simply playing various repertoire. The Drill & Excel On the Piano books 3 and 4 are the perfect books for their continued learning to bring the student to the next level. Check out our books at MelodyMusicPublishers.com. Teachers receive free shipping and 20% off all orders. Click here to register.

Kathi Kerr - owner Melody Music Publishers

Kathi Kerr is author and founder of Melody Music Publishers. She writes her book based on over 30 years’ teaching experience the way students think and learn.

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Piano Method Books Offer Poor Technique

1 Comment / Piano lessons, Piano Method Book Review, Piano Teachers /

Proper technique on the piano (or any instrument) is vital. So many piano method books offer poor technique or no technique at all. There are many great musicians who play well “in spite” of their technique, not “because” of it, as my piano teacher in college used to say.

Here are a list of poor to bad technique I’ve seen over the years and have read in some piano method books:

#1 Lowered wrist

I once watched a keyboardist play in a band with wrists so low they were actually touching the keyboard! He played fairly well in spite of it, but it hampered his ability to move quickly over the keys. Having a low wrist makes the fingers do all the work and may cause them to tire easily. I’ve seen the same poor technique when watching people type at a computer keyboard. When the wrist is lowered, over a long period of time can cause swelling in the wrist. This can cause carpel tunnel syndrome. If the wrists are level or slightly raised, the pressure is taken off the wrist and fingers. This allows the fingers to move more quickly and freely.

#2 Fingers holding a ball

There are some piano method books that will describe the position of the fingers like holding a ball or balloon. The problem with the concept of “holding” is the fingers will naturally tense. That is the “opposite” of what the fingers should do. The fingers should be as relaxed as possible from the knuckles to the fingertips. It’s actually easy to teach a beginning student how to position their fingers by having them put their hands in their lap, facing up, and relaxed. Their fingers will naturally curve in the perfect position on the piano. I like to give the image of a rainbow curve for how their fingers will look when relaxed

#3 Using the wrong part of the fingertip

Here’s a technique almost never mentioned in most piano method books, using the correct part of the fingertip. Having relaxed curved fingers will help. The correct place is below the edge of the fingernail but well above the first joint. There should be no fingernail growth beyond the edge of the finger to avoid playing with a flat finger method. Also the first joint should not bend when playing the piano. Bending the joint causes a delay in playing quickly if needed. It also weakens the ability to play loudly. A good way to strengthen the first joint is to press the fingertips on a hard surface and keep the joint from bending.

#4 Rolling the wrists

Another are where piano method books offer poor technique is what I call rolling the wrists. The more movement with the hands and wrists, the more of a chance to play incorrect notes. It also can hinder the ability to play quickly. Rolling the wrist has nothing to do with the actual playing of the key. It looks good, but in actuality, takes more effort to do it. Teaching this technique to a beginning student only causes frustration when he or she is learning the basics.

#5 Raising the hand too high

Bad Technique

This is another poorly taught technique in some piano method books. I recently watched a video from one of the major method books showing an example of playing staccato. She lifted up her entire hand about 3 inches above the keys. This technique makes it impossible to play a quick succession of staccato notes. Good technique should be implemented the same when playing slowly as playing quickly. The proper way to play staccato notes is to keep the wrist stationery with a quick “jerk” with the hand. Only lift the fingers slightly above the key (about 1/8 of an inch), then right back to touching the key. Using this technique, I can play a quick succession of staccato notes easily. The hand should be as still as possible where a coin could stay without falling off and as close to the keys as possible.

#6 Hammer effect

The other poor technique I’ve seen is what I call the “hammer” effect. This is where the wrist is stationery but the fingers are raised before playing each note. The best way to play is to pretend the fingers are “glued” to the keys. Keep the fingers as close as possible to the keys. Raising each finger before playing only takes up time and space, making it impossible to play notes quickly. And it’s not necessary to raise the finger, since the weight alone will play the key. Keeping the fingers close to the keys gives better accuracy as well. When the fingers are already touching the key about to be played, there’s almost no chance of playing incorrect notes. The ONLY exception is for playing notes that are heavily accented. In this case, the entire hand should be slightly lifted to no more than an inch to give a stronger emphasis.

#7 Sitting too close and too low

The first thing I had to do when I went to college was to “un”learn how I was positioned. That was the most difficult thing to do after playing incorrectly for 12 years. It’s important to establish correct posture and positioning right from the beginning for a student. Most students (and even professional pianists) sit too close and too low. The knees should be at the edge of the keys for the correct distance (not the thigh like I’ve seen countless times), and the waist level with the keys, sitting tall and on the front edge of the bench. For a keyboard, keyboard, I suggest having a bench and stand to set it on, not a table, to ensure the right position. A small child playing an acoustic piano, put something on the bench to sit on to be at the right height. If their legs do not reach the floor, have them scoot towards the back of the bench with the back of their knees at the front edge of the bench to be at the correct distance. When his or her legs can reach the floor, then they’ll sit at the front edge of the bench.

#8 Slouching at the piano

Playing the piano is great for teaching students to sit tall, which is not only good for playing, but for most other activities in life. It takes pressure off the back and helps when getting older to have good posture. This used to be taught in schools, so now unfortunately only piano students are taught good posture these days.

Summarize good technique

Piano Student
Piano student

To summarize GOOD technique is 1) the wrist should be level or slightly raised 2) fingers relaxed 3) using the correct part of the fingertip 4) holding the wrist still 5) keeping the hand and fingers close to the keys 6) sitting at the right position and with the correct posture. This helps in playing quickly and with accuracy, and to play longer periods of time before getting tired. I hope this has helped in your playing and in teaching students. The books at Melody Music Publishers offer great technique information as well as reading music, specific skills, and theory and improvisation! Let’s have fun making beautiful music at the piano!

Kathi Kerr Author/founder

Kathi Kerr, author and founder of Melody Music Publishers, writes piano books based on her over 30 years’ teaching how students think and learn!

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Drill & Excel On the Piano

Piano method book movies!

Leave a Comment / Piano lessons, Piano Method Book Review, Piano Teachers /

Hello fellow piano teacher! Ever feel frustrated when researching new piano method books for your students when looking on line? How can you tell if a book will be the right one when only viewing a few pages? If you buy one of each book to find the right one, it could cost a small fortune! And you still may not find the right one.

At Melody Music Publishers we have the solution for you! We have created a movie for each of our books, along with audio examples and commentary by the author for EVERY page. So not only can you view every page, but you’ll hear directly from the author. Now there’s no guess work involved in choosing the right book for your students!

Click the following movies for a rundown of each book.

Drill & Excel On the Piano Book 1 Early Beginner. Retails $12.95. Click here to purchase.

Drill & Excel On the Piano Book 2 Late Beginner. Retails $12.95. Click here to purchase.

Drill & Excel On the Piano Book 3 Early Intermediate. Retails $14.95. Click here to purchase.

Drill & Excel On the Piano Book 4 Late Intermediate. Retails $16.95. Click here to purchase.

Color It Say It Play It and Create It A Piano Method Book Ages 4-8. Retails $8.99. Click here to purchase.

Chords & Improvisation On the Piano Book 1 Early Beginner. Retails $12.95. Click here to purchase.

Remember teachers receive FREE SHIPPING AND 20% OFF ALL BOOKS! If you haven’t registered, click here to fill out a short form. The discounts codes will immediately be emailed to you to use for ordering.

Order today and use our unique line of piano method books that teach students the way they think and learn! Thank you for doing the greatest job on earth-teaching music to others!

Author and owner, Kathi Kerr, established Melody Music Publishers in 2017, writing books from her own 30 plus years’ teaching experience.

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Music student cancels lessons

Music Student Cancelled Last Minute..Now What?

4 Comments / Piano lessons, Piano Teachers /

I’m sure EVERY private music teacher has come across the student that continually cancels their scheduled lessons. And most of the time, at the last minute! For too long, music instructors have been disrespected, in my opinion. A lot of students have the idea that since music instructors love to each, it’s ok to cancel a lesson and not pay for it. Or the student will “expect” the instructor to go out of his or her way to make up the lesson. And for too long, teachers have caved and will politely say, “That’s ok, you don’t have to pay for the lesson.” Or “Sure, we can reschedule it”. But what message does that send to the student? And how does that effect the private music teacher?

The First Problem – The Effect on the Instructor

The first problem is the obvious one, how it effects the instructor’s time and income. What other job has the hours set, then taken away at the last minute without pay? Who would want an occupation that requires hundreds and hundreds of hours honing a skill, with a high cost of education, only to have that kind of instability? I would say, NO ONE! Yet this has been the practice for the private music teacher for decades. My first “paid” lesson I taught was from a music store when I was 17. I went there all excited to teach, then waited, and waited, with a no show from the student. I walked away with nothing except wasted time, deciding I would never teach another piano lesson! Yet here I am over 30 years later still teaching!

The Second Problem – The Effect on the Occupation of the Teacher

The second problem when music students cancel their scheduled lessons without accountability, is it disrespects the occupation of the private music teacher. Whatever the reason for cancelling, to expect not to bear any ramifications is disrespecting the instructor’s time and income. I understand respect needs to be earned, and by allowing this to happen, doesn’t teach respect for your time and income.

The Third Problem – The Effect on the Student

The third problem is how it hurts the student. You may think that by being accommodating is helpful, but it’s actually hurting the student. Why, I can hear you asking? Because by not holding the student accountable for every scheduled lesson, makes it easy for the student to cancel. And if it’s easy to cancel, the student probably will Attending every weekly lesson is very important to the student’s learning progress. What prevents the momentum in learning, is inconsistency. I’ve seen the trend over and over with students that cancel a lot of lessons, even when given make ups, will eventually quit all together. So you’re actually doing the student a favor by holding their feet to the fire, so to speak.

Problem With Most Policies

Just like any business, there needs to be rules and policies. I’ve heard a lot of policies over the years from studios and private teachers. Some will say a credit can be issued if cancelling before 48 hours. That’s fine, but it still leaves the instructor with a scheduled time without pay, even if the student gives a month’s notice! Others will give a make up for all missed lessons, or an “x” amount of make ups. The problem with that is you’re still not getting paid for that time block and using another block of time that could have been used for a paid lesson. Plus it doesn’t discourage cancellations. I’ve heard other studios’ policy that never give make ups. Well, that may be a little too harsh, since there are times when a little leniency should be given.

What’s the Solution?

So what is the solution? Over the last 30 years In my own teaching and instructors on my staff at Melody Music Studios, I’ve fine tuned my policies by trial and error. I’ve had a lot of students get mad and quit because of my policies. I’ve found those are the kind of students that only think of their side, and are usually not great students anyway. My policy is right off the top, no credit for student cancellations! The only time I would make an exception are for extreme emergency situations. My make up policy is “No guarantee for make up lessons. That is up to the instructor’s availability”. That way the student knows he or she may not receive a make up for every cancellation, and it doesn’t obligate the instructor to do so. For instructors that have plenty of time and want to make up the lesson, can. For instructors that have a full roster, there’s just no way of making it up. And blaming it on your busy schedule is perfect and tells the student your time is valuable.

Choosing to offer make ups depends also on the student. If you have a student that rarely cancels and gives you a lot of notice, it’s best to make up if possible. However, for the student that cancels often, it’s best not to make up, even if you have the time. You’re only perpetuating their bad behavior. If you do give a make up, I have found the easiest way is extending time in the following lessons, instead of rescheduling.

Summary

So the bottom line is we need to stand our ground with students and not be taken advantage of. You may feel alone, but there are thousands of private instructors, and we all stand behind you! There may be times to be lenient and understanding, but that should be the exception, not the rule. You’ll either lose the inconsistent student (and replace with a better one), or create a habit of consistent lessons, which is best for the student’s progress. Thank you for doing the greatest job on earth, teaching music!

New Line of Piano Method Books

Author for piano method books

Kathi Kerr founded Melody Music Studios in 1989. Then in 2017, she opened her own independent publishing company called Melody Music Publishers. Ms Kerr has written a unique line of piano method books that offer a comprehensive, easy to follow, format. Her books are written, not from an academia approach, but how students think and learn from her over 30 years’ teaching experience. Teachers can register to receive a 20% discount on all orders!

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Learn to sight read

Sight Reading Piano Music

2 Comments / Piano lessons /

What is sight reading? Sight reading piano music is the ability to read and play a new song with ease. Learning to read music is as difficult as learning to read a new language. Most people will take piano lessons for years and never acquire the skill of sight reading. It’s laborious and painstakingly slow to read every note. And when finished, the song may not even sound like the song at all! Unless a student decides to make music their career, most students will eventually give up on learning to read notes fluently, and thus playing piano all together.

That’s a shame of course, because most people dream of playing the piano for their own enjoyment. I’ve spoken to hundreds of adults throughout my over 40 years of playing and performing, that dream of playing their favorite song with ease. What happened in their piano lessons or learning on their own that never got them to the place of reading music fluently? The following are a list of mistakes most students (and even professional pianists) make when learning to read music.

Don’t look at your hands

Students make the mistake of looking at their hands. I guess it makes them feel safer to look. However, there’s two problems with looking: 1) Your eyes stop reading the line of music 2) You never learn to “memorize” where the keys are. If you were reading a book, would you constantly look away from the words as you were reading? That would take three times as long to read a book and would be choppy reading. And since we rely on our sight more than any other sense, looking at the keys hinders the brain from knowing where the keys are. Playing the piano is like a blind person walking through their living room. They know exactly where everything is laid out, so they can effortlessly walk through without walking into anything. Some of the greatest pianists in the world have been blind. To name a few, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, and my all time favorite jazz pianist, George Sharing. This proves that “looking” is not necessary, and actually stops the flow of reading and in the long run, accuracy when playing.

Too much information at one time

Most method books give too much information at one time and move to the next step too soon. If you think about learning to speak as a child, you only spoke a few words at a time. Adults would speak to you using simple words until you understood those, then slowly increased to more difficult words and longer sentences. The same should be done when learning to read music. I also compare reading music to eating a steak; one bite at a time with each bite fully chewed. The best way to learn to read fluently is taking a small amount of notes and rhythm at a time. The student should then play multiple songs within that set of information before progressing to the next level.

Common sense in reading

The monks in Italy were the first to take on the task of “recording” music in the 6th century. Up until then, music was handed down from generation to generation. Today we play composers of the past because of their genius ideas. It has evolved over the centuries, but the premise is the same. The notes on the staff simply ascend by line-space in alphabetical order. Students are often taught the lines for treble clef using the phrase Every Good Boy Does Fine (with variations on this). Then it’s followed up by the spaces which spell the word FACE. The student, in my opinion, will not read fluently since they’re not taught the logic of the staff. This method can also become a crutch. Rather, if the student is taught from the beginning how the notes ascend on the staff, he or she will understand and this may help in quickly identifying the notes.

Reading by intervals

Another aspect of sight reading is noticing the distance between the notes, called intervals. If one note is on the first line, and the next note is on the first space, the student simply plays the next note on the piano. Intervals are a great way to quickly read one note to the next even if the name of the note is not quickly remembered. When the student is taught how the staff works, it helps them to read by intervals as well.

Time and be patient

Let’s be honest, learning a language or reading music takes time. Anyone that claims you can learn to read music fluently in 10 lessons is fooling you. It’s just not possible, because sight reading means it becomes automatic. And being automatic means repetition….and lots of it! I let my students know to expect at least a year to be a fluent reader. It’s good to be realistic on how long it takes to lessen the frustration level. But the good news is, once reading is automatic, he or she can play a new song with ease. And when a student or pianist gets to that point, it’s actually FUN to sight read!

Piano method books

As I mentioned at the beginning, most method books offer too much information at one time and move too fast. In the 1990’s I wrote two workbooks to supplement the method books I was using, the Rhythm Workbook and Note Reading Workbook. Although my workbooks helped the student learn to read the notes and rhythm, I was still not happy with the progress students made…until now! In 2017, I wrote my signature book called “Drill It and Kill It-Read Music Like a Pro!”. I came up with the idea of having one book that would include rhythm drills, note reading, scales and exercises, and multiple songs within one set of notes and rhythm. This is the only way a student can successfully master each level before moving on to the next one. I’ve been so excited to see my students have the ability to sight read a new song well enough to progress to the next song in my lessons.

Summary

To summarize, get in the habit early in your playing to not look at your hands. If the student has been playing that way for a while, stop! This not only helps in following the music, but also trains your brain to remember the keys and the distance between them. Start out taking a small amount of notes and rhythm at a time, and drill them until it’s automatic. Don’t expect to learn overnight, but allow at least a year to sight read. And finally, choose the right method book that will help you best in your journey. At Melody Music Publishers, we offer books that are easy to follow, taught in the way students think and learn. Once you’ve learned to read music, the rewards will be great, and you’ll have the gift of playing the piano for a lifetime!

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Piano Student

Teaching a beginning piano student long term!

2 Comments / Piano lessons /

So you just signed up a new beginning student. That’s great! But if you’ve been a piano instructor for more than five minutes, you know the most difficult part is keeping a beginning piano student long term!! An intermediate student is rooted, so you don’t have to work to keep them, however there’s challenges for that level as well. It’s often difficult to teach a beginning piano student long term through what I call the “beginner’s hump”, the first 6-9 months of lessons. Since the student has no skill, learning the piano can be frustrating and the opposite of “fun”. There will always be students that will stay no matter what you do because it’s in their DNA to play the piano. Conversely, there are the students who will never learn (or desire to learn) the piano. So let’s leave those two type of students out of this discussion. The majority of students will be in the middle; they’re probably not going to make music a career, but have a love and desire to play the piano. This can apply to both children and adults.

So what are the do’s and don’ts for keeping the majority of the beginning piano students long term? In over 30 years of teaching, I’ve been able to teach most students for a year or more, and some for multiple years. Here’s a list of what I’ve found that help keep the beginner student motivated through the difficult beginning stage.

Be fun and encouraging in the piano lesson

As the piano teacher, you create the environment. If you’re frustrated or bored, the beginning piano student will feel that from you. This can hinder their motivation to learn. I believe a lot of piano teachers make the mistake of teaching ALL students the same, no matter their level. However, a beginner student needs a lighter approach and not the intensity you may have with an intermediate or higher level student. The beginner may be nervous about playing and making mistakes. Being encouraging is very important. They will believe in themselves if they feel YOU believe in them. Let the student know it’s OK to make mistakes, and that it’s part of the learning progress. You may also want to let them know you made mistakes when you were a beginner. This approach can be used for all ages, not just the young student, as the older child/adult needs encouragement the same (maybe more?). And giving the student accolades is not only for their confidence, but also instills playing correctly, as he/she may not even know they played it correctly! This approach is especially important when correcting the student. Keep the critique comment to their mistake only and how to correct it, never a brow beating comment. Most of all, just have fun with the beginner so they enjoy learning and associate piano and music with something that can be enjoyed.

Don’t overwhelm the beginner piano student

Out of all the do’s and don’ts, this is probably the most critical part for the first 1-3 months of lessons. Once a student feels overwhelmed and feeling unable to understand or play what’s asked, the student may want to quit. Usually the student will come up with every excuse for quitting EXCEPT feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. Most students will blame themselves, thinking they’re just not smart enough. As teachers, it’s easy to give way too much information out of our own passion for music. Also it’s easy to forget how difficult even the simplest of playing can be. It’s important to “think” like a beginner when teaching. The very first lesson is the most crucial lesson in setting the standard. I always tell my staff, it’s better to UNDER give than to OVER give on the first lesson. If you have a quick learner, you can always pick up the pace on the following lessons. It’s difficult to impossible to reverse the pace after the first lesson. To make sure your student understands, it’s best to ask him or her questions. I always ask the student way more questions than they ask of me. I never feel like a student understands fully after only explaining a new concept once. I’ll either have them “do” the thing I just explained, or ask questions. Games and drills are a great way to make sure he or she understands fully, and can also be fun for the student.

Be flexible in the direction of the lesson

I’ve often heard teachers writing a lesson plan for private lessons. I’ve NEVER written a lesson plan for a private lesson. The great thing about teaching privately is you can approach each student uniquely. A lesson may go in a different direction than you had expected. It may depend on whether the student understood the previous lesson (and may just need a review), or a question that needs a full lesson to explain. Some students may want to learn something different than what you’re currently teaching. This happens more with the older child or adult. I do want to make it clear that I believe you, the instructor, is ultimately in charge of the direction taken. You should never be talked into teaching anything you feel is not in the best interest of the student. It may be a song beyond their ability, or jumping ahead to a level that will bypass important steps. However, if it’s within their level and ability, I see nothing wrong with diving into it. Or even better, using a part of the lesson. You may have a student that loves to write songs, which I definitely encourage students to do. So why not use the last 5 minutes to let them play their song for you? It could turn into a teaching moment as well as be a lot of fun for the student.

Learn how to “read” the student

Piano teacher and student

This is similar to not overwhelming the student, but goes deeper than making sure the student fully understands. As lessons progress and you get to know your student, it’s important to make sure you’re sensitive to what may be happening in his/her life. There may be times when a student is having trouble at school or home, or with a relationship, etc. Some students will be outspoken about what is going on, while others will be quiet. I always start out my lessons with “How are you doing?” and “How was your week?”. For me, this is not just a way to start the lesson, but a chance to feel how the student is doing emotionally. This may impact how you teach that particular lesson. I’m not advocating asking personal questions or having a therapy session, but if you feel there may be something bothering the student, it can hinder their learning. If it continues, you may need to speak to his/her parent(s), if a child, or for an adult, let them open up to you if they wish. If the student feels they can be somewhat open with you, it helps to create a bond in the lesson and may help in the learning progress. I do want to make it clear, however, it’s important to keep a boundary between you and the student. Although you want your student to feel comfortable, the student is not your child or best friend, so make sure to keep the relationship professional. This can go for you, the instructor as well. If you’re not having a great day, put your poker face on when teaching, and never let your emotions come into play in the lesson.

Different types of learning

Another aspect of “reading” the student is figuring out how he or she learns. Some students learn by verbal explanation, while others learn by watching. Some only learn when actually playing. There are specific methods for the different learning types, so that may help you decide what method to use. That being said, I think it’s a good idea to teach children the opposite of how they learn after the first 9-12 months of lessons. This may help him/her to learn in different capacities since they may need that skill in a job as an adult. There’s also the learning impaired, such as autism, dyslexia, dyscalculia, etc. I once had a student with a disorder where his brain processed faster than his motor movement. I tell most students to read ahead, but with him I had to tell him NOT to read ahead and offered a slightly different approach.

Practicing…the #1 reason to cancel

I’m sure you’ve had many students (or parents of students) cancel for a lack of practicing. I’ve actually never had one of my own students cancel for this reason. That’s because I don’t mention practicing to my beginning students under the age of eight. Wait what? I can hear you all asking….don’t talk about practicing? Yes you heard me right! I’m not saying practicing is not critical for a student to learn, because it definitely is! However, I don’t expect a young beginner to practice for any length of time. The young student hasn’t the discipline or enough knowledge TO practice for more than 5-10 minutes. I simply give easy assignments and tell the parents to have their child “play” it for them. For students over the age of eight, I talk briefly about practicing daily for only 20 or so minutes at a time. This is usually the longest time frame a beginning student can handle, and it doesn’t sound like a daunting task! I give clear assignments for the next week’s lesson so the student knows exactly what to play (notice I didn’t say the “p” word). If the student doesn’t play it to my standard to pass in a lesson, I just re-assign it for the following week until it’s mastered. And when a student tells me they didn’t have much time to practice, I tell them, “That’s ok, let’s shoot for a better week next time”.

Piano lessons are never a waste of time!

The words “You’re wasting MY time and your parent’s money” should NEVER come out of your mouth! I believe learning to play the piano is never a waste of time or money, even if the student seems disinterested. There’re so many good things that come from music lessons that can help in a child’s education, and into their adult life. Also, you never know if at some point the disinterested student may suddenly “click” and love learning to play the piano. However, if after a year or more of lessons they’re still not interested, I would put them in the 2nd category of students I mentioned at the beginning of this blog. In that case, politely tell the parent(s) it’s probably not the student’s desire to learn piano. Never feel like it’s an insult to you if this happens.

Time and be consistent

Once lessons begin, the beginning student may realize learning to play the piano (or any instrument) takes more time than thought. I always laugh at methods that tout learning to play the piano in 3 easy steps or learn 20 songs in 20 days! That’s unrealistic and may set up the piano student for failure. I relate lessons to a marathon, not a sprint. Let the beginning piano student know they’ll learn everything in time. And since it does take time, the lesson itself needs to be consistent. If there are a lot of lessons missed, this will hinder the student’s learning progress. There will always be the student that is committed and attends every week. And conversely, there will be the student that constantly cancels lessons. Since you can’t control the student’s attendance, you CAN control yours. Make sure to schedule lessons at a time you can teach every week. Of course life happens, and there will be lessons missed occasionally, but that should be a rare occurrence. If you have a student that constantly cancels, you may need to change the schedule so he or she can attend every lesson. I have seen a trend that when students miss a lot of lessons, they usually cancel all together.

Policy for student cancellations

Some instructors and studios will allow a student to cancel if they give a 48 hour notice with no charge. Or some will guarantee a make up lesson for some or all student cancellations. While that sounds like you’re being accommodating to the student, that actually tells the student that cancelling lessons is OK. At Melody Music Studios, I charge students if they cancel with no guarantee of a make up lesson. This makes the student accountable in attending all lessons, and in the long run, is better for their learning progress. Also allowing a student to cancel without paying is, in my opinion, unfair to the piano instructor who blocks time in their schedule for each student and depends on each lesson for their income (do I hear a collective amen shout from all piano instructors?).

Use the right book

A Complete Piano Method Book for the Beginner

Using the correct book for each student is important. A lot of method books can be confusing and missing important information. At Melody Music Publishers, there’s a book for sight reading skills as in the “Drill It and Kill It” book, as well as books on playing chords and improvisation, such as the “Chords & Improvisation on the Piano” and “Fake It Til You Make It”. Our unique line of method books are written in a comprehensive and easy to follow way on how students think and learn. Drills, written, and playing assignments are given for students to learn in a deeper level.

Summary

To summarize, it’s important to be encouraging to the beginner and let him or her know you’re on their side! Make sure to keep the lesson in a clear step by step fashion and realistic to the student’s ability. Listen to the student’s interests and be flexible with the direction of the lesson, as well as their emotional state. Don’t stress practicing at the start of the lessons. Keep a consistency in the weekly lesson and schedule them at a good time for you and the student. Use the right book for each student. And finally, when finishing teaching a student, no matter how long a period it may be, end your time with a positive outlook on learning to play the piano. The ultimate goal in teaching piano is helping the student realize he/she can enjoy playing the piano for a lifetime!

Kathi Kerr is owner and founder of Melody Music Studios, where she hires music and voice instructors across the county. She also is owner and author of Melody Music Publishers, which is a line of piano method books. Check out her books here.

To all piano instructors: we would love your comments and opinions, so feel free to leave your comment below! This is a forum FROM piano teachers FOR piano teachers! Thank you for your dedication to teaching piano and music to others!

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