How to Teach Piano to Einstein; 8 Tips For Teaching Gifted Piano Students

All of my piano students are gifted.

I know this because their mothers tell me so.

And honestly, I agree. Every student brings something wonderful to the piano bench. Some are gifted with imagination. Some are gifted with determination. Some are gifted with rhythm. Some are gifted with the ability to tell a seven-minute story about their cat before playing one single scale.

But every so often, a student comes along who is gifted in the more traditional sense. They learn quickly. They remember easily. They move through concepts faster than expected. They ask unusually thoughtful questions. They make connections that surprise you. And, sometimes, they leave you wondering, “Okay… now what do I do with this child?”

Teaching a truly gifted piano student is exciting, but it also comes with its own set of challenges. These students need more than extra pieces or faster pacing. They need thoughtful guidance, creative challenges, and a teacher who knows how to keep them growing without pushing them too hard, too fast.

So, if you have a little Einstein on your piano bench, the 8 tips below will help you teach, challenge, and inspire students who are working above “the norm.”

How To Succeed With Gifted Piano Students

1. Keep them challenged, but resist the urge to push. It’s tempting to “see what they can do,” but when you are dealing with a young, gifted piano student, it is important to remember that their emotional development is often miles behind their mental abilities. Resist the urge to push them too hard, both in terms of repertoire selections and piano practice demands. Allow them to mature into their abilities while keeping them challenged enough to maintain their interest. Work closely with their parents so that both parties are informed not only about how the child is progressing, but also about how the child is dealing with that progression. I am a very big proponent of letting children be children, regardless of their abilities or potential.

2. Establish yourself, quickly, as the leader. Gifted students often come with involved parents. You’ll find yourself in a frustrating tug-of-war if you don’t immediately become the clear leader of their child’s piano education. Parents will want to know that you have it “all together” and that you have a plan for their child’s musical growth. I work best with all parents, whether their children are gifted or not, by anticipating what they want from me and giving it to them before they have to ask. This is especially important with parents of gifted children. Be clear and concise with your expectations for both their child and for them.

3. Avoid the “dog show.” Resist the urge, no matter how great it would be for your studio advertising, to parade your piano student around like a show poodle. Choose their performance opportunities carefully. Give them lots of chances to perform, but maintain a level of professionalism. Avoid being too obvious with the “Look at me… they’re MY student!” glee. 🙂

4. Share the wealth. Gifted piano students often benefit from the expertise of “guest” teachers. Give them the opportunity to participate in master classes with well-respected teachers, either in your own community or beyond. Resist the urge to hoard your student, no matter how strong that urge may be! Another teacher’s approach may make what you’ve been telling them repeatedly finally “click.” It takes a village to raise a well-educated, gifted student. Don’t be possessive. Be confident in your piano teaching, confident enough to allow your student to occasionally branch out.

5. Protect small hands. Even if they have the mental ability to tackle ridiculously difficult repertoire, make sure you are not jeopardizing the health of their hands. Build muscle strength and coordination carefully, and gradually work toward their “mental level” with dogged determination. I once watched a master class where the piano teacher iced his students’ hands and forearms after they performed to ease the pain. I’ve never forgotten that image, and I often wonder about the problems those children eventually endured with tendon and muscle strain.

6. Don’t build a house without a foundation. Sure, they may play Rachmaninoff in their sleep, but you still need to ensure that technical piano skills and theory knowledge are central parts of your instruction. Just because they can play something doesn’t mean they understand what they are playing. It’s your job to give them those skills. Without this knowledge, they will hit a ceiling sooner or later.

7. Vary their repertoire. Gifted students are often inclined, or encouraged, to adhere to a classical-only diet. Variety is the spice of life, and it’s often a burnout-buster for gifted piano students. Even if they are not familiar with jazz, pop, or improv, encourage them to become well-rounded musicians by exposing them to different styles and genres. Give them opportunities to break free from rules and structure and simply enjoy making music. Talent will take you far, but joy will take you farther.

8. If you love them, let them go. As hard as it may be, be willing to pass your student on to a new piano teacher if you feel you have reached the limit of your teaching abilities. Not every teacher, regardless of how well they play, has the experience and tools to effectively make the most of a gifted student’s abilities. It is extremely difficult to pour years of effort and time into a piano student and then let them go on to a new teacher, who may inevitably reap the rewards of your hard work. However, keep in mind that your job as a teacher is to make yourself redundant. 🙂

When examining how to teach piano to gifted students, it’s important to think long-term. As their piano teacher, your number one priority should be to help them navigate their “young prodigy” years while giving them the skills they need to mature into great pianists for the long haul. But it’s also important to really enjoy the thrill of teaching a gifted piano student. They are a rare and especially bright spot in your career as a piano teacher.

Engage Them With Interesting Music!

It’s easy to want to feed your gifted students a steady diet of standard classical repertoire, but keep them engaged with the pop sounds their ears crave! Our Beethoven Sessions, Chopin Sessions and Amadeus Anthems books are a great mix of classical pop piano solos that will have your students racing to their piano at home! Find them on Amazon.