About three times a year we reach out to the Teach Piano Today community; asking our readers to submit their burning piano teaching questions for us to then answer in our blog posts. We want to be sure we’re providing you with the information and resources you really need!
We’re about to ask you to submit questions again this week, but before we do, we thought you’d enjoy having a Top 10 list of the most commonly asked piano teaching questions along with easy-to-find direct links to our answers.
The 10 Most Common Piano Teaching Questions
1. How can I motivate and “save” over scheduled students? This is the most common question we are asked; and with the number of activities available to kids today, it’s no wonder. But we don’t have to give up and simply deal with students who don’t practice and then eventually quit. Check out this link for help.
2. How do I make sure all of my piano students read music well? We’re so glad that this is another very popular question! Some students just “get” it right away and others struggle. Check out these 7 tips for note-reading success.
3. How can I get more students? We love helping piano teachers build their studio. Aside from our piano teaching guide which has helped thousands of piano teachers to move from “almost” to “yes!”. We have blogged a lot about effectively marketing and advertising your studio. One of our most effective tips can be found here.
4. What should I be doing to be sure I’m teaching my piano students to play with good hand position? This post was one of our most popular… because it works! And if it’s their pinky finger that’s stiff and causing problems, try this.
5. Along the same vein as above, piano teachers often ask “What is a good way to get students to use correct fingering?” Check out this post to correct wonky fingering and give your piano kids the skills they need to make good fingering choices.
6. What can I do with a new teenage student who only plays by ear and is self taught? We’ve all had those new students who come in having taught themselves. They are used to playing at a certain “level”… but their note reading isn’t close to where it needs to be! It’s a tricky situation balancing their ego with what they need to learn. Here’s what to do.
7. What are your tips for organizing materials, games, supplementary repertoire etc.? If you read our blog you know we have a lot of ideas… and with those ideas comes a lot of materials. Check out this post to help take charge of piano studio clutter.
8. How do you deal with transfer students who are not reading at the same level as they play at? Transfer students can be tricky for more reasons than simply their note-reading abilities. Check out this post for ideas on how to smooth the transition for both of you.
9. How can I keep kids interested when they need slow practice or lots of repetition? Kids love instant gratification and lots of variety… but sometimes they need good old fashioned time put in before they master something. Here’s how to keep it kid-friendly.
10. How can I encourage piano parents to take lessons more seriously and take on a more active role with home practice? When one piece of the student/teacher/parent triangle is missing then everyone suffers. Here’s 3 great posts to share with your piano parents to keep them interested, involved and committed.
We’re here to help!
In a profession that can sometimes be a lonely one, we’re here to help! Watch for our “call for questions” coming this week and we’ll do our very best to answer each and every one in our upcoming blog posts.
Milla says
How to help my students to remember key signatures? No matter how many times we play the scale and it’s chords, when they play the song, the key signature is ignored most of the time. Thanks.
Patricia Moore says
When my students do scales they have to give me the name of the scale and what’s the key signature and what’s in it (e.g. A Major – 3 sharps – F#, C# and G#). I also have them name key signature before they play the piece of music they are working on. Do they sometimes forget to use them – yes, but repetition eventually works.
In the beginning of learning key signatures say we have G Major, I’ll colour all the F#’s in the piece with a pencil crayon. That helps for some.
Milla says
Thank you, Patricia!
Nancy Slocum Hiatt says
How to get parents to sign off the daily practice sheets!
Debbie Noble says
My students are allowed to move a car sticker on a race track for every day they have practiced, or for completing extra credit assignments. Prizes are awarded when they get to the end of the track. If they come to lessons with their practice logs unsigned, they are not allowed to move on the track. For upper primary and elementary students, I emphasize that it is their responsibility to take their practice logs to their parents for signing. It’s not uncommon for students to go running back out to the car begging their parents to sign their practice logs before their lessons begin!
Sandra says
….The whole gamut of problems that can arise with ‘transfer’ students. There is the matter of loyalty to the previous teacher which must be respected while attempting to fill in the holes. It is more of a problem when a child has changed teachers due to a family move, and had a strong attachment to the teacher they left behind. If that teacher had a whole different approach, it is all the more challenging. The situation requires a lot of tact and diplomacy. If the previous teacher never required that anything be learned well, it takes even more tact and diplomacy. ….Especially at the intermediate or advanced level.
Andrea says
Hi Sandra
We’ve all been there! Try this post, it will probably help https://www.teachpianotoday.com/2012/04/19/how-to-teach-transfer-piano-students-with-a-little-help-from-hammerstein-its-qa-day/
Milla says
I have an unusual problem. Some private school now have a piano teacher giving lessons during after school care, and two parents of my students decided that more is better ,and have the kids taking lessons along with my lessons. Talk about difference in approach! These teachers try to move very fast, and the parents ask me to help the kids with the assignments from the other teacher. I try very hard not to sound critical toward other teachers, just explain that I’m planning every lesson, and often don’t have time for work on the side, but it makes my life harder. The kids,for example, are not as exited about starting to play with both hands, because they already have done it with the other teacher. I really need an advice how to deal with it!
Andrea says
Hi Milla,
Is there a way you could ask to speak to the other teacher so that the two of you could come up with a plan together? Perhaps one teacher could teach the “traditional” repertoire/method book material and the other could focus on other parts of piano that we sometimes don’t have time for every lesson (like composing, improv, technical work, etc.) I can see that the kids will likely get frustrated too by having two different approaches, and so for everyone’s sake maybe it’s best to separate their piano education into two distinct areas and have each teacher take on one rather than trying to both do both?
Barbara says
How about a very shy 13-year-old girl? I can get no rapport going with her and get very few responses…usually a barely audible “I guess” in response to any question I ask. This particular one is an intermediate level transfer student who plays well but I get the feeling is just going through the motions to placate her parents. But I know other teachers who have shy students that wonder the best way to approach them. Thanks for any suggestions.
Andrea says
Hi Barbara – have you checked out these posts? They will likely help in this situation 🙂
https://www.teachpianotoday.com/2012/03/21/how-to-teach-piano-to-the-tongue-tied/
https://www.teachpianotoday.com/2013/10/10/how-to-rescue-the-unmotivated-teenage-piano-student/
Jane Berkowitz says
When lessons are cancelled because of snow days and they can’t be made up, I was wondering what others do about billing. I just deduct the lesson’s cost from the next month’s payment. Anyone do anything different?
Soni C. says
My studio policies offer parents three options in the case of weather-related cancellations:
1) Schedule a make up at a later date.
2) Schedule a Skype lesson in lieu of a face-to-face lesson at their regularly scheduled time in order to avoid a cancellation.
3) Take a credit on the following month’s invoice.
Parents’ decisions are split pretty evenly between scheduling a make up and taking the credit. I find that the parents of the students who practice consistently and arrive prepared for their lessons tend to choose the make ups. To date none have elected the Skype session.
Andrea says
Hi Jane,
We actually just blogged about this! If you missed it, the link is here
https://www.teachpianotoday.com/2014/03/06/how-bach-can-help-you-dig-out-of-the-snow/
Laura says
Does anyone have any ideas about how to motivate kids to practice scales? How do you make scales fun? I assign scales to be practiced, but my I can tell some students just practice the pieces I assign, not the scales.
Andrea says
Hi Laura
Try this! http://www.scaleblitzer.com/
Soni C. says
What to do about students who consistently ignore my instructions? Week after week I (gently) point out and review ignored dynamic and articulation markings, inconsistent tempo, forgotten key signatures, etc. And week after week the students return making the same mistakes. I’ve demonstrated, highlighted passages in the music, mentioned it in lesson notes, asked parents to remind the child at home…all to no avail.