Are you a newbie? Are you a “well-seasoned” teacher? How many first piano lessons have you taught? One? Forty? Two hundred?
It’s likely you have your own first-lesson routines. All teachers like to begin piano lessons in a variety of ways. All teachers have their own ideas about what should be covered in the first lesson. All teachers have opinions on what books to use, what kinds of pieces to use, starting on-staff vs. off-staff, etc., etc.
But no matter where you fit in in terms of first lesson teaching experience, it’s always a good idea to make sure you’re setting up your brand new piano student for long-term success. So, check out our 10 things you should include in a very first piano lesson and add these ideas to your tool kit of teaching knowledge.
10 Things You Should Include In A Very First Piano Lesson (That Are Often Forgotten)
1. A Motivator: Include an improv activity or extremely simple duet (if it’s fall, try Ding Dong!) that gets your student making music immediately. There is nothing as motivating as being a part of great music-making… so get your student playing right away!
2. Knowledge of Proper Posture: Starting this from the very first lesson ensures your student a) realizes this is important (not an afterthought) and b) doesn’t accidentally form any hard-to-break habits.
3. Knowledge of Bench Positioning: Teach your student how to adjust their own bench. I have fallen into the trap before of adjusting the bench and checking for proper distance, height, etc. without including my student in the “why”. Making this their project ensures they will do the same at home. Need help with this? Click here.
4. Finger Warm-Ups: Aside from just sending your student home with pieces to practice, sending your student home with a finger warm-up routine that is “off the keys” (and therefore doesn’t require previous piano knowledge) also sets up the expectation from the beginning that pre-piece warm-ups are important and will be a part of their practice routine. For fun, kid-friendly finger warm-ups click here.
5. A Piece to Practice: No matter how much time you spend discussing keyboard awareness, finger numbers, high and low sounds… it’s so important to send your student home with something he or she can practice immediately. This sets up good practice habits from the get-go, but also builds a strong connection with the piano as the excitement of brand new lessons will carry over into home practice.
6. Freedom on the Keys: Starting off by giving your new student the freedom to make his own music gives him confidence and a creative outlet. Send your student home with instructions to make up his own short little piece to play for you next week and to notate it in any way he chooses. I absolutely love the notation ideas that my new students come up with – they’re often ingenious. Composing shouldn’t be something reserved for experienced piano students only… get them making music immediately.
7. Practice Expectations and Instruction: Newbies need to know practice expectations right from the get-go. But expectations alone aren’t enough! You need to teach them how to practice. New students may have no idea that practice doesn’t simply mean playing their piece from beginning to end 4 times and then walking away. Give them the first tools they need to practice efficiently (check out a post we wrote last year, 21 Days to Consistent Piano Practice).
8. Encouragement: Your new student needs to go home feeling successful and as though she’s “got this piano thing!”. Encouragement comes in the form of verbal feedback, but also in the form of ensuring your student can be successful at home with what is expected of her that first week. Adjust your goals based on each individual student to ensure that the second lesson is positive and also encouraging.
9. A Sneak Peek: Give your new students a glimpse into the fun they’re about to have at your studio. Do you use amazing manipulatives or games? Use them! Do you include iPad apps in your games? Be sure to show your new student. Do you include off-bench activities? Make sure your new student experiences these.
10. Parental Involvement: The parents should have the tools they need to assist at home; both to troubleshoot, but also to ensure practice tasks happen successfully. This can be in the form of a visual “help sheet”, or you can ask the parent to come into the final minutes of the lesson for a demo. Not only does this ensure your piano student won’t “get stuck”, but it also establishes the expectation immediately that parents are an integral part of home practice success.
First Lessons Are Fun… First Lessons are Important
As the saying goes, there is no second chance at making a first impression. So go ahead and include these 10 aspects (along with your regular first-lesson routine) and set your students up for long-term success in your studio.
Karen says
Thank you so much for this! I also include a quick dialogue with the student; What do you already know about the piano? (perhaps has noticed black key groupings or big sibling taught them a piece they want to demonstrate) Ask what other things they like to do- and (this is my favorite) the last two minutes have a review “quiz” (VERY informal) about what they learned today. I say “where are the three black keys? Where are the two? Where is D? What is the musical alphabet? Which one of your fingers is number one? How about number 5? How do you know if you are the right distance from the keys? What is good pasture at the piano? Can you show me good hand position? Which way is high? Low? They (and the parent) will be so delighted at all the new things they know already! I show them my amazement at their listening skills and memory and my delight at how well they are doing already!
Andrea says
Great comment Karen – thanks for sharing!
Kimberly says
I loved this article, and I also appreciated this comment, Karen! I’ve done a handful of first lessons, but I’m definitely still a newbie. I’ll take all the pointers I can get moving forward with my little piano studio!
Sue says
Great reminders!!
mary says
Thank you karen.
I do play myself but am about to teach my grandson.Very helpful.
Elaine says
I also ask if anyone else in the family plays an instrument. Good to know for future duet possibilities .
Andrea says
Great one to add Elaine!
Susan says
I agree Andrea! First impressions are lasting!
The first lesson should be power packed with teacher enthusiasm and passion. I give the grand tour of my studio. I have in the studio 2 acoustical(One that is undressed so the children can see the inside) pianos, an organ with floor board, and a Roland electric piano with applications for games and recording as well. All my instruments have names Mr. or Mrs.…many visual aids all over the studio, plus a music store for rewards. So the building of excitement with so much to see and touch, children can barely contain themselves, lots of laughs. I love to have checklists…keep me on track…keep me fresh and vibrant. At the first lesson I have them pick out something from my music store that they want to earn, I am already gearing them to have a goal. Introduce them to the instruments, play a game on the Roland, sit at the Organ and play the foot pedals. Take them to the acoustic piano and I usually start with the bench either pushed way in under the piano or the opposite,very far away. Then I ask them to sit at the piano, they are usually confused because of the bench
distance. Either way it’s very uncomfortable! Long story short they want to make a change because they either can’t reach the keys or there so squished and can barely get their legs around the bench. So the question I ask is what should we do?
This leads to bench position and posture, that they are figuring out, LOL! Throw in a couple of fast easy to learn games that might have to do with finger numbers or just making sounds at the piano. My favorite thing to do at the end is have them trace their hand on a piece of paper and we talk about what they like to do, example favorite subject, food, pet, sport, hobby. They will write the finger number on each finger with one of their favorite colors. They write their name in the center of their hand (their dominant hand) I use this piece of paper to make connections to the things they like to do, over many many weeks as I learn more about them and how they learn. Love the blog, and the chance to share with other teachers.
Barbara says
Wow Susan! Makes me want to be a first-time student at your studio. Thanks for sharing so many great ideas. I especially like the dominant hand tracing with info you can use for later conversations — brilliant!!
Maryann says
I’ve taught piano for 30 years and use many of these suggestions. I trace their hands on the inside cover of their lesson book (with date) These have been treasured over the years!
Patsy I says
Love the idea of the tour – never thought to do that! Especially like the idea of giving the instruments names. Since I give lessons at a church, this suggestion fits well with my need to change lesson settings based on those occasional church conflicts. Thanks for sharing!
Kristi says
Thanks for all of the good stuff!! I have looked back in my book club downloads and can’t find the “Ding Dong” song. What series was it in? I would love to have more duet pieces to play with students, on the black keys, (or white) that are simple to play at the first, second, and even third lesson. Duets are my favorite!!
Barbara says
So many good ideas here, Andrea. I always position the bench…trying to be “nice” but I definitely see the wisdom in letting them do it themselves so they can do the same at home. Thanks for helping me help my first-time students.
Sandra says
Wow, what fantastic tips. Thanks so much guys! Will begin implementing some!
Janice says
I love the idea of the piano hands!! I am going to try putting tracings of both hands up on the studio doors, letting girls decorate their nails, adding finger numbers and child’s name as well as personal likes, and then, as each student learns to play favorite songs, add those song titles under the hands. I hope this will be motivating as well as encouraging to all students!
Gayle says
HI Andrea, I love your post! I send my new students home with 5 big pink erasers. Each eraser has written on it instructions for practicing the piece. Such as: Play and say finger numbers…Play and say note names… Play and sing words of the song… Play and say the rhythm…and PERFORM! This way the student plays the piece 5 times. With a one or two line beginning piece they learn a practice routine for the future.