Teach Piano For Fun And Profit

Lesson Two

Getting Prepared

If your sole goal is to earn easy money, you may end up regretting your choice.

Teaching is hard. It involves countless hours “behind-the-scenes” getting material prepared, choosing the best books for individual student needs, chasing up homework, becoming familiar with syllabus requirements, administrative tasks including enrolling students for exams… the list is endless.

But. And that is a big but, if you love your subject and you already have an idea of how you want your studio to run, then it can be a hugely fulfilling way to earn a living. Once the groundwork is complete, you will often recycle learning material, and everything will become second nature.

Structuring Your Teaching

One of the most positive aspects of teaching is the flexibility in time. Students can be rostered for 30-minute blocks once a week for 10-week terms if they prefer routine.

Older students may choose to have fortnightly lessons that run for longer.

Lesson times can be planned around caring duties in the afternoon and evenings or even on weekends for extra pocket money.

Consider your schedule carefully and then add an extra 2 hours a week initially to factor in administrative duties.

Other crucial details to consider include:

Solo vs. group lessons
Solo lessons allow more individualized learning and fewer distractions; however, if you have siblings or students at the same level, they may benefit from occasional group lessons.

Students may also benefit from group theory lessons.

Fees
This includes how much you will charge per lesson if you offer discounts for siblings, pensioners, or students who pay upfront at the beginning of terms (if you prefer to teach in term blocks).

You may also want to consider implementing a no-show charge or have arrangements in place for when you or your students are ill.

As part of this, you may also want to ask students if they wish to have physical or virtual receipts.

Other Considerations
You may want to enroll students in exams and decide which courses and grades.

You may also consider hosting performance opportunities for students, such as the end of year concerts.

For some students, you may wish to share your resources with them, and it would be wise to have a system in place so you don’t lose track of books.

You may also want to advertise or promote your business through online social media, including Facebook, Instagram, or even your website.

Lesson Three

Your First Student

Before your first student arrives, make sure that the teaching studio (and you) are neat and presentable.

Run through the lesson in your head beforehand and break down the task into different sections.

It usually helps if you have been able to talk to the student (or parent) over the phone before the first lesson.

I typically ask them basic details (name, age, and a piano or keyboard) and run through expectations.

I ask them to bring along any music books they may already have and a blank notebook (if they have a manuscript, even better, but this isn’t necessary).

In time, you will want to put new students after older students to hear older students perform pieces and feel more at ease. If this is your very first student, this is the advice I give my more senior students when they first teach:

Greet your students with a friendly smile and be natural. This is not a performance.

You will need to work with both the parent and the student to be effective.

Before any real lesson work gets done, have a chat and learn a bit about your new student.

I like to ask questions like “Do they have a piano?” or “Have they played before?”

Then I usually lead into more personal questions such as the student’s age, date of birth (needed if they want to do exams), year in school, etc.

If they are young, I ask the parent what name they’d like me to put on the receipts (I issue monthly receipts).

You may also wish to go over any “housekeeping” rules at this point, such as please use hand sanitizer before touching the keys, giving the location of the washroom facilities, etc.

Now to break down the lesson. Your first lesson is ideally going to be 30 – 35 minutes.

I allow extra time as new students can feel overwhelmed and intimidated.

I also want them to see previous or next students introduce them.

This serves two purposes: the new students have confidence.

I have been doing this for a while, and it fosters a sense of community when students face exams together.

After 5 minutes of chatting, I break the lesson into four sections.

1. PRACTICAL

If this is an entirely new music student, introduce the piano.

Ensure the student feels comfortable at the piano by showing them the correct posture.

Have them sit in front of Middle C, in the middle of the piano stool with their back straight, shoulders down, forearms parallel to the floor, and hands curved.

When you’re used to doing all these things yourself, it’s a bit tricky to be suddenly aware of them and try to teach them.

Introduce Middle C and the clefs. Have them find all the C’s on the piano.

2. WRITTEN

I introduce theory straight away. Get students to practice drawing treble and bass clefs for homework. If they are already familiar with this, then go over note values.

3. AURAL WORK

End with aural work. I’ll play something (also demonstrates how well you play) and ask students to clap the beat. Ask them to differentiate between low and high pitches, distinguishing between treble and bass.

4. CONCLUSION

I ask students if they have any questions and if all goes well, ask them to obtain the following three books if they are young:

– Blank notebook

– John Thompson Easiest Piano Course Book 1

– My First Theory Book by Lina Ng

You have established the groundwork for the second lesson by the end of the first lesson. This will involve marking homework, revising concepts, and starting the books.

Lesson Four

Teaching New Students Who Have Played Before

The process is essentially the same for students who have undertaken lessons before, with one crucial difference.

I always ask them to bring along previous material and play the last pieces.

This allows you to quickly ascertain what level they are at and if you need to tidy up any foundation areas such as posture.

For this reason, following a syllabus such as the Australian Music Examinations Board or Trinity may be helpful as you can use third-party objective measures that include a variety of musical concepts.

As a general rule, I try to find out as much as I can about students’ abilities and knowledge on:

• Scales and technique
• Performance ability
• Use of pedal
• Preference for styles
• Theory
• Aural skills (rhythm, pitch, intervals)
• Sight-reading

If students seem open, you can ask them about their previous learning experience and how they like to learn.

Some students are self-directed learners and prefer to do the hard practice at home, while others prefer a teacher to go through more challenging sections and drill them during the lesson.

They may also express a preference for learning a particular style to which you may cater.

An essential aspect of being a successful teacher is building rapport, so bear in mind that as you assess this student, they will likely be comparing you to their previous teacher.

Be respectful of that teacher, whether you agree or not with their teaching methods.

Cultivate a positive learning experience by focusing on the student in front of you and how you can adapt your skills to their needs.

Lesson Five

Being a Good Teacher

There are books and multiple treatises on pedagogy and teaching, but ultimately they all boil down to a few simple concepts:

1. You have a solid knowledge base about the instrument, composers, genres, works, etc
2. Good communication skills
3. Being able to adapt to different learning needs and personalities
4. Having a wide variety of resources and repertoire

While you are present with your student, you need to constantly monitor them as individuals and assess if they can play and focus.

While you may only have 30 minutes with them a week and want to cram as much as you can into your time together, you need to recognize they are people first, and sometimes, life happens.

Being upset, aggravated, impatient, or short will not improve any situation.

If students lack motivation, ask what you can do to make lessons more engaging.

If they aren’t doing homework, assign less and understand key concepts.

Make agreements to do extra practice or theory during school holidays.

Ensure students feel supported away from lessons by encouraging them to write down questions in their notebooks.

When your students are playing their pieces, you will need to multitask and assess:

1. Musical Awareness – their ability to shape expression, structure, shape, style, mood, and character
2. Quality of Sound – the consistency and clarity of tone, use of dynamic ranges, and musical projection
3. Accuracy – the ability to read and observe the music carefully
4. Control of instrument –the student’s technical control, coordination, posture, and sound production should be well enforced.

As a general rule, I let the students go through the piece or section they have been working on in their entirety, making mental notes of areas that need attention.

After they have finished, I always try and find positives and then come back to those areas that need focus.

I try and encourage self-awareness and a critical ear by asking students if they noticed any insecure sections and, if so, what made it insecure – was it the fingering, the speed, too many leger line notes to read.

Suppose they can demonstrate an awareness of a hazardous area and further identify why it was unstable.

In that case, it becomes easier to put a solution such as hands together work, changing fingers, going slower, drawing lines to show when notes are played hands together, etc.

Lesson Six

Problem Solving

For the most part, sticking to a routine lesson plan eliminates guesswork and creates a solid framework for both you and your students. I try to structure my lessons in the following way:

1. Homework and questions
   This allows the students to start thinking of music, set up, and go through any questions from the previous week. I can mark their homework (usually two pages) and outline the assignment for the following week.
2. Scales and technique exercises
   This is done to warm up – especially important in winter! Most find scales less brain taxing. If new scales need to be taught, I limit them to only one or two.
3. Old pieces
   I typically spend about 10 minutes going through old pieces and refining no more than 2 points on each. Students get bored, and focusing too much on one part doesn’t always work.
4. Introduce new pieces
   If time permits, I try and introduce new pieces according to the syllabus I’m using or ask the student if they want to learn any new pieces. Some will bring in sheet music which is even better as it shows they are engaged.
5. Aural tests or sight-reading
   Due to time limitations, I try and alternate these activities, and students enjoy the variety.
   This may include playing simple melodies (no more than 3 bars) and asking them to write out a rhythm or even guessing the notes.

As you can see, there are elements throughout the lesson where students and I will swap who is “in control,” and for the most part, this balance works well to keep students motivated and engaged away from lessons.
If problems do arise, they are usually due to:

1. Time
   You can sort out a lack of practice time by instigating minimum acceptable times. We sort out a minimum practice time for older students who typically recommend 30 minutes of daily practice but have sudden external time commitments (exams, camps, etc.). For example, 15 minutes 5 days a week, and we prioritize what we can realistically achieve. We also look at reducing homework to facilitate better focus on priorities.

2. Commitment
   Sometimes, despite the best intentions, there may be a lack of commitment either by the student or the environment – busy parents, constantly missed lessons, etc. For this, it’s essential to set out your expectations. I find it helpful to point out that I only have 30 minutes with the student, and they need to help me do some work the other 10 080 minutes in the week. Find a point of engagement – is there a goal or a piece they want to learn. Find their motivation, and usually, things resolve. If not, use honesty. Explain you have done everything you can and are open to suggestions; otherwise, the lessons become boring and repetitive. Even if the student is not as committed as you would like, you still need to remain committed to your job of trying to teach them.
3. Behavior

It’s unfortunate, but personality clashes can occur, and sometimes this is clear from the outset, and sometimes conflicts will become apparent over time.

This may also be the result of students’ changing motivations.

For example, young students who were once keen to learn often hit a wall in their teenage years and lose motivation and interest.

Try to understand the individual and the cause for the behavior.

I usually set out housekeeping rules in the first lesson, and when students see other students in the studio (especially more senior students), they tend to “get it.”

If the student has a genuine learning disorder, try to understand the disorder and learn best.

If the student is unruly, break the lesson into smaller sections to maintain interest but be firm about expectations – reward good behavior (stickers, rewards, praise, etc.) and speak clearly about bad behavior.

I have a three-strike rule – if I have to tell the student or parent about poor behavior (kicking piano, slamming lid, screaming or swearing, continuous non-compliance), I will let the student go.

I have a waiting list of other students who want to learn, and you will too.

Demonstrating healthy boundaries enforces respect on both sides, which is hugely important.

4. Money

Most students are lovely and will choose to pay either at the end of each lesson or in blocks (either by the month or by the term).

I let students choose what works for them and write down at the end of each lesson if the student has paid or not.

For those that prefer to pay in blocks, I then have a record at the end of each term or month and can invoice them.

Most students who cannot pay immediately are happy to fix me up for the next lesson. I make it clear that if students have financial difficulties, we can look at different options.

This may include alternating lessons (once every two weeks), switching to online classes (reducing travel and time costs), temporarily reducing lesson costs (if they are long-term students), or giving them extra time to pay.

Missed lessons need to be paid for or made up at another time, although I tend to forgo the fee if the students have a medical emergency.

If students consistently forget to pay or have a negative attitude towards lesson fees, I ask them to pay at the start of the lesson.

Resources

Theory:

1. Lina Ng ‘Music Theory Made Easy for Kids’ series
2. Lina Ng ‘My First Music Theory Book’ series by (great for very young children)
3. Lina Ng ‘Music Theory Grade ABRSM’ grades (also available for AMEB)
4. Gordon Spearritt Essential Music Theory Series
5. Dulcie Holland ‘Master your Theory’ Series
6. Samantha Coates ‘BlitzBooks’ Theory and Musicianship series

Practical All in One Book and other resources:

1. John Thompson’s Easiest Piano Course series
2. John Thompson’s Modern Course for the Piano series
3. John Thompson’s Adult Piano Course
4. Alfred’s Basic Adult Piano Course
5. Alfred’s All-in-one Course
6. Bastien Piano for Adults
7. Bastien Piano Basics series
8. com

Technique:

1. Hanon ‘The Virtuoso Pianist’
2. Czerny ‘100 Progressive Studies’, ‘125 Exercises in Passage Playing’, ‘The School of Velocity ‘Practical Finger Exercises’ and ‘Studies of Mechanism’ are good. They can all be downloaded here https://pianoexercises.org/exercises/czerny/.