Teaching piano lessons will provide you a source of extra income, and bring the joy of music into the lives of your students. Once you choose a methods book to teach from, the lessons are relatively easy to teach, and with a little bit of practice you can improve your own piano skills as well.
Choosing a Piano Methods Book
Visiting your local music store to pick out a piano teaching methods book has the potential to overwhelm you with the vast number of choices. Go at a time when you have while to sit and look through many of the books available. There may be 5-10 methods choices, each with multiple levels starting at beginner and moving up through advanced. Each series may have several books per level - a lesson book, theory book and various other options including perhaps an ear training book, a technique book, a performance book and note speller.
Start by choosing a lesson book that you like. Glance through the same level of each methods book, keeping your teaching style in mind. Make sure that the illustrations and teaching tips in the student book will be appropriate for your students and your method of teaching. Once you choose a lesson book that you like, begin looking through the additional book choices in that same series.
It would be prudent to have your students work through a theory book along with the lesson book in order to learn the various musical terms and theory involved in playing the piano. A technique book will help students improve finger dexterity and a note speller will help students practice their note reading skills. A performance book will provide additional songs for the student to learn, building a repertoire of songs at any given level. Any of these book choices are up to you as the teacher and what you feel is appropriate for your students.
Teaching Piano Lessons
Once you have chosen a methods book to teach from, you must find a student to teach. Neighborhood kids are a good first choice, and the cheaper you make your lessons, the more students you will have interested in taking lessons. A half hour lesson is a typical beginner lesson time frame.
During the lessons, follow the teaching tips in the student's lesson book, introducing new concepts as they come up, and assigning theory pages and other books as appropriate. Be sure to keep the lessons positive and exciting, and make opportunities to play a song for your students.
Teaching piano lessons can be a fun way to earn a little extra money. Both children and adults who have never learned to play the piano can benefit greatly from taking lessons from you, even if you are not a master pianist. A basic knowledge on the piano that stays ahead of your students is all that is needed to provide beginner lessons.
Read more tips for music teachers.
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