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How to Choose a Piano Teacher

January 16, 2015 · 10 Comments

The benefits of learning to play music are indisputable, and one of the most important aspects in creating an exciting, valuable music education experience for yourself or your child is knowing how to choose a piano teacher. Communication styles, learning methods and preferred genres are highly personal, meaning that it takes a little bit of background work to choose the best music teacher FOR YOU.

Below we’ll go over our 5 helpful tips for choosing a piano teacher, which actually may applied to choosing any music instructor, and our top resources to turn to for additional help. By following these tips, you can be sure to choose a teacher who fosters you or your child’s love of music and encourages him or her to make the very most of their music lessons.

 1. Know what you’re looking for

Before you start your search for a teacher, it’s best to outline exactly what you’re looking for in an instructor. If your child is just starting first-time lessons, your preferred qualifications may be much different than if you studied music in college and are hoping to restore your own skill set. Likewise, you have to balance your financial and time commitment with the goals you’re hoping to accomplish. Here’s a quick checklist of important questions to ask yourself.

  • What do I hope to accomplish, or what do I hope for my child to accomplish, by taking lessons?
  • What teacher qualifications are necessary to reach my goals for myself/my child? What additional qualifications would be ideal?
  • What is my budget?
  • What am I looking for in terms of time commitment/scheduling?

2. Ask around

You can glean a lot of insight from parents of students already taking piano lessons. Talk to friends, coworkers, community members, your dentist… anyone who’s willing to share their experience. How did they choose their piano teacher? Are they happy with their choice? What would’ve they done differently?

In addition to your peers, local music stores and schools are often able to provide knowledgeable suggestions on local teachers. (Check out our favorite online resource for teacher suggestions below!)

While word-of-mouth is great for making initial contacts, do remember that each person learns differently, and that the best teacher for your best friend’s children may not make the best teacher for your own children.

3. Do some research

Once you’ve set your sights on a potential teacher, it’s helpful to see him or her in action. One great option is to attend a recital of his or her students. Pay attention to how the teacher and student interact with each other. Watch for signs of encouragement and see how the teacher interacts with parents as well.

If it’s not possible to attend a recital, speak with as many of your potential teacher’s students (or parents of students) as you can.

4. Start interviewing potential teachers

Interviewing potential teachers is essential in deciding if they’ll be a good fit for you or your child. You’ll want to interview prospects in person, and ideally in the location at which the lessons will take place. When interviewing, focus on questions both general, like their overall teaching philosophy, as well as specific questions about their qualifications, expectations and methods.

Ask them about themselves:

  • What experience do you have in teaching?
  • Do you teach multiple instruments? (In our experience, it usually works out best to find instructors who specialize in an instrument.)
  • What are your credentials and educational background?
  • What would you consider your greatest personal musical accomplishments?
  • Do you belong to any professional organizations or take part in any professional development groups? (NAfME, for example)
  • Do you teach full time? Are you a student yourself?
  • Do you hold any certifications? (MTNA or related state associations, for example)

Ask them about their curriculum:

  • What ages do you teach?
  • Do you hold recitals during the year?
  • Which instructional materials do you use? How and why did you choose them?
  • How do you evaluate a student’s progress?
  • How much practice time do you suggest or require of your students?
  • What kind of music do you assign to your students? How do you choose what music gets assigned?
  • Do you have additional opportunities for students who would like to perform often or become more involved in music?
  • Have any of your students achieved a high level of musical success?

Finally, ask them about logistics:

  • How much do you charge for lessons and how does your billing process work?
  • How long is each lesson, and when and where will they be held?
  • How many students do you currently teach?
  • Will lessons always be one-on-one, or do you offer group lessons? (If you’re interested in group lessons)
  • What do you expect of parents?
  • What are your terms and conditions?

And don’t be shy to ask for a list of references!

5. Don’t be afraid to keep looking

If you don’t find the right piano teacher immediately, continue your search. Or, if you start lessons and they don’t seem to be going well, switch teachers. A professional instructor will understand and respect your decision to do what’s best for your or your child’s music education.

The very beginning lessons are the foundation on which you or your child’s entire music education experience will rest. Set up an initial meeting for your child and his or her new teacher, and be sure to listen to your youngster’s opinion. You could choose the most qualified, highly regarded, professional teacher on the list, but if your child is not receptive to the instructor, it’s game over.

Also, be watchful of your child’s practice time and, if you yourself are a musician, pay attention to any form or technical bad habits displayed during home practice time. It’s important that an instructor address these problems quickly, and if they don’t seem to be addressed it might be time to find another instructor.

The right teacher will foster a love of music, aid in continued, measurable progress, and motivate their students to want to become the best musicians they can be.

Additional Resources

Takelessons.com : Use TakeLessons to browse local teachers and find detailed information about each candidate.

MTNA.org : The Music Teachers National Association website has a Parent and Student Resource center with tips on choosing an instrument, finding piano technicians, how to overcome injury and more. You can also search all MTNA-certified instructors.

Practice Smarter, Perform Better : How to maximize your at-home music practice time.

5 Tips for Establishing Great Practice Habits : Make practice time rewarding and fun, especially for younger students.

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Do you have additional tips for how to choose a piano teacher? Are you an educator with expert insight into what you look for in a music student? Join the conversation in the comments section below!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: learning piano, music education, teaching tools

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Robin Walker says

    January 19, 2015 at 1:26 pm

    I’ve been playing piano for 55 years. The two most important things my parents looked for in a teacher was reputation, and whether or not they were members of the Piano Teacher’s Guild. I only had two from age 6 through age 17 before I left for college. Would that I had practiced more……..

    Reply
  2. Piano Curriculum says

    November 3, 2017 at 6:07 pm

    Yes, it is better to know before the piano lesson if the teacher is potential to teach so that there’s no time, effort, money and etc. will waste.. thanks for sharing..!

    Reply
  3. Callum Palmer says

    December 28, 2017 at 4:03 pm

    I like that the article encourages interviewing any potential teachers that you look at. After all, there are many questions you can ask to find out whether or not that is the person that you want to teach your kid how to play piano. One of the particularly good questions is about whether or not they teach full time since that can show you how much time they have to spend with you.

    Reply
  4. Drake says

    May 17, 2018 at 10:06 am

    Really nice tips, especially for me. I’m such a busy person, have a lot of stuff to do. And only music after my work routine can help me feel more relaxed and comfortable. So, I remember in my teenage time I spent many hours playing the piano. It was so amazing! It always refreshed my mind. Now, I’m researching some special piano for myself. As for me, this site no bad – https://uae.feesheh.com/ for choosing special one. And honestly, when I saw at the first time White Roland I fall in love with it, but when times come to buy something I’ve noticed the fresh one – Yamaha Clavinova, which made by brilliant brown wood… Impossible to resist. So, which one I have to choose? Help me, guys!

    Reply
  5. Cristy William says

    July 11, 2019 at 3:04 am

    You will never be able to be a good pianist if you do not have a good teacher. I learn at European Piano Academy and the teachers are really skilled, come and see for yourself.

    Reply
  6. Alice Carroll says

    August 21, 2020 at 12:06 am

    You made a good point that it matters a lot whether my piano instructor can also play and teach other instruments since they would have access to other perspectives in music theory. My friend once suggested to me that I should try my hand in playing the piano after he noticed my typing fast while cramming a paper back in college. Now that I have more free time in my hands, maybe I should listen to that suggestion he said in passing that I still somehow remember to this day.

    Reply
  7. Victoria Addington says

    August 21, 2020 at 12:13 am

    It’s great that you elaborated on the factors to consider when choosing a piano teacher. Since I’m planning to enroll my seven-year-old child in a piano class, I’m glad that I came across your blog. With that considered, I must then ask for recommendations from my friends and schedule an interview with potential teachers to get an idea of their teaching methods.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Quora says:
    September 3, 2015 at 1:48 pm

    Does classical piano always start with techniques or finger exercise?

    I grew up with the old John Thompson method, which combined left hand/right hand exercises and little pieces to reinforce the exercises. My early teachers also gave me choice of special piece to work with (usually a sheet music separate from the studen…

    Reply
  2. Selecting the Right Piano Teacher | Outlet says:
    April 11, 2016 at 12:02 pm

    […] not, teachers would create their very own website so that they can promote themselves. At times, piano teachers join groups or federations that people usually access when they are searching for the right piano […]

    Reply
  3. Start Playing Music Again – Tips for relearning an instrument says:
    January 27, 2017 at 12:13 pm

    […] sure to get in touch with prospective teachers and ask all of the questions you feel necessary. We don’t mind the questions! In fact, we […]

    Reply

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