A Colorful Way To Teach Phrasing To Piano Students
When teaching piano students I am constantly reminded that language is very subjective. One moment a student can be looking at me, nodding with complete understanding and then the next moment… deer in...
View ArticleHow To Teach Expressive Piano Playing
Our two girls have finally reached the age when they can be put to bed by someone other than Mommy (that only took 8 years!). And what does this mean? Wahoo… date nights! Dinners out that don’t include...
View ArticleWhat to Do With Parents Who Sit In On Piano Lessons…
So you’re not used to having parents sit in on lessons… but then there is one who asks if they are able to stay and watch. What do you do? When we’re trying to get parents on board with being an active...
View Article7 No-Fail Ways To Give Your Struggling Note Readers Confidence
There are some piano students who just “get it”. Note reading just clicks for them and with some guidance on your part they’re off to the races; breezing through their primer-level books and on to...
View ArticleA Piano Teacher’s Guide To Fixing Teen Technique… Without Squelching Motivation
I once watched a tight-rope walker by the name of Nick Wallenda walk on a wire across Nigara falls. Now, I’m not afraid of heights, but watching that gave me heart palpitations. … probably because,...
View ArticleThe Piano Technique Cheat Sheet – Everything You Need To Know In One Place
When teaching young children, piano teachers are exposed to a staggering variety of technique issues. Sometimes what should be a simple fix seems to take weeks (or even months) to correct and you may...
View ArticleChunking Scales, Whispering Triads and Dragon Arpeggios; 3 Technical Tricks
Ahhhh… scales, triads and arpeggios… no doubt you’ve likely come across students who really struggle in this arena. True, much of the struggle could be due to lack of practice, but for some students,...
View ArticleInstant Memorizers And Quick Forgetters… How To End The Cycle
We recently had a piano teacher write to us with a problem involving piano students she labelled, “instant memorizers”. After reading that first sentence you may be thinking, “Hmmmm… doesn’t sound like...
View Article4 Focus-Enhancing Tools for Piano Kids With Busy Brains
Have you ever taught a piano student with a “busy brain”? I have. She was a fidgety student, but it wasn’t just her body that was in motion. Her brain was in constant motion too (and this meant that...
View ArticleWhen Is It Time To Move On From Method Books – A Life Cycle Philosophy
As piano students grow older, one of the biggest questions teachers face is… when to move on from method books. So, today we thought we’d present what I consider to be the “life cycle of a method book”...
View ArticleWith These 2 Questions, You Can Conduct A Very Useful Piano Teaching Experiment
So here’s an interesting experiment you can try with your piano students this week. It requires two questions and 30 seconds… and the results will surprise you. The experiment is simple… ask your piano...
View ArticleTerrific Technique Cards… A Printable To Keep Your Piano Students Organized
One of my piano students is currently prepping for her Grade 5 RCM exam. Every week she drags in a pile of books… everything from repertoire, studies and sight reading to technical exercises,...
View ArticleThe Seven Habits of Successful Teen Piano Students
Trevor and I get a ton of emails from piano teachers about teen retention; how can I keep my teens engaged, how can I keep my teens motivated, how can I keep my teens practicing… and how can I stop my...
View ArticleHow To Teach Piano To Rhythm-less Robbie
I used to teach a student who I will call “Rhythm-less Robbie”. For Robbie, the performance of a piano piece was a race through an obstacle course… the notes were his obstacles and the double bar line...
View ArticleWhat To Do If Key Signatures Are Scary For Your Piano Students
Do your piano students cringe at pieces that have more than one or two sharps or flats in the key signature? Do you find yourself marking up your piano students’ music to remind them of forgotten...
View ArticleHow To Teach Your Piano Students To Read Notes… Without Drilling Flashcards
When I first started teaching piano lessons I loved drilling flashcards. With the help of flashcard drills I could quickly identify and then eliminate my piano students’ “stumbling blocks”. I felt like...
View ArticleAfter Watching This Video You May Never Ask Your Piano Students to Clap...
I am teaching a student this year who has a hard time paying attention to the rhythms in his music. Usually I have no problem fixing rhythm issues. But this particular student also struggles with...
View ArticleHand Over The Pencil… How A Piano Student Introduced Me To Doodle Study
I teach an adorable 9 year old piano student. She’s spunky, funny, and excitable… a real darling. But in the weeks leading up to our recital she was driving. me. crazy. In the midst of our final...
View ArticleA Super Swirly Trick To Help Teach Expressive Piano Playing
If you teach teen piano students then you know that, for some, expressive piano playing comes easily. Their emotions are almost palpable in their playing, their dynamic range is varied and their...
View Article5 Ways Piano Teachers Can Use Post-It Notes for Home Practice Success
It’s pretty safe to say that our biggest struggle as piano teachers is getting students to practice frequently and efficiently. It’s also pretty safe to say that most piano teachers own an inordinate...
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