There are many factors in how teachers assess readiness for piano exams. But one of the biggest ones has no place in the process, and that’s pressure from parents, students or ourselves. So let’s give this question a fresh look. When is a student ready for a piano exam? Is it when we know they’re capable…
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CKQC031: Step & skip race on the floor staff
If you have a floor staff, you have to try this game with your beginner piano students. Steps and skips is one of those beginning concepts that if not understood, comes back to bite later down the track. If students don’t get directionality and intervals at this basic level – at some point their reading is…
Manageable Creativity in Piano Lessons with Monthly Focuses
Have you ever felt overwhelmed by all the possible stuff you could be including in lessons? Confused as to what to prioritise week-to-week? Monthly focuses or themes can be very helpful to make this more manageable. By deciding what topic you’ll cover with your students each month, and keeping it the same across your studio,…
CKQC030: Create note stem superstars with the ‘Note Stem Smash’ game
Note stem rules are one of those things that it’s hard to feign enthusiasm for as a teacher. I mean, they’re just…pretty dull right? Dull but necessary. That is until I created Note Stem Smash. This game is fast-paced, fun and is effective practice for all the note stem rules. The game is simple – sort…
How to Make the Most Out of Piano Student Composing Projects
It’s absolutely fantastic to see so many piano teachers starting to embrace composing and bring it into their lessons. But have you ever wondered how we can make the most out of these composing projects? Composing projects for their own sake are great, but with a few tweaks, we can use them to create even more…
CKQC029: Solfa identification aural exercise for beginner piano students
I brought solfa into my piano studio a few years ago, to help with sight singing. This has quickly expanded and I now try to include an aural exercise in every lesson. Sometimes things get in the way, but if I miss a week, it’s first on the agenda the following week. Doing an aural…
Leave Make-Up Piano Lessons in the Dust with these Two Pivots!
Make-up piano lessons are a hot topic for music teachers. For many, they take over their weekends, cause endless stress, and limit their earning potential. But what can we do about them? How can we stop offering them if that’s what parents expect? Moving away from make-up piano lessons is a two step process in…
CKQC028: Beginner note value work with ‘Star Seekers’
As you may already know, I love teaching piano through games. I believe when students are having fun, they’re more engaged. And when they’re more engaged, they’re learning more thoroughly. The game in this quick clip is called Star Seekers. This is one of my many games for note value work with beginners. In Star…
Piano Parent Reports: What, When, Why and How
Do you wish your students’ parents were more involved in your studio? Piano parent reports might be the answer you’re looking for. Piano parent reports can keep everyone in your studio up-to-date on the progress, expectations and how they can help their children succeed at the piano. But you have to find the right system…
CKQC027: How to teach a Facetime/Skype piano lesson
I was super apprehensive the first time I did a lesson via video chat. So I wanted to share this clip with you today and show you how simple my setup is for these lessons – and how much they look like “regular” lessons. The Skype piano lesson option in my studio is provided for students…
