Colourful Keys is primarily a blog for music teachers. However, this article is part of a series for PARENTS of music students. If you’re a music parent, read on to learn how to find the best piano teacher for your family. If you’re a teacher, feel free to pass the link to this article on to parents (or potential parents) in your studio.
In piano, as in life, variety is the spice! Each piano studio has a different style, focus and goals. Just as pianists play in different styles and genres, piano teachers teach in different ways as well. One style isn’t better than the other necessarily, they’re just different.
So this is not a post about how to find a good piano teacher. This is a about how to find the right piano teacher for your child. Your piano teacher “soulmate”, if you will.
It’s good to have options, but it can make it tricky to choose the right piano teacher for your child. Your child could continue taking lessons with this person for 10 years or more, that’s a big commitment!
This article was originally published in July 2016. It was substantially updated and re-published in March 2025.
Considerations for Your Piano Teacher Soulmate
Whether or not you studied music as a child, things have changed so much in the last 10+ years that there are surely things you haven’t thought about yet. So put your thinking cap on and let’s find your piano teacher soulmate by considering a few basic questions.
What type of music do you want your child to learn?
Most piano teachers will include classical pieces in their teaching. This is because it is one of the best ways to structure progress at the piano.
However, some teachers will teach only (or almost only) classical repertoire. Other teachers will include lots of other genres such as popular and jazz styles.
If it’s important to you that your child learns a broad range of music, you need to make sure this is something the teacher is open to. Equally, if you’re looking for a more classically driven approach, you need to ask about that too.
Do you want group lessons or individual lessons?
One-on-one lessons have been the standard format for many years, but there are many benefits to a group approach as well. Some teachers teach entirely in an individual or a group format, some do a combined approach with a bit of both while still other teachers use a hybrid approach.
One example of a combined approach would be where the students have individual lessons on a weekly basis, with chances to get together for a group workshop or “piano party” every so often.
A hybrid approach is often referred to as “buddy lessons”. Each student has an individual lesson, but there’s an overlap period in between so students can work together on theory concepts, improvise, play duets, have lab time or even knock out their written assignments.
Choose group or combined lessons if…
- You’re looking for a social experience with a strong sense of community.
- You want your child to learn to work as part of a team.
- Your child would be motivated by learning alongside their peers.
- Collaborative music-making skills (aka ensemble skills) are a priority.
Choose individual or hybrid lessons if…
- Your child is shy and you think they would do better with just the teacher.
- Your child has special needs or a learning difficulty and will need to move more slowly.
- You want a serious classical approach. (Not all individual lessons are “serious”, but most group lessons are not).
The differences listed here are all generalisations designed to give you an idea of common differences between group, private and hybrid piano instruction. This is by no means definitive. You can absolutely find group teachers with a strong classical approach and individual teachers who incorporate tons of games-based learning, but this is a starting point to get you thinking.
Do you want your child to be creative at the piano?
Often creativity is given as one of the benefits of taking music lessons, but some music lessons encourage creativity more than others. Some piano teachers include arranging, composing and improvising into their lessons and some don’t.
Like with all these choices, one isn’t better than the other. Assuming the piano lessons stay the same length, if specific creative skills are included then something else will have to be given less time. So a teacher who doesn’t include improvisation might have more time for sight reading, technique or music theory.
Are performance opportunities important to you?
Piano studios vary in the number and the types of performances they offer. Some teachers will have no recitals at all, some will have one or two a year and some have lots more performance opportunities than that. Some recitals are very formal, and some are more casual.
Do you want regular performing to be part of your child’s musical education? If this is important to you, you’ll want to check with possible teachers to see how many recitals they have a year, and what vibe their recitals have.
You might also ask if the prospective teacher considers their recitals mandatory or voluntary, as that can impact your family calendar as well as any possible performance anxiety from your child.
Do you want your child to do exams and competitions?
Depending on what part of the world you’re in, formal assessments could be the exception or the rule. In Ireland and England, most piano teachers put their students up for exams. In the US, this is much less common.
Pros of exams and competitions…
- Clear sense of progress
- Motivation to practise required elements
- Defined structure
- Accomplishment and pride
Cons of exams and competitions…
- Restricted repertoire choices
- Less motivation to practise things that aren’t on the exam
- Reduced flexibility
- Increased pressure
If you decide you want to go down this more structured or academic approach to the piano, make sure your teacher offers this and is familiar with the options in your area.
How to Start Your Search
The point of these questions was to get you thinking. Choose which of these questions was the most important to you. Which one did you answer quickly and definitively? Start your search with that most crucial thing and work from there.
Finding Potential Teachers
Word-of-mouth is the most common way to find a teacher who’s right for you, so ask around. Find out if any of your child’s friends take piano lessons, or ask their music teacher at school for suggestions. If you have a place of worship, the music directors there can often point you in a couple of directions.
As with all things, Google is also an excellent place to find teachers near you. And don’t count out Facebook as a source, as Facebook pages can often give you an idea about the vibe of the studio.
Meet and Greet
Once you’ve found a few possible teachers, it’s time to chat with them. No matter what, try to talk to at least 2 different teachers. Even if you’re positive the first teacher is perfect for you, speaking to another possibility will either change your mind or reassure you of your choice.
Meeting your teacher options in person is best, preferably in their teaching space. That way you can see the vibe of things and get a sense of what the environment is like.
Don’t be shy about asking questions, as most piano teachers will be more than happy to tell you more about how they do things and why. (Just don’t tell them what you think they should be doing – remember, they’re the professional and there is a good reason for the way they approach things.)
Here are some questions you might consider asking:
- Do you have studio recitals? How many each year? Are they relaxed or formal events?
- What kind of music do you teach? Is it mostly classical, or do you explore other genres too? Do the students get to pick any of the music they study?
- Do your students take exams or participate in competitions?
- Are group workshops included? Are these a regular part of the tuition, or an occasional extra?
- Do you teach creative skills, such as composing or improvising?
Remember: You’re not going to find a teacher who meets all your ideal criteria, but you can find a great one if you prioritise what you are looking for.
If you’ve found a piano teacher who sounds like the absolute perfect fit, it’s time to ask a few logistical questions so you know up front what is expected:
- Are lessons only held in your studio, or do you teach in students’ homes too?
- What happens if my child has to miss a lesson?
- Do you teach in the summer too? Are all students expected to take summer lessons?
- Does the studio close for bad weather?
- What’s included in the lesson fees, and what’s not?
I hope these considerations help you find your piano teacher soulmate. No matter which type of teacher you choose, you’re making a fantastic decision to include music in your child’s life. Well done!
How’s your search going for the just-right piano teacher?
Let us know in the comments. We’d love to hear what you’re thinking, and will do our best to help.
Check out other articles from our ‘Music Parent Series’:
Practising
- Help Your Child Develop a Solid Music Practice Habit
- How involved should you be in your child’s music practice?
- Is your child’s piano practice “right”?
Other Support at Home
- Why NOT to Teach Your Child Music Staff Mnemonics
- Why does my child have piano listening assignments?
- Music Appreciation for the Family
- How to Find Your Piano-Teacher Soulmate
During Lessons
- Why is my child’s piano teacher playing games in lessons?
- The Value of Improvisation in Piano Lessons
- Why is my child memorising music instead of reading it?
- Is your child ready for a piano exam?