In this article, Angeline Bell shares her thoughts about how to keep intermediate piano students interested in lessons. Angeline is a Malaysian piano teacher and composer in Crawley, UK. Editions Musica Ferrum has published her works My Lyrical Notebook, My Quirky Notebook, My Seaside Notebook and My Garden Notebook, the last of which has been shortlisted for the “Best Contemporary Repertoire Book” by the ‘Art of Piano Education’ award. You can learn more about Angeline at angelinebellmusic.com.
Intermediate pianists can be some of the trickiest students for piano teachers to understand. So how can we keep them interested in coming back week after week?
How would you describe an intermediate piano player?
Is it a student who’s been in lessons for more than 2 or 3 years? Maybe your explanation takes into account a student’s capabilities?
No matter how you choose to identify these pianists, they’re likely to be teenagers or adults – which means they’re choosing to spend what little spare time they have with you. There is a reason why they’re taking piano lessons.
If you want to retain these piano students, you need to find out their specific goals. What will motivate and excite each one?
Defining the Intermediate Player
In order to motivate and excite each type of intermediate student, you must first understand the general personality and driving force of each student.
Let’s consider 5 common intermediate students I’ve encountered throughout my years of teaching.
The Passionate Performer
This older student will jump at every opportunity to play in front of others. They’re the type who loves to play at parties, gravitates towards the free-to-play piano at the train station, joins a band and enters every festival and competition.
What to Do
To keep this student engaged, you may want to look for a retirement home or a coffee shop with a piano they can perform on.
Remind them to practise their scales and technical exercises as they may neglect them while preparing a recital piece.
Above all, give them plenty of praise because that’s what motivates them: affirmation, adulation and applause! 👏
The Embarrassed Enthusiast
This shy student plays well at home but often breaks down in lessons because you’re listening. (I’ve even asked a nervous student if it would help if I hid behind the curtain.)
Their biggest nightmare is playing in an exam or a recital. However, they get the greatest pleasure from playing for themselves – which is perfectly fine.
What to Do
This student is their biggest critic and will point out their own mistakes. As such, you need not add to their inner judgement. Try these strategies instead:
- Don’t interrupt them mid-performance.
- If they constantly apologise while playing, ask them not to speak until the end of the piece.
- Encourage them that it’s OK to make a mistake, and to not be so hard on themselves.
- Ask them to record themselves at home to show you how well they can play when no one is watching.
- Be very gentle in how you correct their playing.
Pro tip from Colourful Keys: Use games like ‘Unicorn Horncraft’ to help these shy students learn to embrace mistakes.
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Playing for Others
Whatever you do, don’t force the embarrassed enthusiast to play in public. Let this shy student come out of their shell in their own time.
You might encourage them by suggesting they play for a small audience, like a close friend or a grandparent.
The more they perform in low stakes ways like these, the less scary it becomes. And, just like with any student, give this type of student lots of assurance and encouragement.
The Paper Chaser
Certificates and high exam ratings are what motivate and drive this student. Some of them are naturally high achievers who get a kick out of a sense of achievement.
They might even feel the pressure from pushy parents whose approval they’re seeking to attain.
Unfortunately, if these ambitious students don’t get the grades they’re hoping for, they may feel like a failure and consider giving up.
What to Do
For this driven student, emphasise the pleasure of playing the piano and be sure the parents are on board to support that at home.
Remind them that playing the piano is not a box-ticking exercise, but instead is something meant to bring lifelong enjoyment. Encourage the paper chasers to play “just for fun” and explore lots of repertoire rather than confining themselves to exam pieces.
If an overly involved parent asks why they’re learning a non-exam piece, just explain that it will improve their skills overall – including those skills required for high exam scores.
The Peer-Pressured Pop-ster
This student is usually very concerned about appearances and being “cool”. They’re fixated on their phones and social media, and the opinion of their peers may matter more than that of their parents or teachers. Practice may be irregular, scant or even non-existent.
What to Do
To work with this “too cool for school” student, find out what music they’re listening to and what would impress their peers.
It could be a Taylor Swift song, a trending piece on TikTok or a soundtrack to the latest film. Try to be that cool teacher who keeps up with the latest fad – or, at the very least, be open to trying it out.
Show this student that if they can sight read, they can play anything from sheet music. And if there isn’t sheet music available, work it out by ear together.
Pro tip from Colourful Keys: F.M. Sheet Music is a great place to find pop arrangements that actually include pedagogical concepts.
I once had a student who was into rap music, a genre which I dislike intensely. However, the piece he liked had a repetitive piano riff, which we transcribed together. He was very pleased that he got to show it off to his friends.
For help choosing repertoire, working with teens and adults, preparing for exams and more, visit the Colourful Keys ‘Planning Lessons’ hub page.
The Plate-Spinning Adult
Juggling a demanding job with looking after a baby or elderly parents can cause the adult student to consider giving up the piano simply because they don’t have time to practise. They might spend half the lesson time talking to you about their problems to the point that you feel more like their therapist than their piano teacher.
But the fact is, these adults are often taking piano lessons to escape that busyness. Playing the piano can be an emotional outlet or a healthy distraction, and giving that up could ultimately cause stress levels to rise.
What to Do
Practice may be low on their priority list, but the last thing these busy adult students need is more pressure. Instead of pushing practice, help them to see their slow, steady growth.
Ways to do this include:
- Record their performances so they have a log of their progress.
- Date their pieces and put them in a folder so they can see how far they’ve come.
No-practice piano lessons can be just the ticket for these over-scheduled adults. But above all, listen patiently and be as understanding as possible.
Motivate With Music
Knowing that intermediate students come in all shapes and sizes, remember that it’s your job to focus on the music that will inspire and engage them. Stay flexible by tailoring your curriculum to suit the needs and interests of these older students:
- If they seem bored with a method book, transition into a repertoire book.
- Use graded anthologies or a selection from your favourite composer.
- Download individual pieces from websites or from your favourite arranger.
- Have a conversation with your student about what genre of music they’re into, be it Bollywood film music, Animé, heavy rock or jazz.
- Explore improvising or composing if they’re open to that.
Play to your strengths, but don’t stop exploring new music and different ways of teaching. Remember that the intermediate student doesn’t always have to stick to method books – find out what excites them and go for it!
A Word of Encouragement
If you’ve done your best and a student still wants to give up piano lessons, don’t be disheartened. Above all, don’t blame yourself!
The real reason may not have been revealed to you. Ultimately, it’s their loss.
How do YOU keep intermediate piano students interested?
If this article has resonated with you or you have additional ideas, share them in the comments below.
This totally resonated with me. I never think to move from a lesson book to a repertoire book soon enough. I have an 11 year old that might be ready for that. But, I did begin teaching pop music (chords) last year and it has been a big hit with him. Now he has joined band and is more interested in his saxophone, which I understand. He also has homework for the first time ever! Tough transition. I’m trying to be sensitive to all of this. It’s just hard because he was always so prepared last year for his lessons and excited.
Thank you, Linda. Do you mean homework from school or homework from you?