From the outside, people might think that not much goes into planning piano lessons. Surely it’s just a case of…
- Warming up with scales
- Listening to what was practised during the week
- Working on new pieces
- Reviewing and wrapping up
Right?
True, some music lessons do look like that. But they can be so much more!
Putting care into planning your music lessons means you can make them more creative and more efficient. And we have plenty of resources right here to make the planning process painless and effective.
Feel free to browse around, or jump straight to the section you need:
- Lesson Strategies
- Partner Lessons and Buddy Lessons
- Group Lessons and Workshops
- Older Students
- Repertoire and Resources
- Special Needs Students
- Technology
- Sight Reading
- Technique
- Exams
MY WEEKLY LESSON PLANNING PROCESS
I believe it’s important to take our role seriously, and that involves lesson planning. Here’s my own weekly process.
CREATING YOUR TEACHING CURRICULUM
I believe we should all have some sort of overarching plan to guide us. Here’s why, and how to get started.
3 USEFUL STYLES OF LESSON PLANS
Lesson plans are personal things. If you’re looking for the style and format that works best for you, try these out.
GAMIFY YOUR PIANO TEACHING
“Fun” doesn’t need to be squished in on top of everything else; it can (and should) be an integral part of learning.
BEAT THE 30-MIN LESSON TIME CRUNCH
If getting rid of 30-min lessons isn’t an option, these ideas may help you squeeze in what’s important.
THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO TEACHING ONLINE
When teaching online, it’s best to start simple. Here’s everything you NEED to know to get started.
PIANO LESSON PLANNING FOR A “PARTNER” FORMAT
It takes more time and thought to teach two students at the same time. This is what I’ve found works well in my studio.
WHEN PIANO PARTNERS ARE AT DIFFERENT LEVELS
In this article, learn what I do when piano partners, buddies, or groups are ahead or behind in different areas.
ULTIMATE COMPENDIUM OF BUDDY LESSON ACTIVITIES
The #1 question I’m asked about buddy lessons: What do we actually do during the overlapping “buddy time”?
DOS AND DON’TS OF QUALITY GROUP CLASSES
If you’re considering group piano classes, here are my top Dos and Don’ts from years of teaching and studying.
THE KEY TO TEACHING GREAT GROUP LESSONS
Great group lessons are both multi-sensory and multi-modal. These involve getting your students up and moving.
3 WAYS YOU CAN ADD GROUP WORKSHOPS
Group workshops can be a great asset for your studio, but it’s tricky to know how to start. Here are 3 ways to try.
3 COMMON MISTAKES WHEN TEACHING GROUPS
These top 3 mistakes are things I’ve experienced as a buddy lesson and preschool group teacher.
PLANNING YOUR GROUP WORKSHOP OR PARTY
Every piano party needs a piano party plan. Check out this step-by-step plan from an actual party I held.
HOW TO TEACH GROUP PIANO LESSONS ONLINE
You CAN teach group piano lessons online – yes, you. And effectively, too. Here’s how to get started.
THE ULTIMATE FIRST LESSON WITH A “TWEEN” BEGINNER
We want to know things about our student after a first lesson, and we also want them to feel fantastic. Here’s how I do it.
FIRST PIANO LESSON PLAN FOR A TRANSFER STUDENT
If you’re not sure how to get off on the right foot, here’s my own tried-and-true first lesson plan for a transfer piano student.
A PERFECT FIRST LESSON WITH AN ADULT STUDENT
Connect with them, set goals, remove the mystique, and do something cool: These ingredients make for a perfect first lesson.
4 PRACTICAL TIPS FOR TEACHING ADULT STUDENTS
I used to complain about their drop out rate, lack of practice, or missed lessons. But these 4 tips changed everything.
USING POP MUSIC TO INSPIRE ADULT BEGINNERS
“Let it Be” is my go-to song to teach adults or teens in their first piano lessons. Here’s how I do it, step-by-step.
6 THINGS ADULT BEGINNERS NEED TO HEAR
Adult beginners often held back by mental and emotional baggage. Here’s how to help banish these limiting beliefs.
HOW TO PICK YOUR PIANO STUDENTS’ PIECES
A big part of our job is choosing repertoire that students find motivating. But how do we pick great pieces?
BEST PIANO METHOD BOOKS FOR BEGINNERS
Here, I’ll run through some of the pros and cons of the most popular piano method books for beginners.
ROTE PIANO TEACHING 101: 5 TIPS TO GET YOU STARTED
If you’ve never done rote teaching, I highly encourage you to give it a try. in this article, I’ll talk you through it.
2 APPROACHES I USE TO TEACH POP MUSIC TO STUDENTS
Teaching pop doesn’t have to be difficult or scary, or take over all your lesson time either. Read on to find out about my approach.
SWITCHING PIANO METHODS SMOOTHLY MIDSTREAM
If you have a piano student with an entirely wrong method book match, I’ll help smooth out the switch to a more suitable method.
STRETCH YOUR MUSIC BOOK BUDGET WITH A LOCAL TOUR
In this article, I’ll share a great way for you to get the most bang for your buck from your music book budget.
NEURODIVERSE BRAINS AND THE PIANO LESSON
Let’s explore 3 commonly-recognized types of neurodivergence and how to work with these piano students in your studio.
A FLEXIBLE TOOLKIT FOR SPECIAL NEEDS TEACHING
For piano students with special needs, we need a flexible toolkit at our fingertips. Here are 8 tools at the top of my own.
PIANO LESSON PLANNING FOR NEURODIVERGENT STUDENTS
A little extra structure in your lesson planning process can make all the difference for neurodivergent piano students.
SALVAGING “OFF DAY” LESSONS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS
No kid is going to behave perfectly all the time in music lessons, but this is especially true with neurodivergent students.
PIANO IMPROV FOR STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
Improv is a great tool for teaching piano students with special needs. In this interview, learn how YOU can use improv, too!
HOW TO SUPPORT FAMILIES OF NEURODIVERGENT PIANO STUDENTS
You don’t have to give up boundaries or personal time to support families of neurodivergent piano students. Here’s how.
10 WAYS TO TEACH MUSIC LESSONS WITH TECHNOLOGY
Using technology in music lessons accelerates learning for students and simplifies planning for teachers.
TECH SETUPS TO USE FOR ONLINE PIANO LESSONS
Teaching online doesn’t have to involve a whole lot of complicated equipment. Here are a few easy setups to try.
THE NO. 1 IPAD MISTAKE YOU SHOULD AVOID
I see 1 major mistake when piano teachers use an iPad in their studio. Sidestep it for iPad success!
REVIVE RESTLESS TEENS WITH THE GARAGEBAND APP
What do you do with an over-scheduled under practiced teenage piano student? Break out the Garageband iPad app!
TROUBLESHOOTING YOUR ONLINE PIANO LESSONS
If you have audio or video snags when teaching over Zoom, try these simple tricks to get back on track.
FIND ULTIMATE FLEXIBILITY WITH A VIRTUAL STUDIO
I’ve discovered a way to keep your studio running for several weeks…without being there at all!
THE “STUBBORN DUET” SECRET TO TEACHING SIGHT READING
In this article, I’ll explain my secret sauce for teaching sight reading skills to your piano students: my “stubborn duet” trick.
THE BEST PIANO SIGHT READING RESOURCES
These books are the cream of the crop: sight reading resources every piano teacher should have on hand.
5 SIGHT READING GAMES FOR BEGINNER PIANO STUDENTS
Sight reading can feel scary, but turning it into a game can help tackle your piano students’ fears of on-the-spot playing.
TEACHING PIANO TECHNIQUE TO THE STUDENTS OF TODAY
In this article, we’ll look at how to teach piano technique effectively. Without any dry exercises.
8 TECHNIQUE BOOKS TO TRANSFORM YOUR TEACHING
If you want to teach technique in a deliberate, systematic way, here are 8 of the best books to try.
3 POSITIVE POSTURE TIPS FOR WIGGLY KIDS
Teaching proper piano posture can be a challenge with little students who struggle to sit still. Here are some tips.
HOW TO INSTILL CONFIDENT PEDALLING SKILLS
How we teach older piano students to pedal can make them instant enemies or best friends. Here’s my approach to success.
TOP 5 FIXES FOR COLLAPSING FINGERTIPS
Have an epidemic of the Floppy Finger Predicament in your piano studio? These 5 fixes can banish collapsing fingertips for good.
TEACHING HEALTHY PIANO TECHNIQUE TO ADULTS
When teaching piano technique to adults, make it relevant to them and avoid sounding like a schoolteacher telling them off.
WHAT’S THE POINT OF PIANO EXAMS?
Teachers often have a piano-exam default. But I think it’s worth asking, “What exactly are piano exams for?”
RETHINKING PIANO EXAM READINESS
It’s time to take a fresh look at that ever-elusive question: When is a student ready for a piano exam?
PIANO EXAM PREP IN JUST 3 MONTHS
Do you spend more than half the year on exam preparation? If so, then my 3-month process is exactly what you need!
THE PROS AND CONS OF PIANO EXAMS
If you’re on the fence about encouraging an exam, here are some thoughts to help you land on one side or the other.
CHOOSING INSPIRING EXAM PIECES
Done right, choosing the right pieces can strike inspiration and motivation for successful exam performances.
PERFORMANCE & EXAM ANXIETY
Piano performance and exam anxiety is common. So, how can we help these scared students show off their skills?
Does planning piano lessons really make sense?
When the topic of lesson planning comes up, many teachers will protest that it just doesn’t make sense to plan piano lessons because we need to adjust depending on what the student has practised that week.
I’m sorry, but I just don’t buy that.
There’s so much more that should go into great music teaching than simply listening to assigned pieces, correcting them and assigning new ones. We must be more than just a feedback machine.
Sure, your lesson planning process shouldn’t look like that of a classroom teacher. That isn’t realistic and it wouldn’t be effective.
But you need to have some sort of process. You need time to reflect on what the student needs, where they are on their musical journey, and where you want to guide them to next.
What if I don’t have time for planning piano lessons?
If you feel like you can’t possibly fit in the time each week for a planning session, then you’re not alone. I hear from teachers with this problem all the time.
The issue, however, has nothing to do with your lesson planning process. It won’t help if you streamline it, digitalise it or find a new style of binder to use.
The problem, almost always, is that your business isn’t efficient. If that’s the case for you then check out my business hub page.
What if I do just fine being spontaneous?
Some teachers insist that they’re natural “by-the-seat-of-their-pants-ers”. They do better coming up with ideas on the fly and they’re just not “planning people.”
Is that you?
It’s a tempting argument to make. I get why you’re saying it…
But are you sure you’re being honest with yourself?
I probably would have said the same thing 10 or more years ago. But the truth is (at least for me) I’m a better teacher when I put the effort in and have a plan for my lessons.
No, I can’t plan out each minute-by-minute detail. And yes, sometimes the plan gets thrown out the window during the lesson. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a worthwhile process.
Just try it for a full semester/term before you dismiss the idea of lesson planning for good. I think you might be converted.