Best Piano Teaching Ideas (from the 20th Anniversary Celebration)

During our recent 20th Anniversary Piano Teaching Party, I asked teachers to share in the chat their “best idea” for teaching or anything related to piano teaching. During this chat, I performed the piece Deck the Hall Hoedown and wow. The speed of that piece was nothing compared to speed at which teachers shared their ideas.

As a matter of fact, there were multiple comments (when I read them later) that the ideas were coming so fast, they just couldn’t keep up. It made me laugh when a teacher commented, “I want to read the comments, but everyone is ‘talking at the same time!”

I know everyone is anxiously awaiting the opportunity to read all these best piano teaching ideas! I took some time to edit them just a bit to take out anything that wasn’t an idea and to add some links to places where you could learn more about some of the ideas. This document is packed with excellent ideas and I’d encourage you to get it, download it, print it out, and then highlight your favorites to implement!

As with any good piano teaching conference, it’s easy to be overwhelmed with excellent piano teaching ideas and then not know how to implement them. So I’d encourage you to do the following to help:

1. Get the file and then highlight your favorite ideas.
2. After you have highlighted them, go back and pick your top 5.
3. Begin implementing only 1 idea at a time. Try it for at least 3-4 weeks before moving onto a new idea, unless it’s so easy that it feels easy and natural to move to the next idea.
4. If you try one idea a month, then your students will experience 11-12 new things in a year which will keep things interesting for them and you!

My Favorite Best Piano Teaching Ideas

As I read through the ideas, I started making a list of my favorites and I wanted to share them with you so you can see the broad range of ideas and know that it’s packed with truly the best piano teaching ideas!

Here are my favs:

• “On Zoom lessons, I use a finger puppet and put it up close to the camera to fill the screen.  ‘Mrs. Picky-Picky’ corrects sloppy playing, forgetting dynamics, etc.  ‘Proud Papa’ congratulates on good playing.” ~ Lynn
• “I cut pieces up and only give a student the part I want them to work on.  Then they get a copy of the entire piece at the end.” Ruth
• “I chose easier levels for their Christmas music. More music. More fun!” Rachel Flicker
• “My studio classes are online; we use white boards to help with communication.” ~ Cheryl
• “Use Flipgrid for online recitals.  Families upload their own videos and can comment on everyone else’s.” Kellie Harvey
• “We are doing dual themes this year.  I choose a genre of music and use a play on words in the theme.  For example, this month we are doing Christmas in the Tropics and are learning “island music” (syncopated music e.g., calypsos) and Christmas Music.  We did Summer Evening Sleuth and did a combination of nocturnes and “spy” music.  We did Joy in January which combined songs about happiness in the title or lyrics, as well as winter songs.” ~ Francee
• “For the 30-piece Challenge, I call the pieces “A” – at level, “B for below level, and “C” for challenging pieces.  We select some of each for their pieces that get listed on the 30-piece challenge.  Easy to remember!  A-B-C pieces!” ~ Janelle
• “We’re doing a 40 piece challenge and earning beads and charms to keep track!” ~ Rosalie

Online teaching ideas:

• “Use an ironing board if you need a desk for your laptop for Zoom lessons. It is the perfect height.” ~ Linda

Business favs:

• Redefining success for my students and setting better boundaries and being more gracious with myself help keep me sustainable for a long road of remote learning.” ~ Samantha
• “As an older, more experienced teacher, I have learned that it’s generally to tell people things rather than ask. Like teaching on Zoom. I’m March I told all of my parents that’s what we were going to do. I didn’t ask. I only lost one student out of 25.” ~ Renee Kesselring

Games / Motivation / Activities:

• “I do group zooms once a month to play games, have fun and get to know each other. I handed out raffle tickets and we have a drawing at the end for those who are at the zoom.” ~ Teri
• “Play tic tac toe to drill a spot. My turn/your turn with a competitive twist” – Stephanie
• “Motivating students to play scales:  At the end of every month I put out a “shout out” email to the parents and students for those who have accomplished their goals.  They try to beat their best time and now they are wanting to do even more.  When their names aren’t listed, the parents start helping the students to remember to practice.” Vanessa
• “Random treat week – A little fuzzy guy outside my studio alerts them to the fact that it’s going to be a special lesson! I usually reward something they should have been doing for me anyway, i.e. practice 5 days, sightreading those 5 days, completing an hour of classical music listening, completed theory, etc.” ~ Pam
• “I have a few lego pieces and have a student repeat a section we are working on, and every time they do, I add another block and after 3 to 5 repetitions they…” ~ Kristina (If you are Kristina, please let us know how you meant to finish this idea, but I’m sure others can add to your idea. I was thinking about how much my kiddos like to take apart their lego figures (hair, head, body, pants, and things to hold in their hands) and it would be fun to see them build a figure when they do repetitions.)
• “I have been using Barrel of Monkeys as incentive. I lay aside monkey(s) for good work, sight reading, practicing regularly, etc. At the end of the lesson, they string them together & write down the number. There is no prize, but the students get excited from ages 6-16.” Beth  

Great General Teaching Advice:

• “An analogy that is working well (especially for teen boys) who may show up to a lesson with less practice than they wish is the liken the lesson to a session with a personal trainer at the gym.  At your lesson you get an intense work out and some ideas for how to practice in the coming week.  So don’t be tempted to skip the lesson!” ~ Deborah
• “Remember to wait patiently while a student is processing before he/she plays.” ~ Susan  (This is especially helpful to heed in online lessons when we’re tempted to fill the “dead space” with talking – Wendy)
• “Give each student a pad of sticky notes, and have them write 2-3 practice goals for each piece, then stick it on the top of the page.  They can do this at an in-person lesson, or at home. They tend to pay attention to their own notes 10x more faithfully than when I write or say them.” Kathy
• “Don’t demand that everything be perfect. I think it sets up a child for failure. I have a couple of students that are not super talented and if I demanded perfection they would quit lessons. I ask that they do their best. If they love a piece and practice it a lot, they will work at perfecting it.” ~ Carol Carlton
• “If my elementary students don’t pass a piece in three weeks then I put a C.B. on the song by the page number.  We go on and when they finish their book, wee look for the CB’S and go back and play them.  They are so surprised that NOW they can play them.  It has worked for me for a LONG TIME!” Carol Lee

Aren’t those fantastic! I’m sure some resonated more than others with you, but there are lots more best piano teaching ideas where those came from.

Alternatives to Zoom?

At the webinar, after a “Seussian clue,” I asked teachers to share what online video platforms they are using that are working better than Zoom for them. I specifically asked for ones that have less sound delay than Zoom. Lots of teachers responded with different platforms and 9 of the seemed to be the prevailing ones. Your experience with these platforms may be different, especially considering your and your students’ internet speeds. but I included all of those platforms in the Best Piano Teaching Ideas document that you can download below!

So click the button below to get the file delivered to your email!