Learn How to Play the Piano

In my ten years of experience as a piano teacher, I often find parents are at a loss when it comes to the process of finding the right teacher for their child. In music, the better one plays, the more fun one has. Therefore, I think that it is important to find the best teacher one can afford, regardless of current aspirations or uncertain musical futures.

Before I go on, let me explain what “Best Teacher” means to me. The “Best Teacher,” for your child, is one who will inspire your child to reach their greatest musical potential. This may or may not be a teacher who is a concert pianist. This may or may not be a teacher who has a doctorate in music, charges the highest fee or the lowest fee or is closest to your home. While those are important factors, they should not be deciding factors.

To find the best teacher for your child, begin with a list of teachers to consider. For suggestions, see my article, “How to Find Piano Teachers to Interview.”

After creating the list, consider what you want in a teacher and what your child needs in a teacher. You are looking for a great piano teacher, one with whom your child will want to study for years and who shares your goals and/or those of your son or daughter.

Then, contact each prospective piano teacher on the phone. Do not use email. You want to discover if this is someone, with whom you want a professional relationship. A phone call can tell you volumes more about a person, and your interest in establishing a relationship with them, than an email.

Begin the call by expressing your interest in finding a piano teacher for your child and his or her age. Some teachers do not teach children under certain ages. Then, simply ask, “Can you tell me a little about yourself and your studio.” At some point during the phone call, the teacher should invite you to his or her teaching studio to answer any other questions, for an audition, or for an informal meet and greet. If, after talking to this teacher, you are interested in finding out more, accept the teacher’s invitation to the studio. If the teacher does not invite you to the studio, ask if it is possible for a visit.

Before the visit, create a list of questions you want to ask the teacher. For example, what are his or her teaching philosophies, methods, credentials, etc? What experience does he or she have? When you arrive at the studio, look around the inside and the outside of the studio. Do you feel comfortable in the environment? Does the teacher keep the studio clean and well kept? Does it seem like a place of serious study or a place of imaginative fun? Which is more important to you?

During the interview, the teacher might show you around the studio, talk about other piano students, tell you what methods they use to teach, what your child can look forward to, what the benefits are of studying there, etc. Teachers, also, like to hear prospective students play, even if they have never taken lessons before.

Some things for you, the parent, can be thinking about are:
Do you feel a rapport with the teacher?
Does the teacher make the student feel at ease?
Is your son or daughter responding to the teacher?
Is the teacher encouraging?
Is the teacher listening to you and your son or daughter?
Does this person seem like a good fit?

At the end of the interview, thank the teacher for his or her time. Express your interest in talking to other teachers before making a decision and repeat the process.

Finding the best piano teacher you can afford, takes a little extra time and effort. However, in doing so, your child’s chances for finding their own musical voice, playing the piano with joy and having a lasting relationship, with a great teacher, greatly improve.

Do you or your child want to learn to play the piano? Have you found “practice time” in your daily schedule? Do you have a piano in good condition? If the answer is yes to all of those questions, the next step is to find few piano teachers to interview. Yes, interview. You want to make sure you find a piano teacher with whom you or your child will want to study for years and will bring you great results. However, first we must find a few to interview.

One great way to find a piano teacher is through your local Music Teachers Association.

This association can be found by using Google to search “your city Music Teachers Association”. For example, someone who lives in Seattle would Google: “Seattle Music Teachers Association.” Being a member of the Music Teachers Association shows a commitment to the teaching profession and the teacher’s interest in continuing education. In addition, members must adhere to a code of ethics that ensures, among other things, personal integrity, clear communication, and a personal responsibility to the musical development of the student. The Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) even offers a search for “Certified Teacher.” Becoming certified is a lengthy process through which teachers go show their commitment to teaching.

Another benefit of taking lessons from a piano teacher, who belongs to the Music Teachers Association, is their ability to enter school-aged students into festivals, recitals and competitions at the local, state and national level. If your child is interested in competing, this is something to consider.

Other sources for finding piano teachers to interview are colleges or universities, music stores or word-of-mouth, churches or synagogues. Be sure to approach any of these sources with the clear communication that you are looking for piano teachers to interview. Avoid teachers who discourage interviews, seem surprised at the idea of an interview or teachers who try to set up a lesson schedule right away. A respectable teacher will invite an interview and even encourage you to interview other teachers.

Finding a great piano teacher requires more effort than setting a lesson time with the first piano teacher you call. Create a list of teachers from your local Music Teachers Association; from talking with friends; or from talking with professional musicians. From these sources, you should be able to compile a list of about four to five teachers with whom you will talk to see if they are the best fit to help you or your child learn how to play the piano.