Top Piano Teaching Tips

for New Teachers

So... you've started teaching piano? Great!

These piano teaching tips are for you.

Or maybe you're still only dreaming about starting your own studio.

These tips are for you, too!

Like any small business, teaching piano lessons requires some decisions at the beginning to make sure you and your students (and their parents) are satisfied!

Minimize your mistakes and get started teaching on the right note!

(OK, I couldn't resist the music joke!)

What method will you teach? Traditional methods? Suzuki? Simply Music? Only Jazz? Chord method? Your own mix?

One of the first questions potential students will ask, along with what time slots you have available, is what method you teach. Knowing what you've chosen and why, and being able to articulate your choices to students and parents, is important.

Your confidence will go a long way to winning you new students.

I can't stress this highly enough: decide your attendance and payment policies, and stick to them.

If you want help crafting policies for your studio, you can ask local teachers if they're willing to share, or get on a good piano forum and ask the teachers there.

Have students (or parents of young students) read, discuss, and sign your policies, and give them a copy. Spend some good time in your first lesson making sure everyone is clear. You'll save yourself a lot of heartache!

Get a logo! If you're not graphically handy, you can get one instantly, online! Isn't technology great? Cool Text will give you a nifty text logo, and it's just plain fun to play with.

Logo Maker helps you build a graphical logo online for $49 -- no technical knowledge needed!

Get (or print at home) basic business cards, flyers, and letterhead. Believe it or not, many small businesses never even get this far -- this will set you apart!

It's true, many of your students will show up in flip-flops in the summer. That doesn't mean you should!

Be professional: act, dress, and speak like the business owner you are. This doesn't mean you can't develop friendships with your students or have a relaxed teaching atmosphere. Just leave the flip-flops and bubble gum at home!

Check out your local Chamber of Commerce, Toastmasters, or other networking or professional development groups. Other business owners and leaders in your community can send you terrific customers, and also teach you about running a business.

And being involved in a group that gives back to the community is always a good thing.

Also look into joining your local chapter of the MTNA (Music Teachers' National Association).

You can do it!

I hope these piano teaching tips have inspired and encouraged you as you start giving piano lessons... you can do it!

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