Stop teaching your students how to play. Instead, teach them how to practice.

The words theory and technique are often lumped together in the world of piano pedagogy, especially when in the context of elementary and intermediate students. There are often books that are labeled for developing theory and technique together, which could be fine. For many situations, though, it may be well to address these two aspects of music individually.

Theory is, essentially, the nuts and bolts of music, and deals primarily with the mind and intellect. The sharps, flats, and naturals; the order of sharps and flats in key signatures; note values, and how they relate to each other; intervals; chords and chord progressions; time signatures; major vs. minor, et cetera.

Technique, on the other hand, is the nuts and bolts of the physical interaction between the body and the instrument. How to sit or stand; how to touch the instrument or hold it; how to attack the strings, valves, or keys with the fingers, et cetera.

Without any doubt, students need to learn about and understand theory. They also need to know the how-to’s of their particular instrument. As teachers, we need to learn to balance educating our students’ minds as well as their muscles. This can be quite the challenge, especially for new teachers or musicians whose teachers may have taught both well, but didn’t explain the difference between the two.

It is important, whether teaching theory or technique, to be equipped with the necessary tools to make the most positive impact possible, in the most time effective manner possible. What are these tools, then? In a word, they are books. The books you choose to use with your students will shape them for better or for worse. Some of the issues I have faced in this area include using books that focus almost exclusively on developing the mind to the demise of the muscles.

As a side note, literature is where we gain much technique, but exercises and etudes are almost indispensable as well (these form the foundation of technique that will then be applied in the literature). Learn to see the theory and technique that is being presented in the literature and teach as you go. This is often quite effective in reinforcing what you have talked about in exercises, and provides “real life” application for what the student is learning.

What I have found and am still finding to work well is to divide the two into individual materials. Rather than using books that are designed to teach both at the same time, use theory books and technique books. Our favorite theory books are the Just the Facts series by Ann Lawry. For technique building, Jane Magrath’s Masterwork Classics series is wonderful, both for its incredible leveling of classical repertoire, as well as the supplementary Technical Skills series that provides exercises to enhance the study of literature. (See links below.)

We obviously need both theory and technique, and even though they fall on two different sides of the musical equation, they ought to complete each other, rather than compete with each other, in the lives of a musician. Keeping them separate can help each side get the attention it needs.

Work from the beginning of your student’s journey to develop these two sides of study. It can be a challenge, but the effort will be worth it!

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Just the Facts – Book 4 Just the Facts. A unique workbook series, useful as preparation for the Texas State theory test. Instructional book. Published by Music Bag Press (M3.JTF-4).

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Just the Facts – Book 5 Just the Facts. A unique workbook series, useful as preparation for the Texas State theory test. Instructional book. Published by Music Bag Press (M3.JTF-5).

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Just the Facts – Book 6 Just the Facts. A unique workbook series, useful as preparation for the Texas State theory test. Instructional book. Published by Music Bag Press (M3.JTF-6).

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Masterwork Classics (Level 3) Level 3. By perf. Valery Lloyd-Watts. Edited by Jane Magrath. Graded Standard Repertoire; Masterworks; Piano Collection. Masterwork Classics. Baroque, Classical Period and 20th Century. Collection and examples CD. With standard notation, fingerings and introductory text (does not include words to the songs). 48 pages. Alfred Music #00-166. Published by Alfred Music (AP.166).

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Masterwork Technical Skills Level 3. Edited by Jane Magrath. Graded Standard Repertoire; Masterworks; Piano Collection; Technique Musicianship. Technical Skills. Masterwork. Book. 32 pages. Alfred Music #00-6584. Published by Alfred Music (AP.6584).

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Masterwork Classics, Level 4 Level 4. By perf. Valery Lloyd-Watts. Edited by Jane Magrath. Graded Standard Repertoire; Masterworks; Piano Collection. Alfred Masterwork Edition. Instructional. Collection and examples CD. With standard notation, fingerings and introductory text (does not include words to the songs). 48 pages. Alfred Music #00-168. Published by Alfred Music (AP.168).

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Masterwork Technical Skills Level 4. Edited by Jane Magrath. Graded Standard Repertoire; Masterworks; Piano Collection; Technique Musicianship. Technical Skills. Masterwork. Book. 32 pages. Alfred Music #00-6585. Published by Alfred Music (AP.6585).

If you enjoyed this article, check out the others about music pedagogy here.

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I don’t know about each of you, but there are some key things that I had to work through when I first began teaching music. Helps for new music teachers can be so valuable because these teachers are new. They don’t have 10, 20, or 50 years of experience, trial, error, and success from which to draw to help answer their myriad questions.

I remember so well the first piano lesson I ever taught. I called my older sister (who was newly married at the time) and told her how nervous I was. She was very reassuring, and told me that for the first several weeks, all I would have to do was read the material as it was presented in the method series we use. Whew. Talk about pressure release! I didn’t have to be creative, stressed, or anxious – all I had to do was just read.

That is probably one of the best pieces of advice for new teachers. Unless you are naturally fearless, have an ease and confidence about new challenges, can think “on your feet” without any hesitation, and feel no qualms about being thrust from the studio as a student to a new studio as a teacher… Well, certainly none of those things described me that week. It was almost entirely new ground in my experience, and it didn’t help that it had been years since my own journey as a beginning pianist had begun, which meant that I didn’t remember any of the techniques my own teacher used in my first lessons.

So read the method book. You need a method book that aligns with your goals, both short and long term. We desire that our students learn early on how to read music, and not rely solely on the finger numbers. We also prefer curriculum that supports our Biblical worldview, and isn’t filled with meaningless ditties about ghosts and goblins or other undesirable content. When we first opened our home-based studio, these were the two primary qualifications for the books we used. Since then I have added to that list, but more on that at a later date.

In keeping with our first two qualifications, we have come to highly recommend the Keys for Kingdom series. This course includes an effective means of teaching students to read notes, and also introduces beginner theory in a systematic and understandable way. Regardless of what method you decide to use, know your book and especially the pages that you will be assigning for the student’s practice that week.

The next tip came from one of my other sisters a little while into my teaching journey. I was struggling through knowing how to maintain authority in the lesson, how to graciously inform parents that new books were needed (I strongly dislike telling people they need to spend money!), as well as navigating general student/teacher and parent/teacher relationships. My helpful sister put it simply: You are the teacher, so be the teacher. Period. Yes, our words need to be gracious and kind, but our demeanor ought to also be confident and at ease with our position – even when we are trembling and screaming from terror on the inside. What you say, the student must do. What you say to the parent, they ought to heed because they are paying you to help your child excel. If new material is needed, then tell them (there’s no need to be apologetic). You would be doing them a disservice by not disclosing the information. Then, of course, other relational difficulties could and probably will arise. We will not address them specifically here, but keeping in mind that you are the teacher is key. And this one simple fact means much more than it may appear at the surface level!

I hope to be able to take a closer look at other challenges new teachers face in the future, and rejoice in the immense blessing it is that so many young people are taking their responsibility seriously to sing to the Lord a new song, and play skillfully with a loud noise.

If you found this post helpful, please take a few minutes to leave feedback in the comment section below. Also, check out the Keys for the Kingdom piano method series.

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Keys for the Kingdom Level A Method Book. Shawnee Press. Christian Instruction. Softcover. 64 pages. Shawnee Press #H5001. Published by Shawnee Press (HL.35012003).

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Keys for the Kingdom Level B Method Book. Shawnee Press. Christian Instruction. Softcover. 63 pages. Shawnee Press #H5002. Published by Shawnee Press (HL.35012009).

 

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