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Sightreading: An Essential

The title here says it all. For any musician, the skill of sightreading is absolutely essential. It doesn’t matter if you are primarily a church musician, orchestra player, teacher, or something else – there is sure to come a time when you are handed music you have never seen before and asked to play it with very little, if any, notice.

So how do we get there? I think the principles of learning to sightread are pretty much the same for most instruments. Sightreading is, at the most basic level, excellent eye-brain-hand coordination. The information has to be read, processed in a matter of seconds or fractions of seconds, and put out through the fingers. Ideally, when sightreading you will be able to maintain a metronomic tempo that moves you steadily through the measures with a large percentage of accurate notes (actually, the ideal is 100% accuracy, but after all, we’re sightreading….).

As with anything, starting out right from the beginning can make all the difference in the world. I make a point with all of my students, especially the beginners, to have them sightreading something at every lesson. More often than not, the beginners end up sightreading a small handful of short pieces during each lesson. This plants the seed for the skill very early on and it will naturally grow and mature with the student’s mastery of the instrument as they move through literature. This is definitely the best way to learn or teach it in my experience, so if you have beginning students, get them sightreading right away!

Sometimes, though, sightreading slips through the cracks. This has, unfortunately, happened with some of my students. Additionally, sometimes I take a transfer student who’s previous teacher didn’t work on this and so then I have an intermediate student who is not comfortable with the sightreading process. The good news is, it’s never too late to learn! Intermediate and early advanced pianists have an excellent chance at mastering sightreading even if they haven’t done it from the time they started lessons. Below are a few helps for learning to sightread that I have found immensely helpful both in my own journey as a musician as well as from a teacher’s perspective.

  • Do it often! For older students, I find it helpful to assign a book strictly for this purpose that they can do on their own every day.
  • Start simple! Your student may be able to play Level 10 literature, but is on par with a Level 2 sightreader. Find music with which they can succeed, no matter how easy it feels, and gradually work up the ladder.
  • Practice with variety! Is your student burned out with stumbling through the hymnbook? Try a series of simple etudes for a change (see below for recommendations). Don’t always stick with solo works, either – practice with simple accompaniments for children’s choir or other instrumental soloists.
  • Repeat it! Even though technically speaking you can only sightread something once, if you are not consciously putting effort into learning it, your brain will still process much of the information as new. Use this to your advantage and play the same thing over and again, and each time you will pick up on something else and increase your accuracy, thus combining the benefits of sightreading and structured practice.
  • KTS! This stands for Key signature, Time signature, Scan. These three things are perhaps the most important in any sightreading situation – special thanks to Mr. Pinner of Pinner Studios and Pinner Publications for this wonderful tip!

 

I have found the Technical Skills book by compiled and edited by Jane Magrath to be an excellent resource in helping students sightread successfully. Check out these wonderful technique building books as a resource for beginning sightreaders.

look inside Masterwork Technical Skills Level 1-2. Edited by Jane Magrath. Graded Standard Repertoire; Masterworks; Piano Collection; Technique Musicianship. Technical Skills. Masterwork. Book. 24 pages. Alfred Music #00-6583. Published by Alfred Music (AP.6583).
look inside 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).
look inside 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).

 

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Piano Accompaniment

Something has surfaced in my teaching quite a bit recently, and this is the subject of training accompanists. Typically, an accompanist is a pianist because the bulk of repertoire is written with piano specific accompaniments, or piano reductions of orchestra accompaniments. With a very few exceptions, this is the case in classically styled sacred music, probably even more so than it is in classical music itself. Then, when we consider the average church, most of them use piano or a keyboard instrument, where other classical chamber groups or orchestras may be lacking. With this in view, it becomes tremendously important for a ministry-minded pianist to learn how to accompany others in all sorts of settings from all types of music, whether it is classical rep, or the more common improvised accompaniment out of a hymnbook, or a choral arrangement, or the accompaniment for another instrumentalist.

There are many things to consider as an accompanist, with the biggest being that the accompanist must support, not dominate. This was always a bit of a challenge for me to grasp when I was first learning, especially when I was handed accompaniment parts for particularly exciting violin solos or vocal pieces. Nevertheless, this is arguably the most important thing for an accompanist to realize, for it is not only crucial in and of itself, but also effects every other part of how they play.

Moving on to the more practical side of things, some quick helps for learning to accompany are:

Count. A no-brainer? Maybe, but while most beginners are continually being hammered with repetitions of “1 2 3 4,” “1+2+3+4+,” “trip-l-et, trip-l-et, trip-l-et,” or the more appealing “straw-ber-ry, straw-ber-ry, straw-ber-ry” or some other such form of counting, more advanced musicians somehow loose track of this most important technique. Find the quarter beat (or other main beat) and stick with it. Tap your foot, nod your head, do anything to keep on track with the person you are accompanying.

Analyze. As the supporting musician, you have a very unique role. The music written to enhance the soloist is usually full of embellishments and ideas that duplicate those found in the solo or choral parts, but are often woven in so as not to draw direct attention. When preparing to accompany, spend some time with the score, and look to see how the accompaniment part and the solo part work together. Look for patterns that repeat between the parts, contrasting note values (maybe the solo has sixteenth notes and the piano is supporting by playing quarters or eighths), parallel vs. contrasting registers, etc. The more you know about what the other person is doing and how it relates to what you are doing, the better your prepared accompaniment will sound.

Listen. (A)  If you can find a recording of the piece you are to accompany, spend some time and listen to it. If your part is a piano reduction or a piece that has had orchestrations added to it, listen for what orchestral instruments are used to enhance the mood and musicality of the piece in its full edition. Envisioning a tuba or a piccolo will make a difference in how you approach relating portions of the work.

Listen. (B) When practicing with the one whom you are to accompany, develop the habit of listening to them, rather than to yourself. This takes work and sometimes a little mind-over-matter technique, but is well worth the effort.

Practice. Here again, this may seem like a no-brainer. You may be surprised, however, by the difference there can be between only ever playing with the soloist and taking time to study your own part between rehearsals.

 

Here are some of our favorite books for young string soloists, with each arrangement including a beautiful piano accompaniment. These make excellent practice for church pianists in training!

Cover tiny file look inside Come, Christians, Join to Sing Composed by Kristin Campbell. SoundForth #228841. Published by SoundForth (S2.228841).
Cover tiny file look inside Worship the King Easy Hymn Settings for Solo Violin and Piano. Composed by Kristin Campbell. Score and performance/accompaniment CD. Lorenz Publishing Company #30/2600L. Published by Lorenz Publishing Company (LO.30-2600L).

 

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Teaching Metronome Use {in a nutshell}

Using the metronome is a relieving way to make sure that all rhythmic values are placed exactly as they ought to be in their interlocking system. But often we as teachers assume that students know how to use a metronome effectively in their practice, when in reality, they do not understand at all.

There is (almost) nothing that can raise a teacher’s blood pressure faster than having the metronome turned on and the student not staying with it. And it’s not just frustrating for the teacher (I was a student once…).

Teaching students to use a metronome is one of the most rewarding elements of practice to pass on. I like to start them with it early in a lot of cases, and always simply. Scales are an excellent tool for teaching metronome use. Teach your student a basic one octave C scale with just one hand (two hands for students who can handle it –but we’re taking the most basic approach possible). After they are comfortable and confident with the fingerings and notes of the scale, then have them play with the metronome, giving one note per click. 60 BPM is a good speed usually, but if it’s too fast, slow it down. The goal is to have each note played exactly with the click.

Eventually, you can teach the fingerings for a two octave scale, and then add the metronome to that. Now the student will be playing eighth notes and will have two notes per click. Ideally, the metronome will be on your original speed but again, slow it down if necessary.

The ultimate goal with rhythmic attention is to internalize rhythm so that it can be “felt.” Often, the best way to internalize something is to externalize it first. Encourage your student to nod their head with each metronome click. Foot tapping is another way to externalize, or counting out loud. Vocalizing a non-word syllable (da-da-da or something else) is also helpful. Do not encourage externalizing by extra hand motion such as bouncing the wrists, as this distracts from hand and arm technique and is not useful in the long run, and could also cause unnecessary tension.

There are many variations to this sort of practice work, so be creative and tailor these ideas to meet your and your student’s needs. Also, it usually isn’t imperative that a student master metronome work or perfect rhythm in all of their current music at one time. It’s a process, so set reasonable goals that can be achieved relatively easily.

 

From one of our favorite series for beginners who desire to play in church: check out Keyboard Treasury Vol. 2! This series is excellent, reinforcing technique and developing a taste for artistically arranged sacred music.

Cover tiny file look inside Keyboard Treasury, Vol. 2 A Graded Hymn Anthology elementary piano solos. Composed by Peter Davis. Sacred. SoundForth #110221. Published by SoundForth (S2.110221).

 

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Teacher’s Resource | Masterwork Practice & Performance

Many times through the course of my years teaching, I have had questions such as:

  • How picky should I be?
  • How many weeks on one piece is too long?
  • Should I expect my beginners to play their pieces to the same degree of perfection as that of an intermediate or advanced student?
  • If I only have time to work on a few techniques or ideas during the lesson, on what should I spend the time and how do I prioritize the material so as to evenly develop their skills?

While there are no perfect answers to these questions, there are tools we can employ to help us find case-by-case solutions. There are solutions to the innumerable student weaknesses a teacher encounters in a week, and some of them can be mind-boggling, especially for young teachers.

Of course, the goal is to be adept at seeing a problem, identifying where exactly it lies, and having ten different perfect solutions lying ready at your fingertips. But you really need this built-in resource long before it will have had time to accumulate from experience. So what is a young teacher to do? Or maybe you have much experience teaching, but have a hard time keeping up each student’s individual needs and weekly progress. (If you have more than 5 students, this is very likely!)

I recently came across this sister-resource to the Masterwork Classics series by Jane Magrath. The Practice & Performance series boasts “A student practice guide that accompanies the Masterwork Classics. Invaluable notes on technique, style and listening activities for every piece in the Masterwork Classics books, plus teacher’s notes and short lesson guides for each piece.”

These are designed to be used as a consumable practice guide with each student having their own, but I have found that owning my own copy instead works well. I can then study up on what they are going to be working on, and be better prepared to teach the material aurally. This way, I am able to break the information down and customize it to each student’s strengths and weaknesses. Also, it removes the need to hand a young student a relatively deep practice-guide that they may have a difficult time understanding and applying on their own.

 

Cover tiny file look inside Masterwork Practice & Performance, Level 1-2 Edited by Jane Magrath. Graded Standard Repertoire; Masterworks; Piano Collection. Masterwork Practice & Performance. Masterwork. Book. 64 pages. Alfred Music #00-6582. Published by Alfred Music (AP.6582).
Cover tiny file look inside Masterwork Practice & Performance Level 3. Edited by Jane Magrath. Graded Standard Repertoire; Masterworks; Piano Collection. Masterwork Practice & Performance. Masterwork. Book. 88 pages. Alfred Music #00-167. Published by Alfred Music (AP.167).
Cover tiny file look inside Masterwork Practice & Performance, Level 4 Edited by Jane Magrath. Graded Standard Repertoire; Masterworks; Piano Collection. Masterwork Practice & Performance. Masterwork. Book. 80 pages. Alfred Music #00-169. Published by Alfred Music (AP.169).

 

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Posture

A musician’s posture is one of the most important physical aspects of their playing. It affects every part of an instrumentalists ability to relax (hopefully preventing injuries), articulate, breath, and play effectively. It can also have an influence on the musician’s longevity as an active musician.

Here is a tried and true exercise to insure good posture in yourself and your students. This has been proven effective for vocalists, as well!

Stand straight and stretch your arms up toward the ceiling. Then wiggle your fingertips – this is really important because it helps reduce unnecessary tension in the arms. Slowly begin to lower the arms straight out to the sides, and make sure the elbows do not bend. Keep wiggling the fingers!  Continue bringing your arms down until they are hanging at your sides. Your shoulders should now be in the “perfect posture” position.

This method works really well in helping teach young children and is far more effective than merely saying “stand/sit up straight,” or “put your shoulders back,” or other common directives.

 

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Check out our favorite book for elementary violin students. This makes a wonderful start prior to launching into the Suzuki books.

Cover tiny file look inside Essential Elements for Strings – Book 1 with EEi Essential Elements. Instructional, Methods and Play Along. Softcover Media Online. 48 pages. Published by Hal Leonard (HL.868049).

 

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Composers

Composers. That word sounds a little technical, if you ask me. Maybe it just feels technical. Or maybe it isn’t really technical at all. Maybe it’s just too historical for musicians like us who would rather sit with a violin under our chins or a keyboard under our fingers than with our noses in a history book.

Whatever the case, the subject of music composers is an important one for anyone who wishes to play music, not to mention those who are in teaching positions. But really, how do you teach about this, and does it really affect our playing?

Let me answer the second question first. Yes, it does really affect our playing, in more ways than one. I’m not talking about merely having random facts stored in our brain like some kind of mental timeline stocked with stickers from over the centuries highlighting important events and dates, but about really knowing and understanding more about the people behind the music we play.

Did you know that Bach had twenty children? That’s an encouraging fact when you are practicing amid the noise of 3 other instruments and other unnamed chaos. Or that, in spite of the fact that most people today use much of his music for keyboard and strings, Bach’s primary instrument was organ. It is also interesting to note that the Baroque era of music ended the same year as Bach’s death (no, everyone didn’t awaken sounding like Mozart the day after Bach’s funeral, but that is the recognized date marking the change in music styles).

Speaking of Mozart, did you know that he began composing at the age of 5 years, having already become proficient at both violin and piano? Or that he was interested in chords at the piano at the age of 3 years when watching his 7 year-old sister, Nannerl, study piano with their father?

Nannerl wrote the following after Wolfgang’s death at the age of 35 years:

“He often spent much time at the clavier, picking out thirds, which he was ever striking, and his pleasure showed that it sounded good… In the fourth year of his age his father, for a game as it were, began to teach him a few minuets and pieces at the clavier… He could play it faultlessly and with the greatest delicacy, and keeping exactly in time… At the age of five, he was already composing little pieces, which he played to his father who wrote them down.”*

How about Beethoven? He is one of the few (if not the only) composers who spanned two eras: he composed repertoire in both the Classical era as well as the Romantic era. Time would fail to speak of Debussy’s extraordinary abilities that were recognized in his youth though criticized for the unusual innovations they led him to produce, or of how Haydn married a woman who disliked music and used his manuscripts for hair rollers, or of Vivaldi’s fire red hair and work with orphans, or of how Beethoven and Haydn met and on Haydn’s advice, Beethoven moved to Vienna for the remainder of his life, or of Haydn’s creative genius in the composition of the Farewell Symphony…

The point is, we ought to become acquainted with these people as we endeavor to play their music. They were real. As we learn more about them, they will cease to be in our minds and the minds of our students as known yet unknown geniuses of the past for whom we have no personal appreciation. And better still, when we teach their music to our students, we can talk about them with the warmth and appreciation we have for other great historical figures who have impacted us for good under the sovereign hand of God.

 

For more ideas on teaching about eras and composers of music, read here

 

Cover tiny file look inside Masterwork Classics Level 8. By perf. Scott Price. Edited by Jane Magrath. Graded Standard Repertoire; Masterworks; Piano Collection. Masterwork Classics. Masterwork. Book; CD. 56 pages. Alfred Music #00-16741. Published by Alfred Music (AP.16741).

*Excerpt taken from Wikipedia.com

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Teaching Practice Techniques

Teaching practice techniques is one of the most rewarding things a teacher can do (or at least, that’s my opinion :)). When you teach a student how to practice, your teaching is no longer limited to the music he/she is learning. Suddenly, their potential to grow and strengthen outside of the lesson time is escalated to hitherto unknown levels.

There are two main things a teacher can do when teaching practice techniques and they are both increased in effectiveness when you use them together.

  1. Demonstrate
  2. Explain

Most of us learn best by example, so demonstration is an incredible tool to have at your fingertips. This can take a little bit of extra work on the teacher’s part, because now, instead of saying “work on measures 7-8 and make the notes even,” we have to work through exactly how to get those stubborn sixteenths even. There are scores of good techniques for learning various skills in each of the different instruments, so work to have these ready to use at a moment’s notice.

I find it helpful to demonstrate a technique a time or two, depending on the situation. Then, I’ll demonstrate it again step by step, talking about exactly what I’m doing and how. I don’t usually like to let a student leave a lesson until they have tried and succeeded at mastering at least one facet of what we talked about, so after I have demonstrated with explanation, I let them try. I usually have them work on a smaller section than my original demonstration: maybe just two measures instead of eight, or sometimes half a measure instead of 2 whole lines – this just needs discretion because you want them to succeed at whatever you give them to do.

The student’s work will probably need to be alternated with more demonstration and explanation, but that’s okay! A big point here is to not leave a subject until there is a thorough understanding of what is desired as a goal, clearly defined steps to get there, and some (usually small for lack of time) level of success accomplished. Once they have mastered it on a small area, you may desire to repeat the process on a larger section or just on another section. In some cases, it is equally effective to just verbally apply it for their reference at home.

Depending on the maturity of the student, the distance of time between lessons, and their track record for being able to remember what you say :), writing down the practice technique(s) in detailed instructions can be very helpful. See also “Forgetful Students” for more tips on taking notes in a memorable way.

Don’t be afraid of taking lots of time to make sure your point is carried. If you spend half of the lesson discussing how to practice one phrase, your time is not wasted. Every technique you instill into your student is an investment into their ability to practice well in the future, which is actually an investment into their being able to continue progressing into the boundless levels of advanced repertoire.

 

Cover tiny file look inside Masterwork Technical Skills Level 1-2. Edited by Jane Magrath. Graded Standard Repertoire; Masterworks; Piano Collection; Technique Musicianship. Technical Skills. Masterwork. Book. 24 pages. Alfred Music #00-6583. Published by Alfred Music (AP.6583).
Cover tiny file look inside 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).
Cover tiny file look inside 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).

 

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Theory and Technique: Competitors or Completers?

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!

Cover tiny file look inside 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).
Cover tiny file look inside 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).
Cover tiny file look inside 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).
Cover tiny file look inside 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).
Cover tiny file look inside 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).
Cover tiny file look inside 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).
Cover tiny file look inside 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).

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Helps for New Music Teachers

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.

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