Archive by Category
Free Resources
120 Left-Hand Piano Patterns and How to Use Them in Your Teaching
Teaching music skills outside the traditional repertoire can help students learn to do more than just memorize and perform music. Don’t get us wrong: we
The Piano House Challenge
There’s nothing quite like team spirit to motivate students! So we are sharing one of our favorite ways to encourage team spirit in your studio: The Piano House Challenge.
The Long and Short of Articulations: How to Correctly Interpret Piano Articulations (with Free Downloadable Reference Chart!)
One of the most important aspects of teaching and interpreting music involves correctly using articulations. Very few things affect the character and energy of music
Pop-It at the Piano!
Are your students going wild for Pop-It toys? I love them too! There is something so satisfying about popping each one – like the magic
Free Worksheet!: Learning Left Hand vs. Right Hand
Do your young students have trouble telling their left hand from their right hand? Here is an awesome worksheet for working on this very thing!
The Ultimate Music Counting System Chart—Free Resource!
We wanted to share our quick reference chart so that you can easily get familiar with these different counting systems. The diagram is great for keeping handy during lessons.
Online Teaching
The Basics of Online Teaching: Getting Started with Your Virtual Music Studio
Have you been holding out on switching to online teaching? With COVID here for a while, many of us are faced with the prospect of teaching music lessons behind a computer screen for the foreseeable future. If you haven’t dived into online teaching yet, it’s not too late to set up your virtual studio!
Practice
Practice Myth #5: Learn Then Memorize
The myth: You should memorize your piece after you learn to play it. The truth: It can be more beneficial to memorize your piece as
Practice Myth #4: Quality is More Important Than Quantity
Both quality and quantity go hand in hand to produce good practice results.
Practice Myth #3: Practice Everything Slowly
The myth: Practice everything slowly. The truth: Slow practice is extremely effective but can work even better if you intersperse practice at faster tempos. I
Practice Myth #2: Practice All Your Music Every Day
Research shows that timing the review of information is more important than daily repetition. Using thoughtful “spaced repetition” can get better results with less time spent on practice.
Practice Myth #1: You Should Practice Your Scales First
How many times have you sat down at the piano and immediately started playing scales? It seems to be built into our brains that scales must come first! Scales and other techniques are essential skills to develop, but it isn’t actually a requirement to play them before you hit your repertoire. In fact, you might achieve more success if you mix up your routine sometimes!
In Order to be a Great Musician, You Must First be a Great Practicer!
“How much did you practice this week?” is a question that pops up frequently. But perhaps the better question would be “How did your practice go this week?” Practicing encompasses so much more than a quantity of time, and it is a major step towards practice independence when students are able to self-evaluate what went well or what needs improvement.
Make Practice Life Easier with Erasable Colored Pencils
Do you and your students get lost in the sea of black pencil marks in their music? If you work on the same piece for long, it can get very confusing! My solution is to brighten up your lessons (and the sheet music!) with erasable colored pencils.
Recitals/Performances
How to Host a Happy Holiday Recital
Let’s be honest; the holiday season can get chaotic! Sometimes it’s tempting to just skip over a winter recital. But, students and parents usually love holiday recitals the best.
Christmas in the Community
Christmas season is a busy time in my studio! I’m a firm believer that we need to provide our students with a variety of opportunities to share their music
Repertoire
Top 10 Must-Have Christmas Books for Piano Students
It’s sometimes overwhelming to sift through all the Christmas repertoire because there are so many options! If you are like us, you probably want to find
The Ultimate List of Halloween Sheet Music for Piano Students
Whether you are planning a Halloween group class, recital, or studio party, getting some spine-chilling repertoire into the hands of your students can be a
25 Favorite Teaching Pieces for Piano Students (with Video Demonstrations)
In this article, we’ve featured some of the most iconic, accessible, and motivational piano music we’ve discovered over the years. See what made our top 25!
Impress with Impressionism! Introducing Piano Students to the Impressionist Style
Music in the Impressionist style can be very motivating for students. Here are some ideas and repertoire suggestions to introduce Impressionism at any level!
Reviews
10 Must-Have Music Games to Energize Your Music Lessons
Music lessons can be fun and engaging with the right tools. Fortunately, there are many options on the market for games and resources that can make your teaching more dynamic.
Top 10 Must-Have Christmas Books for Piano Students
It’s sometimes overwhelming to sift through all the Christmas repertoire because there are so many options! If you are like us, you probably want to find
New Technology for Music Teachers at NAMM 2023—New Product Releases!
Over three days, I joined 45,000 other attendees to witness all sorts of product debuts in the music industry. I thought this would be a great opportunity to write about all of the new things I saw and heard about and how they might impact us as music teachers (and, particularly piano teachers).
The Best Apps Every Music Teacher Should Have
Music teaching apps have come a long way since their inception, and they now offer a wide range of features that make practicing music skills more accessible than ever before. In this article, we will be discussing some of our favorite music teaching apps, who they are best suited for, and how we use them in our music studios.
Your Guide to Hands-Free Digital Page Turning
With so many options for hands-free page-turning, it can be difficult to compare and choose the best option. We each own two of the most popular pedals out there and have also used forScore’s facial gesture feature. We hope to share some insight that will help you make an informed decision before taking the plunge.
The Top 10 Piano Teaching Websites
Whether you are a new teacher setting up your first studio, or a seasoned professional looking to reinvigorate your teaching, it’s helpful to have a collection of the best piano teaching blogs on the web. These are some of our favorites.
Make Practice Life Easier with Erasable Colored Pencils
Do you and your students get lost in the sea of black pencil marks in their music? If you work on the same piece for long, it can get very confusing! My solution is to brighten up your lessons (and the sheet music!) with erasable colored pencils.
Rhythm/Counting
The Ultimate Music Counting System Chart—Free Resource!
We wanted to share our quick reference chart so that you can easily get familiar with these different counting systems. The diagram is great for keeping handy during lessons.
Teaching Tips
How Each Pedal Tells a Story
Do you find yourself needing a refresher on how to explain each of the pedal functions to your students? Interested in seeing examples of music that use each? Look no further!
120 Left-Hand Piano Patterns and How to Use Them in Your Teaching
Teaching music skills outside the traditional repertoire can help students learn to do more than just memorize and perform music. Don’t get us wrong: we
Getting Started with Lead Sheets and Chord Charts
Lead sheets and chord charts aren’t just a fun activity for more advanced students or those who are playing in a band setting. They require functional skills that pianists at every level, even beginners, should be learning.
4 Tips to Improve Student Listening
As music teachers, prompting students to listen is one of the most important things we can do! Here are a few tips for quickly improving your students’ listening skills.
Quick and Easy Piano Teaching Tips for Elementary Technique
We embark on a new blog-post series to share our favorite tried-and-true piano teaching tips from some of the best experts in our field. This
Pop-It at the Piano!
Are your students going wild for Pop-It toys? I love them too! There is something so satisfying about popping each one – like the magic
If a Student Shares a Piece of Music…Listen
If someone wants to share a piece of music, it’s important to be present and listen attentively. While it may seem like an insignificant passing comment, the chances are likely that this person is sharing the music for a reason.
Make Practice Life Easier with Erasable Colored Pencils
Do you and your students get lost in the sea of black pencil marks in their music? If you work on the same piece for long, it can get very confusing! My solution is to brighten up your lessons (and the sheet music!) with erasable colored pencils.
Technology
New Technology for Music Teachers at NAMM 2023—New Product Releases!
Over three days, I joined 45,000 other attendees to witness all sorts of product debuts in the music industry. I thought this would be a great opportunity to write about all of the new things I saw and heard about and how they might impact us as music teachers (and, particularly piano teachers).
The Best Apps Every Music Teacher Should Have
Music teaching apps have come a long way since their inception, and they now offer a wide range of features that make practicing music skills more accessible than ever before. In this article, we will be discussing some of our favorite music teaching apps, who they are best suited for, and how we use them in our music studios.
Your Guide to Hands-Free Digital Page Turning
With so many options for hands-free page-turning, it can be difficult to compare and choose the best option. We each own two of the most popular pedals out there and have also used forScore’s facial gesture feature. We hope to share some insight that will help you make an informed decision before taking the plunge.
The Basics of Online Teaching: Getting Started with Your Virtual Music Studio
Have you been holding out on switching to online teaching? With COVID here for a while, many of us are faced with the prospect of teaching music lessons behind a computer screen for the foreseeable future. If you haven’t dived into online teaching yet, it’s not too late to set up your virtual studio!
Uncategorized
Top 10 Must-Have Christmas Books for Piano Students
It’s sometimes overwhelming to sift through all the Christmas repertoire because there are so many options! If you are like us, you probably want to find