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!  The three pedals on the modern piano each provide a distinct function, and they can completely change the sound of a passage when used tastefully. While there may be differences of opinion in when and how to apply them, each pedal tells a unique story. The Soft Pedal (Una Corda) The soft pedal, which is to the far left, is also commonly known as the “una corda” pedal. You might see this abbreviated with “u.c.” i ..read more

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. Here are just a few of our favorites: NoteWordy – Keys to Imagination NoteWordy is a quick and easy (not to mention fun!) way to reinforce note learning. In Level 1, each student gets a game board with a three-letter word made up of letters from the music alphabet (e.g., ace, fed, bag, etc). The game includes two decks of playing cards—one for staff notes and one for keyboard notes. Depending on your students’ needs, you ..read more

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 love, respect, and teach all of this wonderful traditional repertoire, but we also want our students to become versatile, well-rounded musicians who have a personally rewarding and marketable skill set. In this article, we give tips for teaching a variety of left-hand accompaniment patterns that can help students play from lead sheets and chord charts or even compose, arrange, and improvise their own music.  We’re also excited to share a ..read more

It’s sometimes overwhelming to sift through all the Christmas repertoire out there because there are so many options! If you are like us, you probably want to find motivating repertoire that is well-edited and arranged but also don’t want to drain the bank by purchasing a lot of mediocre books. We’ve put together a list of our favorite Christmas collections that we use again and again. Whether you are a new teacher or have taught for many years, we hope you’ll discover some new music to unlock the magic of the season! 1. Christmas Extravaganza Books 1–3 Arr. by Robert Vandall (Early Intermedi ..read more

Have you been thinking about teaching lead sheets and chord charts in your studio? Do your students bring them to you constantly in lessons? If so, this is the blog for you! Why Lead Sheets? 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. Although they are often associated with popular, jazz, or worship styles, they are for everyone! All of our students should be well-practiced in this essential skill.  Accompanying ..read more

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. At-home listening Having an at-home listening playlist sets students up for success! If they only need to click on a link, they can listen at home, in the car, or nearly anywhere they have wifi or cellular network. It’s so easy to share music through platforms like YouTube, Spotify, and Idagio.  Listening questions After students listen to the amazing playlist you send them, it’s important to follow up by discussing w ..read more

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 installment includes some of our favorite solutions for Elementary Piano Technique. From smelling big flowers to swinging like a monkey, we hope that you will learn something “quick and easy” that you can use during your next piano lesson. Smell a Big Flower to Correct Posture – Irina Gorin To improve posture, tell students to pretend that they are smelling a big, beautiful flower. As students inhale deeply, their posture is naturally corrected without c ..read more

This year I had the opportunity to attend the 2023 NAMM Show (National Association for Music Merchants) in Anaheim, CA. Let me tell you, it was like drinking from the fire hose with so many cool things to see! Over three days, I joined 45,000 other attendees to witness all sorts of product debuts in the music industry.  While many aspects of the show are geared more toward artists, dealers, and audio engineers, this was the first year that they offered a dedicated music educators’ track, which was fantastic for people like me! Also, if you own your own music teaching business, there are ..read more

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. From interactive music theory lessons to rhythm games and ear training exercises, music apps are a fantastic tool to use with students of all ages and skill levels. Many of them allow for a customized learning experience that can suit each student’s needs and goals. In this article, we will be discussing some of our favorite music teaching apps that we’ve come across, who they are best suited for, and how we use them in ..read more

Although it is easy to get fixated on the negative aspects of anything (especially when it is a busy season), there are truly so many reasons why I feel lucky to be a teacher! Here are just five of my favorite reasons for doing what we do: 1. The students First and foremost, I love my students! They are the reason for all the preparation, behind-the-scenes work, and late nights. When I get caught up in paperwork, it’s good to take a step back and remember that our work with students is the most important part. I love when a student walks in excited for a lesson; is there any better way to get ..read more