So often, I see questions in forums and Facebook groups asking for advice on how to become a piano teacher and where to find help. I had all the same questions when I started and spent hours scouring the internet for advice, useful information and resources.
In terms of marketing yourself and finding students, the things that made the biggest difference to me were having a website, a google business page and google reviews from my students. Once I had these in place, the enquiries came in regularly and I now have a continuous waiting list. I’m planning to write a guide on how to get all this set up – watch this space!
For now, I have put together a list of all the resources that helped me become a piano teacher. I hope you find them as useful as I did!
Books
The Savvy Music Teacher – David Cutler
Although published 10 years ago (and so perhaps with some elements that are out of date), this book is a goldmine of information and ideas. I have read and re-read this book regularly to remind myself of all the great ideas in it! He details the financials of starting up, how to become a piano teacher and make your teaching career viable, and then how to think outside the box to get additional income streams.
I have gained some great ideas for group classes, alternative concerts etc from this book. My pizza and performance party is now an annual summer fixture in my teaching calendar! If you read one book, let this be the one, I cannot recommend it enough.
Improve Your Teaching! – Paul Harris
I love all of Paul Harris’s publications – his sight reading and aural/ear training series are fantastic. He is truly fascinated with teaching and how we learn. Paul’s books are always insightful and have helped me see different approaches to teaching the same subject. One thing I read early on in my career which has always stuck with me is ‘find and teach from a piece’s ‘ingredients’‘. Use some of these ingredients (such as time, key, rhythm, character etc) to make connections through aural activities, memory work and improvisation for example.
The Piano Teacher’s Survival Guide – Anthony Williams
This book goes into more technical detail on how to teach certain concepts which can be applied to students at every level. I have found it a useful reference when a student is stuck on something specific. The author has some great techniques and exercises to try and mitigate any issues.
Online Communities
Websites
Top Music – headed up by Australian piano teacher Tim Topham, I found this website so useful when I was starting out. There are loads of free resources on there, as well as different membership options to give you access to more. I particularly love the No Book Beginners 10-lesson plan (I still use this a lot!) and the teaching plans for chords/composing.
The Curious Piano Teachers – UK-based Sally Cathcart and Sharon Mark-Teggart set this site up. Having joined Top Music, I’ve only ever done the 7-day trial on offer (which was great and gave me access to many useful resources). However, some of my peers are members (you can pay monthly or annually) and absolutely love the community.
Vibrant Music Teaching – Nicola Canton is a piano teacher based in Ireland and is a huge advocate for more creative, fun lessons! I love how much fun her lesson plans and games are. She has lots of help on how to become a piano teacher.
Facebook groups
I am a member of the following 3 groups – however, there are many more out there!
Piano Teachers Plus – international community
Piano Teacher Central – mostly US-based, but international members too
Piano Network UK – UK-based
I have learnt a lot and got some great ideas and advice from all 3 of these groups. Many people ask how to become a piano teacher and get started. They are generally very supportive and helpful.
Downloadable Music Resources
Busy Little Turtle – My students absolutely love the games from here – and there are so many to choose from! All the games are themed by season, event, area of music etc so you can find something suitable every time. I regularly buy games from here – there are some freebies too.
Wunderkeys – Wunderkeys have an established piano method and many books – but they also have lots of printable games and worksheets. All of these can be used with or without the method books. My young students are a big fan of these.
Membership of Professional Bodies
It can be really helpful to join a professional body – here in the UK the most popular one is EPTA (European Piano Teacher’s Association). Being a member of EPTA gives you many benefits including insurance cover, help with DBS administration, money off sheet music and books, access to webinars, conferences and much more.
I have been to some really useful webinars run by EPTA and have attended two of their conferences. It’s a great way to meet other teachers, to network and to feel inspired!
To Conclude
Hopefully the list of resources above has provided some guidance on how to become a piano teacher. I still use all the resources mentioned regularly – after all, teaching is a continually evolving skill with new methods, books, apps and ideas coming out every year. I feel it’s important to stay ahead of the curve with your knowledge and be aware of the latest developments to stay fresh and relevant as a teacher.
Enjoy the learning curve!
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