Teaching piano - your essential items/scores

[Jacey1973]

Hello,

I was wondering what are the essential scores/items you need to teach pupils of all levels that you couldn't do without?

[Bob]

Maybe a backup copy of the method book for the students that forget.

Pencil and pen for sure.

Staff paper or extra blank paper for examples.

Stickers and candy for the little ones.

Up to date contact information for all your students.

Knowledge of the literature available that will suit your students.  This is a difficult area.  It will help you find that piece that will inspire your students.

A piano. 

[abell88]

Metronome.

Syllabus (RCM).

[rlefebvr]

Highlight marker.

[Bob]

Bernhard's phone number.  I'm sure he'll appreciate lots of calls from newbie teachers.

[bernhard]

Bernhard's phone number.  I'm sure he'll appreciate lots of calls from newbie teachers.

I've already got that one, so it is not included inthe list below.

Piano
Light directly on the score
Telescopic pointer.
Pen/pencil/blank notebook
Post-it-notes
Computer
Notation software
CD burner
Urtext scores for the pieces the students are learning.
Prepared scores for the pieces the students are learning.
Metronome
Video camera/TV/CD-DVD player
Diary
Pagoda (a game – ask for details)

General literature:

A dozen a day (Edna Mae Burnan) – For sight-reading and teaching mental practice/memorisation techqniques.

Collection of graded pieces of all styles, again for sight-reading and teaching mental practice/memorisation techniques.

Hanon (Just joking)

This would be the bare minimum – the sky is the limit for extras (scores for all the standard repertory, all the books on technique, analysis, biographies, etc.)

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[Bob]

2 pianos if you can swing that.

A clock.

Pictures of the great composers and little pieces of music or piano artwork around the room.

Gifts and thank you notes from students.  This shows everyone how great your students think you are.  (not a joke)  It's good for creating a positive impression on people and helps your sanity when you have that one kid who is a pain in the butt.

[ptmidwest]

Pagoda?  I'm interested!  Details?

[Jacey1973]

I've already got that one, so it is not included inthe list below.

Piano
Light directly on the score
Telescopic pointer.
Pen/pencil/blank notebook
Post-it-notes
Computer
Notation software
CD burner
Urtext scores for the pieces the students are learning.
Prepared scores for the pieces the students are learning.
Metronome
Video camera/TV/CD-DVD player
Diary
Pagoda (a game – ask for details)

General literature:

A dozen a day (Edna Mae Burnan) – For sight-reading and teaching mental practice/memorisation techqniques.

Collection of graded pieces of all styles, again for sight-reading and teaching mental practice/memorisation techniques.

Hanon (Just joking)

This would be the bare minimum – the sky is the limit for extras (scores for all the standard repertory, all the books on technique, analysis, biographies, etc.)

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

Many thanks to all, this is really helpful. You see i'm giving my first official piano lesson tomorrow...i'm quite looking forward to it 

[bernhard]

Pagoda?  I'm interested!  Details?

The pagoda game is a way to make the children do repetitions, focusing oncorrect repetitions.

The game itself is well-known. You probably have seen it. Mine is a nice wooden one, but I have seen plastic ones. There are three “spikes”. You can fit 9 wooden wheels of different sizes on a spike, one on top of the other (it looks like a pagoda roof, hence the name). The game starts with all 9 wheels on the middle spike. The goal of the game is to transfer all 9 wheels to one of the other 2 spikes. The rules are that you can only move one wheel at a time, and that you cannot place a large wheel on top of a smaller one. If you start with three wheels, it takes seven moves to transfer the wheels from the middle spike to one of the other spikes. With none this number grows exponentially.

How I use the game. I show the student how the game is played. After s/he gets the idea I introduce a new rule: s/he can only move a wheel after playing a perfect rendition of a passage we are learning. Usually I play the game with only 3 wheels (this guarantees a minimum of seven correct repeats – if they make a wrong move, many more). Once a game starts, it must be finished, even if it takes the whole lesson, so usually we only start the game once we have learned pretty well the passage.

I find this a very good antidote to a most peculiar attitude form students, which is to stop practising (repeating) the moment they “get it right”. Of course, is when you finally get it right that practice starts. And that is when I produce the game. You can adapt many games (e.g. tic-tac-toe) to the same purposes (you can only make your move if you played the passage perfectly).

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[leahcim]

The game itself is well-known. You probably have seen it. Mine is a nice wooden one, but I have seen plastic ones. There are three “spikes”. You can fit 9 wooden wheels of different sizes on a spike, one on top of the other (it looks like a pagoda roof, hence the name). The game starts with all 9 wheels on the middle spike. The goal of the game is to transfer all 9 wheels to one of the other 2 spikes.

Known as Tower of Hanoi when I've seen it.

[ptmidwest]

Thank you!  Something new for us!

(Always helpful, and always a pleasure, Bernhard.)