How to find a good piano teacher?

[kujiraya]

How do I go about finding a good piano teacher?

[p2u_]

How do I go about finding a good piano teacher?

Much depends on your goals:
Do you want to play for fun? Do you want to go through exams to get grades that prove your development? Do you want to play classical music, jazz, popular styles? Will you be able to practise? If yes, how much? How much can you afford to pay for a lesson/lessons?

It seems to me that word-of-mouth is the best guidance in making your choice. You probably have a friend or acquaintance who plays the piano rather well. Ask him/her. A second option would be a good site with info about piano teachers in your region. Usually you get good lists when you enter a search that contains the words Piano, Teachers' Association, continent (for example American, European) and probably also style, for example: European Piano Teachers' Association, Jazz Piano Teachers' Association, etc.

There are other options, for example phone books, news paper ads, etc. but that's more like a ticket in the lottery...

Paul

[eric0773]

Agree with what Paul says. A couple additional suggestions:

(1) Look at the credentials of the teacher.
(2) Ask him/her about the profile of his typical student (child or adult, very casual or more serious amateur, etc).
(3) If possible, ask to be invited to one audition/lesson in order to get a more concrete idea of the level reached by the students, and to exchange with them on their practice.
(4) If available, do the free trial lesson. Beware, though, of all the biases involved by such a trial (first contact intimidation, will to sign you up, character more pleasing than usual, etc).

Good luck in your search!