New at teaching

[chelsey]

I am a high school senior and am pursuing music in university in the fall. I play repetoire at the ARCT level and have taken conservatory exams in theory. I agreed to take on two students from a piano teacher who hosts lessons at my highschool but has no room in her studio. The girls are ages 12 and 14, one is completely new to music, the other is new to piano, but is involved in our music program, and according to my school music teacher is an above-average flautist with decent reading skills.

I have never formally taught before, and I am quite excited about this opportunity. I am just trying to gather as much input as to how to approach this situation. I have not consulted my private teacher yet (she teaches at the college) but I will at my lesson next Thursday. However my first lessons will be on Tuesday. I have access to this teacher's collection of beginner material, and the local music store carries a few of the major introductory methods used today.

My goal for teaching these girls is to give them a good introduction to piano. They will not be long term students, as I will be moving away for university next fall. I want to make piano something that is enjoyable to them, but still have them learn properly. I have a good foundation with technique, and having to be retaught a lot of motion basics when I began with my current teacher has given me a good grasp of stuff that can go wrong.

My questions,.,
Is it wise to stick to a method for beginners? Should I include theory into the lessons? Is there a particular method that I should look for or specifically avoid? These girls are teenagers, I don't want them to feel patronized by colourful method books, but they also aren't full-fledged classical musicians, so I don't want to limit their piano exposure to classical repetoire.

If you could direct me to some advice, I'd be forever grateful :-)

Chelsey

[Bob]

There are adult method books. 

The standard way of starting beginners I have seen is a primer, theory, and performance book.  They really need the theory in order to understand the concepts.  You can always bring in extra pieces like holiday songs, but these three books have always been the base that I used.  The primer introduces the ideas and gives one piece on that idea.  The theory covers more thinking and writting.  The performance book adds more pieces to work on.

I haven't seen any major problems in standard method books -- Alfred, Bastien, Faber & Faber, etc.  Some people will criticize the idea of method books, but I don't believe they would exist if there wasn't something to them.

There's nothing wrong with using extra pieces that the student enjoys more.  Make sure you find out what type of music the student enjoys and what their goals are.

Good luck! 


(Phew!  I made it!  I'm now at 667 posts.  Close one...  )

[ChristmasCarol]

I agree with Bob.  Start out with the adult beginner lesson books.  Then introduce some fun age appropriate pieces after a few weeks.   Become a peaceful observer.  Respond to your student's comments.  It's a blast really to teach with an open mind.  For instance, I had a six year old ask me last night, "What if we had a lesson without (written) music?"  I said, "Let's do it next week.".  I will come up with all kinds of rhythm and improv things for us to do together.  You will find yourself remembering what it was like when you were first learning.  Enjoy.  Good luck. 

[dmk]

I agree with Bob. Start out with the adult beginner lesson books. Then introduce some fun age appropriate pieces after a few weeks. Become a peaceful observer. Respond to your student's comments. It's a blast really to teach with an open mind. For instance, I had a six year old ask me last night, "What if we had a lesson without (written) music?" I said, "Let's do it next week.". I will come up with all kinds of rhythm and improv things for us to do together. You will find yourself remembering what it was like when you were first learning. Enjoy. Good luck.

Totally agree...Of all the adult method books I prefer the Piano Adventures ones, they use less of the left hand chord approach.  They are good to get students started on and because the pieces are pretty easy they usually learn them quickly and become very good for their sight reading.

With the method books they often come with a lesson book and a performance book, I usually use both.  I would DEFINATELY start them on theory, but I have never used method book theory course because i don't much like their content and style.  I usually get a grade 1 theory book (from your local examination institution, but not to 'do' the exam)and start them on that.  I also supplement this with work in a manuscript book and I do a lot of practical musicianship, so if I am teaching them intervals in theory (and vice-versa) I will show them how they work on the piano and then start to work on their recognising these intervals as we play them (relative pitch etc)

Supplement this with some suitable pieces, I have often found that the teenage beginner, after you get them going, likes a bit of a challenge.  After a month or so, I usually give them a harder 'goal' piece which we work as something to have learnt by the end of the term.  You can find some really good pieces in Schumann's or Tchiakovsky's Album for the Young but this is not even the tip of iceberg (maybe a snowflake on the iceberg!!??) There is some wonderful music (try Gurlitt's pieces like Little Flowers or A Steadfast Resolve (this way may be towards the end of 3-4 terms)) anything you can grab your hands on:)

Good luck and enjoy what you are doing, I am sure with all your excitement and enthusiasm you will be great.  I was you a couple of years ago (I started teaching when I was 17), it is the most rewarding experience, take advice from wherever and whomever you can, I found that I combined all of this and developed my own style...

Cheers and best wishes

dmk

[janice]

I started teaching when I was exactly your age (I was a Junior in high school) and believe me, I learned MUCH from plain-old 'trial & error'.  My first students were a brother and sister(if you guys happen to be reading this, I had a WONDERFUL time teaching you!) and I made the mistake of NOT teaching out of method books.  I used them, but at random.  Don't ask me to explain!  At least I didn't do any permanent damage to the kids!!  But as I got more and more students, I settled into a pattern.  And you will too.  And this "pattern" is different for everyone.  Good luck!

[russda_man]

Good luck! 

Close one...  )

Stupid nerd with your smilies

[dan101]

I think flexiblilty is the key in teaching. Make sure that the lessons are informative, yet fun. Although I agree with using the method books mentioned, I'm always prepared to adjust to particular student's needs. For example, if a pupil wants a couple of jazzy chords to play around with, that's fair enough. If new students wish to have some popular repertoire, I'll arrange for that as well. However, these types of requests should be done in conjunction the consistent teaching of a recognized method book.

[bats_about_belfreys]

Hi, I am suddenly new at teaching too. I live in Madrid and have had two students for about 2 years. All of a sudden, word of mouth went zipping around and I have 5 more, including two 8-yr old girls. I am self-taught, unqualified and really just a hobbyist.

The 8-yr old girl prospect frightened the heeby-jeebies out of me and when I saw the method books they had been using (given compliments by several previous commentators on this thread) I recoiled at the patronising, infantilised tone used. The books are perfectly fine for explaining, but don't seem to tap into the well-spring of AMBITION that is really the motor for learning. So I decided to step on the gas a bit, Fur Elise (complete) for sister1, Bach Gavotte for sis2. No pictures of smiling elephants, hot-air balloons or witchs' covens, and difficult stuff for those tiny hands.

One month later I haven't been thrown out, and the girls have lit up like anything.

Go for the ambition. Drive your student. Choose pieces that are deliberately beyond what they can do. You are only going to be their teacher for a year, so there isn't even time for a method. Either you try to cram it all in to 8-9 months or you leave them half-methoded as they move to their next teacher. I recommend you go for a piece or three. After all, all piano method has already been written down, and by the greatest musical minds who ever lived (Chopin, Schumann, Brahms, Beethoven...). It's in their notes. There you can find everything.

[keyofc]

Teen who want to learn piano but don't want to learn classical (or have the time)
but want to really learn -
I believe that chords is the way to go - (slowly work on chord progressions_
it is what music is made up of - easier to catch on -
and can be applied to all music.