If your little one wants to start piano lessons in Atlanta, you need to find them a great teacher. But how do you tell which teachers will nurture your child’s talents and which will fall short?
Just because someone is a great pianist doesn’t mean they’re going to be a great teacher. Some of the most famous musicians aren’t capable of teaching someone else to play, while some of the most amazing teachers out there are completely unknown to the world.
If you’re looking for a top piano teacher in Atlanta (or anywhere else for that matter), here are a few things to look for.
1. They Make Learning The Piano Fun
Learning to play the piano isn’t always easy, and beginners can get frustrated quickly. However, a good piano teacher will find ways to make these challenging times fun.
A piano lesson shouldn’t be something your child dreads or hates. If it is, they will quickly lose their love of music and won’t want to continue learning how to play. A great piano teacher will make these lessons fun and interesting, and your child will be looking forward to them. Fun lessons also motivate your child to practice in between meeting with their teacher.
2. They Identify and Address Problem Areas
A good piano teacher will be able to recognize the problem areas and work with their student to address these challenges. This requires the teacher to actively and closely listen to their student’s playing.
They will also listen to the student’s concerns and answer their questions. What separates a good teacher from a great one is that the latter will also pick up on nonverbal concerns and intuitively understand when a student is struggling. Great teachers will quickly move to address these problem areas, so they don’t affect your child’s overall playing.
3. They Adapt to Each Piano Student’s Learning Style
Some people learn best by seeing information written down. Others do better by listening and talking through it. Some students do best by doing rather than listening.
A great piano teacher will identify each student’s learning style and adapt their lessons as needed. If your child learns best by writing down information, their teacher may consider more lecture-style lessons.
On the other hand, if they do better with learning through action, they will spend much more time in front of the piano. Lessons that might normally be more of a lecture or discussion may become a game or focused on a song.
4. They Choose Music that Matches Your Child’s Ability
The music your child works learns needs to match their level of skill, but also be just challenging enough that they have to work to master them. The pieces can’t be so challenging that they overwhelm your child, though, or are so difficult they simply can’t master the music.
If it is too difficult, your child will get frustrated. The teacher needs to be able to accurately measure your child’s skill level, their ability to learn new skills, and how much of a challenge they can handle at a time.
5. They Love Playing Piano and Teaching
Good piano teachers genuinely enjoy playing the piano but may not necessarily love teaching. Others may like teaching but may have become bored with the piano.
A great piano teacher loves both. They play the piano because they truly love the instrument, and they’ve come to realize that they thrive when teaching others about their passion. These teachers are going to enjoy working with their students and fostering their love for the piano.
Ready to Find a Great Music Teacher?
Lessons in Your Home has a team of great music teachers that are ready to help your child learn piano. Our teachers will come right to your home for every lesson, plus we virtual music lessons, too. However, our online music lessons are being taught by local music teachers with live lessons tailored to your child! Contact us today to set up a meeting with one of our instructors.
