Maybe your child is already in piano lessons, or maybe you want to them to start learning soon. Part of the reason they may not be in lessons yet is because the idea of helping them practice each week is stressful to you.
I feel like what’s missing in a lot of piano lessons is the interaction with the parents. Parents should feel just as included in what’s being taught as your child does. You should know how to help them practice and should leave lessons feeling confident each week in your ability to do so.
So, in this blog post, I want to give you 3 ways you can better communicate with your child’s piano teacher so you can feel confident helping with practice each week.
Ask the Teacher Questions
If you feel like the piano teacher isn’t providing enough information after the piano lesson, then ask the teacher questions. It’s their job to communicate with you, and sometimes they might not know you’re needing a bit more clarification on how to help your child.
The teacher can communicate even if it’s just on a sticky note of what your child needs to be practicing that week. Or, you might bring in a notebook for them to write quick notes of what your child needs to be doing.
Take Notes At the Lesson
If you’re able to sit in on the piano lesson, then take notes. In episode 2 of the “Learn Piano Together” podcast, I talked about the two different lesson environments. There’s an open lesson and a closed lesson. At an open lesson, you’ll be either in your house, the teacher’s house, or a church piano. During these lessons, you’ll be able to hear what’s going on and what’s being taught.
Take notes if you’re in an open lesson environment. Write things down like warmup- C scale, learn new song on page 54, music theory is treble clef lines and spaces, practice for 30 minutes, remember posture, etc. Then, even if you’re not musical yourself, you’ll still have a good idea of how to best help your child learn that week before they show up for the next lesson.
Shoot the Teacher An Email
If all else fails, as the week goes on and you’ve forgotten something, ask the teacher. Don’t be afraid to shoot a quick email their way to ask them about something your child needs to be doing. Remember, you’re the parent here. It’s up to the teacher to communicate and to do that well.
Please don’t ever feel like you asking a question is annoying or like you’re bothering the teacher. You and the teacher both have your child’s best interest at heart. They’re wanting your child to succeed just as much as you do. So, asking them questions about motivating your child to practice, how long to be practicing, or the skills they need to work on that week is completely ok.
Hopefully this blog post helps you communicate with your child’s current or future piano teacher.
If you’ve been noticing your child is ready to start learning to play piano, then I would love for you to check out my online piano lessons.
