Juggling a piano teaching schedule while maintaining a positive studio environment can feel like too many balls in the air.
We look at our calendars each morning and take a deep breath for the ink-filled schedule of lessons without any white space to breathe.
You might even be feeling stressed out before the day begins… and you know you don’t want to carry that stress into lessons.
Creating white space in your piano teaching schedule may not be a popular idea.
Maybe you’re focused on finance and feel like you have to cram in back-to-back lessons as soon as the school bus drives by until it’s bedtime.
Maybe you have a waiting list twice as long as your current piano studio size.
Or maybe you just like the busy feeling of having a chock-full piano teaching schedule.
Whichever situation you’re in, I have a few thoughts for you regarding the benefits of creating white space in your piano teaching schedule and ideas to create that white space you need.
The Benefits of Creating White Space in your Piano Teaching Schedule
First, what is “white space?”
I like to think of white space as the blank space you see when you look at your schedule.
Take a quick glance at your schedule. Is it solid color-coded back-to-back full of lessons?
Or if you don’t have a printed schedule, imagine what it would look like for every half hour increment. Would there be any blanks?
Now that you understand what white space is … what is the benefit of having white space in your piano teaching schedule–especially for nurturing a positive studio environment?
A little personal story…
I spent most of my teen years under one teacher who dedicated hours to helping me develop my ear as well as expand my classical repertoire.
It was a relaxed environment and my teacher became my friend, even though she’s old enough to be my mom.
I remember laughing, learning, and enjoying lessons immensely.
After I graduated highschool, I spent two semesters with another teacher.
Most of the memories I have of this teacher involve a high-stress focus on curriculum, technique, and… not much more.
I never felt comfortable in her studio, even though I was a dedicated student who practiced hours.
Now that I’m older and a teacher myself, I can’t help but wonder what made the difference between these two teachers.
Personality is an obvious possibility, but another angle is their schedule.
Both were busy teachers, teaching over fifty students each, but one teacher allowed herself flexibility, white space, and fun while the other teacher did not.
And as a student, I could tell the difference.
Trust me, your students will be able to sense the stress of your schedule.
If you are overburdened, over-extended, and over-scheduled, it will lay the foundation for extra studio pressure your students will react to.
You don’t want to live each week burned out.
And if you’re already feeling burned out before Spring break or Thanksgiving break, you need to pause and reconsider your schedule.
The main point I’d like to expound on is how creating enough white space in your piano teaching schedule will help to nurture a positive studio environment.
When we are stressed, it directly affects those around us.
One of the most important things we can do for a positive studio environment is being careful to not burn ourselves out as teachers.
It feels counterintuitive to take breaks, but in reality, giving ourselves white space will work wonders in the health of both us and our studios.
Here are some other positive aspects:
White space will give us time to recharge to fully invest in each individual student.
White space gives mental room for creativity.
White space in our teaching schedule will benefit our non-teaching relationships.
How to Create White Space in your Piano Teaching Schedule
I get it – the thought of having actual white space in your schedule may cause you to hyperventilate.
Here are a few tips to help you see places where you can give yourself space.
1. Batch process
A big time-saver in the business world is to batch process.
Instead of working on small, recurring projects each week, can you spend a little extra time one week to do the task for the entire month?
One way you can do this is in music game prep.
Instead of preparing the music game for the week, can you print and prepare all of the games for the month?
Maybe you can even plan out the games for the quarter!
Any time I have batched my work, it takes me less time in the long run because my mind is 100% focused on the task at hand and I get into a groove (rather than stopping when the week’s task is done before my groove begins).
2. Maximize your time with automations.
There are so many perks to living in a generation with technology and automation … let’s use it for our benefit!
Think about any task you do regularly.
Maybe it’s sending invoices or reminders.
Is there a way you can automate it?
Spend a few minutes researching the answer to save you hundreds of hours in the future!
One app that helps many music teachers is My Music Staff (affiliate link).
It helps automate many of the tedious yet necessary tasks piano teachers must do and is well worth the money.
You can get 30-day free trial to see if it will save you time … and if you do, then signing up via this link will give both of us an extra free month.
3. Give your mind a complete break
Sometimes, finding white space isn’t about clearing our schedule as much as it is using the little breaks we already have to clear our mind.
I am as guilty as anyone about filling every spare minute with catching up on Instagram, listening to music, catching up on texts, looking up recipes, and anything else I can think of.
Just five minutes with no distractions is true white space.
Here are a few things you can do in just 5 minutes to refresh you:
Step outside and enjoy nature
Drink coffee or hot tea and savor it
Close your eyes
Practice deep breathing
Take a short walk
Do some light stretches
Turn off all noise (podcasts, music, notifications)
Put your phone on airplane mode
We are in a high-paced, always accessible society, but we have the option to turn it off for a few minutes to give ourselves a complete break.
Remember that stress isn’t just “stressed out.”
Our bodies even react to good stress and running on “positive” adrenaline.
And we need to give our bodies a break from the barrage of stress.
Many studios hire teens to be teaching assistants (or you can save money and barter lessons for assistant time).
These assistants can do anything from paperwork to teaching 5-10 minutes of a lesson when students are working through exercises or even playing a music theory game.
Or maybe it would be more beneficial to have an assistant elsewhere–like housecleaning, cooking, or doing grocery shopping.
You have to be willing to let go of some control (which is a hard step!), but in the long run, hiring an assistant can do a lot to help your teaching schedule!
5. Try group lessons
It may feel like a big leap to go from private to group lessons, but if you have a long waiting list and the desire to help as many students as possible, group lessons may be the best answer for your piano teaching schedule.
It also is a good way to maximize your time and income.
Some great group piano teaching resources are Group IlluminatED (use our code MGC50 in June and July 2024 to get $50 off registration and sign up here!) and Piano Pyramid.
Also remember that all of our games at Music Game Club are created with group lessons in mind! It’s a great way to teach music theory in a fun & engaging way.
Action Time!
Right now, grab a pen and paper and write down everything that stresses you out and brainstorm a few solutions.
Then, make plans to implement just one of those solutions next week!
What ways are you going to create white space in your teaching schedule?
I’d love to hear the ideas you have for nurturing a positive studio environment by relaxing your piano teaching schedule!
What ideas resonated with you? Which ones do you feel are impossible? Did something different come to mind as you were reading?
Comment and share.
Even more blog posts to help you with piano teaching schedules…
If you have taught piano for any length of time, it is very likely that you’ve had experience teaching piano students with ADHD.
Or maybe you have a few students you suspect have ADHD and you’re looking for ways to help them.
In this article, we have compiled 17 tips for teaching piano students with ADHD.
These tips have come from research as well as talking to various teachers who have taught piano students with ADHD.
I appreciate all who gave their insight and helped make this blog post as helpful as possible.
If you have ADHD or have children or piano students with ADHD, please join the conversation and add your comments so we can learn from each other and best help our piano students!
Understanding piano students with ADHD
One of the biggest challenges to me as a piano teacher is getting a student with undiagnosed or undisclosed ADHD.
Not knowing about ADHD in piano students cripples me as a teacher and it has sometimes taken me months before realizing that I have to take a different approach to this student to meet their specific needs.
If you have a few students you suspect have ADHD or maybe you don’t know why they’re struggling, it is my sincere hope that this article will help you!
The first step is understanding piano students with ADHD.
It can be easy to lose patience with students if we don’t understand where they are coming from.
Several teachers with ADHD gave us three specific aspects that give incredible insight into the ADHD piano student’s mind.
They don’t like slow tempos; slow makes them impatient and sometimes even anxious.
They often have inner hyperactivity.
They can forget what they have learned easily as soon as they do something else.
Added to this, piano students with ADHD often have very unique abilities and approaches to music.
They are not just a problem to solve–they are a musician with incredible potential that we have to learn how to communicate with.
Knowing where these students are coming from will go a long way in helping you find solutions for them.
But in case you need some specific ideas, we’ve got you covered!
17 Tips for Teaching Piano Students with ADHD
1) Rewrite your expectations
It is easy to have high expectations as a teacher because we know the entire potential of our students with rhythm, notes, dynamics, articulation, and musicality.
However, for piano students with ADHD, it is important to not force them to adhere to our high standards.
Remember that what is most important is their enjoyment of the instrument and music.
If the student is happy with stumbling through a piece from beginning to end, maybe we as teachers need to shift our expectations because we’re meeting the student where they are at–which is to enjoy the music.
Shifting our expectations can also look like never expecting the student to do everything at once: reading, articulations, rhythm, etc.
You can focus on just some of the concepts at a time (e.g. teach a piece by rote and focus on articulation, work on one piece and only worry about emphasizing dynamics).
2) Be flexible
This is similar to #1, but more specifically, remember to go with the flow of the student.
If the student plays while you are trying to talk, they might be hearing every word!
Actually, asking them to stop playing while you talk may take more concentration and they can’t hear a word you’re saying because they’re so busy focusing on not playing!
Being flexible will look different for each piano student with ADHD. Experiment with where you allow flexibility in lessons.
3) Play with a track
There are several ways you can assign music with a track.
Many composers sell backing tracks to their composition.
Playing with a backing track may encourage the student to play more musically.
If you don’t have backing tracks, you can always use a recording of your students’ piece for them to play along with.
Either way, playing with a track can be used to encourage the student to play at a slower tempo by slowing down the track.
Playing with a track can also help the student learn how to continue playing instead of repeating a section when they’ve made a mistake.
4) Play duets with piano students with ADHD
If playing with a track isn’t a good option for you, you can always play duets with your students.
Even if you’re making up chords or rhythms, playing duets will help keep them on track.
You can use this method to help your students keep a steady tempo and practice at a slower pace if needed.
5) Focus on fewer technical aspects
There are so many technical aspects of music.
Sometimes, our piano students with ADHD need us to relieve the pressure from trying to focus on it all.
For example, focus on correct rhythms and notes but ignore articulation (dynamics and expression).
Or focus on even less: aim for accurate rhythm and ignore the notes.
As you’re working through repertoire, remember to ask: is it a note issue? A fingering issue? Or is it just a rhythm issue?
Remember to change your expectations for a “completed” piece.
If you’re focusing on just notes and rhythms, then once the student has mastered both of these, you can pass the student’s piece off.
6) Try the metronome … or not!
Some ADHD piano students thrive with the metronome and it helps for every single piece they’re learning.
You can use the metronome like a game where they play a piece at various tempos.
Then, you can discuss which variation they thought was best.
On the contrary, you may have students who get extremely frustrated with the metronome and it discourages them rather than helps them.
For these students, a better option may be to teach tempo by rote.
As with many of the other tips, experiment to figure out what works best for the individual student.
7) Explore more music
Encourage students to play lots of music.
Offer them lots of repertoire, provide multiple pieces on their level and even pieces that are slightly easier than what they’re capable of.
Exploring music may help your student be more joyful because they’ll be making music rather than getting stumped in lesson books.
Have fun with compositions that sound “big” but are easy to read.
8) Consider pattern-rich music
Focus on easy, pattern-based music so they can play music that sounds complex but doesn’t require a lot of focus.
When students’ brains and fingers don’t have to think so hard about what they need to do, they’ll be able to experience greater joy in playing.
Once students have learned the patterns and are comfortable with the piece, you might be able to incorporate more articulation (dynamics, legato, etc.).
If this works well for your student, then you can specifically look for pattern-based repertoire that focus on one specific articulation concept each time.
9) Teach piano students with ADHD by rote
Sometimes teaching by rote takes a lot of the mental process out and they can focus more on musicality.
Take away the sheet music, show students the patterns, and teach them how to play legato and staccato and move all over the piano.
Dennis Alexander’s book Repertoire by Rote (affiliate link) is a great resource for this.
Another way to make piano lessons easier for piano students with ADHD is introducing tunes they already know.
Folk songs, pop songs, Christian songs, hymns, Christmas carols, etc.
Giving them a song where they know the melody line will fix a lot of rhythm and note issues because they’ll often hear when they play a wrong note or rhythm.
Just be sure you get it to them at the correct level they can easily attain.
11) Focus on short fragments
Piano students with ADHD may benefit greatly from you helping them break down a full piece of music into smaller, more achievable segments.
This is also a good way to help the student practice at a slower tempo.
Practice a small fragment together slowly, where the student follows your slower tempo.
You can also use different rhythm patterns (a good idea for etudes and exercises) for a short segment and play it slow then fast then slow.
When it comes to assigning music for the student to practice at home, you can assign just a short section.
Simplifying the music in this way makes it feel less overwhelming.
12) Get the student’s opinion
Is the student happy with his/her progress?
If so, that matters more than teacher expectations (as hard as that is!).
And if they aren’t happy about what they’re doing now, see if there was a time when they were happy about their music and figure out similar repertoire or concepts to focus on.
13) Try white noise or other noises
There are ADHD loops with white noise, green noise, and other color noises that can play in the background.
Different piano students with ADHD may prefer different color noises, so this is something you can experiment with!
If the color noise distracts you as a teacher, allow the student to use earphones with the color noise.
It may feel rude to have your student with earphones during a lesson, but if it helps them concentrate better, then it’s worth it.
14) Change up the lesson
Don’t spend the entire lesson time on the bench.
Instead, break up the lesson into smaller segments where you work on technique, play a music theory game, work on repertoire, play a duet, sight read, play another music game, do a worksheet, etc.
15) Help the piano student with ADHD know what to expect in the lesson
If you have a hard time getting your piano student with ADHD to focus at the very beginning of the lesson, consider using aural clues that the lesson has officially started.
Additionally, the student may do better if they know what is coming when and what is expected of them.
You can do this aurally by explaining what you’ll do in lessons today or even by writing down the order of the lesson on a whiteboard.
Most ADHD piano students thrive with structure, but if for some reason your student freezes up at the mention of structure, then do the opposite and switch up the lesson order each week to keep them interested and engaged.
Remember to learn your student and what works for them.
16) Focus on equipping the student & meeting them where they’re at
One of the beautiful aspects of teaching piano is that we can help our students learn more than just music.
You can help your students become more equipped to handle how their brain processes and how their brain can learn new things like playing the piano.
One of our artists at Music Game Club shared,
“I also have been diagnosed with ADHD since I was a child and I know that often we have different ways and workarounds that we find to learn things. [Ask] the students to see how they would normally go about learning something like this on their own. Just taking a little extra time to teach them in a way that works for them whether that’s going through it quickly or focusing on one part at a time, every ADHD person is different and they have their own unique ways of learning that may not work for everyone else, but if [teachers are] willing to try it with them I know they would be receptive and grateful for the extra effort.”
17) Keep a positive attitude
Your students will reflect your attitude.
Face the challenges with your student and have a positive attitude and hopeful outlook.
Remember to praise your students and encourage them rather than get frustrated with them when they don’t meet your expectations.
You’ve got this!
What tips do you have for teaching piano students with ADHD?
We welcome your thoughts and comments about teaching piano students with ADHD. We know that not everyone’s experience is the same, so we value your input for what worked for you and your students! Leave a comment!
More blog posts to help you in teaching piano students:
When it comes to finding songs to use for ear training, there are a lot of resources out there with old songs.
However, today’s kids don’t recognize many of these songs.
For instance, I learned that a descending major third is “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” and an ascending major sixth is “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean.”
I’m pretty sure none of my current students know these two songs.
So I went on a quest to find both old songs and new that will help students easier learn to identify different intervals.
And yes, many of these songs to use for ear training are Disney songs. (Did you know the interval for the starting pitches of “We Don’t Talk about Bruno” is a perfect 5 and “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” is a descending perfect 4?)
While you can read and use all the song titles here in this blog post, you can also download a 2-page printable of songs to use for ear training to keep handy in your studio for ease of use.
If you have any favorite songs to add to this list, drop them in a comment below!
Ascending Songs to Use for Ear Training
Unison
Jingle Bells
Happy Birthday song
Ascending Minor 2
Cruella De Vil
Ev’rybody Wants to Be a Cat
A Whole New World (chorus)
What Else Can I Do?
Jaws Theme
White Christmas
Once Upon a December
Pink Panther Theme
Ascending Major 2
Baby Shark
Bare Necessities
Part of Your World
The Family Madrigal
When I Survey
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Silent Night
Happy Birthday to You
Linus & Lucy
Ascending Minor 3
Sing, Sweet Nightingale
Up, Down, Touch the Ground
Be Our Guest
Beauty and the Beast
Greensleeves (What Child is This?)
Oh Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone?
The Impossible Dream
Lullaby (Brahms)
Ascending major 3
Following the Leader
Oh When the Saints
What a Wonderful World
For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow
Kumbaya
Marine’s Hymn (From the Halls of Montezuma)
Today Was a Fairytale
Ascending Perfect 4
Someday My Prince Will Come
You’ll Be in My Heart (chorus)
Amazing Grace
Here Comes the Bride
I Love You, Lord
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
Love Me Tender
Oh Christmas Tree
Auld Lang Syne
Hedwig’s Theme (Harry Potter)
Tritone
The Simpsons
Cool (Gwen Stefani)
Maria (from West Side Story)
Ascending Perfect 5
Go the Distance
Scarborough Fair
Can’t Help Falling in Love
Top Gun Anthem
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star / Alphabet Song
My Favorite Things (Sound of Music)
Lavender’s Blue
Star Wars Theme
Ascending Minor 6
Last Midnight (Into the Woods)
Lonely Man
Ascending Major 6
My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean
Dashing Through the Snow (Jingle Bells)
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
Ascending Minor 7
Somewhere
Ascending Major 7
Superman Theme
Take On Me A-ha
Don’t Know Why
Ascending Perfect 8
When You Wish Upon a Star
Singin’ in the Rain
Over the Rainbow
The Christmas Song
Let it Snow
Descending Songs to Use for Ear Training
Unison
Jingle Bells
Happy Birthday song
Descending Minor 2
A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes
God Help the Outcasts (chorus)
Joy to the World
Fur Elise
Fly Me to the Moon
Descending Major 2
Winnie the Pooh
A Whole New World
The First Noel
Mary Had a Little Lamb
Yesterday
Descending Minor 3
(I’m Just a) Little Black Raincloud
Can You Feel the Love Tonight (chorus)
Surface Pressure
You’ll Be in My Heart
Jesus Loves Me
The Star-Spangled Banner
Frosty the Snowman
Descending Major 3
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
Summertime
Shoo Fly, Don’t Bother Me
Descending Perfect 4
How Far I’ll Go
Do You Want to Build a Snowman?
O Come, All Ye Faithful
Hallelujah Chorus
Descending Tritone
Even Flow
Descending Perfect 5
We Don’t Talk about Bruno
Flintstones Theme
Schindler’s List
Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella
Descending Minor 6
Love Story Theme
Descending Major 6
Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen
The Music of the Night
Descending Minor 7
Watermelon Man
The Shadow of Your Smile
Descending Major 7
I Love You (Cole Porter)
Descending Perfect 8
The Lonely Goatherd (Sound of Music)
How to Use This List of Songs for Ear Training
If you’ve never taught ear training before, it doesn’t have to be hard!
Some teachers prefer using solfege for ear training.
While I definitely see the value there, I also know that many piano teachers never learned solfege.
You don’t have to know solfege in order to teach ear training!
First, start with 2-3 intervals (I recommend the perfect intervals, as they tend to be easier to grasp).
Go through the list of songs to use for ear training with your students and have them tell you what songs they know.
Using those songs as your foundation, play the interval and have your student sing it back to you (that act of singing the interval better engrains the intervals in their minds).
As with anything else in music lessons, ear training will take time. So be prepared for regular review.
Also encourage your students to practice singing the intervals on their own as this will help them internalize the pitches.
Once your students have the first few intervals mastered, add a few more to the mix.
It’s really that easy!
How to Come Up With Your Own Songs to Use for Ear Training
Take any song or piece of music and do simple interval analysis.
For instance… the traditional Mario Theme gives you plenty of intervals to train with.
Mario Theme starts with a perfect unison then descending major third, ascending major third, ascending minor third, and descending perfect octave.
Try it and see. 😉
The goal in finding your own songs to use for ear training is to have something your students know very well and can easily use without having to think about it for too long.
You can ask your students for their favorite songs, listen to it together, and figure out the intervals.
And just because I have fun with this, you can keep the interval analysis activity going beyond the first two notes.
It is so much fun to pause the music, slowly sing back the interval you hear, and identify it.
This is a retroactive way of doing ear training but may be just as effective as spoon-feeding them various songs to use for ear training.
A Game for Ear Training
Rather than just drilling random intervals each week, you can make ear training your students’ most anticipated activity by playing an ear training game.
Listening Lemurs gives you the flexibility to focus on the intervals your students need extra help with while they race to reach “home” first.
It works well for any ear training method, whether you use songs for interval recognition or teach intervals with solfege.
Here is how I would use Listening Lemurs to help teach students intervals for the first time.
Every week, you pour out into the lives of your music students and invest in their learning process and education–but how often do you intentionally invest in yourself as a piano teacher?
If investing in yourself is on your radar, then I applaud you!
But if that is not you and the thought of starting to invest in yourself as a piano teacher completely overwhelms you, don’t hit the “exit” button yet!
Before you stress out about not having enough time to invest in yourself as a piano teacher, I encourage you to read our recent blog post, How to Set Low-Stress Routines as Piano Teachers with Amy Elmore.
She shares a lot of great points that relieve the pressure so you can free up time to invest in yourself as a piano teacher.
Why it is important to invest in yourself as a piano teacher
First and foremost, you need to be refilled and refueled as a human being.
While teaching often energizes us, it can also deplete us in many ways.
Being intentional about “filling ourselves back up” will help us be even better teachers and equip us to better help those around us.
Not to mention that there is SO much for us to learn!
I love these two quotes:
“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.” – Henry Ford
“Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.” – Albert Einstein
Investing in yourself as a piano teacher simply means making it a goal to continue learning and growing.
I asked a group of piano teachers what they do to keep learning, and they brought up some stellar suggestions.
Here are 30 ways to invest in yourself as a piano teacher. I am writing these points without specific application because I want you to choose your topic of interest and apply the principles so you can keep learning in whatever field you choose (it might not even be music!).
1. Teach
You’re probably already doing this one, so congratulate yourself.
Remember that when you teach, you also learn.
2. Read books
And by “reading” I mean paperback, ebook, or audiobook.
Intentionally log some words by experts on topics that interest you.
See if there is a local piano teacher group you can network with.
If there isn’t one, consider starting one.
16. Join MTNA
Become an MTNA member and join your local chapter.
17. Get a mentor/coach
Get 1:1 coaching from an expert and do the work they assign you.
18. Business summit
Be intentional about learning how to better run your piano teaching business.
19. State/local teacher events
Search for local events and become a part.
20. Festivals
Having your students join festivals will give you great feedback.
It can help you learn your strengths and weaknesses as a teacher.
21. Study method books
Don’t just stick to the method books you’ve always known.
Try out new ones.
Read through them.
Compare notes.
Learn from the different pedagogical approaches.
22. Study theory books
Different theory books will explain concepts differently.
There is a lot one can glean from them.
23. Take private lessons
Become a student again and take private lessons.
It doesn’t even have to be piano.
Learning a different instrument (or even a sport) will give you new insight into your students’ experience and help you become a better teacher.
24. Learn new pieces
We will never learn all there is to learn out there, and we will never arrive.
Even if repertoire is “easy” for you, there is so much you can learn from it!
25. Perform
Performing the pieces you’ve learned will bring your learning to a deeper level.
Schedule performance days at a local nursing home, coffee shop, or other location.
Or, if you’re tech savvy, perform live on Instagram or YouTube.
26. Collaborate
Working with other musicians will teach you a lot, especially if they’re experts in a different instrument.
27. Join a choir/orchestra
Working under a conductor will give you ample opportunities to learn music from a different perspective than private lessons.
28. Watch great performances
While YouTube is a great resource for endless performances, remember to also look up local live performances to attend.
29. Watch lectures
Just as with performances, you can find lectures on YouTube or attend local events.
30. Ask questions
The best way you can keep learning and investing in yourself as a piano teacher is to ask questions.
Never stop asking questions, and you’ll never stop learning.
Would you add anything to this list?
What do you do to invest in yourself as a piano teacher?
Comment and share!
Thanks to Rami B, Russ B., Clarissa P., Cristina M., Jessica Y., Jason S., Sharon B., Mary M., Melody P., Sean-David M., Lynn D., Andrew F., Laura B., Melissa L., Robin K., Yufen C., Isabella T., Bernie S., Tiffany H., Lea Pearson., Joni F., Joanne B., Karen H., Shirley W., Debbie P., Brian S., Mark W., Geoffrey K., Liss F., Sharon B., Isabella T., Sara P., Mary M., Gayle D., Lea P., Wendy C., Cyndi V.A., Lina L., Melissa G., Lauren T., Veronica O., and Thorsteinn G. for sharing how you invest in yourself as a piano teacher.
I read Atomic Habits by James Clear in fall 2022 and my instant thought was, “How can we help piano students form atomic habits?”
Please note, we may get commissions if you purchase through our links. This is at no extra charge to you; we just get a small percentage for playing referrer.
Once you understand the importance of atomic habits (small, actionable steps that are easy to accomplish and therefore assists in developing habits that stick), you realize the importance of encouraging piano students to nurture atomic habits.
Before I share 5 ways to help piano students form atomic habits, Amie Webster from Motif Music Studios and I did a live YouTube chat that I’d love for you to watch.
We discussed Atomic Habits and how it helped us as musicians and how it’s helping us as teachers.
We share favorite quotes, important takeaways, and how you can apply atomic habits to your piano studio even if you’ve never read the book.
Of course, I do highly recommend you read Atomic Habits or listen to the audiobook.
It’s a #1 best seller for a reason.
But even if you don’t have time to read it, here are 5 things you can implement to help piano students form atomic habits.
1) The 2-Minute Rule
Of all the practical and useful tips from Atomic Habits, this one mindset is what got me into developing new habits: start with the easiest 2 minutes.
A new habit should not feel like a challenge. The actions that follow can be challenging, but the first two minutes should be easy.
– James Clear
I remember being a piano student and having so many pieces to practice.
It can be intimidating.
Some students are naturally good at breaking assignments down into manageable pieces.
Some students freeze and never touch the piano because it feels too hard.
So as teachers, we can help our students by encouraging them to get those first two easy minutes of practice in.
Maybe it’s reviewing a fun piece, playing a scale they know well, sight reading, or playing a music game.
The goal is to get the student on the bench, started.
If they get at least five minutes of practice in, that’s better than nothing.
Because I remember as a teen, the worst part about practicing was starting.
If I could just sit down to practice five minutes, I’d practice an hour.
But I had to sit down.
So when you encourage your piano students to practice, remind them that a little is better than nothing.
… one push-up is better than not exercising. One minute of guitar practice is better than none at all. One minute of reading is better than never picking up a book. It’s better to do less than you hoped than to do nothing at all.
– James Clear
2) Never Skip Twice
Missing once is an accident. Missing twice is the start of a new habit.
– James Clear
This mindset has really transformed my habits.
I am an overachiever who wants to give all and then some.
I don’t like messing up.
You probably have a few piano students like that.
They don’t do well with practice charts because it is so discouraging when they skip a day because they feel like they failed.
But with the mindset that missing once is an accident, you can help your students develop more consistent habits.
Busy days happen, sickness occurs.
So it’s okay to skip an occasional day.
It’s even better to skip every other day than to give up and skip five days in a row.
3) Redefine Their Identity
One of the main themes in Atomic Habits is identity.
The psychological reason we fail at setting better habits is because of how we view ourselves.
The key to mitigating these losses of identity is to redefine yourself such that you get to keep important aspects of your identity even if your particular role changes. “I’m an athlete” becomes “I’m the type of person who is mentally tough and loves a physical challenge.” “I’m a great soldier” transforms into “I’m the type of person who is disciplined, reliable, and great on a team.” “I’m the CEO” translates to “I’m the type of person who builds and creates things.”
– James Clear
So instead of “I’m a pianist,” we can nurture in our students the mindset, “I’m the type of person who is determined, creative, and patient.”
We can encourage this mindset shift in our students.
Many music students today suffer from identity crises.
As piano teachers, I believe we have such a special and important role to encourage our students to grow beyond their narrow identity.
Outcomes are about what you get. Processes are about what you do. Identity is about what you believe.
– James Clear
I can’t tell you how many times a student has messed up and instantly follows it with a negative statement like, “I’m a terrible pianist” or “I will never play this right” or “I just can’t get this.”
All of those comments are a reflection of their identity.
Yes, it takes patience to help a student who is down on themselves, but we have the beautiful opportunity to help the student see that they’re the type of person who does not give up easily.
They’re the type of person who finds enjoyment in small things.
They’re the type of person who creates something beautiful.
You have the power to change your beliefs about yourself. Your identity is not set in stone. You have a choice in every moment. You can choose the identity you want to reinforce today with the habits you choose today.
– James Clear
One way I’m trying to encourage an identity shift in my students is to ask them to tell me two positive things about what they just did.
I know how hard that is because my teacher did it to me. It is easier to list all the negative aspects that need work than the positive things.
By asking my students to focus on the positive, I’m helping them realize that they are accomplishing something in music.
You can also point out the character growth a student has exhibited in lessons (diligence, tenacity, patience, perseverance, etc.).
4) Make It Easy
Much of the battle of building better habits comes down to finding ways to reduce the friction associated with our good habits and increase the friction associated with our bad ones.
– James Clear
Probably the biggest asset to help students form atomic habits is to make it easy.
Do we make piano practice unnecessarily difficult for our students?
Ways we might make it difficult could be assigning too many pieces without specific clarity on what to focus on, holding them to a standard that intimidates them, or overwhelming them with difficult assignments.
How else do you think we unintentionally make piano difficult for our students? (Comment and share!)
If we realize the answer to that question, then we will be able to figure out how to reduce the “friction” for our students.
These ideas do need to be discussed with the student and family, which is so worth doing!
Have the instrument easily accessible
Have books open on the piano
Have sticky notes on the pieces they’re supposed to work on
Have the piano bench already pulled out
Any other ideas? Add them in the comments below.
Whether we are approaching behavior change as an individual, a parent, a coach, or a leader, we should ask ourselves the same question: “How can we design a world where it’s easy to do what’s right?” Redesign your life so the actions that matter most are also the actions that are easiest to do.
– James Clear
5) Help Piano Students Form Atomic Habits With Four Laws
How to Create a Good Habit: The 1st law (Cue): Make it obvious. The 2nd law (Craving): Make it attractive. The 3rd law (Response): Make it easy. The 4th law (Reward): Make it satisfying.
– James Clear
I love this breakdown of creating good habits.
As piano teachers, how can we make piano practice obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying?
The answer will be different for different students.
What is attractive and satisfying to one student is not attractive or satisfying for another student.
This is where we must consider the four stages for each student and maybe even bring the student into brainstorming ways that will help them establish the four steps of a good habit.
Eliminate the cue and your habit will never start. Reduce the craving and you won’t experience enough motivation to act. Make the behavior difficult and you won’t be able to do it. And if the reward fails to satisfy your desire, then you’ll have no reason to do it again in the future. Without the first three steps, a behavior will not occur. Without all four, a behavior will not be repeated.
– James Clear
This is why reward systems work amazingly well for some students and fail for others.
This is why practice charts inspire some students and discourage others.
This is why the same method doesn’t work for all students.
Yes, it takes time and effort, but analyzing what the cue, craving, response, and reward are for each student will help them establish those good habits.
Final Thoughts on How to Help Piano Students Form Atomic Habits
As you take these thoughts to lessons next week and as you and your students start recognizing places to shift habits, remember…
Success is not a goal to reach or a finish line to cross. It is a system to improve, an endless process to refine.
– James Clear
Your turn!
Have you read Atomic Habits? If so, I’d love to hear how you think it applies to helping piano students form good habits. What concepts have helped you? Comment and share!
Other blog posts to inspire & motivate you in piano teaching:
We had a fabulous chat discussing all things piano teaching and routine, and I think you will benefit greatly from her wisdom in setting routines as piano teachers.
If you love this blog post and want to glean more from Amy, she send a fabulous email every week that is uplifting and encouraging.
First steps to establish better routines as piano teachers
by Amy Elmore
Unlike you’re probably thinking, I won’t be talking about setting routines for actual piano teaching.
Instead, I have found my routine for non-teaching hours is instrumental in helping my whole day go smoothly.
I am by no means an expert on routines, but I have been trying to consciously learn and grow in this area and I hope you’ll learn something helpful from my trial and error.
I used to have absolutely no routine!
Though I’ve always been prone to organizational skills, I never looked at it in a framework.
I eventually learned that being prone to organization doesn’t mean you necessarily have a good routine.
We have many different kinds of routines as piano teachers.
Morning routines, piano practice routines, work day startup and shut down routines, just to name a few.
Recently, I’ve been focusing on creating a good morning routine.
As a piano teacher/studio owner and coach, my routine looks a little different now than when I was solely teaching piano.
I hope you can apply these principles to whatever stage you find yourself in and reap the benefits.
Make a list
When I was working to adjust my morning routine, I made a list of the things I’d like to do daily (read, journal, pray, workout) so I could curate a new routine that included all of those things.
My current morning routine is: make bed, prayer journal, set a timer for 10 minutes and read, and make coffee.
If I have more time, then I do movement of some type (Yoga or an online exercise app).
The beauty of having a morning routine is that I get some stuff done every day that I want to get done or know I need to get done.
It’s finished first thing in the morning so I don’t beat myself up all day because of something I haven’t done yet.
Keep promises small
At the same time, I have found it important to not make too many big promises for a morning routine.
Making these promises to ourselves can add so much stress when we don’t have enough time to realistically get them done.
Stay focused
Having my morning routine helps me stay focused. It has especially helped me in an area I struggle with: writing.
When I write just a little each morning, it helps me achieve the goal of being a content creator and helps me discover my style.
I also have realized that I don’t feel like I have to finish it all in one sitting when I do a little at a time.
This relieves so much stress and last-minute rush to get things done!
How to curate your own healthy routine as a piano teacher
I’ve shared my story, but I realize your life may look very different.
Here are a few concepts that you can apply to your individual life to create a customized routine that fits you and hopefully relieves stress in your everyday life.
What is your end goal?
As you make choices, think intentionally about your goal.
Before you make decisions, you need to know who you are and where you’re wanting to go.
So take a deep breath and think about where you’d like to see yourself at the end of the year. In five years.
Then, ask yourself if the things you’re doing today will help you achieve those goals.
If so, then definitely keep those on your routine!
If not, then remove them from your routine.
What might be a good decision for one person and circumstance isn’t the same good decision for another person.
Likewise, what was a good decision for you in one season of your life may no longer be a good decision for you in this season (my decisions were very different when my boys were still at home than now that they are grown up).
Always remember that the decision can be a good decision but that doesn’t mean it’s the best decision for you.
What is your purpose?
Similar to your goal, your purpose is the driving motivation of your life.
I have found my purpose to have the same overarching theme, but different applications in different seasons.
Asking a big question like “what is my purpose?” can seem impossible.
I have found that my daily, routine journaling has helped me solidify my purpose and goals in life.
So if you don’t have the answer to your “purpose” question yet, that’s okay.
Maybe your routine needs to include something that will help you discover that.
What do you need to purge?
I know that purging doesn’t seem to apply much to routines as piano teachers, but it does!
Taking out the “extra stuff” (whether it’s tangible stuff or just extra decisions) removes so much stress because it’s no longer floating around in your life.
Minimizing your amount of choices might seem like you’re living in limitation and scarcity, but it’s the limited choices that give you the freedom to spend the time on what you want or need to do–so you can spend time on that which really lights you up.
For instance, I recently purged my closet, tossing out old clothes, ragged clothes, clothes that didn’t fit, and clothes I’d never see myself wearing.
My wardrobe is now only colors I like, clothes that actually fit, and styles that I like.
I noticed that I have saved so much time and overwhelm in the mornings by purging my closet!
Since I have a minimal wardrobe to choose from, I no longer spend extra minutes standing in my closet, trying to decide what to wear.
It has freed up so much mental space!
Maybe you don’t think a closet purge will help you all that much.
That’s okay! Let’s apply this concept to other aspects of life.
Purge studio resources
I think I’m as guilty as any other teacher who collected hundreds and hundreds of music that I’d never look at or ever teach from… but “maybe someday” I would, so I kept it.
When I decided that my purpose was to teach beginning students and my goal was to nurture young children, that gave me direction with what to purge.
I don’t need “Clair de Lune” and “Moonlight Sonata.”
Not only have I purged my repertoire on hand, but if you noticed, it came because I’ve also narrowed down my teaching focus: children.
Is there a way you can purge your focus in teaching? Or purge the resources in your studio?
Purge value systems
There are many wonderful value systems from which teachers teach.
I realized, however, that not everyone’s value systems are mine.
It relieved so much stress and pressure when I realized that being a “fun and creative” teacher wasn’t my personal value system.
Although I still add those elements into my teaching, they are not the overarching way I market my studio.
Right now, my goal is to encourage my students to reach their fullest potential in life–not just in music–and become students who are balanced and don’t struggle with doubt, perfectionism, overwhelm, and stress.
I want them to have an adult who is a steady person for them.
I realize most of my students won’t continue on to perform professionally, but they’ll remember their teacher with her support and smiles and know they were respected and loved.
I want my students to look back on their piano lessons with me as a time that was informative in their development as a person.
That might not be you, though.
What are your core values?
What is your core direction for your studio?
Once you’ve decided “I’m not a ______ teacher,” just let it go.
That’s one less decision you have to make.
It’s a teacher mentality to want to reach everybody. At the heart of a teacher is a desire to want to help.
You don’t want someone to fall through the cracks and not receive something that they need.
However, by realizing your gifts, talents, and values are for fewer people, you’re opening opportunities for other people to come into that segment to shine with their gifts and talents.
How to help your students establish good piano practice routines
I want to briefly touch on how you can use the routine mindset to help your students.
The things I’m learning in my own life concerning routines is something I want to pass along to my students as well.
I am a big advocate of consistency over cramming.
I would rather my students practice only 5 minutes a day rather than wait the day before lesson and try to cram two hours in.
So I try to teach my students the importance of showing up every day.
Students are so overbooked that they sometimes think they will only succeed if they can dedicate a big chunk of time to something.
I like to help them see the importance of small steps.
One thing that I have encouraged my students to do is habit stacking (from James Clear’s Atomic Habits).
I ask them “What is something you do every day?” and then “Can you add your practice time before/after that?”
Just a few examples:
Dinner
Getting ready for bed
Brushing teeth
Getting ready for the morning
My best result was a student who started practicing before school.
It became a longest-lasting, consistent routine and piano practice was out of the way first thing in the morning.
Even better, if you want to get your students’ parents on board, look up Red Cloud Studio (Instagram: @redcloudchicago). Molly shares a lot of practice ideas for parents you can share.
Other tips for creating a routines as piano teachers
Finally, I want to leave you with a list of small, helpful ideas..
If you’re feeling overwhelmed at the amount of things you need to figure out, you’ve got this!
Here are a few great reminders that have kept me going when figuring out a new routine:
Start small
Be consistent
Don’t give up on it
Have accountability with other people
Talk to other people who fire you up
Listen to podcasts that help you
Read or listen to inspiring books (Grit by Angela Duckworth is one I recommend)
What does your routine as a piano teacher look like?
Comment and let us know what tips have most helped you in creating your routine. What has worked best for you? Is there something new you’d like to try? Join the conversation!
About Amy Elmore
Hi, I’m Amy. I love a warm drink, a cozy space, and connecting over deep conversations. I also love helping piano teachers go from feeling confused and alone to feeling confident and supported, so they can get back to doing what they do best… teach! I’ve taught students ages 4-18 for 35 years and started Keys to Praise Studio 15 years ago. Being a licensed marriage and family therapist in one of my earlier careers has further equipped me in helping others.
