Questions To Ask Your Keyboard Teacher

An obviously frustrated mother writes, “All day it’s ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Stars’. My daughter has been doing lessons for two weeks now, and she just plays that song over and over the whole day. Is her keyboard teacher really helping in my daughter’s progress?”

This frustration is more common than we think. It is apparent that one of the usual causes of slow learning progress is because we don’t get the right teacher for our children. So when it comes to music lessons, particularly on keyboards, how do we find a good teacher? Here are a few questions you can ask that will help you determine if you are sending your child to a good keyboard teacher:

1. What is your professional experience?

A lot of music coaches boast of a good educational background in music, and some even have master’s degrees. But is that enough credential? We must not be easily impressed by these things, and instead focus on their actual experience.

Find somebody who has played professionally, as they have more to offer in terms of techniques and styles, but also make sure they have done a lot of teaching before. Find the balance between educational and professional backgrounds, but consider them equally important.

1. How do you set goals for my child?

It is important that the teacher understands what you want your child to accomplish, and then sets his own goals for your child’s lessons. Almost all teachers have some sort of a structure of teaching, and outline of lessons that they follow. That is all very well, but make sure your teacher has enough flexibility and willingness to change and adapt their lessons according to your child’s style and progress.

This will ensure that your child will not get stuck too long in one lesson, and that you will not have the same frustration as the mother mentioned earlier.

1. Am I allowed to join my child during your lessons?

If your child is in a way already independent, then you won’t have this problem. However, a lot of times children feel more assured and confident when they see their Mom or Dad around, especially at the first few sessions with their teacher.

Some teachers prefer that you do not get too involved during lessons, and they think that your child will just get distracted. There are also other teachers and methods that asks parents drect involvement, not only on home practice but during the lesson itself. Make sure the teacher understands your child’s need and be adaptive to it.

1. Are your lessons both productive and enjoyable?

If you ask this question to a teacher, it will be difficult to find somebody who will say, “No.” Of course they will say that their classes are fun and dynamic, so it is quite a challenge to find out if it is true. Rather than asking the question directly, allow yourself to spend some time with the teacher personally.

Do they look like they genuinely like children? How is their sense of humor? Do they have a can-do positive attitude? Do they have a temper? Your child’s music instructor should be their coach, and must be able to inspire and make the lessons fun for them

Make sure you get to interview your child’s potential keyboard teacher. Do not rush into a decision. More important than your child learning to play the keyboard is that they get a wonderful experience out of it.