I am going to start teaching piano lessons for the first time. I have 20 years experience myself, so I know my instrument, but I’m not sure where to start with beginners. What series of books should I use? What should a lesson consist of? How much should I charge? Any help that anyone could give would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
You didn’t say what age you hope to teach, so I’m going to talk about the average 7-9 year old student.
Start them in the Alfred Basic Lesson book and Alfred Fun book. These books coordinate with each other so you know when to assign each song. Start with teaching the finger numbers and the basic note values. Just follow the pages in the books and they will introduce new topics when it’s time. Only assign songs you have had time to go over in the lesson. Have the student bring a notebook so they know exactly what to practice.
Once the child gets to reading notes, have them start in Hal Leonard Notespeller 1 and give them a written assignment each week.
Make sure you have a written policy to protect yourself from parents who will try to take advantage of younger teachers.
I always gauge my fees on what our Community Ed is charging. Right now they are $21/per half hour, so I am charging $20. Since you are a new teacher you should charge anywhere between $10-$15. If you are well-known in your area for playing the piano you can charge more.