I teach piano lessons and I am not sure I 100% sure I like the lesson materials that I use for my kids (age 7 to 16). Teacher, what do you use for your students or parents, what is your kids learning from. I just want to get an idea of what people are actually using before I go and sit on the floor of the local music store again.
Thanks
As a piano teacher, I try to pick a lesson book that has interesting, enjoyable songs, including a few that the children might already know and like. Piano Adventures is one of my favorite series to use, because I still remember enjoying it as a piano student. It has a good variety of classical, popular, and folk songs. Plus it’s vibrantly colorful, which the younger students appreciate (and even some of the older ones).
Of course, there are plenty of other good materials out there. You should pick whatever you think will engage and interest each of your individual students. You don’t have to pick the same books or series for each; some of my students prefer to focus on classical repertoire, for example.
If a student finds scales and technical excercises to be a bore, I use the Dozen a Day series of preperatory exercises, which makes these essential warmups more fun. I’ve also had success with the David Carr Glover series, which has good Theory books.
Feel free to experiment with new materials and discover your own favorites. Remember, your attitude and techniques as a teacher make more difference than the books and materials do.
All the best!