Over the years of my piano teaching in NYC, I usually get asked by many parents about what materials their kids should bring for the piano lesson Day 1. Here are the simple stuff that the student should have in hand to optimize the very first piano learning experience and make a smooth transition to the next lesson.
- plastic/paper folder
- manuscript book
- pencil
- carry bag
- 1-2 previous music books or materials that have been used ( only for the students who have had piano lessons or any kind of music classes before)
In the initial lesson, I usually write a basic information about piano learning on a sheet of paper ( I will discuss the details what we usually learn in the first lesson in a different blog, so stay tuned!) , so that the student will remember what s/he learned on the day. This works as a very important role as a messenger to the parent whether or not they are able to attend the class. ( I have found the latter case a lot when it comes to giving piano lessons in NYC – where there are many parents who are full time working professionals)
Manuscript book is a musical notebook that has 5-lines in several rows on each page. If you know what it is, or even have it already, please bring along. I will start writing some basic keywords, rhythms, musical symbols, notations, or even music on this book , along with the lesson notes that include assignments towards the next piano lesson. You can follow this link for little kids, and for the older kids to adults version to see what they look like. Still if you do not know what I am talking about, you can refer to the product link don’t worry! I will get the student one.
Pencil…. although I always have a pencil for lessons, it is nice to have an extra just in case the student wants to have it on his/her own. Often times kids are happy if they have their own to write as their possession.
Since the student will have several stuff, if not one sheet of paper that I have discussed above, it is very convenient to have a carry bag ( I have something cute here for the first time learner if you look at rather than a grocery store plastic bag) to put everything in one. Trust me, if a little kid, or even high school student grabs a paper and put as is in the backpack, they will loose it. From my experience of years in piano teaching.
Finally, this is the case for the students who have already taken piano lessons, school music classes, or even early childhood music classes, and have used any kind of music course books previously. Please have 1 or 2 most recent books with the student so that I can scam through what they have already know and what possible materials or lesson approaches we can develop from then on. I can usually assess where they are at within the first lesson even without reference, but this will be a tremendous help to get started.
How do you feel now? Is it easy for you or too much? Relax! Even if you cannot get everything perfectly, I or your local piano teacher will help you to prepare these for each student. Feel free to ask during the first lesson.
You and your kids are just going to have fun 🙂
