Photo: Monstera

Should parents sit in on piano lessons?

Children six and under can benefit from having a parent in the lesson so that they can help out at home. Older kids would be best off to attend lessons without a parent in the room. That being said teachers, differ on the subject. Some teachers will require a parent to be present, others will not allow it.

pianoparents.net - Should I Sit in On My Child's Piano Lesson? | PianoParents.net

Is there a high demand for music teachers?

The overall job market for music education is healthy, with the music teacher employment rate expected to grow 12 percent between 2016 and 2026....

Last updated Aug 2, 2018

What makes a great jazz pianist?

Good jazz pianists combine a love for improvisational expression and classic song craftsmanship. They use their musical understanding and skills...

Last updated Dec 5, 2019

Join almost HALF A MILLION Happy Students Worldwide

Promotion

This question comes up a lot. There is a fair amount of debate about this among piano teachers. Personally, I don’t mind parents sitting in on lessons. Let me qualify that I don’t mind parents sitting in on lessons some of the time. I think most teachers agree that it is always a parent’s right to sit in on a piano lesson. The question is, is it always a good idea?

There are really no hard and fast rules about this topic. To my knowledge, no studies have been done on the effects on children whose parents sit in on piano lessons. But I have some experience with this subject as I have been teaching for over 35 years and I raised 5 boys of my own. Not to mention the fact that I was once a piano student myself. I am a piano teacher (obvious) which means I was pretty successful when it came to my piano lessons. My parents never attended my piano lesson. Never, not one. I started taking lessons when I was in the sixth-grade. My teacher lived across the street from the school. My mother put five bucks into my pocket and I walked to my piano lesson and I walked home after. Granted the world was a lot different back then (the 1970’s) than it is now. Or at least, it was perceived to be safer. Nowadays, parents are much more safety conscious…as they should be. I always took my kids to their lessons and made sure I knew the teacher. I dropped them off at school or the bus stop and picked them up. I always checked things out. That’s just the way things are these days.

But should you sit in on your child’s piano lesson?

Attending the piano lesson with your child makes it easy for you to stay on top of things. You get to see and hear exactly what is going on which makes it easier to help at home. You also have the opportunity to develop a relationship with your child’s teacher. Your child will sense that you want to spend time with him and care about what he is doing. However, the ultimate goal is for your child to learn how to play well and develop a life-long love of music. To do this he must become independent and take responsibility for his piano education. He must learn to take it upon himself to practice, organize his materials, and communicate with his teacher. All of these things will help him grow as a musician and as a person.

How do you survive a hard class?

4 Tips to Surviving your Hardest Classes Know what you are getting in to. A lot of time, the hardest classes are meant as “weed-out,” or classes...

Last updated Feb 26, 2022

Is grade 8 piano hard?

Grade 8 ABRSM is not all that difficult, and yet people do struggle with it. The actual performance level is not that high in terms of the pieces,...

Last updated Mar 30, 2019

Promotion

Most of the time I did not attend lessons with my own kids and I did not teach them myself. As a teacher and former student, I realize that there is a very special relationship that develops between student and teacher. A good teacher will inspire a student and knows how to motivate them. I believe this relationship can develop whether or not a parent is physically in the lesson space. Here is how you can decide if you should be in the lesson and what to do if you are sitting in on the piano lesson. First, ask your child if he/she wants you to sit in. Some kids are fine on their own, this is fantastic. Others need a little more support. Work with you teacher to decide when it’s best to wait outside. The piano lesson is a super safe place for a shy child to begin to become more self-reliant. Trust the teacher. If your child’s teacher asks you to wait outside there is probably a good reason. If you have chosen a teacher you trust, trust her. She is not trying to insult or push you away. Some kids do better when mom (or dad) is not attending the lesson. This is just a fact, it has nothing to do with your parenting skills. My personal opinion is that parents should attend the lessons of very young children. Children six and under can benefit from having a parent in the lesson so that they can help out at home. Older kids would be best off to attend lessons without a parent in the room. That being said teachers, differ on the subject. Some teachers will require a parent to be present, others will not allow it. The bottom line is to find a teacher whose policy you feels comfortable for you. I have a home studio, parents sometimes children drop off others come in and wait while their child is having a lesson. If you must be in the physical lesson space here are some do’s and don’ts.

Is Synthesia a good way to learn piano?

While Synthesia is probably one of the easiest ways to get started at the piano, it is NOT the best way to learn piano, especially if you want to...

Last updated Mar 24, 2021

When should kids start violin?

between 5-7 years old In general, however, the best age to start violin for my students is between 5-7 years old. I've started students as young as...

Last updated Nov 5, 2018

Promotion

Do

Bring some work for yourself to do or something to read.

Let you child speak for themselves.

Let your teacher do the teaching.

Keep siblings quiet and in the teaching space.

Don’t

Answer for your child.

Make comments about her playing.

Question the teachers, teaching methods.

Talk on cell phones or engage in other distracting activities.

I hope this post has answered some questions about attending piano lessons with your child. If you have chosen an excellent teacher for your child work with him to come up with the best way for your child to learn and thrive. Best wishes piano parents you are doing a wonderful by job giving your child the gift of music.

If you like this post please share it.

Ask your child’s piano teacher to visit www.palomapiano.com for lots of high-quality free resources he/she can download for your child

pianoparents.net - Should I Sit in On My Child's Piano Lesson? | PianoParents.net

Can you learn jazz without sheet music?

Jazz is not music that is meant to be learned from sheet music. It never was. Back in the bebop days in the 1940's, jazz musicians would pile into...

Last updated Jan 18, 2022

How can I hear God speak?

Finally, and simply, to hear God's voice, ask God to speak. Say, “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.” Contrary to what most people think,...

Last updated Apr 20, 2019

Promotion

How do you restore a piano by yourself?

The Piano Restoration Process Disassemble the cabinet and parts. Remove the cast iron plate. Sand and refinish the bridges and soundboard. Strip...

Last updated Jul 31, 2022

Join almost HALF A MILLION Happy Students Worldwide

Pianoforall is one of the most popular online piano courses online and has helped over 450,000 students around the world achieve their dream of playing beautiful piano for over a decade.

Learn More »

Promotion

Which gender buys the most music?

With the perceived importance of the good old '50 quid man' on record sales, you might be surprised to know that, according to new research by IPC...

Last updated Jan 16, 2020