Learn about the types of piano teaching supplies you need to succeed
A well-equipped studio can make music teaching so much easier and more fun for both you and your students. Make sure you have everything you need for success.
When students experience musical concepts in a variety of ways they learn faster and remember longer. That’s why we recommend a wide range of teaching tools, such as percussion instruments, speakers for playing recorded music, a metronome, a white board with blank staff and keyboard, reference charts, flashcards, and more! Check out our list below to find some great new ideas for your music teaching studio.
What is needed to teach piano? The basic piano teacher supplies:
- Piano
Every piano teacher should have a quality acoustic piano in their studio. Some of our favorite brands include Yamaha, Kawai, Steinway, Boston, and Schimmel. Learn more about how to choose a piano here.
- Teacher’s Chair
Have the ergonomic back support you need during those long hours in your piano studio. Make sure you can adjust for tilt and height. - Pencils
For marking in the score, completing a theory page, or doing music dictation, have plenty of pencils with good erasers. - Highlighters
A quick and easy way to focus your student’s attention on specific details in the musical score: finger numbers, dynamics, articulations, and any other information that’s easy to miss. - Music Library
A well-stocked piano studio needs good method books, sight reading material, and well-edited sheet music for every level. We recommend the Hoffman Method for a complete music education, including music theory, ear training, sight reading, transposing, improvisation, composition, and more. Our method is supported by hundreds of free online video lessons that students can use to review concepts any time between lessons. - Metronome
The essential tool for teaching a steady beat at any tempo. Choose a digital device that gives a different tone for downbeats in any meter.
More piano teaching supplies
- Flashcards
Drill a variety of concepts with your students: musical alphabet, staff notes, keyboard geography, and more. Perfect for speed games. - Bluetooth speaker
Play any music from your phone to introduce new pieces to your students. Easily bring Youtube and Spotify into your studio. - Percussion instruments
Put a real physicality into learning rhythm with these fun, high-quality percussion tools:- Wooden Frog Instrument
The body can either be struck or rasped with the playing stick for different sounds. - Hand drum
Have two different sizes to simulate bass and snare sounds. - Shakers
Add maraca sounds to your rhythm games and exercises.
- Wooden Frog Instrument
- Heartbeat Mat with Rhythm Cards
This intuitive tool teaches rhythm accurately from the start. Students learn to associate the number of sounds heard on each heartbeat with a particular rhythm. Very effective for rhythm dictations and composing games. Includes printable rhythm cards. - Staff Mat with “Magic Notes”
Perfect for teaching the grand staff, intervals, and clefs, these laminated, large-size slates are also ideal for melodic dictations, staff note games, and composing. - Keyboard Mat
An excellent visual way to demonstrate and practice keyboard geography, half steps, pentascales, and transposing. Use the “magic notes” to make a game out of building scales, intervals, and chords. - Finger or Hand Puppets
Motivate young students with these playful props, perfect for piano practice games and exercises. - Blank Staff Paper
For exercises and composition, have a variety of staff sizes on hand for any student level, with and without clefs. - Stickers
Achievement stickers are often just the thing to motivate students to go the extra mile for their music. - Rainbow Xylophone with Mallets
For beginning students, a fun transition from singing to playing on the keyboard. Use the mallets to reinforce the physicality of solfège singing and playing. - Reference Charts and Guides
Handy and informative resources that put a wide range of musical skills right at your fingertips. Use high-quality charts for scale and arpeggio fingering, triads and seventh chords, the circle of fifths, and more.
- Music White Board with Dry Erase Markers
Kids love drawing on whiteboards! Great for melodic dictation and other music theory learning. - Digital Piano
Having a second keyboard in the studio can be a big benefit. Teachers can use it to demonstrate playing for the student, and also for playing duets and accompanying them. Many digital pianos come with additional instrument sounds, so students can experience playing Bach on a digital harpsichord, or jazz on an electric piano. For a digital piano we recommend a weighted-key instrument with a sustain pedal and the full 88-key range.
Quality Digital Pianos:
Make the most of your time with your students by having a well-equipped teaching studio
Make lesson time more effective and enjoyable for your students by using a variety of music teaching supplies. Once you have the basic piano teaching supplies, continue to expand your collection with the goal in mind to create a stimulating space where students can explore, experience, and love learning music.