♪ Your Goals ...... establish what is it that you want from your lessons;
    ♪ Details ........... price/location of lesson, experience/education of teacher; etc
    ♪ Compatibility ... do you get along with the teacher?

Let's talk about each step in detail:

1. Your Goals:
   Figure out what it is that you want from your piano lessons (or, in the case of a child, what you want your child to get out of the piano lessons). Do you want to play for fun and relaxation? Do you want to play well enough to perform in night clubs and earn money? Do you want to learn piano as an academic subject?

   Defining your goals will allow you to find a teacher who can help you achieve your goals. For example, if you wish to learn piano so you can play at your church but your teacher is training you for a professional career, then this would be a poor match. The teacher may be a "good" teacher, but he is not a good teacher for your needs.

   Once you've established your goals, then start looking for a teacher. You can go to a music store or to the music department at a college and ask if they offer private piano lessons. Be sure to check the bulletin boards for notices offering private lessons. You can also check online for web sites which lists piano teachers in your area. Post a query on craigslist and see if anyone responds. Or simply, just ask around. Ask neighbors and friends and see if someone can recommend a good piano teacher.



2. The Important Details:
   After you figure out what it is that you want, then it is time to sort through the details by asking the prospective teacher some questions.

   ♪	Experience: How long has the person been teaching piano? Does s/he specialize in teaching children, teenagers, adults, or all of the above? How many students do they currently have? Can they provide you with a reference: the name and phone number of a student whom you may call? What kind of music does s/he like and what kind of music does s/he teach? In addition to teaching experience, you may wish to know what is the person's professional qualifications. Does s/he play in an orchestra? Does s/he teach at a school or college? Does s/he have a higher degree in music? Is she/he a member of a professional association? Depending on what you want out of your piano lessons, these details may be important to you.
   ♪	Location: Where will the piano lessons be held? Some teachers will come to your house; some will want you to go to his/her house; and some will hold lessons in a music store or studio. Is the location important to you? How far are you willing to drive to acquire the benefits of a "good" piano teacher? Having lessons in your own home is convenient: less driving for you but be prepared to pay more. Lessons at the teacher's house is efficient: teacher will have access to all the resources at his/her home. These might include a quality piano, numerous music books, and recording instruments & gadgets that might come in handy (see below). Piano lessons held in a music studio is also common: it is a neutral location where you meet to learn. Here, distractions are minimal and the place will always be clean.
   ♪	Price: The price of piano lessons vary tremendously. Some teachers charge as little as $10 - $15 per half an hour. These are often "the lady next door", or "grandma" types of teacher who teach for fun. They may have little professional and/or teaching experience however, they know enough piano to offer lessons. On the other hand, some teachers charge $100 per half hour. Obviously, these are for advanced students. Ask around to get an idea as to what piano teachers in your area are charging. An average price would be about $25 to $30 for a 30 minute lesson. Or $45 to $55 for an hour lesson. But the price will depend on the cost of living at your location, the qualifications of the teacher, and the demand for teachers compared to the supply. Avoid choosing a teacher simply because s/he is close. Similarly, avoid choosing a teacher simply because s/he is cheap. The cheapest and closest may not be the best teacher. At this point, it might be useful to ask the prospective teacher what his/her policy is regarding missed lessons. Can you schedule a re-make lesson? If not, can the fee be credited to the next month's invoice? How much advanced warning does s/he need in order to reschedule a lesson? Some teachers pay a fee to use a studio thus s/he may still charge you for a missed lesson to offset cost of the studio fee. Although not critical for finding a good piano teacher, it might be a good time to ask if the music sheets are included in the price of the lesson; or if you will need to pay extra to buy piano books.
   ♪	Video and Sound Recordings: Does the prospective teacher have access to video or sound recording devices? Does the teacher use these tools as teaching aids? Some piano teachers record the student while s/he plays the instrument. A playback of the recording can be an excellent teaching tool. The teacher can point out where the student made a mistake and how it can be done better. The student will also learn a lot by hearing his/her songs. It is difficult to hear oneself while playing; a recording would remedy this.
   ♪	Recitals and Competitions: Although it may seem too early to consider doing a recital or entering a competition, you should seriously consider this aspect before you choose a teacher. Some teachers hate competitions and avoid them like the plague. Some teachers love competitions and enroll their students for back-to-back competition. Recitals: Some people want to perform and do recitals. If this is the case, be sure that the prospective piano teacher has a venue in which you can showcase your talent. It takes time and effort to organize a recital so not all teachers will offer this option. Most recital halls charge a fee whereas some public spaces can be booked free of charge. If you don't want to do a recital, tell your teacher that you choose not to perform. Your teacher may or may not like your decision, but ultimately, the teacher should respect your wishes. After all, you are paying them. For a young student, it is advisable to do a recital at least once a year so you can have practice performing in front of an audience. Sooner or later, someone will want to hear you play. The recitals, even informal ones, will help you become less nervous when performing in front of other people. Competitions: again, some people want to compete while others do not. Competitions are a great way to compare your talent with other pianists at your level. If you win or score high, then you are doing well! If you don't, then you might be inspired to practice more. Some teachers argue that you will never know how well you are doing unless you enter a competition and see what's out there. On the other hand, if you wish to learn piano for pleasure, then you don't want competitions. Competitions take the joy away from learning piano because you play to win; you don't play for fun. If you don't want to compete, then be sure to avoid teachers who rely heavily on competitions as tools to propel your studies.

3. Comfort, Respect and Understanding:
   Last but not least, you need to be comfortable with your piano teacher. It is tremendously important for your piano teacher to be someone that you (or your child) respects and enjoys being around.

   For young children, avoid intimidating or overbearing personalities. Target for someone kind and understanding; someone who will encourage rather than act as a stern taskmaster.

   For high-schoolers, it might be good to have a teacher who can talk to them about different aspects of music such as music history, the technical aspects of music, information about composers and so forth. High-schoolers who are already too busy with homework and extra-curricular activities might respond better to a teacher who takes a moment to talk/listen instead of pouring-on more work. Target for a teacher who has a firm grip of the music program yet is flexible enough to work around the ups and downs that teenagers experience.

   College students and adults who want to enter Music School or pursue a career in the music industry may prefer a more strict, regimented, and critical teacher. This is what they need to succeed. Choose a knowledgeable teacher who has had some experience either teaching in a college has worked in the music industry.

   It is important to remember that you are hoping to have a long-term relationship with your teacher. You might meet with your teacher on a weekly or bi-weekly basis for a year or more; that is a significant amount of time! You want a working relationship based on understanding and mutual respect.

   

   It takes time to develop a working relationship. You should expect to give a new teacher about 6 weeks to get used to one another.

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