Student Supplies

Every piano student needs a piano to practice on. An acoustic piano is best generally, but 88 key digital pianos with weighted keys work well also.

In addition to needing an instrument, there are other things that are very useful to any piano student. All students need to have a metronome at the piano at all times as well as a pencil.

Other helpful tools are: erasable pencil crayons in 12-24 colours, sticky flags (tabs), incentive pads and stickers.

 Erasable pencil crayons are helpful for highlighting problem areas and marking off sections to work on, They are also good for showing individual voices in multi-voiced pieces.

I have younger students mark intervals with different colours in their music by connecting the note-heads. Repeated notes are light blue, seconds going up are yellow, going down they are magenta - thirds are orange etc.

Sometimes I have them colour in all of a particular note - especially if they are having trouble reading.

The sticky flags are great for marking the pages that students are working on. I encourage students to stick them on the keys when they are learning scales and triads and sometimes when there is a jump they are struggling with.





Incentive pads and stickers are great for daily practice since they encourage consistent, and goal oriented practice. My favourite ones are from Carson-Dellosa. If students are uncomfortable practicing alone (which is often the case) the person sitting with them can hand them a sticker each time something is practiced. Always have the student put the sticker on themselves - since it makes them find their place again (which is practice in itself for many). For the more reticent players anything attempted can be rewarded. This helps develop a positive feeling around the habit of practicing. Students love getting the owls to the moon!