Sample Lesson Plan: 6 Weeks of Beginner Partner Piano Lessons

If you’ve landed here, chances are you’re interested in partner piano lessons.

This page is dedicated to walking you through exactly how I would plan out the first six weeks of partner piano lessons for two beginner piano students.

This post is written to supplement the main article on partner lessons found here:

But if you’ve already read up on all of the details and benefits of partner piano lessons, let’s dive right in to a 6-week sample lesson plan!

Oh, and by the way, if you prefer to hear this lesson plan read aloud, check out the second half of this video:

Partner Piano Lessons: Sample Lesson Plan Details

The Students

For this sample lesson plan, we’ll assume the following scenario for our two partner students:

• Both 7 years old
• Both total beginners (never had a lesson)

The Lesson Schedule

And we’ll assume these students are signed up for:

• Weekly
• 40-minute partner piano lessons

The Method Books

And, finally, for this sample lesson plan, we’ll be using these piano method books:

• Wunderkeys Primer Book 1
• Piano Skill Set Pre-reading Writing Book
• Piano Skill Set Pre-reading Technique

Week 1 of Partner Piano Lessons

Teacher Preparation:

Before the lesson, complete these tasks:

1. Crease open every page in Piano Skill Set Pre-reading Technique and Piano Skill Set Pre-reading Writing book.
2. Place a sticky note bookmark labeled “Start” on page 5 of the Technique. And a “Stop” bookmark on page 16 of the Technique.
3. Place a sticky note bookmark labeled “Start” on page 7 of the Writing Book. And a “Stop” bookmark on page 8 of the Writing book.
4. Write student names in both Skill Set books.

You’ll Need:

1. A Skill Set Pre-reading Technique and a Skill Set Pre-reading Writing book for each student (and an extra copy of each for yourself)
2. Metronome
3. 1 die
4. 2 pencils
5. Timer (the stopwatch on your phone works great)

Week 1 Lesson Activities:

2 min [Rug] Opening Question: Do you have any pets?

3 min [Rug] Skill Set Technique p5 New Skill: Left hand/right hand & metronome activity

5 min [Rug] Skill Set Technique p6 Game: Fast Hands (Tip: You can roll the dice and show it to both students. Each student can “slap” their own book. You be the final judge as to who got the correct hand in the correct place first.)

5 min [Rug] Skill Set Technique p7-9 New Skill: Finger numbers & finger independence activities

5 min [Pianos] Skill Set Technique p10 New Skill: Black key groups & metronome activity

5 min [Pianos] Skill Set Technique p11-12 Demonstrate: “Right Hand Play Every Day” and “Left Hand Play Every Day” & have students try it (Tip: Start great warm-up habits right away by implementing a “habit tracker” system on these pages. It could be as simple as checkboxes at the top of the page.)

5 min [Pianos] Skill Set Technique p13 Demonstrate: “Pet Store Window” and have students try it independently. Then they can play it for each other.

2 min [Pianos] Skill Set Technique p14-16 Assign these pages (no need to play them). Briefly explain the “sticky note bookmarks” and practice expectations.

2 min [Rug] Skill Set Writing p5 Tracing activity

5 min [Rug] Skill Set Writing p6 Writing activity & timed activity

1 min [Rug] Skill Set Writing p7-8 Briefly explain the expectation to complete pages 7-8 at home.

Week 1 Student At-Home Assignment:

• Skill Set Technique pages 5-16
• Skill Set Writing Book pages 7-8

Week 2 of Partner Piano Lessons

Teacher Preparation:

1. Crease open and number all pages in Wunderkeys Primer 1 books.
2. Place a sticky note bookmark labeled “Start” on page 5, and a “Stop” bookmark also on page 5 of the Wunderkeys books.
3. Write student names in Wunderkeys books.
4. Review activity instructions on pages 3-4 of Wunderkeys.

You’ll Need:

• Wunderkeys Primer Book 1 for each student (plus a copy for yourself)
• 2 blank pieces of paper
• 10 coins or bingo chips
• Timer
• 2 pencils

Week 2 Lesson Activities:

2 min [Rug] Opening Question: Any musicians in your family?

8 min [Rug] Wunderkeys p3-4 Meet Wunderkeys characters. Read “A Grand Adventure” story and do activities

8 min [Pianos] Skill Set Technique p11-16 Have students play these songs. (Tip: When reviewing last week’s assigned songs, mix it up by taking turns playing for each other, rolling a die to see who plays which song, trading back and forth line-by-line, or playing simultaneously as a duet.)

4 min [Pianos] Skill Set Technique p17 Demonstrate “Puppy Steps” & have students try it independently

4 min [Pianos] Skill Set Technique p18 Demonstrate “2 Black Key Mastery” & have student try it independently

2 min [Pianos] Skill Set Technique p19-20 Demonstrate “Right Hand Play Every Day” and “Left Hand Play Every Day”

5 min [Pianos] Wunderkeys p5 Sightread “Practice on the Pathway”

2 min [Rug] Skill Set Writing Book p7-8 Check their work

2 min [Rug] Skill Set Writing Book p9 Do the Timed Test

Week 2 Student At-Home Assignment:

• Skill Set Technique pages 13-20 (Review: p13-16, New: p17-20)
• Wunderkeys page 5
• No Assignment in the Skill Set Writing Book this week

Week 3 of Partner Piano Lessons

Teacher Preparation:

1. Read over game instructions for Skill Set Writing Book page 10

You’ll Need:

• 1 die
• 2 pencils

Week 3 Lesson Activities:

2 min [Rug] Opening Question: What school do you go to?

8 min [Rug] Skill Set Writing p10 Game: “Thumbs Are One” (Tip: You’ll be writing in the book for the game. Ask for a volunteer to use their book, or use one student’s book today and play again on a later date with the other student’s book.)

3 min [Rug] Skill Set Writing p11 New skill: Black key groups & writing activity

1 min [Rug] Skill Set Writing p12 Briefly explain the instructions. Let the students know they’ll just be completing the coloring part of the page at home. (The bottom timed test can be done together at the next lesson.)

10 min [Pianos] Skill Set Technique p13-20 Hear students play these previously assigned songs

4 min [Pianos] Skill Set Technique p21-25 Talk through or briefly sightread these new songs together

5 min [Pianos] Wunderkeys p5 Hear students play “Practice on the Pathway”

7 min [Pianos] Wunderkeys p6 Sightread these new songs together

Week 3 Student At-Home Assignment:

• Skill Set Technique pages 17-25 (Review: p17-20, New: p21-25)
• Skill Set Writing Book page 12
• Wunderkeys pages 5-6 (Review: p5, New: p6)

Week 4 of Partner Piano Lessons

Teacher Preparation:

1. Read over game instructions for Wunderkeys page 8
2. Cut out “A Grand Adventure” game cards in the back of the Wunderkeys book

You’ll Need:

• Cards for “A Grand Adventure” game
• 1 die
• 1 button, game piece, coin, or bingo chip
• Metronome
• 2 pencils

Week 4 Lesson Activities:

2 min [Rug] Opening Question: Play any sports?

6 min [Rug] Wunderkeys p7 Play “A Grand Adventure” game

5 min [Pianos] Wunderkeys p5-6 Have students play these previously assigned pages

10 min [Pianos] Skill Set Technique p17-25 Have students play these previously assigned pages

2 min [Pianos] Skill Set Technique p26 Briefly demonstrate “3 Black Key Mastery”

4 min [Pianos] Skill Set Technique p27 New Skill: Musical alphabet & metronome activity

4 min [Rug] Skill Set Technique p28 Point & speak activity

4 min [Rug] Skill Set Writing Book p12 Check over coloring assignment. Do timed test at the bottom of the page

3 min [Rug] Skill Set Writing Book p13 New Skill: Musical alphabet & introduce writing assignment (they will do at home

Week 4 Student At-Home Assignment:

• Skill Set Technique pages 21-28 (Review: p21-25, New: p26-28)
• Skill Set Writing Book page 13
• Wunderkeys pages 5-7 (Review: p5-6, New: p7)

Week 5 of Partner Piano Lessons

Teacher Preparation:

1. Read over activities on Wunderkeys pages 9-10

You’ll Need:

• 2 pencils
• 2 coins or bingo chips
• Metronome

Week 5 Lesson Activities:

1 min [Rug] Opening Question: Favorite color?

1 min [Rug] Pop Quiz: Who can say the musical alphabet backwards?

2 min [Rug] Skill Set Writing Book p13 Check their work

6 min [Rug] Skill Set Writing Book p14-15 Do both timed tests at the bottom of these pages. Assign the top portion of both pages to be done at home

6 min [Pianos] Wunderkeys p5-6 Hear students play previously assigned “Practice on the Pathway” and songs

6 min [Pianos] Wunderkeys p9-10 Read “Cubs in Subs” story and do activities

6 min [Pianos] Wunderkeys p11 Sightread “Practice on the Pathway”

8 min [Pianos] Skill Set Technique p21-26 Hear students play previously assigned songs

4 min [Pianos] Skill Set Technique p29 New Skill: Finding Middle C & metronome activity

Week 5 Student At-Home Assignment:

• Skill Set Technique pages 26-29 (Review: p26-28, New: p29)
• Skill Set Writing Book pages 14-15
• Wunderkeys page 11

Week 6 of Partner Piano Lessons

Teacher Preparation:

1. Read over game instructions for Skill Set Writing Book page 16

You’ll Need:

• 2 game pieces
• 1 die
• 2 pencils
• Metronome

Week 6 Lesson Activities:

1 min [Rug] Opening Question: Favorite animal?

1 min [Rug] Pop Quiz: Raise your left hand. Wiggle finger 1

2 min [Rug] Skill Set Writing Book p14-15 Check their work

8 min [Rug] Skill Set Writing Book p16 Game: “Musical Steps”

4 min [Rug] Skill Set Writing Book p17 New Skill: Finding Middle C & writing activity

2 min [Rug] Skill Set Writing Book p18 Briefly explain instructions to complete at home

4 min [Pianos] Skill Set Technique p26 Hear students play this page

2 min [Pianos] Skill Set Technique p29 Practice finding Middle C

4 min [Pianos] Skill Set Technique p30 New Skill: White keys & metronome activity

4 min [Pianos] Skill Set Technique p31 Demonstrate & have students try this page

4 min [Pianos] Wunderkeys p11 Have students play “Practice on the Pathway”

4 min [Pianos] Wunderkeys p12 Sightread new songs

Week 6 Student At-Home Assignment:

• Skill Set Technique pages 29-31 (Review: p29, New: p30-31)
• Skill Set Writing Book page 18
• Wunderkeys pages 11-12 (Review: p11, New: p12)

Continuing Partner Piano Lessons

Continue changing up activities from week-to-week and progressing through the three method books.

Once students complete the two Piano Skill Set Pre-reading books, they are ready to move on to:

• Piano Skill Set Primer Level Writing Book (link coming soon)
• Piano Skill Set Primer Level Technique (link coming soon)

And once they make it through the Wunderkeys Primer Book 1, they’ll be ready for:

• Wunderkeys Primer Book 2

Variations on This Sample Lesson Plan

There is no one-size-fits-all for piano lessons! This sample lesson plan is intended to show you a general template for scheduling partner piano lessons.

But every pair of students will progress at a different rate and have different needs.

The pacing is 100% up to you!

This concept can also be used with any other method books. Just be creative and pivot along the path as needed.

I hope you find teaching partner piano lessons as fun and rewarding as I do!