Getting ready to teach your very first piano lesson? Congratulations! You also might be feeling a bit nervous. Maybe you’re wondering how to set up your space, how many activities you’ll need to prepare, or how many pages to teach at the first lesson.

In this article, I’ll help ease that stress by walking you through one key piece of the process: the materials and supplies you’ll want on hand for your first few weeks of lessons.

Let’s start with a clear, easy-to-use list (with links to make gathering everything simple), and then I’ll share other resources that can help you feel really confident going into your first lesson as a piano teacher!

Materials List for Teaching Your First Piano Lesson

This list assumes a couple of things (that we’ll discuss more later on). We’re assuming you’re teaching a brand new beginner, age 6-10, and using WunderKeys® Primer Book One. So if that fits your situation…

Here is Your List of Materials to Order:

• Books:
  • WunderKeys Primer Book One
  • Glissando and the Slimy Songbook (part of WunderKeys’ supplemental library)
• Piano Skill Set My First Practice Record Book
• Digital Piano, Keyboard, or Acoustic Piano (duh!)
• Metronome or metronome app
• Printer or access to a printer to get started (you’ll want one eventually)
• Sticky Notes to mark pages (2″x2″ work best)
• Set of dice (one dice will do)
• Stickers to mark completed pages

And a couple of additional optional items:

• First Lesson Interview Sheet – a great way to get to know your student at the first lesson, especially if you’re doing a trial lesson
• Colored pens or a set of markers to mark pages

Piano Lesson Plans Done For You

For a done-for-you outline of how your first six weeks of teaching a new piano student should look like (we’re talking minute-to-minute, task lists, suggested materials…), I have a pack for sale that will give you everything you need to feel confident going into that first lesson with your new student!

Choosing the Right Piano Method Books

Not totally sold on using WunderKeys with your piano students?

I get it. Choosing a piano method book series is a big decision!

First of all, know that you can always start with WunderKeys and add on or replace later on. It is fun and successful beginning piano method for students ages 6-10.

But if you would like to do more research of your own, here are some helpful resources for you:

• Choosing the Right Method / My Top 3 Picks [article/videos] – This looong post will walk you through my categories for comparing different piano methods, and highlight my favorite three series for beginners. Lots of info on this page! Plus links to two YouTube videos to explore.
• Faber Piano Adventures Review [article/video] – My full review of the books linked above. Walk through an overview of all levels of this series to see if you like it.
• The Ultimate Piano Method Comparison Chart [free download] – If you want to explore more series, check out this two-page chart of 20 different methods. It’s a great list to keep handy for further research.
• Other Piano Method Reviews – I’ve done many method reviews both on this blog and on my YouTube channel. Here’s a list…
  • If you like to READ:
    • Faber Piano Adventures Review Article
    • My First Piano Adventure Review Article
    • Adult Piano Adventures Review Article
    • Alfred’s Premier Piano Course Review Article
    • WunderKeys Review Article
    • WunderKeys Preschool Review Article
    • WunderKeys Supplemental Books Review Article
    • Piano Made Fun for the Young Review Article
    • Piano Safari Review Article
    • Piano Safari for Older Students Review Article
    • Piano Pronto Review Article
  • If you like to WATCH:
    • Faber Piano Adventures Review on YouTube
    • My First Piano Adventure Review on YouTube
    • Accelerated Piano Adventures Review on YouTube
    • Adult Piano Adventures Review on YouTube
    • Alfred’s Premier Piano Course Review on YouTube
    • WunderKeys Review on YouTube
    • WunderKeys Preschool Review on YouTube
    • WunderKeys Supplemental Books Review on YouTube
    • Piano Made Fun for the Young Review on YouTube
    • Piano Safari Review on YouTube
    • Piano Safari for Older Students Review on YouTube
    • Piano Pronto Review on YouTube

What About My Piano Studio Setup?

While our list does include a piano and a printer, we aren’t requiring too much for your studio setup to get started. Of course, eventually you’ll want to create a more ideal studio space. But I recommend starting with what you have and building as you teach. You’ll learn what’s important for a successful and inviting studio space, and what isn’t so vital.

For more information about setting up your studio on a budget, check out this article: How Much Does it Cost to Start a Piano Studio?

And What About the Business Side of Things?

Great question. There are so many things tied to the behind-the-scenes of running a successful piano teaching studio.

I recommend starting with my 30-day Email Challenge “Start Your Studio” which will walk you through twelve actionable steps to set up your business on the back end.

Once you’ve completed those tasks, if you still want guidance, read on. I’ve got a couple of resources that can really makes things run smoothly in these first few months!

New Piano Teacher Survival Kit

And for the ultimate in guidance for new piano teachers, I recommend investing in my Complete Piano Teacher Kit. This comprehensive tool kit includes the Lesson Plans mentioned above, along with all the printables and templates you’ll need. This kit will answer all of your questions before you even know you have them!

WunderKeys® is a registered trademark of Teach Music Today Learning Solutions. This resource is an independent educational supplement created by The Tattooed Piano Teacher and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by WunderKeys®.