Embracing Structure and Spontaneity in Piano Lessons: A Guide for Private Teachers

The Balance of Structure and Spontaneity

Throughout my years as a private piano teacher, I have explored various forms of lesson planning and preparation. I've attended classes, workshops, and conferences, gaining insights along the way. I’ve taught meticulously timed lessons as well as those with minimal pre-planning.

From these experiences, I've learned that structure is a valuable tool in my teaching kit. For learners, it’s like the seasoning in a recipe. There may be general guidelines, but the final amount depends on individual taste. That doesn’t mean I enter every lesson empty-handed. I enjoy planning engaging activities that keep learning fresh. However, the students who challenge my traditional methods often help me grow the most. Their resistance usually comes from a deeper creative necessity. As their teacher, I feel it’s my duty to meet them where they are and guide them to their next steps.

Different Learning Styles

This approach looks different for each student. Some thrive on structure. They excel with a warm-up, a technical etude, and two or three repertoire pieces. They appreciate knowing which sections we will review. They even get to choose the order we will go through the pieces (with the exception of the warm-up). This predictability gives them a sense of control over their learning.

Conversely, some students aren’t just reluctant; they can be downright defiant towards structure. I don’t mean this in a negative way at all. It is more like they repel structure as magnets of the same polarity do when forced together.

The Role of Spontaneity

This is where spontaneity plays a critical role. Unlike structure, which acts as a tool or seasoning, spontaneity is the very foundation. There isn't any structure without spontaneity, but there is spontaneity without structure.

As teachers, we must remain flexible. When something doesn't click, we have to be ready to pivot. Some students might require occasional adjustments, while others may need complete U-turns, roundabouts, or three-point turns—whatever it takes. The journey may be winding, but that doesn’t mean we won't reach our destination.

Creative Teaching Moments

These detours often lead to some of my most fulfilling teaching moments. For example, I recently had a lesson with an elementary-age student named “Sally.” She is bright, energetic, and tends to avoid following immediate directions. For her, lessons must feel more like an active experiment or a discovery process, rather than a checklist of rules. Thanks to her different learning style, she has inspired me to create several music games that benefit many of my students.

Most recently, leading up to Easter weekend, I pulled out some fillable Easter eggs to use with my youngest student (3 years old). I filled each egg with counting stones (ranging from 1 to 4). When he opened each egg, he had to count the stones and then play that many notes on the piano.

An Unexpected Lesson Plan with Sally

When Sally entered the lesson, her eyes immediately lit up at the sight of the Easter eggs. My mind started racing as I grabbed a Sharpie and some sticky notes while she excitedly shared about her week. I began jotting down letters of the musical alphabet one-by-one on the sticky notes, folding them as I described our upcoming performance class.

“What would you like to play?” I asked.

She pulled out her latest piece. I (perhaps unwisely) prompted her to play it for me. Unsurprisingly, I didn't get the response I was hoping for.

“What are you doing with those sticky notes?” she questioned, pointing to my lap.

“Oh, these? I’m preparing a game for us to play after this song,” I replied.

She quickly turned to the front page and played the song from beginning to end, without needing any assistance for the first time ever.

“Game time?” she asked with excitement.

You got it, Sally!

I placed each note in an egg and told her that we would compose our melody by choosing how many eggs to select, then playing the notes inside them in order. First, she decided on a three-note melody: F, G, D.

“Can you play it backwards?” I asked.

She nodded yes, ready to explore.

“How many other combinations can we create with those three notes?”

“Will you count for me while I play each combination?” she asked.

We found six! It was time for another melody.

Next, she opened all the eggs, added dynamics, sharps, and flats to each option, then closed them back up.

“Let’s try five notes this time, but you choose the eggs. I’ll play,” she said.

Sounds great! The drawn pattern (D-F-Ab-C#-Gb-E# with a crescendo) was much more complex than any pattern I would typically assign her. We had never played a piece with both sharps and flats, let alone an E#. Yet Sally executed it immediately, dynamics included.

“What does that sound like to you?” I asked, listening as she repeated the pattern continuously.

“Like someone is creeping up behind you in a scary movie!” she exclaimed, eager to play it again.

Then, she picked up a piece of paper and wrote the whole melody down to preserve it beyond the sticky note format.

The Murder Scene, she titled it (according to her phonetic spelling). I couldn’t agree more. That melody could easily have been featured in a 70s horror film, foreboding the protagonist's demise.

So, no, if I had meticulously lesson-planned, I probably wouldn’t have reached the bizarre yet exciting destination of crafting Easter egg horror movie music compositions. By allowing Sally to take the lead, we ventured into a space far more creative, engaging, and educational than anything I could have ever prepared.

The Importance of Adaptability

That said, I will certainly provide her with some structure in the future. I recognize her learning “recipe” can easily become over-seasoned. My goal is to sprinkle in the necessary guidance she needs to blossom into the best learner she can be.

And that’s my ultimate aim for all my students. We have to embrace both structure and improvisation to create an effective learning environment that nurtures creativity and growth.

—Keytress