My Favorite Tools for Online Piano Lessons

I’m not going to lie to you…when I first started online piano lessons, it felt overwhelming when it came to finding the resources that worked for me and my students. Let’s just say there’s been a looooot of trial and error over all my years of teaching but I never could’ve guessed I’d be teaching while under a mandated quarantine! 😬🙈

You may have asked yourself these same questions...

Which technology should I use?
Should I use Zoom, Skype, Rock Out Loud or Google Meet?
What books should I use? And how do I show them ONLINE?
Should I take an online course?
How can I create an engaging online teaching environment?!

The options seem endless!! 😱😱 *Cue headache🤦🏼‍♀️*

Whether you are a new piano teacher or a seasoned vet, there are always new resources emerging to help us learn more about what we do!! But the truth is, if all you have is a computer, a student who is willing to learn, and a heart that is passionate to teach piano, you’ll have all you need. 💗💗

On today’s blog, I am soooooo excited to share with you my all-time favorite tools and resources when it comes to teaching online piano lessons! 🤩🥳 These are just the resources I use on a regular basis that have proven to be really successful for not just my students, but also for me and my own productivity, organization, learning, and more! 👏🏼👏🏼

Online Lessons + Equipment

Device Essentials

Apple MacBook Pro– I love using my MacBook Pro for teaching online piano lessons. It is mid-size and syncs up with my other Apple products! I typically teach my lessons from my COUCH! 😂🙌🏼
Apple iPad– Using the iPad allows me to feel like I am physically in the lesson with them. You can sync your iPad to your screen (without any cords!!!) so your students can SEE you marking up the sheet music right then and there! #GAMECHANGER
iPad Stylus– I have a couple of styluses from Amazon to write on my iPad during lessons. They are great for writing all over worksheets, games, and sheet music as you are teaching.
Stand- When I head over to the piano to show them something real-time, I love using my stand for my MacBook, so that I can tilt my laptop at the perfect angle so they can see my hand placement while playing!
Zoom– I chose to use Zoom for my online lessons and it has worked wonderfully! I love all the features it offers and the ability to record lessons if needed. I discovered that the screen share feature with Zoom has the best capabilities!
Books App– This is where I organize everything. I have added the PDFs of all my Cascade Books, my games, and sheet music so I can write on them during lessons!!

Online Payment Methods

Paypal– This is a safe and convenient payment option for online families and most people are familiar with it so it’s easy to introduce!

Venmo– This is another easy way for families to pay but a little less professional in terms of organizing payments records, etc.

My Music Staff– Using My Music Staff is a great option to manage your students, schedule, billing, and more! This saves you hours of admin time by allowing you to focus MORE on what you love and not the tedious, business administrative stuff!

Sheet Music

My First Piano Adventure– My First Piano Adventures is written for ages 5 and 6 and has fun-filled songs, rhythm games, and technique activities.

Piano Adventures– This is one of my favorites for beginning students ages 7 to 9.

Scribd– This subscription is quite cheap and the sheet music choices are endless!

Musescore– Musescore is user-friendly and lets you create, playback, and print sheet music. And offers free downloads! CAN’T BEAT THAT!!!

Cascade Sheet Music- For members of the Cascade Method program, my library offers over 4,000 pieces of sheet music!

Games & Apps

Cascade Games– I love using these games with my students. They’re specific to what they are learning and they’re fun!

Boom Cards- Boom Cards are my GO TO for online piano lessons!! They are interactive and really engaging for students, and something they can continue to practice over and over!

Boom Learning- Me and my students have an account with Boom Learning where I upload my own Boom Cards, but also browse through other decks that teachers have created! You can also assign decks to students to work through. To learn all about Boom Learning, click here!

Note Rush- A really fun game for practicing note reading on a music staff that is customizable to your students’ level.

Flashnote Derby– This is a timed game where students race to identify different music notes. My students love the racing aspect!

Rhythm Swing- Students can learn, practice, and play rhythm with a cute monkey and alligator, all in one app! Learn about each note, how it works, and what it looks like. Then, play fun games to put their rhythm knowledge to the test!

Staff Wars- If your students love Star Wars, then they’ll love the theme of this game!

**I personally like trying to find free things or one-time payments 😊

Blogging Tools

Canva– I LOVE Canva. It is SO user-friendly and easily accommodates your brand. I create all of my blog graphics through Canva and I love how simple it is!

Adobe Photoshop + InDesign– I love these Adobe programs when I am creating books, but I am definitely becoming a converter to Canva. When you become a Cascade Method certified teacher, you get access to all my teacher workshops (which I have done a few on how to use Adobe!)

Organization

Google Drive – Where would I be without my Google Drive?! It’s free and really easy to share all of my files with students and even assign them homework. 🙌

Cascade Worksheets + More

Free Worksheets– Get access to our entire freebie portal with tons of free worksheets that you can download and use for your lessons!

Boom Cards– Boom Cards make practicing piano fun!! I love incorporating them every chance I get and my students love completing them. Check out the options I offer here!

Cascade Method Books + PDF’s – I offer 15 different piano method books that are great options to bring into lessons. Choose from my beginner’s book, piano favorites, student duets, and more! Each of my books are also available in PDF version to accommodate online learners.

Conferences

National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy (NCKP): This is an awesome conference with face-to-face collaboration with other pianists, it’s fully immersive, and lots of new ideas are presented for you to take back to your studio!

Music Teachers National Association (MTNA): The Nationally Certified Teacher of Music through MTNA offers ongoing education, through conferences and events, and countless other benefits.

Music Ed Connect– This conference is held entirely online so you can rewatch sessions, ask questions, and connect with the guest speakers!

Expand Online Summit- Jamie is all about teaching online! This conference focuses on how to be successful as an online teacher from home. I will also be speaking at this year’s event!!

Courses

Nicole Ricardo – I can’t say enough great things about Nicole’s course- Create Your Career and Instagram Academy.

Teach Music Online – Carly’s course on teaching music online is an extensive course to grow your online teaching business.

Social Savvy- If you are looking for ways to market yourself better on social media, then this is a great resource!

Sarah’s Branding Bootcamp- I’m learning so much in my branding bootcamp class right now and what to do in order to attract the right clients for me!

Books

You Are A Bad Ass At Making Money– A great book for changing your perspective on money!

Big Magic- This book is all about embracing our curiosity, chasing down what we love, and facing our fears.

E Myth– This book truly changed how I put systems into place in my business. I was putting too much on my plate and this book is now why I hired a virtual assistant and why I hired a designer for my games.

Do you use any of these resources already? I would love to know which are YOUR favorites!!