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Creating a Buzz with Piano Film Music

by Tim Topham

Hands up if you’ve ever taught the James Bond Theme, Star Wars or the Pink Panther? My guess is that at least 99% of you just raised your hand, and with good reason. ‘Classic’ film tunes like these are fun to play and teach, have timeless appeal and are loved by students of all ages. ... Creating a Buzz with Piano Film Music

06/04/2015 Read more

Are you the piano coach or player?

by Nick Ambrosino

Back in the beginning of my career I used to set weekly goals for my students. I’d write them in their assignment books and at the following lesson, would go down the list, checking if they had completed their assignments. I thought that’s what it meant to be a responsible teacher… Until one day, a ... Are you the piano coach or player?

09/06/2022 Read more

Don’t miss online music business training from Wendy Stevens!

by Tim Topham

Need help with the business aspects of your studio? I just wanted to let you know that Wendy Stevens, one of my favourite teachers and bloggers from the USA, has just opened-up registrations for two online training events to help you run your piano teaching studio more effectively. The events will be run as 90-minute ... Don’t miss online music business training from Wendy Stevens!

04/28/2015 Read more

How to Import Sheet Music Into Your iPad

by Tim Topham

I get asked this question by lots of teachers, particularly when they first decide to purchase an iPad. Getting started using an iPad in your music lessons for the first time can be quite a challenge, so I hope the resources on this page will help to get you started. Firstly, if you’re new to ... How to Import Sheet Music Into Your iPad

08/20/2015 Read more

What I’ve learnt from asking more questions in music lessons

by Tim Topham

Since the start of this year, I made a commitment to ask more questions in my teaching. And not just questions for the sake of them, but effective questions that challenge students to think. Questions that are suited to each student and give them more ownership of the lesson and their playing. As a great side benefit, ... What I’ve learnt from asking more questions in music lessons

09/05/2022 Read more

András Schiff Beethoven Lecture Recitals | Wigmore Hall Live

by Tim Topham

Teaching Beethoven – tips from a pro If you have ever taught or learnt any of the Beethoven sonatas, you’ll know how important it is to hear and learn from other people about ways of approaching and teaching the music. In my own studies, I watched hours and hours of online tutorials and master classes to ... András Schiff Beethoven Lecture Recitals | Wigmore Hall Live

03/13/2015 Read more
 

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TTTV000: Introducing Tim Topham TV – Piano Teaching Podcast

by Tim Topham

A New Piano Teaching Podcast A few weeks ago, I interviewed John Bloomfield for a promotion regarding the Taubman workshops in Brisbane (by the way, you can still watch the recordings of these episodes for another month or so). Despite the quality of the recording and sound being pretty average, I had a lot of positive ... TTTV000: Introducing Tim Topham TV – Piano Teaching Podcast

02/26/2015 Read more

How to WAKE UP a sleepy piano student!

by Nicola Cantan

I’m super excited to share this guest post with you by Nicola Cantan. Nicola runs a thriving piano studio in Dublin, Ireland and blogs at Colourful Keys. Nicola’s blog is all about effective practice, teaching ideas and motivating students and it’s great that she’s taken the time to write this article about firing-up those sleepy, over-scheduled piano ... How to WAKE UP a sleepy piano student!

03/04/2015 Read more

Pop Piano Resources

by Tim Topham

I've decided to start a new list of resources which can help teachers who are approaching pop music in their lessons. This list will automatically update as new posts about pop are posted. Enjoy!   If you're interested in my 8-part How to Teach Pop Music course called "PianoFlix", then head over to TopMusicPro and ... Pop Piano Resources

04/20/2016 Read more

Webinar: Getting Started with Online Piano Lessons

by Tim Topham

Ever considered online piano teaching? I was really interested to hear recently that well-respected teacher and presenter Dr Melody Payne from Virginia USA will be presenting an online webinar for piano teachers all about how to teach online piano lessons. Keep reading for a special offer for topmusic.co subscribers. In this increasingly connected world and ... Webinar: Getting Started with Online Piano Lessons

10/21/2014 Read more

Piano Teaching Q&A: Piano Pop Music | The Teaching Studio

by Tim Topham

What do you actually think about letting your students play pop music? When I was researching my PianoFlix Teaching Pop course, I came across this article from The Teaching Studio Blog by Jenny Bay. It is one teacher’s response to a question that I get asked all the time: “Why teach pop?” and it is a response that resonates ... Piano Teaching Q&A: Piano Pop Music | The Teaching Studio

02/10/2015 Read more

Teaching Rhythm in Pop Music

by Tim Topham

Teaching Rhythm in Pop Music – How do you do it? Since launching my online training for piano teachers recently, there have been lots of questions about how to help students ‘find their groove’ in pop music and how teachers can help students with tricky rhythms. In my opinion, it’s one of the hardest things about teaching ... Teaching Rhythm in Pop Music

12/15/2014 Read more

Top 3 Most Innovative Rhythm Teaching Resources

by Tim Topham

Teaching rhythm to students can be a challenging experience. Some students just seem to get it, some students really struggle to even feel or keep a steady pulse. Some students are great at copying rhythms, others like to work it out for themselves. Some understand rhythm best when it's explained metrically, others like to think ... Top 3 Most Innovative Rhythm Teaching Resources

08/22/2014 Read more

How Do I Find Out What Pop Music to Teach?

by Tim Topham

If you're teaching in a 21st Century piano studio (and I hope you are!), you're hopefully open to teaching pop music. Perhaps this is a new area of teaching for you, or perhaps you've always taught pop music and reading from lead sheets.    Whatever your situation, I'm really glad that you've decided to take ... How Do I Find Out What Pop Music to Teach?

04/24/2015 Read more

HookTheory – hands down THE BEST new resource for music teachers

by Tim Topham

What I’m about to share with you is one of the coolest and most useful things I’ve found on the internet for music teaching. Ever. No, it’s not an app, and no, I’m not being paid to write about it. It’s just really unique…and brilliant. If you’re a music teacher and you’d like to teach ... HookTheory – hands down THE BEST new resource for music teachers

05/17/2014 Read more

Music Education Speaker

by Tim Topham

Tim is one of Australia’s best known music educators, with a specialty in innovative approaches to creativity in piano teaching. Tim speaks regularly at conferences and workshops, both in Australia and Internationally, including: If you’re interested in having Tim speak at your music education or piano teaching day, convention, professional development workshop or conference, please ... Music Education Speaker

03/30/2014 Read more

“Coffee with Ray” – a remarkable new piano teaching textbook/novella by Nick Ambrosino

by Tim Topham

A piano teaching textbook that reads like a novel! I really wasn’t sure what to expect when I started reading Nick Ambrosino’s new book: Coffee with Ray. The title certainly caught my attention (“coffee” tends to have that effect!) but how could a book about having coffee with someone called Ray possibly help me with ... “Coffee with Ray” – a remarkable new piano teaching textbook/novella by Nick Ambrosino

03/23/2014 Read more

The Real Reason Teens are Quitting Your Studio – Part 1

by Tim Topham

Is it just me or is it getting harder to keep teenagers interested in piano these days? No one has any time, every after-school minute is jam-packed with activities, and despite the costs and logistics of piano lessons, practice always takes a back seat to everything else that’s going on. But, is that the real ... The Real Reason Teens are Quitting Your Studio – Part 1

03/13/2014 Read more

Piano Teaching Technology: iPad Piano Studio | Book Review & Giveaway

by Tim Topham

Is your studio an iPad Piano Studio? If you’re a bit of a newbie when it comes to using technology in your studio, make sure The iPad Piano Studio is in your Christmas stocking this year! As you will know from my previous posts (Piano teaching tips: Best iPad apps for piano teachers, The iPad ... Piano Teaching Technology: iPad Piano Studio | Book Review & Giveaway

12/03/2013 Read more

Piano Teachers: Are Piano Exams Good Or Bad?

by Tim Topham

Piano exams can be a controversial topic. Some teachers see exams as the best way to teach, whereas others want to stay clear of the 'exam express'. Join us as we outline 5 pros and 5 cons of piano exams.

01/30/2023 Read more

Whatever you do, don’t stop! 5 Sight Reading Tips for Piano Teachers

by Tim Topham

Most students and teachers dread working on sight reading, but in the last year, my students have genuinely started to enjoy the challenge of making it a regular part of their practice. Best of all, they have started to see improvement in their reading. The practice is paying off! I attribute this to a few ... Whatever you do, don’t stop! 5 Sight Reading Tips for Piano Teachers

10/13/2013 Read more

Tim Topham Improvising

by Tim Topham

Given my posts about teaching improvising, a number of people have asked to see me in action! At my last recital, I opened the second half with a short 3-minute (non-jazz) improvisation. I had not planned any aspect of this prior to stepping on stage. It was completely off-the-cuff, but based on my understanding of ... Tim Topham Improvising

05/16/2013 Read more

How to Teach Chord Progressions to Beginners – Video Tutorial

by Tim Topham

Teaching Chord Progressions To start the year off with a bang, I’ve been teaching most of my students about chord progressions and how easy they are to construct. For my junior kids and those who like pop music, I tend to stay away from music reading for at least a week to get everyone having fun ... How to Teach Chord Progressions to Beginners – Video Tutorial

02/19/2018 Read more

Rhythm Lab iPad app – the new winner!

by Tim Topham

I’ve previously blogged about my favourite iPad apps for rhythm teaching: see Best iPad apps for piano teachers, but now another app has been released, and it’s called Rhythm Lab, combining the best of ReadRhythm, Rhythm Repeat and My Rhythm. In fact, this one is now my favourite! It’s most similar to ReadRhythm, so if you ... Rhythm Lab iPad app – the new winner!

02/09/2013 Read more

How to Easily Loop YouTube Videos

by Tim Topham

Repeat YouTube Sections I might be behind the eight-ball here, but I’ve just found out about a site called YouRepeat which allows you to loop any section of any YouTube video just by changing the word “tube” in the web address to “repeat”. For example, let’s say I wanted to repeat one section of this ... How to Easily Loop YouTube Videos

01/08/2013 Read more