You Are a Piano Teacher: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome as a Non-Specialist

It often starts with one pupil.

A parent asks, “Do you teach piano as well as clarinet?” or a school adds a beginner pianist to your timetable because “you’re musical.” Before you know it, you’re teaching five, ten, maybe more piano pupils a week, despite having trained or qualified in a different instrument.

And then the voice creeps in.

"I'm not really a piano teacher."

"I'm just filling the gap until they move on to someone more qualified."

"I'm not good enough to take them beyond the basics."

If any of that feels familiar, you’re not alone, and you’re not an imposter. In fact, you might be exactly the kind of teacher your pupils need.

The Myth of the “Proper Piano Teacher”

There’s a persistent idea in music education that unless you trained in piano at conservatoire level or can sight-read a Beethoven sonata with ease, you aren’t a real piano teacher.

This is simply not true.

Great teaching isn’t measured in diplomas or performance accolades. It’s found in how we explain, scaffold, motivate, listen, adapt, and connect with pupils. Those are the very skills you’ve built across your teaching career, whether your main instrument is oboe, trumpet, voice, or violin.

Your Instrumental Teaching Experience Counts

If you’ve taught any instrument successfully, you’ve developed:

• A deep understanding of pitch, rhythm, tone, and technique

• The ability to break down musical concepts into manageable steps

• Patience, clarity, and creativity in explaining abstract ideas

• A toolkit of ways to support pupils with practice, theory, motivation, and confidence

These are the foundations of excellent teaching on any instrument.

Piano may look different, but the principles transfer. You understand how beginners think and learn. You’ve guided pupils through first notes and scales. You’ve celebrated their breakthroughs and helped them through frustration.

That is specialist knowledge. That is expert teaching.

What About Your Own Piano Skills?

It’s true: if you’re going to teach piano, you need a good grasp of the fundamentals. That includes technique, posture, and musicality. There’s an unwritten rule that if you're teaching a second instrument, you should be at least Grade 5 standard, and piano is no exception.

If you’re looking to develop your piano teaching, it’s worth investing in your own playing. That’s exactly what I did.

I trained as a woodwind specialist, studying clarinet at university for both my degree and masters. But the demand for piano tuition far outweighed the need for woodwind teaching. I knew I needed to broaden my offering, and that meant brushing up on the Grade 6 piano I’d passed at age 16.

So I found a conservatoire-trained piano teacher. I wanted someone with a traditional approach and that's exactly what I got. She was strict and often told me off (even though I was in my 40s!), but she taught me so much, not just about developing my own playing, but about teaching strategies, beginner technique, and engaging repertoire. The whole experience made me a better pianist and, more importantly, a better piano teacher.

We’ve now moved beyond teacher and pupil, and I’m proud to call her one of my dearest friends. She’s always available for a chat about which fingers to use in a tricky phrase in Bach or to discuss the balance between musical lines in Debussy. Her insight continues to shape my teaching today.

Teaching Beginners Isn’t “Less Than” - It’s a Gift

There’s a subtle hierarchy in music teaching that wrongly suggests teaching beginners is somehow second-rate.

In fact, teaching beginners well is a skill many musicians struggle with. It takes imagination, clarity, and enormous empathy. It requires you to balance encouragement with structure, to make music exciting while laying strong foundations.

You’re not “just” the first stop before a “real” teacher. You are the person who gives a pupil their first experience of music-making, and that matters more than you might ever know.

You Belong Here

You’re already doing the work. The pupils keep coming. You’re growing, reflecting, adapting. You’re giving your pupils a positive musical start.

So next time imposter syndrome shows up, remind yourself:

• You are a music educator with transferable skills

• You are teaching thoughtfully and responsively

• You are absolutely a “proper” piano teacher

Be confident in the path you’ve taken and know that your work at the piano makes a real difference.

Want to Feel More Confident in Your Piano Teaching?

Piano Umbrella is here to support you. Our resources are designed with real teachers in mind - creative, musical, and adaptable, whether piano is your first instrument or not. You’ll find structured video lessons, inspiring ideas, and a community that understands the challenges and joys of teaching piano today.

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Already teaching outside your main instrument? Thinking about starting? I’d love to hear your story, share in the comments or come say hello on social media!