New to the music studio game and not sure how to outfit your teaching space?
Welcome.
We’re happy to provide you with Duet Partner’s very own studio equipment checklist, featuring all the gear you’ve already guessed you’ll need…and some bits and pieces that might have slipped your mind. (Don’t worry. Happens to the best of us!)
For your convenience, we’ve separated our list into three categories, beginning with the fundamentals or, as we like to think of them…
The Obvious
Since these make up the very building blocks of the music teacher’s workspace, we figured we’d cover them upfront just in case.
We’ll start with the one piece of equipment no music lesson should be without…
A keyboard
As we’ve mentioned previously, piano teachers should absolutely have a high-quality keyboard in their music studio at all times.
But teachers of other instruments should consider it too. Why?
There’s a reason every practice room worth its salt has a keyboard in it. The piano is the musician’s reference guide: a steady companion, always on hand to offer pitch help or chordal support. So, no matter your instrument of choice, a keyboard will be 100% invaluable to your studio, if only as a sort of musical training wheel for newbies just getting their bearings.
Still, keyboard needs vary from instrument to instrument and studio to studio, which is why we’ve elected to split keyboards into three subcategories for you. We humbly suggest that, before beginning your search, you take the time to consider which of the following suits you best:
The low-maintenance keyboard. These are mostly for teachers who don’t need anything fancy: just a budget-friendly set of keys that’ll work for double checking pitches and providing light accompaniment. “Action” (how weighted or resistant the keys feel) won’t be a top priority here. And pedaling? This low-maintenance group can take it or leave it. A digital model with a basic stand will usually suffice.
Instruments that can work well with these keyboards include:
- Guitar (specifically in the folk, rock, and pop genres)
- Voice (especially with mic-based styles such as pop and jazz)
- Percussion (particularly for youngsters)
The standard keyboard. For this group, sound quality, action, and pedaling are much bigger factors. However, due to budget or spatial constraints, teachers drawn to this category might prefer to stay away from legit acoustic models such as an upright or a baby grand. Keyboards in this demographic tend to be higher-end digitals, ideally with a full 88 keys, a solid stand, an attached or attachable three-pedal board, and a complex sound output that approaches the real deal. (Check out the keyboards reviewed here).
Instruments:
- Symphonics (strings, woodwinds, brass…any instrument designed for the concert stage)
- Piano (beginner and intermediate)
- Voice (Broadway, art song, opera)
The professional/semi-professional piano. Committed to sound quality above all else? That’s when this category (literally) comes into play. These keyboards either give you the complete piano experience or come pretty darn close: a group composed strictly of acoustics (or digitals that mimic the sound, action, and pedaling of an acoustic so well a casual listener would be none the wiser). Piano teachers will gravitate comfortably toward this category, as will any educators whose students need regular practice alongside concert-level accompaniment.
Instruments:
- Piano (intermediate and above)
- Symphonic instruments (especially those that frequently play sonatas or feature in chamber ensembles)
- Voice (Broadway, art song, opera)
A model we like:
If a Steinway is out of the question, the Casio CDP-S160 comes heartily recommended by NY Times’s Wirecutter for its realistic tone and easy-to-use controls. (Plus, this author has had the same Casio since circa 1987 and it’s still alive and kicking, so the brand gets extra points for durability.)
A secure music stand (or three)
Think about it. For most musicians, the music stand is basically an extra limb––something that’s there on demand whenever you need it. Band rooms, conservatories, and professional music settings typically have stacks of stands available, meaning you rarely have to think about procuring one.
Not so in your own studio.
You’re definitely going to need an adjustable stand for your students, regardless of their instrument. And it’s highly probable you’ll need one for yourself as well, as this enables you to consult with pupils side by side or join them for an instrumental duet to help strengthen their collaboration skills. In addition, teachers who make a point of involving parents (we’re looking at you, Suzuki certified-s) might want to invest in a third or fourth music stand so studio visitors can follow along during a session.
We like:
The Manhasset Symphony Stand is a tried-and-true model familiar to anyone who’s spent time in a music school. Its solid, reliable aluminum frame can hold a reasonable amount of weight (singers with heavy rep binders rejoice!) and its adjustable design and friction-grip base help make it a top choice with no less an organization than the BBC.
Appropriate seating
Like music stands, chairs can often be taken for granted. They’re the kind of furniture staple no musician actively contemplates until they’re absent.
This is your official reminder to purchase some chairs.
But studio chair selection is more complicated than your garden-variety Ikea run (though Ikea is good in a pinch, don’t get us wrong). Here are our picks for top characteristics to think about when you’re on the hunt for studio seating:
- Functionality. You’ll want to make sure your seating arrangement adequately prepares students for playing on stage with the correct posture and form. Ask yourself: How well does the chair mimic performance practices for your students’ instrument? (Piano pupils will need a bench without a back, for example, just as guitarists will require a stool with a dependable footrest.)
- Comfort. Unless they’re vocalists, or marimbists, or any other type of instrumentalist who practices while standing, your students will be seated for extended periods of time. Comfort is a must. Look for seating with in-built cushioning or consider buying additional padding to combat any unexpected soreness.
- Adjustability. It’s likely your studio will accommodate musicians of all ages, so seating should adjust to students of varying height.
- Portability. Teachers are often obliged to make do with limited space. Also? Teachers don’t often moonlight as bodybuilders. You’ll probably want something foldable (for easy storage) and lightweight (for easy lifting).You’ll thank yourself next time you have to move a chair out of the way for stretching exercises or scoot a chair beside your student for page turning.
We like:
If budget allows, we recommend the cellist-designed, foldable, and adjustable Adjustrite, whose projected backing theoretically supports sacro-lumbar spinal curvature, which this clinically-endorsed white paper cites as “optimal” positioning for seated musicians. (The Wenger Corporation, which sponsored the paper, naturally highlights its Nota Chair series. This likewise seems like an excellent choice, though be warned: its “standard” and “premier” iterations are neither foldable nor adjustable.)
The Slightly Less Obvious
While not as compulsory as the gear listed above, these bits of hardware are all but crucial when building a fully functioning studio.
First up: a place to put all that sheet music.
Shelving or storage
The longer you teach, the bigger your musical library is bound to get. Be sure your studio is equipped with enough shelving or cabinetry to hold reams of repertoire written for various ages and/or levels of proficiency. Note: Piano teacher guide and influencer Nicola Cantan advises implementing a filing system that feels most comfortable to you (whether you sort by publisher, composer, color, whatever––if it makes sense in your brain, you’re golden).
A tablet
Then again, you could just go digital.
If your music catalog takes up the paper equivalent of a small rain forest, you might opt for a lightweight computer tablet, which can house around 256GB of sheet music and can organize your library by student, style, or any other classification. A tablet even allows you to mark up your music files with personal notes and can double as a metronome or pitch pipe, provided you load it with the correct apps. Remember, though: Students won’t be able to take your tablet home, so you’ll still need some analog shelving for your studio to hold your loanable sheet music.
Zoom-forgiving lighting & sound
This one’s chiefly for teachers who do most of their work online (though good lighting and a sound-enhancing mic never hurt anybody). Music teacher directory and YouTube channel Musiprof recommends two LED lights formatted specially for video––one for you, one for your backdrop––to create a warm, crisp, clear tableau for student viewers. Similarly, Musiprof suggests purchasing a USB microphone to help students pick up sonic nuances during musical demonstrations. (They recommend the Audio-Technica AT series, which we can personally vouch for.)
The “Little” Things
These devilish details might not be the first items you think of when designing a studio, but most of them still qualify as “must haves” or “supremely nice to haves.” We won’t say you can’t execute a successful music lesson without them, but we will say it’s probably safer to have them than not.
We’ll kick this last section off with an old standby:
Pencils & a pencil sharpener
Can you ever really have enough pencils? Smart money’s on “no.” We say buy now and buy in bulk. (Shoutout to Ticonderoga brand, which got us through our formative years.) You’ll also need a sharpener, unless you’re fine with a studio full of dull, unusable pencils you’ll forever be picking up and casting aside.
Instrumental accessories
In other words: Fingerboard tape, tuners, spit catchers, reed knives…whatever new students require to get acquainted with their instrument. Assume they won’t have it ––or won’t know they need it––and always have spares at the ready.
Water
Thoughtful to have for instrumentalists, absolutely critical to have for singers. A pitcher and a few disposable cups will never go amiss, but if you’re dealing with vocalists and working with a generous budget, a watercooler with temperature settings is the singer’s ultimate dream.
A printer w/ scanner
You’ll be making copies of music. A lot. Better to have your own scanner than to use up all the toner at the local library.
Rehearsal software
When teaching digital natives, a comprehensive software can be a useful in-studio tool (and a chance to utilize your tablet, should you decide to get one). Flutist Joanna Soh finds an interactive service like Tomplay beneficial when guiding visually- and hearing-dominant students through new or tricky passages. Bonus feature: Students can download the app themselves and use it for accompanied practice. (We’re particularly impressed with how Tomplay offers on-the-spot transpositions and tiered levels of difficulty––sometimes within the same piece.)
Found this list helpful/insightful/uproariously funny (*fingers crossed*)? Tell us about it.
Got a recommendation for some beloved equipment we’ve left out? Let us know!
In the meantime, we sincerely wish you all the best with the launch of your new studio. For more pointers on how to prepare for the road ahead, see our earlier post on building a wildly successful music studio business. You can also join our worldwide music community for added tips, resources, and support.
