Kids Piano Method Books

If you are considering purchasing one of the standard, conventional piano methods for your child and want a basis for comparison, here are some facts and interesting points that may help you make a choice.

THE BASTIEN METHOD Of the conventional piano methods, this is my favorite. Published by kjos.com, they are the standard these days that most teachers use.

The virtue of the Bastien Series books are several.

The type is large, like a BIG NOTE book, so kids aren't squinting, looking for tiny little musical symbols to decipher. In fact many of the usual symbols are omitted in the interest of clarity.

There are finely done color pictures, which children find interesting and comforting, and can lead to a relaxing bit of conversation between teacher and student.

The sequence of exercises is in precisely correct order in terms of piano pedagogy: each concept builds easily on the last, from piece to piece. That is why, in fact, piano teachers love these books, because they can go from page to page without much effort. But that is bad for the children, that rote approach, and these colorful books are useful for much more than that.

THE JOHN THOMPSON METHOD This is an older piano method that perhaps your parents or grandparents used, but it is still popular today, exactly for that reason. Similarly, methods such as Schaum use much the same old-fashioned approach. I'll bet you that you have a copy of one of these piano methods in your piano bench!

Thompson is a little boring in the early books in the series, with frankly uninteresting pieces illustrating the basics of piano. But where they shine is in subsequent volumes, wherein most of the great piano teaching pieces (Fur Elise by Beethoven, for example) are laid out in order of increasing difficulty. These pieces can be useful for older children who are refining the basics but are not yet playing easier masterpieces.

Tried and true, but a little boring and the type seems very small to most kids.

OTHER METHODS There were dozens of older methods from the heyday of the piano, ending around the 1960's. Alfred, Schaum, Mel Bay, Faber all still exist today.

The main factor to remember is this: all these conventional methods follow the same curriculum with minor variations. All conventional piano methods start out the same, learning the first five white keys in the middle of the piano. It's like teaching the alphabet to your child: you start with
A and proceed upward. It's the same with piano, and in all conventional piano methods the methodology is the same: learn the first five white keys.

Many songs can, of course, be played using only these five white keys. For example, Jingle Bells, or Mary Had A Little Lamb, Alouette and a thousand other familiar songs.

Our suggestion is to examine the Bastien piano method. I use them myself in my piano lessons, after I have prepared students to enjoy the piano using PIANO BY NUMBER. You can find the Bastien Series at kjos.com.

by John Aschenbrenner Copyright 2000 Walden Pond Press
Visit http://www.pianoiseasy.com to see the fun Piano by Number method for kids.