Piano tutor for teenagers, Recommendations? Options

[trio]

What beginner books have people found good for beginner teenagers? I find the adult beginner books move too quickly, and children's one are too young.

[maggiemay]

The two Microjazz beginner books have worked for me with some teenagers. They are aimed at any age - not at any one in particular. No pictures.

They do the basics quite well, and are not particularly jazzy - you can take any direction. A student who doesn't want to learn jazz should not be put off by the title, in other words.

I have also used Carol Barratt's Classic Piano course with this age group, but really this is one of the more adult books you cite which goes a bit too quickly, so probably doesn't help.

[Jo0425]

I've just ordered "Play Piano! Teenage - Book 1" by Alan Haughton which looks good. Anyone else tried this one yet? I think it is fairly new.

[maggiemay]

It came out a few years ago. Unfortunately it is only the kids' book with a supposedly 'cooler' format. As far as I remember there is no different material at all. They changed the book shape and added some different pictures.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) Sorry to rain on your parade - I think only a very 'young' teenager would find it appealing. Maybe more suitable for the 10 - 11 age group?

[Jane S]

The Carol Barratt Classic piano course is fine for teenagers, but you do need a repetoire book, to slow the pace down, otherwise I agree that it is much too fast paced. Ideally find one which appeals to their taste in music.

[Seer_Green]

Have you had a look at the Accelerated Piano Adventures? I think this covers a good middle-ground for this age group.

[jm-hamilton]

It came out a few years ago. Unfortunately it is only the kids' book with a supposedly 'cooler' format. As far as I remember there is no different material at all. They changed the book shape and added some different pictures.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) Sorry to rain on your parade - I think only a very 'young' teenager would find it appealing. Maybe more suitable for the 10 - 11 age group?

It also stays in C position for the whole of the book, and the repertoire book that goes with it.

[linda.ff]

Have you had a look at the Accelerated Piano Adventures? I think this covers a good middle-ground for this age group.

I'm using this at the moment with two people, both just started. one bright but lazy almost-teenager (age 12 in other words) who asks all the relevant questions but doesn't yet have much of a sense of being able to keep going with a pulse; the other a young adult (20) who is ripping through it and finding it, while easy as yet, very satisfying. I like it; I have the technique and the theory books as well and we dip into those during the lesson.

The theory books in particular, in all the PA series, are not just notespeller and scale writing books, they contain quite a lot of sight-reading (or at least "looking" tests) and aural work, activities to be done in the lesson, and short pieces and exercises to illustrate theoretical rather than technical points. Both they and the technique book are very enjoyable to use.

[Seer_Green]

Have you had a look at the Accelerated Piano Adventures? I think this covers a good middle-ground for this age group.

I'm using this at the moment with two people, both just started. one bright but lazy almost-teenager (age 12 in other words) who asks all the relevant questions but doesn't yet have much of a sense of being able to keep going with a pulse; the other a young adult (20) who is ripping through it and finding it, while easy as yet, very satisfying. I like it; I have the technique and the theory books as well and we dip into those during the lesson.

The theory books in particular, in all the PA series, are not just notespeller and scale writing books, they contain quite a lot of sight-reading (or at least "looking" tests) and aural work, activities to be done in the lesson, and short pieces and exercises to illustrate theoretical rather than technical points. Both they and the technique book are very enjoyable to use.

Agreed. One f the good things about PA is that the supplementary books mean that it's easy to maintain a good pace without feeling that pupils are dragging or rushing.

[Jo0425]

Boo! Wish there was a music shop in my area so I could check these books out before I bought them online. Doesn't sound like what I was looking for then (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

It came out a few years ago. Unfortunately it is only the kids' book with a supposedly 'cooler' format. As far as I remember there is no different material at all. They changed the book shape and added some different pictures.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) Sorry to rain on your parade - I think only a very 'young' teenager would find it appealing. Maybe more suitable for the 10 - 11 age group?

It also stays in C position for the whole of the book, and the repertoire book that goes with it.

[Elvira]

My children (aged 17 and 14) both advise very firmly against any book with the word "teenage" in the title.

[miffy]

I often use the Waterman & Harewood Piano Lessons Book1 here
Nice and clear and not babyish.
I got irritated by the Teenage one mentioned above a couple of years ago and stopped using it. It was okish for 11yr olds, not good for teenagers.

[edgmusic]

My children (aged 17 and 14) both advise very firmly against any book with the word "teenage" in the title.

I totally agree with this.

(I'm not a teenager, but have taught loads for forty years!)

[dolce@piano]

It came out a few years ago. Unfortunately it is only the kids' book with a supposedly 'cooler' format. As far as I remember there is no different material at all. They changed the book shape and added some different pictures.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) Sorry to rain on your parade - I think only a very 'young' teenager would find it appealing. Maybe more suitable for the 10 - 11 age group?

It also stays in C position for the whole of the book, and the repertoire book that goes with it.

Yes, I picked up the repertoire book very cheaply and some of the pieces are fine and I lend it out. But as a collection it is remarkably uninspiring - all middle C position, as you say, and all very, very similar.

.

[maggiemay]

Some of the pages in the original 'younger kids' book were useful. I used it once or twice as a supplementary book, or in a couple of cases as a starter for the first few pages - I thought introducing the crotchet rest right at the start was not a bad idea.

However I thought the 'teenage' book was just a cheap marketing exercise. And I was seriously unimpressed to find that the accompanying 'activity ' (=theory) book had a glaring mistake in it. No thanks!