Ok, Im sorting Out a list of Piano books I will be offering to my up-coming Piano students, So the parents Know what to expect, And also when the New begginers come for the Consultation and introduction, the parents and student can choose the books they would Like to use, so I can order them ready for september, Does anyone else do this?

I will be using the Chesters Easiest Piano course, as i used it when I was learning the Piano, and that Book is one they will definately use, But from looking through the book I have, its not good for people starting RIGHT at the beginning, i see it more as a Book for Sight reading, Building Up experience in playing, so i will be using that book for those reasons.

But I'm trying to find a Book for absoloute Begginers to learn the notes etc, I have the ten-fingers book, but is there any more out there?
I could also do with some advice, this is my first experience of teaching, and I know what I'm doing, but i could do with some advice from experience!!!!


Hugs and kisses


anna
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Me and my piano

As the teacher, it really is better if you do the recommending of books to your students. Later, when they have a bit of experience and time to develop opinions, they can choose their repertoire.

Have a read of this article. It will help you use method books to their full advantage.

Tailoring Your Teaching

There are hundreds of books for beginners. Take a look here.

Piano Method books

QUOTE

As the teacher, it really is better if you do the recommending of books to your students.

Yes. I think so too.

But I let them feel they are having a say by picking out two or three books that I think would work and letting them make the final choice!
We might explore the first few pieces of two books in one lesson and see which the pupil takes to. But I agree the books need to be pre-selected by the teacher.

I'm puzzled that you think Chester's Easiest is not for beginners. Are we talking about the same book here? I've used it with beginners as young as five, and it has worked well. It starts with keyboard pictures and games, first piece is semibreve middle C's, if my memory is right - can't get much more "beginner" than that ??!
It's not for older beginners though - I 'd look at Oxford Piano Time or the Classic Piano Course (Carol Barratt), or the Joy of First Year Piano.

Maggie

Oh, sorry about the mix up with the chesters course, I've only Found Out they do an absoloute beginner, What i did was go from book 2, i think...I really cannot rememember!
But I really enjoyed doing the books though, i might try it, does anyone else use chesters?

Hi pink piano,

Alfred do a good piano course, different books for all ages with a free book on how to teach the pieces and a recommended method which is very useful when comparing methods. obtainable from all good music shops, here is a link

[URL=http://www.musiccorner.co.uk]

Pink Piano

When I started teaching I went to my local music shop and looked through every piano beginners method book I could find - it took about 2 hours! I had a few ideas about things I was looking for and these were:
a) Step by step development
Starting from the strong fingers ie 1 2 3
c) Using right and left hand from the start
d) Not staying in middle C position for too long
e) Presentation suitable for the age group I was interested in
f) a personal thing for me - I wanted "english" terminology like crotchets rather than quarter notes

It was a very useful exercise as I discarded straight away many methods and homed in on the following:

For tiny beginners ie 6 and under - I don't take children this young but my friend does and uses "Ministeps"
For young beginners eg 6-8 Tunes for 10 fingers
Age 8 - 10 Piano Time (Pauline Hall)
For teenagers and adults - Classic Piano Course (Carol Barratt)

All of these have their own foibles and areas where there are gaps or they go too fast or whatever but you only find these out as you go along. For example in Piano Time around page 9 it suddenly leaps ahead and some people are left floundering. So now I introduce a second book as well either from the start or part way through which I use to reinforce the teaching in the main book or as a bit of extra practice when things get tough.

For example I use Me and My Piano to reinforce Tunes for 10 fingers - but I would never use Me and My piano on its own because it does all the fingers in the right hand first before starting on the left hand, and when you get the the end the pieces are suddenly really hard.

I have used Jibbidy F to reinforce with a child who is really struggling.

I reinforce Piano Time with Party Time, Roundabout or Piano Time Pieces depending upon the ability.

I reinforce Classic Piano Course with Classics to Moderns or Piano Time Pieces or even Piano Time.

For some reason I discarded the Chester course but I will go back and have a look at it to see if I missed something. I also didn't like the look of the Alfred stuff but it is very personal so you have to do what suits you. I would definitely do the choosing myself rather than let the children so it because they will do it purely on the pictures!!!

Once you actually get started with the teaching you will find out how suitable your choices were and don't be afraid to ask them to buy another book part way through the first one - you don't have to say it's because the one you chose doesn't seem to be working! If you say right at the start that you expect to supplement it with another one later then it is much easier to do this.

Hope this helps

Hello,
I used to have a selection of Mini-Steps, Chesters, Bastien and Schaum. I would see which of the books the student was most comfortable with then stick with that. But also reinforcing what was taught with the other books as the weeks went by. It's also handy keeping the other books for copying the music into their manuscript. When they copy it for the first few times it's normally a little hard to read (I ask them to play it), then because they know I'll ask them to play it their writing gets neater.
Alison

If you don't mind an American tutor I think Piano Discoveries is very methodical, steady and clear in its progression and attractive to young children. I also like Bastien as the children love the tunes.