Hi Everyone!

Teaching my Keyboard class is going really well, but I have a question about one student. He is dyspraxic and finds it really hard to read music. He has problems with reading and writing at school as well, and although he is using the Keyboard for Young Beginners series, he has been on book 1 for 2 years (mostly due to the fact that the last teacher was so inconsistent; rather than try and find out why he's having problems, she gave him some headphones and told him to make up his own music. Which would be great except he sat there playing chopsticks and that IRRITATING tune all kids play on the black keys of a Keyboard.). So now I have to pick up the pieces...

This kid is so clever at playing his own stuff, but put a simple piece of music in front of him and he just can't read it. He gets only so far and it's really hard for him, it gets him so down. So my idea was to get him to play Jazz piano, from the beginning. He'll still have to learn the chords but if it means he feels freer in playing then all the better. What do you think? Do you know if there are any good beginner Jazz books out there at all? Or maybe some more experienced teachers can give better advice? I'd really appreciate it!

I can't offer any advice I'm afraid, but I'd be interested in any of the suggestions. I've got a pupil working for Grade 5 'traditional' piano exams at the moment who wants to do Jazz exams afterwards. I've never taught it before but am keen to try so really need to get some knowledge and experience.

I couldn't presume to offer advice about the teaching of piano of any kind, but I have tried a lot of jazz piano books. One that seems relatively accessible (though I still didn't get very far with it myself) is by Debbie Denke and is called The Aspiring Jazz Pianist. I suggest it because she starts with stuff that is improvisation but definitely not jazz. (There is a nice new-age type piece in Dorian mode, white keys only, which I can happily noodle away at for hours.) Personally I would hesitate to try and teach jazz to someone who isn't already listening to jazz, but that's a matter for you.