Books used in lessons

There are many books published which set out a series of lessons in a 'one step at a time' fashion.

I have found the Alfred's Basic Piano Library very useful as a starting point and so many of my students start their journey with an Alfred's Book.  One of the reasons I have kept coming back to this series is that there is a very large number of books that a student can access along the way from classical to modern, TV and movie theme songs, broadway to hymns that fit with the levels within the course. Most students find plenty to study at their own level that is engaging and rewarding.

Many similarities exist between the various publications.  The differences seem to be mostly in the order in which the concepts are introduced, the amount of repetition offered for the concept and the depth of the concept covered at the level in which it is introduced.  As students differ widely in their ability to grasp a concept and speed of assimilating the information, different courses seem to work better for some students.

Method books are great for offering a little of many styles to help discover what particular style the student wishes to learn more pieces from.

There are various examining boards which offer specifically graded collections of pieces across various styles from which a student learns a set number of pieces to present (along with a set of technical scales and sight reading, aural skills and general knowledge) for grading by an examiner.  Many students wish to learn without the pressure of exams, but want to have an idea of what grade they are up to.  Studying pieces from any exam syllabus is a great way to assess your readiness to try a harder level piece in an area of strength without studying a whole set of pieces at a harder level. The AMEB Piano For Leisure Series has been enjoyed by many of my students for it's variety.

Some students feel these are the most fun of all and certainly these books most reflect what brings you to music lessons in the first place.  If you are interested in building a library, you may have a classics book, a jazz, rags or blues book, a TV and movie themes book, a pop music book, or a solo collection book with a bit of everything.

These are the 'how it all works' books of learning music.  Students sometimes respond to the study of theory with a 'that's why....' As with levels of practical playing, many levels of theory exist.  A basic understanding is essential and applies to the study of all instruments.  Should you choose to take up another instrument, whatever theory you have studied will be useful and won't need to be repeated.

Learning scales and exercises is often what drive students away from attempting to learn a musical instrument.  And if scales were the primary focus or goal of lessons, many would not continue for long. However,  they definitely have their place and I believe they are best seen as skills which help the playing of pieces. Many students find the better their scales and exercises, the quicker pieces are learned and the more polished they sound.

Many students have enjoyed the range of music styles offered in their method book and have also benefitted from a second core book which offers a broader variety of pieces at the same level, some technical aind interpretive information but essentially a reqertoire style book .  A range of pieces which explore various playing techniques makes learning the technique musical and interesting.