#pianoteacher #pianostudio #pianoteacherlife #teachpiano #pianolessons #pianomethodbooks #newpianoteacher #faberpianoadventures #keithsnell #robertvandall #helenmarlais #onlinepianolessons
If I had to tell my younger self what books work well for teaching piano students, I would have had so much more confidence in my work back then as I do now. The amount of resources available for teachers is endless and there are pros and cons for each piano method/anthology series. Here is a big list of books that I have successfully used throughout my teaching career and can be great new piano teacher resources.
Faber Piano Adventures (Young beginner-Level 5/ Older Beginner/ Adult Series)
Faber Piano Adventures has been a staple of mine since the beginning of my teaching career. I even used these books when I was a young student! I find the series to be very thorough and easy to breakdown concepts in a smooth, systematic progression. Most of my students enjoy working through these books and are able to get a firm grasp of note reading, technique, and theory. For young students, the levels start out as preparatory, primer, and levels 1-5. The Older Beginner series is for older students around 10-13 years old who are just starting piano. The Adult Piano Adventures comes in 2 levels with supplemental Christmas and Pop books.
The Faber series includes 4 core books: Lesson, Theory, Technique, and Performance. It is a well rounded method book series with several supplemental repertoire books for each level. Faber has a subscription for teachers called the Teacher Atlas to access all their books online for a small monthly fee. This is great for teachers who travel or teach online. The subscription also includes access to pedagogy, performance, improvisation, and webinar/masterclass videos.
Links to Sets:
Faber Developing Artistry books (Preparatory-Level 5)
I love to supplement my students' lessons with standard repertoire as soon as they are comfortable with basic note reading. These repertoire books offer a wide variety of standard (not arranged) classical music within the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Contemporary genres. Supplementing with these books allows students to find musical styles that resonates with them.
Keith Snell Repertoire and Scales books (Preparatory-Level 10)
Keith Snell has an organized and straight forward approach to repertoire and technique which I appreciate! The repertoire books include 17th-19th century classical music or you can purchase separate Baroque/Classical or Romantic/Contemporary books in multiple levels. The Scale Skills books also come in corresponding preparatory to Level 10 books at a very affordable price.
Festival Collection by Helen Marlais (Preparatory- Book 8)
I discovered these books through MTAC (Music Teacher's Association of California) Certificate of Merit preparations for my students. These repertoire books are also broken down into 4 categories: Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Contemporary. This is similar to the Faber Developing Artist series and they both share some of the same pieces.
Robert Vandall (Book 1-5)
When introducing repertoire outside of the standard method books, I have great success incorporating Vandall's music into students' lessons. His contemporary/classical style is enjoyable to listen and practice. Each level of books are categorized as Celebrated Solos, Lyrical Solos, Virtuosic Solos, Jazzy Solos, and Duets, giving plenty of options for students to choose from.
Final Thoughts:
These are my staple book series that I use consistently during my teaching week. However, I am continuously exploring new books and series to keep things fresh! Newer method books that I'm curious about are the Wunderkeys and Piano Safari series.
In the comments, let me know which methods you currently use, want to use, or are just curious about!
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