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The abundant variety of different piano teaching methods would be overwhelming for beginning teachers. When choosing a teaching method, one should remember that no students will learn or retain the materials that you have taught the same way. Therefore, it would be the best for the beginning teacher to choose one method that suits best for your teaching philosophy and study it thoroughly rather than to tailor teaching to each student.

As I mentioned on the opening page that piano methods are classified by their reading approaches. There are three reading approaches in most of today's piano methods: (1) the Middle-c approach, (2) the Multi-key approach, (3) the Intervallic approach. Each approach has its strengths and weaknesses. After many years of teaching experiences, I recommend the beginning teachers to avoid any method connected with position playing. Although the five finger position makes it easier to learn, the emphasis on position playing limits student's musical knowledge and very often these student will have less technical strength. Unfortunately, the most popular and established methods such as Bastien and Alfred are emphasized on position playing. One should choose a method that stresses Intervalic reading of notes.

Choose methods that stress technique from lesson one which enable students to develop all five fingers independently and equally well. Teaching student the different styles of music from the very beginning should be an important aspect of any method you use. A idea method should also includes the concepts of improvisation, transposition and composing to extend student's musical acknowledge.

The methods that I would recommend include: (1) Yamaha method for preschool. Although using Multi-key approach, Yamaha method provides completed musicianship training for children age 4-6. (2) The Music Tree. The method emphasizes on intervalic reading, provides technic training and includes variety of different styles of repertoires. (3) Faber & Faber. Faber & Faber provides very solid technic training from lesson one, yet not trap in position playing.

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