A piano method is a series of graded books that takes a beginner from the first lesson to the early intermediate level. The best-known series in North America are Faber Piano Adventures, Alfred’s Basic Piano Library, Bastien Piano Basics, the Hal Leonard Student Piano Library, John Thompson’s Easiest Piano Course, The Music Tree, and Piano Safari. They differ most in how they teach a child to read. Your child’s teacher picks the series, so ask before you buy.
How a method series is built
A series has several levels. Each level has a main lesson book. Most also have matching books for theory, technique, and extra pieces. A child often works from two to four books at once.
Many series come in more than one version: one for children of about four to six, one for children of about seven and up, and one for teenagers and adults.
The main ways methods teach reading
The Middle C approach. Both thumbs start on Middle C, and the child learns notes one at a time outward from there. It is simple to begin. Critics say children can come to link each note with one finger.
The landmark and interval approach. The child learns a few landmark notes and reads other notes by direction and distance: up a step, down a skip. This builds reading by pattern.
The multi-key approach. The child learns five-finger positions in many keys early on, and plays the same tunes in each.
Rote first. The child learns pieces by imitation and by ear, alongside simpler pieces to read. The pieces sound impressive early, which many children like.
Most modern series blend these.
The main series
Faber Piano Adventures. Written by Nancy and Randall Faber. It blends the approaches above, and many teachers use it. Each level has four core books: Lesson, Theory, Technique and Artistry, and Performance. A version called My First Piano Adventure is for young beginners.
Alfred’s Basic Piano Library. By Willard Palmer, Morton Manus, and Amanda Vick Lethco. It is a long-standing series with a clear, steady pace and many extra books at each level. Alfred’s Premier Piano Course is a newer series from the same publisher.
Bastien Piano Basics. By James Bastien. It is known for the multi-key approach and bright pages. Bastien New Traditions is a newer series from the same family.
Hal Leonard Student Piano Library. A team-written series with recorded accompaniments for the pieces.
John Thompson’s Easiest Piano Course. An older series that uses the Middle C approach, with small steps and cartoon figures on the pages.
The Music Tree. By Frances Clark, Louise Goss, and Sam Holland. It is the model for the landmark and interval approach. It begins with a book called Time to Begin.
Piano Safari. By Katherine Fisher and Julie Knerr. It pairs rote pieces with reading pieces and uses animal names for its technique exercises.
What is not a method book
The Suzuki Piano School is a set of pieces learned by ear with a trained Suzuki teacher. See Suzuki piano for kids.
The RCM Celebration Series is a set of graded pieces and studies for the Royal Conservatory exam levels. Students move into it after, or alongside, a method. See RCM levels explained.
Which is best?
No series is best for every child. Teachers choose based on the child’s age, how the child learns, and what the teacher knows well. A teacher who knows a series inside out can cover its gaps. Many teachers add pieces from outside the series.
Questions to ask the teacher
- Which series do you use for a child this age, and why?
- Which books in the level do we need?
- How do you teach note reading?
- Do you add music from outside the books?
- What comes after the last book?
How a parent can use the books at home
Read the teacher’s notes, which are often written on the page. Check that each assigned page gets played each day. Use the theory book for five minutes away from the piano.
Do not jump ahead in the lesson book. The order is planned, and a teacher needs to hear each new step.
If your child is bored with the books
Tell the teacher. A second series, a book of film themes, or a duet book can sit beside the method. The method is a tool, and a child does not have to love every page.
Print and play
The piano keyboard chart helps with any series. For the reading skills these books teach, see music theory for parents. For the wider picture, read the guide to teaching methods.
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Use it with your kids
Print a listening page, a practice chart, or a composer fact sheet. Or try a tool, such as the composer timeline or the piece picker.