luving abroad. help with ordering sone good resources for beginner piano and advice please

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Hello. DD is 7 and picking up piano quite well. We have a basic beginner keyboard and a local teacher. But only have an old John Thompson book (beginner) that she has worked through.
can you advise on best resources to order? Teacher is using own book but doesn't look like the right level

surely if she has started learning to read music she doesn't need to work on the pages that show notes with note names and finger numbers underneath? The notes are kut on a blank background, not on the lines?

Also is she too young to prepare for grade 1?

thanks !

We have three school terms, average 12 weeks but holiday dates vary depending on when Easter falls.

My 8 year old (Gr 1) spends a lot of time playing everything other than exam pieces. We are very relaxed here in the Lavender house, I would not want her pushed or made to play nothing but exam pieces.

These books are good for a variety of different things and have been used greatly over the last 18 months. Book 1 does contain the Snake Dance though, be warned, my daughter still plays it now at warp speed with the loud pedal down to avoid homework, emptying the dishwasher etc., as a general wind up really.

www.amazon.co.uk/John-W-Schaum-Piano-Course/dp/0769218148/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1411888022&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=red+piano+book

www.amazon.co.uk/John-W-Schaum-Piano-Course/dp/0769235816/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_z

www.amazon.co.uk/John-Schaum-Piano-Course-Purple/dp/0769236073/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_z

I should say that we also use the LCM books (her teacher is an examiner), and some other fun books like these:

www.amazon.co.uk/Just-Kids-Collection-Sarah-Walker/dp/0571528600/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y

www.amazon.co.uk/Just-Kids-Princess-Piano-Collection/dp/0571528570/ref=pd_sim_b_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1E6FPN2S511MSZA81FWA

I do think that Gr 1 is more difficult than people assume, especially the theory if you are doing that as well. My mum was a music teacher and we had to do theory at the same time. My daughter does theory alongside, her teacher expects it as well. I do think it depends on the teaching really, my daughter enjoys her lessons so much she doesn't think she is doing any work.

Worried,

It depends on age and level. Absolute beginners usually one or two weeks tops. Older students it depends on how long it is. With the teens, we start one when the previous piece has been going for two or three weeks and not every piece has to be concert standard. I think a month is reasonable for hands-together-in-time once it's a page long. Performance pieces need more work, though.

It might also depend if a piece is within the student's level or slightly above.

Thanks Everyone.

Hi Julie,
Also wanted to know if you follow all lesson, performance etc. books of Alfred premier Paino books and How much time it takes to finish one level of that? lets say for eg. Book 2B.

Mom17,

I've only just started using the series, so I can't really say. With the beginners on book 1A, we're using the three books - lesson book, theory book to match and performance book. We use every page of the theory but not every activity on each page. The performance book is used for supplementary material either for a student who is keen to learn more pieces or a student who is struggling and needs extra material. We don't do every tune in the performance book.

With the level 2 and level 3 bunch, we're mainly following the lesson book. The 2Bs have been working on festival music a lot so after half a term we've done maybe 3 or 4 pieces from the tutor book, which I think is slightly above their current knowledge level (though playable). The two on book 3 have done four and five pieces respectively, alongside beginning to work for their next grade.

As for length of time... I think it can vary hugely. One student might finish 1A in 3 months, another might take a year. I figure it would be reasonable to take a year per numbered level (so 1A-1B in first year, 2A-2B in second year) if you weren't using any other material and the student worked through all these books and was following the progression in this order. But we've changed series and jumped up a bit in all cases. For 2B, I'd say six months to a year?

Thanks Julie. My son started 2B lesson book almost 1.5 month back and almost half way through it so was wondering if I should make him do other books of 2B or move to Book-3.

Mom17 if he's finding them that easy, then I'd say try the next book up once you finish that, rather than doing extra work at the same level. However, that depends on how well he plays the pieces. If he's just bashing through them I'd start using the extra book (performance book or a supplement) right away, perhaps with some carols nearer Christmas, to give him more pieces at that level. I would then talk to him about picking out three or four pieces that should be worked on for a couple of weeks to make them fabulous rather than just okay.

If he is playing pieces at that level beautifully, even if it's not every single piece, then I would finish the book and move up a level, but I'd probably use the three 'basic' books (lesson book, theory and performance) to slow him down. Make sure you've covered the theory at level 2B even if you don't do all the exercises in the book, or do some other theory book along side. I was a bit like that with violin as I found the note reading very easy, but sometimes it pays to go a little slower.

To be honest, if I had a student moving that quickly I'd probably be giving them extra pieces at the same level and the occasional one slightly above. I use the tutor books as a source for pieces at an approximate level, rather than a course, if you see what I mean, and tend to make it up as I go along.

He is doing pretty good according to his teacher as he tries 2-3 songs on his own and practice throughout the week and after that shows to teacher and he corrects him and as such everyday he practice all the songs starting from the book. He has been asked to focus on 2 songs for internal exams purpose. I haven't started theory with him, thanks for suggesting it. I also make him do scales ( only C, D , G and F major as of now). Is performance book's level higher than lesson book? I assume so!! Thanks once again for your help Julie, You are truly of so much help to me and for everybody in this forum.

Performance book is just extra pieces at same level. I use them if a child needs extra material for reinforcement (teach them) or as challenge pieces (no help from me). If a child is going through pieces that quickly, though, I'd worry that either the work is way too easy or that technique is being ignored in favour of getting through pieces. As a parent, you should be able to listen for things like notes being exactly in time, chords together not splitting, beautiful legato (smooth, joined up) playing, contrast of loud and quiet etc. go out of your way to compliment that sort of thing as opposed to just getting through pieces. Otoh, clearly good sightreading, which is not to be sniffed at!

Of course, I've not heard the playing of seen hand position so it's possible everything is fantastic. But I've had transfer students with such poor technique on piano that even I start by correcting the way they sit....... My own teacher was fantastic but not much fun and I often wish I'd paid more attention!

He is not progressing that fast, it will be 3 months before he finishes 2B( as of now half done). His teacher is pretty good, so just relying on him to take care of techniques. He needs to work on Aural which teacher started last week, I guess he will need minimum 6-8 months for 1'st grade preparation from now.

Seems fine then. I guess I just mix things up a bit more - aversion to tutor books!

Julie, wanted to know feedback of Michael Aaron's books in comparision of JTEP and AP ? Heard a lot about them but haven't tried so thought of trying for additional practice.

I've not used them so can't comment really. I think they're a bit more traditional in style/approach. Bearing in mind that when I started piano I was already a grade 6 violinist, so I kind of went straight on to Classics to Moderns and books like that.

Thx Julie.

Hi Julie,
Wanted to know what are your students upto ? the one who had started "Alfred premier Book-3" a term back , I guess they were suppose to give Grade-2 exam recently!! Just curious to know as My son has completed 6-7 songs of book-3 and teacher doesn't indicate any exam in this summer as well. He is kind of reserved and non-pushy so didn't feel like asking him about his plan but he did say that he will be able to appear for his exam this year. I guess by that time, he would be able to finish book 4 as well and according to level chart , it comes in grade-2 ( book-3 and book 4).