When I was a teenager I started Saxophone lessons, and picked up a few bits on other instruments like the guitar. By this point I was a committed Piano student – practising every day, and practising more pieces/studies than my teacher assigned (my mum still had to remind me to practise my scales though! 😂)
Starting these other instruments was very different though – I really hated the method books. Now, this was not just because I already had lots of music knowledge from Piano lessons, but that’s not quite the case. When I was much younger, before starting Piano lessons, I had recorder lessons at Primary School (a right of passage for a lot of UK people of my generation!) And found the method book for that boring too.
These experiences led me to be reluctant to use method books when I began teaching piano lessons. Over the last ten years, I have developed a system without method books, that lets me be flexible in my approach and tailor lessons to each individual student.
Here are some of the things I do:
- Teach the “hits” from the Classical repertoire, e.g. Fur Elise, Moonlight Sonata, Clair de Lune
- Use music and exercises I have composed myself
- Purchase supplementary music from other contemporary Piano composers
- Teach popular pieces from the exam syllabus (even if a student isn’t going down the exam pathway)
- Include listening skills, history and theory in lessons
If you need help with teaching without a method book, keep your eyes peeled for something new coming very soon!