The Best Method Book for Your Piano Student

All beginner piano teachers have one simple question: out of all the wonderful method books available, which is right for me and my students?

While this may seemingly be an overwhelming question, the answer is surprisingly simple! (Notice I did not say it was a zero-effort answer, just a simple answer.)

Out of Schaum, Faber, Bastien, Thompson, Alfred, and more, the best method book for your piano student is...dependent upon you.

What?!? Impossible! Clearly, there has to be one that is better than all the others!

While on the surface this may seem true, the reality is that choosing the best method book is largely dependent on two things: you, and your student.

There are two main questions you should ask yourself when choosing a method:

1. What are the goals and styles of the individuals involved?

2. Which method book best fits those goals and styles?

To answer the first of these two questions, consider the following thoughts:

What is your goal as a teacher? What is your style as a teacher? Do you like to be follow the course of the books, or simply use the books as tools to help you convey concepts?

What is the maturity level of your student? What is their goal (concert pianist, church pianist, etc)? What is their learning method? Do they learn best "hands-on," or do they pick up on a concept quickly and prefer to implement it on their own?

After you have explored these questions a little, you must find which method book best fits you and your student.

A simple but obvious example: it is unwise to begin a three-year-old in a piano method for adults.

Here are some ideas to guide you into finding the best book for you and your students:

First, find a place to review method books. You could perhaps find someone reviewing all the method books on an online video platform. You could go to your local music store and browse their selection of method books. Maybe you could even ask friends if you could peruse their teaching books. This does not have to be a long, involved process. Simply take note of these few things:

1. Is the method primarily aural or visual?

2. How is the keyboard introduced?

3. Does the method fit the age group for your student?

4. What is the method's emphasis on musicality?

5. Are there examples for each concept, or are the examples left up to you?

While these are just some thoughts to guide your mind in the right direction, keep in mind that there are no right or wrong answers. It all depends on you and your student.

In reality, you will likely end up owning several method books.

My personal recommendation is this:

Lay out how you would like to teach piano from the absolute beginning. Then find the method book that best fits your approach. You will change this approach, but it puts you as the teacher in charge of your curriculum, and not a book by an author who does not know you or your student.

As a teacher, you will likely need supplemental materials for teaching chords, practicing sight-reading, and many other skills. We offer a "Resource" service that provides examples of improvisation, simple lead sheets, chord charts, scale sheets, and much more to help you reach your potential as a teacher.

Click here to learn more.

I hope this was a blessing!

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Aaron Dempsey

I Corinthians 15:58