A good book for Piano Pedagogy Class

[radmila]

What do you think which book is a good textbook for Piano Pedagogy I Class?
I have two options: Practical Piano Pedagogy by Martha Baker-Jordan and
How to teach Piano Successfully - Bastien
Do you know any other book?
radmila

[pianistimo]

for a formal class - it seems a bit strange to have a bastien method book singled out amongst a huge array of 'method' books unless there is something specific that you want to 'copy' from this method.  ie - using larger notes for younger children.  explaining things in sequential order and not omitting important elements in all areas of theory, technique, and sightreading (which also is done taking smaller groups of notes than some method books  - to start).

the more extensive books are ones that are comparing ALL methods and how they interrelate or are opposite in foundations.  a comparative study.  to see 'what works.'  or what people think 'works.'

i'll admit i've not taken pedagogy class - but i would be very disappointed if one method was 'chosen' for me.  i would like to have the teacher be very open minded and have a lot of their own personal views and reasons - but ASK the class their opinions too.  and, to explain each method in detail.

ps the best method that i see is the one where you have a good teacher and sort of blend a variety of techniques and secrets together.  i think i do more of my own method than any particular method of someone else's.  part of it is inspiration at each lesson to really address what is being taught in the most efficient manner possible.  thereby allowing students to also practice efficiently - and save a lot of time and energy that might otherwise be wasted.

**if i were to be involved in providing a class like this - i would have each student come up with their own individual method and explain it to the rest of the class.

[jeremyjchilds]

I studied the Bastien book for my Conservatory pedagogy exam.

I didnt like it.

I found it a little biased...and wordy not really textbook material

I really liked "For all piano teachers"  (Don't remember the author)
this one was super old-fashioned, but suprisingly succinct and practical.
Questions  rounded out each chapter, and discussions were brief and inclusive of alternate methodologies.

[Bob]

I've searched a bit. 

I've taken a couple ped classes.  Really, you could just read the books and then do a forum and you get the same result.  (And then write a research paper or summarize some articles if you really want to get nuts.)I heard of these...

Creative Piano Teaching, Lyke Enoch and Haydon

Questions and Answer, Francis Clark


Jane Magrath.... I know there's a "Pianist's Guide to Standard Teaching and Performance Lit."  but I remember some other book...  I can't remember a title though.



Sometimes they throw in a repertoire list for beginner and intermediate levels too.  If not, those are definitely something to mention.



There's a new one out in the past year or so.  Looked decent.  Big blue book.  Can't remember the name of that one either.   It's bound to be advertised a lot though.


I'm sure there are more threads on here too.

[Bob]

The "big blue book" is really purple and is that one mentioned...
Practical Piano Pedogy (Paperback) by Martha Baker-Jordan


The Well-Tempered Keyboard Teacher by Marienne Uszler   is the other one I was thinking of.

[amanfang]

My teacher used the Bastien in my first pedagogy class.  I would highly recommend "Professional Piano Teaching" by Jeanine Jacobson.  It does have an Alfred bent, HOWEVER, it is very organized and comprehensive.  The first chapter is somewhat philosophical - coming up with a philosophy of teaching, etc.  Then she goes into general principles of learning/teaching.   She talks about how to choose the right method (which gives a very long list of characteristics/concepts to look for.  She then gets more specific and talks about teaching elementary students.  She covers teaching rhythm, teaching reading, teaching technique, and also addresses common problems and some solutions to those problems.  She also talks about lesson plans in detail, as well as choosing literature and how to sequence the presentation and learning of a piece.  The final 4 chapters are sort of introductions to group teaching, teaching pre-schoolers, and general business concepts like studio policies, interviews, bugdets, etc.  If I were teaching piano pedagogy, I would probably use the Jacobson book for a first semester, and Well Tempered Keyboard Teacher for second semester. 

Here is the Jacobson book:
https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Piano-Teaching-Comprehensive-Elementary-Level/dp/0739032224/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-0019572-7020603?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1172957088&sr=8-1

And here is Well Tempered Keyboard Teacher:
https://www.amazon.com/Well-Tempered-Keyboard-Teacher-Marienne-Uszler/dp/0028647882/ref=sr_1_1/103-0019572-7020603?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1172957162&sr=1-1

[jeremyjchilds]

Your Big blue book might Be Max Camp's book "teaching Piano"

Quite Good, and very thorough in describing the stages of beginning to learn piano.

[radmila]

Thank you so much everybody for precious advices. I wanted to do Practical Piano Pedagogy for my class because it has a lot of forms (such as studio policy, interview sheets atc.)   but after I read I started not to like it. With some ideas of Dr Baker-Jordan I simply don't agree.  Professional Piano Teaching by JAcobsen seems as a good book. I will check it. And I agree that Well Tempered Keyboard Teacher is a good book for PEdagogy II but it is not enough introductory for Pedagogy I.

Radmila

[Bob]

What don't you like about it?  I was thinking about getting it.... someday. :p

You might still use the book even if you don't agree with it.  The students will have their ideas too. 

Not to switch topics too much... but what's the difference between Ped I and Ped II?  What more advanced things do you do in Ped II?

[amanfang]

It depends on the setup of the program.  I took 4 pedagogy classes in my undergrad program.  The first 2 were literature class.  In elem. piano lit, we read through the bastien (how to teach piano successfully - the book's just ok.  Some good ideas, but it's dated.), did method book surverys, and had general lectures on teaching and teaching children.  The class was just ok.  Second class was teaching intermediate literature.  The teacher there pretty much did a wide survery of intermediate teaching literature and gave us some ways to teach style.  That class was also just ok.  Piano Pedagogy I, my teacher lectured a lot from WTKT, but it was not a required text for the class.  We covered a lot of how to work with intermediate students, and presenting pieces to students in logical step-by-step fashion.  Piano Pedagogy II was teaching group classes.  I liked the setup of PPd I and II, but I think the literature classes probably could have been done better.  Some people can intuitively teach better than others.  Some need a little more guidance.  I like the Jacobson book in that it comprehensively covers basics of teaching at the elementary level (where most teachers start anyway), though many principles can be applied to other levels.  WTKT gets a little more advanced than that, perhaps after one has taught a little, many of the concepts will make more sense. 
I didn't find Max Camp's book to be all that interesting.  There were a few helpful things, but overall I thought it was a bit disorganized and just dense reading. 

[radmila]

This is answer for Bob's question about Pedagogy I and II. Pedagogy I will introduce all the aspects of teaching (setting up the piano studio, policy, charging etc.), survey of beginning piano methods, different categories of students (younger and older beginners), first lessons- sitting and basic touches (legato, staccato) and some other topics. Essentially, everything you need to start teaching.

Pedagogy II will be a survey of Intermediate Piano literature and supplementary books. Also a survey of basic historic music styles.

As for Practical PIano Pedagogy - it has some great points but not everything I need is covered in a way I would like it.

[quantum]

I really liked "For all piano teachers"  (Don't remember the author)
this one was super old-fashioned, but suprisingly succinct and practical.
Questions  rounded out each chapter, and discussions were brief and inclusive of alternate methodologies.

For All Piano Teachers
by Cora B. Ahrens & G. D. Atkinson
The Frederick Harris Music Co., 1955

I like this book too.  One of my Pedagogy teachers used it quite a bit.