Discussion: piano materials and teaching methods

[bbnd]

I have been teaching piano since 1998, 3 years in China, and nearly 4 years in New Zealand. I have found out that the materials and teaching methods are quite different. For example, teachers quite focus on the finger skill in China, and the traditional materials include Beyer (not sure the spelling  ), Czerny, Hanon, John Tompson (? wrong spelling again) Modern course. However, in New Zealand here, different materials are used... and the teaching more focus on Theory and playing musically.
What do u think it's more important for a beginner, skills, or playing in musical way?

[kulahola]

Thank you for a clever post. Some people like Bernie pretend that everything is the same no matter the country. i mentioned several times that China teaches with Beyer, Russia with Nikolaieva, US with Alfred and this all doesnt produce the same results.

Obviously Beyer works well, see how Asian pianists behave on competitions - -never heard so much of New Zealand on the piano stage.


I have some Beyer transfer students and they are very skilled.

But I attended some Beyer lessons in China and found them very restricted on playing the right note in time.

So my advice would be: Beyer but musically !! doesnt have to be a contradiction.

[bernhard]

On July 10th bbnd wrote:
https://www.pianoforum.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=teac;action=usersrecentposts;username=bbnd

I am preparing my piano exam (ABRSM) for Grade 5. The pieces I choosed are "Allegro molto First movement from Sonatina in E op.88 no.4, by Kuhlau", "Lied No.13 from Enfantines, op.30, by Levy", and "Pastime Present No.4, by Harold East".
Can anybody give me any suggestion for practice these pieces, or things I need to pay attention to?

Many thanks


At the start of this thread bbnd wrote:

I have been teaching piano since 1998, 3 years in China, and nearly 4 years in New Zealand. I have found out that the materials and teaching methods are quite different. For example, teachers quite focus on the finger skill in China, and the traditional materials include Beyer (not sure the spelling   ), Czerny, Hanon, John Tompson (? wrong spelling again) Modern course. However, in New Zealand here, different materials are used... and the teaching more focus on Theory and playing musically.
What do u think it's more important for a beginner, skills, or playing in musical way?

Er…

I am curious. Why is a teacher of your experience taking ABRSM grade 5?

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[kulahola]

On July 10th bbnd wrote:
https://www.pianoforum.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=teac;action=usersrecentposts;username=bbnd

I am preparing my piano exam (ABRSM) for Grade 5. The pieces I choosed are "Allegro molto First movement from Sonatina in E op.88 no.4, by Kuhlau", "Lied No.13 from Enfantines, op.30, by Levy", and "Pastime Present No.4, by Harold East".
Can anybody give me any suggestion for practice these pieces, or things I need to pay attention to?

Many thanks


At the start of this thread bbnd wrote:

I have been teaching piano since 1998, 3 years in China, and nearly 4 years in New Zealand. I have found out that the materials and teaching methods are quite different. For example, teachers quite focus on the finger skill in China, and the traditional materials include Beyer (not sure the spelling   ), Czerny, Hanon, John Tompson (? wrong spelling again) Modern course. However, in New Zealand here, different materials are used... and the teaching more focus on Theory and playing musically.
What do u think it's more important for a beginner, skills, or playing in musical way?

Er…

I am curious. Why is a teacher of your experience taking ABRSM grade 5?

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

you are such a forum nerd.... dont you have anything else to do than remembering who wrote what when

[Swan]

That is curious ... if you want qualifications from ABRSM, why not just sit your grade 8 straight away?