What are the very best 'Piano Method' books to use for a self-taught pianist?

[czernyragtimepianoplayer]

Hello!  I'm 'czernyragtimepianoplayer', friends call me Erasmus, I'm a 56 y/o middle-aged male, self-teaching only, piano student/player.  I live in China, so I don't have a "Piano Teacher"....  Now, I have one very big main problem as far as I can see - I can't seem to "stick to" just one piano method book(s), or one etude study book(s), or one exercises piano book(s).  I make my selections and I feel just terrific about the books I like for my daily piano study, then only a few days later I get this all to frequent kinda 'confusion', and I go right ahead and CHANGE to some other DIFFERANT piano study books.  I don't know "why?", but I often about every few days or so keep 'changing' my piano study books around & around - this really is starting to trouble me.  I just wish someone could advise me as to any ways and/or means in which I could just learn to control this changing my piano study books around, is there any way to 'control' this?!  I have so many many piano books to study piano with, I've got all of Carl Czerny's Opus, at least 50 of his "Etude" Studies Books, and I've got all 5 of John Thompson's Modern Course for piano, I've got over 200 Late Elementary - Intermediate Level Repertorie 'Piano Pieces' books, and I've got all of John Schaum's books, many differant Hanon Studies, I've got Aloys Schmitt Op.16 studies, and I can always order any more books that I might need or want through SheetMusicPlus.com, they have lots of great books, they have EVERYTHING!  But, back to my problem here in that I just can't seem to "STICK WITH" one set of piano study books that I at first seem super happy with, but then after a few days maybe a week or so, I 'change' my mind and get happy with a different 'set' of books -- what to do??  How can I STOP THIS BAD HABIT???  As it's really slowed down my piano learning progress very much over the past 15 years, why do I 'change' my study books all around, and I don't think that it is because I have too many books and that I just can't decide on which books to use - NO!  I really wish I had a piano teacher to actually "TELL ME!" the books to use, even if this seems 'childish', but I'm still at the Late Elementary - Early Intermediate piano skill level, terrible I think since I've been working hard at many different books for 15 years, it's all very frustrating, but at least I can play 'all' the 24 Major/minor scales over 4 octaves, many good 3-4-5 finger chords, and I can play all of Ferdinand Beyer's Op. 101 Method Book - all done with that, and now I enjoy Carl Czerny's Opus 599 and 823, but still only 1/4 the way through Carl Czerny's Method Books, and I do John Thompson's Books 1 & 2 of his Modern Course, there are 5 books in this 'set', and I use Dr. Louis Kohler's Op. 300 Books 1 & 2, still only 1/4 the way through Dr. Kohler's Book 1, and I also study Hanon along with my 4 octave scales everyday, except on Sundays I don't practice because it's "The Day of Rest"....  I need to 'rest' my fingers, hands, wrists, forarms, shoulders, basically my entire mind and body -I work very hard at learning the piano because I feel I should, as I didn't get the nice opportunity to learn piano as a youth!  So, I trying to make-up for 'lost-time' so to speak, but I have this trouble of "STICKING TO" the very books that I really like to learn piano with -- I just don't know what to do!  Would anyone, somebody with knowlege as to this type of 'problem' that I have, would you please offer me some "HELP!", some good information, or at least some good advice, as to what I should do to remedy this terrible problem I have, please!  Thank you all in advance, and for taking the time to read this:)  I wish you ALL a wonderful day....  Your's Sincerely, Erasmus

[lazyfingers]

Hi Erasmus,

In my early learning stage, none of those books (Hanon, Czerny, Thompson etc) actually helped me beyond giving my growing fingers much needed exercise.

When I got older, I then understood what those exercises were designed for and then from there what to do with them. It helps if you have a good teacher (which I recognise is difficult for you) who knows what you are deficient in and what you need to do to progress. And then work on the technique(s) involved, make sure you have achieved your objective, and make sure it sticks. It would be highly improbable that you will get the technique simply by blindly playing for playing sake as playing the notes is not the same as acquiring the technique. (For example, how one plays legato or even what quality of tone you achieve in your legato is not usually written in the notes). Hopefully if you have an objective in mind when you start, you will be less likely to switch before you have achieved it.

Also, I'm not convinced that simply playing each exercise in a book series (eg. Hanon or Thompson) is suitable except for the more elementary learner, besides being extremely boring. I think targeting specific deficiency or to learn specific technique is better, and that may mean learning specific study regardless of who wrote it - which would of course lead you to work on studies from different composers in no particular order.

Hope this helps. All the best on your journey.

[czernyragtimepianoplayer]

Thanks for the interesting info 'lazyfingers', you have a great day now, hope to hear from you again someday....  Best of everything to YOU..!  Erasmus 

[ignaceii]

I'm 53, and although I had Czerny afterwards, the only one that can teach you everything is Bach.
I had a private teacher for some years, and being autodidact I learnt a lot from Bach through my teacher. From the litttle preludes, over the 2 and 3 part inventions, onto WTC. Really, Bachs keyboard music is 1 big school. He wrote everyting for his children, even named his books clavierübungen. The partita's, not easy you know.

And to enjoy, you only need his son CPE Bach who's 300st birthday it is this year. Just a genius as his father, called by Mozart "Our father and we are his children".  And I taught it was Papa Haydn.
Truly, CPE Bachs sonatas are just a world apart for that period, he is well and truly the Papa.
How history can make mistakes.

So stick to 1 book of Bach, say 2 part inventions, select a number of them, and train always the voices separately, left hand, right hand.... In 3 parts inventions, always find the voices.
It trains independance of the fingers as no one else, and in a superior manner.

As I cannot play so much anymore because of my health condition, I don't have any routines anymore. But still, I hope this helps.

[rmbarbosa]

You cant have a teacher, but you have internet. So, you can search the site of Ilinca Vartic, a teacher from the russian school of piano.
You may see some of her lessons in video and decide if you wish sign her site.
I have no personal interests when I point this site. Only I think it is good when one cant have a teacher.
There is another teacher , Shirley Kirsten and you may find a lot of articles about technique in internet.
And here, in piano forum.
Best wishes
rui

[ignaceii]

Internet can never replace a good book. But I agree about the videos on piano teaching. That can help. Forums like this, I have my doubts. A basis important question on harmony and theory was hardly answered.
Of course, if it's limited to how to play which note or chord with which finger, ok?
But I'm not a fan of forums. Too fragmented, superficious, non-structured, misunderstandings,...

Okay, I'm perhaps the bad man now, but I won't stay any longer I think.
Take it from me, use klavarskribo, see my topic, before I leave, than you don't need anything more.

HAVE FUN YOU ALL.