The first time I read through this book was when I started piano again. First time round I had self-taught as a young person, and then had no piano for 35 years. I had just had a few years of lessons on another instrument - my first lessons ever - and that experience had me thinking about the nature of music study and lessons. I haven't looked at the book since then. In the meantime I have been receiving instruction by a good teacher, and that includes pedagogy.
The book has some general principles that I absolutely agree with. One is that ideally music study should be complete, and include such things as theory for understanding - "total music education". 2. "Discover how the hands etc. move, then condition them to move that way, and a way of achieving this." - the need for this. We need to have a "how" to the physical side of playing, which is an interaction of the body and the instrument. 3. Certain principles of practice, such as starting at the hardest parts = usually starting at the end, working in small sections, and overlapping those sections. This is definitely taught by some teachers (I learned it) and is probably used by musicians. 4. "Post-practice improvement" provided that you have practised in an effective manner. I have experienced this myself. It is important to know, because it is encouraging, versus the thought that what you reached at the end of a session is the only thing you'll get out of it.
One danger of this book is if it is taken as a combination bible and cookbook, and followed absolutely. Somewhere near the end Dr. Chang warns not to do that, but there is also a reference to it as a "textbook". It should not be done for several reasons. One is that an instruction may be misunderstood and thus misapplied; or it is not appropriate for that learner and learning style. Also, there are some different ways of teaching and approaching which are all quite good; the same for learning - a same teacher may suggest various paths for various students. So getting locked into any one way and seeing it as the only way, could be detrimental. I would rather see the book as a resource of ideas to explore.
I read references to "intuitive" playing as a negative, but what I see described as intuitive seems to me more like knee-jerk reflex than intuition. I believe strongly in effective ways, and that a good teacher can bring us to things we would not come up with on our own. But there is also an inner voice that can lead us in the right direction, getting us to ask the right questions and seek the right things. That voice also guides us in practising and in working with a good teacher. We must separate knee-jerk from actual intuition.
I see instructions of a sequence for learning things, a day 1, 2, 3, 4, and specific approaches and order to them. I would not want to see any of this followed rigidly. And perhaps that was not the intent. (Dr. Chang?)
Among the various things: - HS - I disagree with this as an "always". It depends on the music, what you are doing, and where you are at. 2. that non-musical practice is an absolute no-no --- actually I want to explore this separately. 3, about memorization vs. reading, and that non-memorizers or poor memorizers abandon pieces after learning them etc. If you learn effective reading, so that you can truly read and there is a musicality that attaches itself to it as well as freedom, that will not happen. But the experience of "reading" probably led to that conclusion. What I am trying to say is that there are other realities.
There is a section about children, written for parents, and here the parents are told how to guide their children, including when the children are studying with a teacher. One thing refers to "instructions given hurriedly in lessons". I know some teachers who are very particular about how they instruct, how they prepare the student, and how they want the student to work at home. Some of the advice given in this section would undermine what some of these teachers do. It also states that the book should "serve as a textbook" for the parent. I've already written about it being a textbook. But when there is a decent teacher who is working in a particular manner, then you do not want to be working along a different system. It frustrates the teacher's work, and confuses the child.
Recitals as motivating children? That is an opinion, not an absolute truth. It works for some students. It is a disincentive for some, an absolute turn-off for others, and where there is intrinsic motivation in the student, it may frustrate that motivation. I have also raised children who are now adults, and I was a child myself.
There is reference to books that have been written on practising, but what is missing - for good reason - is how teachers teach practising and how to work on music. Often these books are not written by the teachers because teaching is more fluid than that. It is an interaction and a back and forth. At least two senior teachers I have conversed with at length have decided against putting down their approaches and teachings, for fear that they would be turned into something rigid - which does not reflect what they do. We cannot, and must not, assume that all teachers do stereotypical things when they teach. I DO AGREE that the common way of teaching, which is to assign piece after piece (identified in the book), that does not work well. It is that kind of thing which got me to question how effective learning, practice, and student-teacher interaction might actually occur, after my first period of lessons stopped.
As a general resource giving food for thought and brand new insights - since so many things are in fact so narrowly done "out there" - it is an excellent book.
Topic: Fundamentals of Piano Practice