The problem with method books

Supporting Your Piano Pathway
Written by Andrew Eales

Few topics generate as much heat online as discussion about which beginner piano method book series is ‘the best’.

As a reviewer I have more than once found myself on the receiving end of some odd feedback on the subject. One teacher might chastise me for being in their view way too generous in my evaluation of a particular method book, while another responds to the same review as if I had just personally insulted their favourite grandma.

In this post I will explain why there will never be a truly perfect method book. We’ll consider a balanced curriculum, stare into the abyss of a world without method books at all, and hopefully come away with a better idea of how to use method books in a sensible, balanced way.

Playing vs. Reading

Let me start by asking you A Really Big Question:

Do you expect a Method Book to provide a comprehensive resource for playing the piano, for reading music, or both?

How we personally answer this question will have a huge impact on how we view the various method books available (and how we teach).

And at the heart of the question lies the sobering reality that there are many different but valid approaches to learning the piano, and a similarly diverse range of well-tested strategies for developing reading skills.

A Common Approach

UK teachers may well be familiar with A Common Approach, which was originally developed by a team of leading instrumental teachers (of which I had the privilege of being a member) and published in 2002. It was quickly adopted by Music Services across the UK and beyond as the basis for peripatetic instrumental teaching.

A Common Approach was updated in 2022 as an online resource that is FREE for all to access, and is an absolutely essential reference point, and valuable manual, for all instrumental teachers..

The resource offers a full curriculum, complete with lesson activities for all levels from beginner to Grade 8. As such, it gives piano teachers a clear insight into how to put together our own teaching curriculum, including how to start off beginners with a good, solid foundation.

Here is the basic framework from the original 2002 publication, which outlines the areas of learning which can be holistically integrated to promote what A Common Approach calls ‘broad and balanced programmes of study’

A. Listening and internalising, including
• listening to music with concentration in and out of lessons, building on their experiences
• having a clear aural perception of the music to be played
• recognising and discriminating between the musical elements of pulse, pitch, rhythm, tempo, dynamics, texture and tone colour
• recognising and conveying structural elements in their playing
• making links between sound and symbols when using notation

B. Making and controlling sounds: developing technique
• posture and freedom of movement / keyboard geography
• fingering and co-ordination
• tone quality, sound production and articulation

C. Creating, developing and interpreting musical ideas
• improvising expressively
• applying their instrumental skills in composing
• interpreting music, developing a personal response

D. Playing music
• working out how to play music by ear
• repeating musical patterns and phrases accurately from memory
• playing pieces in a variety of styles with fluency, expression and understanding
• memorising pieces that have been learnt
• reading and playing music at sight

E. Playing music with others
• listening, watching, responding and leading
• contributing to collective decisions, including interpretation

F. Performing and communicating
• interpreting and communicating the character of the music
• evaluating their performance and making improvements

To what extent it is desirable to consistently incorporate all these with each student at every level of their progression is of course debatable.

But for those keen to delve into how this might work in practice, A Common Approach goes on to offer instrument specific schemes of work, with practical teaching and learning strategies for each and every part of the framework shown above. The full resource is an extraordinary landmark in music education, and well worth exploring.

From curriculum to method

Using this list to devise the materials needed to help your students learn to play, how similar would they be to your current preferred method book?

My guess is that there will be some similarities as well as striking differences, and areas that need to be dealt with ‘away from the page’.

Each unique student’s requirements will of course also be different. Method books are at best a compromise, useful only in so far as they match any individual student’s needs. So when selecting and tailoring teaching materials we must consider:

the age and gender of the student
ethnic, religious, and cultural considerations
their prior musical and academic learning
their approach to learning and multi sensory needs
neurodiversity, such as dyslexia, ASC, and ADHD
any identified learning disabilities or needs
their ongoing musical engagement and personal enthusiasms
your agreed medium term musical goals

Method books at best cover general expectations appropriate to one age group, and often assume there is a “right” way to learn, regardless of the above listed differences which combine to make every learner unique.

Any method book author’s best guess about the lives, prior listening, and musical experiences of learners will never be reliable, and is likely to be even less so if that writer is from another country/culture.

Notice the very first point from A Common Approach –

“… listening to music with concentration in and out of lessons, building on their experiences …”

This is of course the absolute foundation of musical learning. But it can’t by definition be included in any method book.

Learning to Read

While method books cannot be expected to provide a comprehensive basis for instruction, they can offer a systematic approach to learning music reading, which is obviously very useful. And this appears to be the primary aim of many method books on the market, which is hardly surprising given that the main products are, well, books!

But notice that in the list from A Common Approach above, reading is just one piece in a much bigger picture. And in any case, there are many approaches to learning how to read music notation, suited to different learners, and the following have all proven successful for some:

Using “landmark notes”
Intervallic reading – noticing steps, skips and jumps
Starting from Middle C, introducing notes in each clef, moving outward in a five finger note position
Using hand positions an octave apart
Pattern recognition
Using Coloured notes
Flash Cards, note recall
Note rhymes (mnemonics)

Accessing a variety of strategies is better than limiting ourselves to just the one favoured by our chosen method book, however good we believe it to be.

And let’s always remember the most musically empowered way to introduce notation is sound before symbol, regardless of the method book we use within that process.

How to Use a Method Book

When Ofsted began inspecting instrumental Music Services in earnest in the mid 1990s, one of their early conclusions was that much of the worst teaching they observed occurred where teachers relied too heavily on method books, simply working from one page to the next each week, failing to be flexible and creative in meeting students’ needs.

Several of the most inspiring teachers I’ve met over the years avoid method books altogether, and you might expect me to recommend following their example. I certainly think it is worth trying, and it might give you a better perspective on what your core curriculum goals are.

But I would suggest that the problem with method books is not with the publications themselves (which in many cases are excellent), but more with how they are used, especially by teachers who are dogmatic in their preference for one method book series, one-size-fits-all, or who haven’t learnt to critically evaluate the content.

With all this in mind, here are some of the considerations which I would recommend that teachers reflect on:

Get to know your student, and their prior learning
Avoid recommending a method book in the very first lessons. Take time to get to know your student, assess their prior learning, work on basic aspects of piano playing, and evaluate their approach to reading strategies introduced first in lessons. Only then, with an open mind, decide which approach might best suit them.

Consider diversity and inclusion
Many of your students will have ADHD, although most will be undiagnosed due to systemic crisis. Others will have dyslexia or another form of neurodiversity. These students are most likely to benefit from mnemonics, and may struggle with rote learning. Also consider the beginner’s age, gender, and cultural heritage, taking care to find material they will meaningfully relate to.

The newest isn’t necessarily the best
If you are fairly new to teaching, don’t simply adopt the method book which is newest on the market, or which seems to have the loudest fanbase on social media. Familiarise yourself with and try out three or four different and contrasting method book series, evaluating their strengths, weaknesses, learner outcomes, and demographic suitability.

Spot the gaps in the method book
It is ultimately more important to be aware of a method book’s weaknesses than its strengths. These are the areas that you must compensate for in your teaching, away from the book.

Working away from the book
Try to start every lesson with the method book closed, using activities you have devised to meet each students’ particular needs, and taking care make up for any shortcomings in the book.

Introducing notation
Pick a Method Book that introduces notation in a way you are comfortable teaching, but be careful to avoid “confirmation bias”. Consider which approaches to reading will best suit each particular learner, and avoid defaulting straight for the method book which fits with your existing ideas. Be flexible and mindful of each student’s needs.

Musical variety and interest is paramount
A Common Approach refers to playing music in a ‘variety of styles’. Method books that rely too heavily on the music of their own authors must be treated with caution. Any player’s repertoire should include music by a broad range of composers, including contemporary styles, songs the player will recognise, and core pedagogic pieces.

Stop limiting yourself!
Don’t waste time and energy searching for a perfect one-size-fits-all method. Instead devote yourself to tailoring each lesson to meet each of your student’s specific needs. That way you will undoubtedly develop into a better and more sought-after teacher!

In addition to all the points made above, also consider:

The cost of the publications
The clarity of presentation
The visual aesthetics of the books
Supplementary materials, e.g. online videos, audio recordings, etc
How long a book is likely to last the pupil before they need to buy another

The only way we will ultimately find the best method book for each student is to write them their own!

An Exciting Pathway

In keeping with the spirit of the Pianodao site, I will conclude by drawing some philosophical parallels. In his excellent book 365 Tao (Harper, 1992), Deng Ming-Dao describes our personal growth in four stages, which I think are certainly also pertinent for our development as piano teachers:

Starting out, following the rules/method
Growing to maturity, and developing more flexibility
Learning to embrace creativity and spontaneity
Reaching toward mastery, exploring our own path

We would be wise to consider this list “aspirational”, while reflecting on which of the four stages best describes our current teaching, and thereby identifying how we can develop our teaching to the next level.

Further Reading and Reflection:

Who really needs mnemonics?

Are note-naming rhymes useful, and if so for whom? Many piano teachers suggest they aren’t, but multiple studies say otherwise. Perhaps a balanced reassessment of the topic, grounded in neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and academic research, is overdue…