The Pathways Series – Page 2

ADHD • A Pianist’s Guide

ADHD • Insights for Pianists
Andrew Eales with Louise Eales RMN, NMP

ADHD, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, has become a hot topic of discussion in recent years, the apparent explosion of both child and adult diagnoses much commented on in the media and society at large.

This article has been cowritten with my wife Louise, who has three decades clinical experience working with children, and latterly adults, who have ADHD. She is now an advanced practitioner at ADHD 360, a leading private ADHD diagnosis and treatment clinic. We gratefully acknowledge that the Clinical Director has peer-reviewed this article prior to its publication here.

For my part, I have lived with this condition for a lifetime, only belatedly recognised and formally diagnosed in my fifties. ADHD has had a huge impact on my piano journey.

Our shared aim is to provide pianists and educators with a unique, relevant, and practical perspective which combines Louise’s clinical expertise with my personal experience, and which specifically addresses the challenges those with ADHD face in the practice room, piano lesson and at live events.

The article which follows addresses many common questions, explaining what ADHD is, its causes, history, the signs and symptoms. We then go on to apply this to piano practice, lessons and performance, offering strategies to help those with ADHD and their teachers. Finally, Louise outlines the process of diagnosis and available medications.

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Trinity’s Digital Theory Grades

Supporting Piano Education
Article written by Andrew Eales

Interview with Francesca Christmas
Director of Music & Music Publishing, Trinity College London

The announcement by Trinity College London exam board that their highly regarded Music Theory exams will now be available both as a written paper exam and as an online digital alternative has been greeted with considerable interest by the music teaching community.

Trinity’s theory grades have long been seen as an attractive alternative, but one which sadly isn’t available as widely as some might wish. With their online alternative, geography need no longer be an issue, and in terms of timing the exam they are available on-demand to suit the candidate.

Beyond this obvious advantage, teachers have also warmly welcomed the fact that Trinity have chosen to include music writing, using software that simply runs online within the Chrome browser, as part of their assessment.

In fact, with no need to download intrusive software applications, and with a sensible approach to proctoring, their theory exams seem poised to avoid the mistakes and concerns of the main alternative, potentially offering the best of all worlds.

As soon as I read the initial announcement, I was intrigued to find out whether Trinity have found a fundamentally better and far more appropriate way to assess music theory online than the current market leader.

I was therefore delighted to have the opportunity for an interview with Trinity’s Director of Music and Music Publishing Francesca Christmas in order to find out more…

ABRSM Performance Diplomas

Supporting Piano Education
Article written by Andrew Eales

A few months ago I brought news that exam board ABRSM had announced their intention to replace their range of diploma assessments in performance, teaching and direction with a new set of digital qualifications from 2024.

The popularity of that article underlined the point that these diplomas are not just of interest to several of my regular students, but to a far wider community within the piano playing and teaching world.

Now, with additional information available from ABRSM, it’s time to revisit the topic and bring you this updated replacement.

Music Theory • Online Courses

Supporting Piano Education
Article written by Andrew Eales

It is vital for musicians to understand the music we play: its history, context, structure, style and the conventions of music notation used to write it down.

Like many piano teachers, it is my priority to ensure that such knowledge is embedded as a relevant component of lessons. But like many, I find that written work can be difficult to fit into a practical music lesson. Not only so, but some elements are better suited to the classroom context, or to self-directed learning.

Many of my students want to dig into the subject in more depth, learn aspects of theory and composition that go beyond the obvious remit of a piano playing session, whether to develop a broader understanding or simply to pass a Grade 5 Theory exam as a prerequisite to taking one of the higher ABRSM practical grades.

I have always been ready to recommend additional resources and courses that meet the need for a more focused academic approach to learning music theory. And whether for an exam or otherwise, I find that students who develop a more in-depth knowledge of music quickly see benefits in their ongoing playing.

I have previously recommended Dave Hall’s excellent study book and video series There’s More to Playing the Piano, which my students have found helpful, but for those wanting more in-depth support I have been enthused by the number of excellent online courses I have seen recommended.

Keen to know more about suitable options for my students, I have recently interviewed four leading educators delivering music theory courses online. I wanted to compare what they offer, get a feel for their approach, and give them an opportunity to present their courses in their own words…

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Halloween Favourites

As Halloween approaches, many teachers and players ask about top choices of easy, but spooky, piano music to enjoy on these darker evenings. When it comes to whole collections dedicated to exploring the ghoulish and macabre, here are my top choices.

Autumn Repertoire Project

Autumn is a time of dynamic change and possibility, the old giving way to the new. As the ‘fall’ approaches, let’s take another look at our Active Repertoire and reflect on our piano goals for the coming months.

ADHD • Insights for Pianists

This page is the gateway to Pianodao’s acclaimed ADHD series of articles, which bring together expert clinical insight and piano education advice to support learners, performers, and teachers.

Essential Piano Education Resources 2026-7

Discover the best new releases and classic piano education resources to support your teaching studio in 2026. Here’s the annual round up…

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Putting the PLAY back into Playing the Piano

Supporting Piano Education
Article written by Andrew Eales

A Radical Manifesto for Piano Education

According to Plato, “life must be lived as play”.
How might this attitude to life benefit piano education?
We teach others to play the piano, but what do we really mean by play?

Why use Graded Anthologies?

Supporting Piano Education
Article written by Andrew Eales

It’s no secret that I have a somewhat ambivalent attitude towards graded music exams. Certainly, many of my students have found them positive, and over the years it’s been a joy to watch players that I have taught getting distinctions, with plenty of success stories across all eight ABRSM grades and beyond.

But while supporting independent assessment for its recognition and celebration of achievement, I am less enthusiastic about the extent to which a syllabus can skew the curriculum and compartmentalise learning. Worse, pressure (explicit or implicit) to take regular exams can for some cast a long shadow over what should be a joyous journey.

When it comes to graded anthologies however, I am absolutely a fan! These seem to me to offer most of the benefits of a progressive graded system, with few of the problems that mitigate against effective musical learning, and none of the exam-based issues that can so easily discourage and demotivate players.

Here are four key benefits of using graded anthologies which I value, and which students have clearly found helpful over the years, followed by recommendations of some of the very best graded anthologies available today.

The Three-Dimensional Pianist

Supporting Piano Education
Article written by Andrew Eales

Understanding the importance of equally training, nurturing, and developing our musical mind (understanding), body (technique), and soul (musicianship) empowers us to teach, learn, and practise the piano holistically.

Paying attention to each of these three dimensions in equal balance gives us a solid educational philosophy, a foundation for practice, and the insight needed to foster deeper learning. Teachers have long done this, knowingly or intuitively, to deliver a well-rounded music education.

While the concept of a “three-dimensional” pianist may sound new or even exotic, it really isn’t. All successful musicians engage musical mind, body, and soul in their performance. The purpose of the terminology and perspective shared here is simply to illuminate more clearly what it is that makes some more successful at the piano than others.

In this article I will consider these three dimensions of musical learning in turn, explaining how we can nurture and monitor each, and suggesting how our recognition of their importance can help us develop as teachers, learners, and players.