Pianodao Piano Articles and Reviews

Educational Resources

The Pianodao Music Library brings together all of the repertoire which has been reviewed, shared or otherwise featured on the site. As such it is a varied, extensive, inclusive, and ever expanding body of carefully curated music.

The Educational Resources section features reviews of method publications, learning and practice support, and exam materials.

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How to Practise Music

Accessible and authoritative, HOW TO PRACTISE MUSIC is Andrew’s highly acclaimed book of tips for anyone who wants to get more out of their practice.

A Common Approach 2022

FREE to download, and based on input from multiple leading teachers, A Common Approach is the ultimate piano teaching manual: A complete piano curriculum, with extensive lesson activities to use with learners from beginner to Grade 8.

Which Adult Piano Method?

Adults learn differently to children. It follows that they benefits from resources tailored specifically to adult needs. Here are ten top method book choices…

Studio Choice:

Rediscovering Piano Time

With brand new illustrations throughout, a host of fresh new pieces, freely downloadable audio recordings, and gentle tweaks to further facilitate smooth progression, the brand new editions of PIANO TIME offer a very significant update.

The Piano Trainer Scales Workbook

A couple of years ago I suggested to author Karen Marshall and publishers Faber Music that it would be really useful to have an all-in-one scales manual within the popular Piano Trainer series. And here it is…

Lang Lang’s Technical Exercises

Lang Lang’s Daily Technical Exercises is a new addition to the Lang Lang Piano Academy series published in the UK by Faber Music. Here’s my review…

A Dozen A Day • All Year Round

As useful and truly indispensable a resource today as it was when Edna-Mae Burnam first developed the books back in the 1950’s, “A Dozen A Day: All Year Round” is a truly essential classic…

Paul Harris: A Piece A Week

Paul Harris’s series of A Piece a Week books have been appearing at regular intervals over the last three years.

As Faber Music now bring us the Grade 6 book, it seems appropriate to consolidate my thoughts into a single review.

Piano Sight Reading: A Progressive Method

Having looked at more than a few sight reading resources over recent years, I find this series especially appealing. Regardless of exams and boards, these are no-fuss publications which can be used as straight-forward course materials with pretty much any student.

David Hall: ‘There’s More to Playing the Piano’

I believe that taken as a whole package, this resource provides an excellent solution to the vexed question of how best to fit sufficient music theory content into students’ learning when lesson time is rather short.

ABRSM Piano Syllabus 2025-26

We live in challenging and changing times. In some respects, it can be argued that with their 2025-26 syllabus, ABRSM have channelled that zeitgeist. Certainly, I have yet to come across a syllabus that is, at one and the same time so assured, and yet so uncertain of its own identity…

Trinity Piano Syllabus 2023

Following their superb, and well received syllabus in 2021, Trinity may have misread the market with this radical follow up, losing sight of core piano education principles and sidelining the great repertoire of the instrument…

Pianodao: Supporting Teachers

Pianodao’s new support page for piano teachers offers an easy entry point for the training resources the site offers:

  • Pianodao’s acclaimed archive of FREE articles
  • in-depth reviews of piano music and teaching resources
  • access to one-to-one professional mentoring
  • professional advice and online feedback.
Visit The Teacher Support Page

Recommended Resources:

Peter and the Wolf

Here’s a delight! Featuring Prokofiev’s masterpiece of musical storytelling in a ‘simple arrangement for piano’ (by Hans-Günter Heumann) and with vivid colour illustrations throughout, this is very special…

ABRSM Jazz Piano Solos

As an addition to ABRSM’s existing jazz piano resources, their ‘Jazz Piano Solo Pieces’ for Grades 6-8 provide the sense of completion that has been lacking for so long… Rejoice!

Bluey: First Ever Piano Book

Here’s one of the most impressive educational resources I have seen. The imaginative marriage between musical learning and an established animated sensation is undeniably innovative, and it works brilliantly!

Christmas for Ten Fingers

OUP Music’s evergreen ‘Piano Time Carols’ book has been given a contemporary redesign, with added downloadable audio, and they have also published the excellent ‘Christmas for Ten Fingers’ for younger learners.

Essential Piano Technique: Levels 2-3

With the latest two additions to her growing series, Penelope Roskell provides a significant resource for ensuring players progressing through Late Elementary to Intermediate level, (Grades 1-4) develop a healthy playing technique.

Tunes for Ten Fingers

The Tunes For Ten Fingers series remains one of the top-selling methods for young beginners with good reason. With these new editions, OUP Music have given this evergreen resource a fresh, more diverse, contemporary look, audio, and many other tweaks…

Junior Performer

Rather boldly describing itself as “The Perfect Resource for Between Piano Grades”, the new ‘Junior Performer’ series from Willis Music clearly has ambitions…

A Dozen a Day • Counting Rhythm

Developing our sense of pulse, pace, and rhythmic timing are fundamental building blocks of piano playing, ‘A Dozen A Day: Counting Rhythm’ is a useful resource with lots of creative potential.

Edition Peters Piano Anthologies

With little duplication between these and the official ABRSM books, the ‘Edition Peters Piano Anthologies’ are an absolute must for those keen to delve into the many brilliant pieces lurking on the alternative choice lists…

There’s Even More to Playing the Piano

Building on the success of his previous music theory primer, David Hall’s has been written for those who would like to understand repertoire better, learn to improvise, compose, and appreciate the skills and techniques of the great composers…

Ben Andrew’s Piano Scale Books

Ben Andrew and Hal Leonard must surely be congratulated for bringing so useful and innovative a new resource to a crowded market, and one which so uniquely supplements those already available.

ABRSM Prep Test 2025

In addition to launching their 2025-26 Piano Exam Syllabus reviewed here, ABRSM have surprised us with an update to their Prep Test. Let’s consider the subtle changes they are making to this popular legacy offer…

Penelope Roskell • Essential Piano Technique

I cannot overstate how highly I recommend these three volumes. Beautifully presented, but modestly priced, they establish a new benchmark for teaching children the foundations for a healthy piano technique.

The First 50 Chords

Wouldn’t it be good if there was a simple primer introducing all the basic chords and chord symbols in a logical sequence, linked to their use in well-known songs? Well now there is…

Paul Harris’s Musical Doodles

Musical Doodles is a wonderful little book, and I can see it being helpful not only to younger learners, but to anyone who wants a fresh perspective on creating music, and is ready to have fun in the process…

Paul Harris Webinar: A Piece a Week

In this special webinar for Pianodao Music Club members, Paul Harris explains the ethos behind his acclaimed ‘Piece a Week’ series, and introduces the final volume.

Pianodao also has an exclusive free piece for you to download…

ABRSM Piano Syllabus 2023-24

The arrival of a new piano syllabus from ABRSM has become etched in the calendar as a big, biennial moment of significant importance for piano teacher. Sorting through the many changes, here as always is the in-depth Pianodao review of the new syllabus.

Andrew Eales: Fresh Air

My composition Fresh Air has been selected and licensed by ABRSM for inclusion in their 2023-24 Grade 1 Piano Exam Pieces book. Here is my recording of the piece, and some free practise tips for those learning to play it…

Decoding Music Theory

The Melodic Decoder books, covering ABRSM Music Theory grades 1-4 (2020 syllabus) seem to me a brilliant antidote to the dry-as-dust workbooks sometimes inflicted on children…

LCM Piano Syllabus 2021-24

LCME have done a fine job with this new piano syllabus, and I suspect it will see their popularity and influence further increase.

Here’s the in-depth Pianodao review…

Tim Richards: Beginning Jazz Piano

Tim Richards has yet again outdone himself with these two amazing books. Anyone committing themselves to an in-depth study of jazz piano playing will undoubtedly find that his course offers a superb foundation for learning and improvement.

Improve Your Scales!

“Scales, arpeggios and broken chords are important. And if taught and learned imaginatively, they can be fun!”

So says Paul Harris, whose completely rewritten “Improve Your Scales” books are the subject of this review…

Trinity College: A Recital Anthology

If you are in the market for an expansive, representative collection of music from the core classical piano repertoire at first diploma level, this is then without question the best I have seen.

Jazz Piano for Kids

Richard Michael has delivered the beginner jazz book that as a teacher I’ve been waiting for, seemingly, for decades…

Here’s the in-depth Pianodao review.

RSL Classical Piano

RSL’s first attempt at a classical syllabus is something of a masterstroke, delivering the modern approach to traditional piano assessment that many teachers have been asking for, while offering a realistic two-way bridge with their contemporary music assessments.

Piano Scale Mnemonics

With ‘Piano Scales Mnemonics’ Catherine McMillan has concocted a resource which will serve young learners especially well, not only delivering a comprehensive all-in-one publication of all the scales, arpeggios and broken chords needed by the intermediate student, but doing so in the most colourful and “moreish” way possible.

A Piece a Week: “Initial Grade”

Harris has just added a new book to this series, A Piece A Week: Initial Grade, which merits a separate review to the rest of the series for a variety of reasons…

Trinity Piano Syllabus 2021

When it comes to syllabus design that supports educational and musical excellence, it now seems to me that TCL have delivered a new gold standard here, a winning choice that pretty much ticks every box.

ABRSM: ‘Piano Star’ Duets

ABRSM’s Piano Star Duets book delivers a varied and enjoyable selection of pieces, from traditional pedagogic fare through to more experimental and musically interesting concoctions.

ABRSM Piano Scales 2021

With the publication of their 2021-22 Piano Syllabus (reviewed in full here), ABRSM have given their scales requirements a significant overhaul, also publishing new scales books and resources.

The Advanced Pianist

Taken as a whole, the Piano Trainer series surely ranks as one of the most useful, worthwhile and brilliantly executed contributions to the piano pedagogy library in recent years.

How to Blitz ABRSM Theory

Samantha Coates dishes up a satisfying and enjoyable feast of activities which I believe will ensure effective learning and exam success.

Play it Again: Piano

From retracing the earliest steps in learning, right through to preparation for a professional diploma, Play it Again: Piano furnishes the adult pianist with a wealth of insight, information and inspiration.

More Piano Sight-Reading from ABRSM

ABRSM’s new sight-reading books include several tweaks and changes to the format which together make them a step-improvement on the older ones.

Piano Star Theory

I can certainly imagine children aged about seven and upwards becoming truly absorbed in Piano Star Theory…

LCM: In Concert 2

While LCM’s “In Concert” anthology included selections from the DipLCM syllabus, this further collection is drawn from the ALCM and LLCM syllabi, with five works chosen from each.

How to Play Jazz Piano

In succeeding to make jazz playing accessible to that far wider audience of broadly literate musicians, How to Play Jazz Piano is a game-changer and a genuine triumph.

The Foundation Pianist

This is a series founded on a commitment to not only cherishing that transformative power of great music that drew many of us to become players and teachers in the first place, but to integrating all aspects of learning into a logical, intelligent, elegant and holistic programme.

Alison Mathews: Doodles

Doodles is perhaps not simply a hugely enjoyable collection of mini reading pieces – the book could for many teachers prove to be a landmark revelation…

Improve your sight-reading!

With the addition of a new Teacher’s book, “Improve your sight-reading” offers an unbeatable range of resources…

LCM ‘In Concert’ anthology

In Concert provides nine piano works, selected from the Diploma of the London College of Music (DipLCM) Piano Syllabus. These works have been chosen to give pianists a broad range of repertoire to perform from, spanning 300 years of music in a wide variety of styles.

Improve your Music Theory!

At last, a series which realises the true purpose of teaching music theory by making it interesting, useful and above all genuinely relevant to a player’s musical learning!

Rhythm Games

A gift to Pianodao readers, this set of 37 full-sized cards are mostly in Common time, with a handful in Compound time. PLUS: a few ideas of games you can play with students which will put these flash cards to creative use…

Practice Starters – Pick a Card!

Created by leading educator Paul Harris and brought to us by Faber Music, “Practice Starters” is an innovative pack of cards which aims to kick start and refresh your practice sessions. As we’ll see, it’s a great learning resource, and a lot of fun!..

Lucinda Mackworth-Young: Piano by Ear

Perhaps one of the most genuinely useful and important piano education resource published in a while, Piano by Ear is an essential purchase. Be sure to get yourself a copy and dig in – you won’t regret it!

The Pianodao Bookshelf:

Instrumental Music Education

For those interested in academic insight into instrumental teaching trends, this is a wide-ranging and thought-provoking book sporting 19 chapters, each a distinct article covering an area of special interest. I highly recommend it…

Women and the Piano

In her latest book, Susan Tomes delivers an impassioned exposition of the impact that gender has had, and continues to have, on the development of professional pianism and the wider piano community…

Paul Harris • How to Sight Read

Paul Harris’ sight-reading resources have played an important role in my teaching for years. How wonderful to now have this book, which brings us a deeper understanding of this important aspect of musical learning.

The Symphony: From Mannheim to Mahler

With impeccable timing at the start of a new academic year, Faber Music have just released The Symphony: From Mannheim to Mahler, an accessible new guide written by Christopher Tarrant and Natalie Wild, which hopes (and deserves) to become a standard text for A’ level and undergraduate students.

More Than Music Lessons

Merlin B. Thompson’s book “More than Music Lessons” is one of those books which could prove to be a game-changer for any instrumental teacher who takes time to absorb and apply the author’s key messages…

Paul Harris: Unconditional Teaching

Paul Harris’s latest book, “Unconditional Teaching”, is without question a profoundly rewarding read.

I simply cannot recommend it highly enough.Here’s the Pianodao review…

The Piano: A History in 100 Pieces

Susan Tomes’ latest book, “The Piano: A History in 100 Pieces” is quite simply an essential purchase for any piano enthusiast, offering as it does a veritable feast of salient information and insight into the instrument and music which we love so much.

Musicians Who Teach

I have no hesitation in recommending this book as an essential primer that should be required reading for all who teach singing or a musical instrument in the UK. Buy it, absorb it, and you will certainly have no regrets!

Howard Smith: Note for Note

Any self-published autobiography could too quickly be written off as a vanity project; Howard Smith’s newly available Note for Note offers a strong rebuttal of any such inclination, delivering a rich banquet that could both inspire the “returning adults” of the amateur piano world and inform those of us who teach them…

Mindfulness in Sound

Mindfulness in Sound is at once entertaining, interesting, absorbing and challenging. And though less-directly concerned with the art of music-making, this seemingly slight volume offers up a surprisingly deep and rich mix of helpful information and inspiration.

Memoirs of an Accompanist

Hot off the press comes the autobiography of Helmut Deutsch, one of the most successful and sought-after lieder accompanists of our time. His is a career and life in music that will surely yield both insight and a rich seam of anecdote, so let’s take a look…

The Complete Pianist

Penelope Roskell’s ‘The Complete Pianist’ is a monumental achievement, with 560 large format pages, 250 newly-devised exercises and more than 300 supporting online videos. I can well believe that it’s the most comprehensive, and essential book ever written on piano playing!

Listening through the lens

Listening through the lens is the recently published memoir of BAFTA-award winning documentary-maker Christopher Nupen, who has made more than 70 productions on classical music and musicians.

In his book, Nupen tells the story of his varied and often astonishing life…

The Waco Variations

Rhonda Rizzo’s superb novel explores the transformative power that music – good music – can have in all our lives.

Mindfulness in Music

Mark Tanner’s new book traces vivid connections between mindfulness and music which are not only tangible, but also genuinely thrilling…

The Piano Teacher’s Survival Guide

Once in a while a book appears which must be considered essential, an instant classic, and this is one such publication. The Piano Teacher’s Survival Guide instantly establishes itself as the very best practical manual available for today’s piano teachers.

Mark Tanner’s ‘The Mindful Pianist’

Mark Tanner has distilled his considerable professional experience and intelligent reflection into The Mindful Pianist. Cramming such a panoply of advice, practical suggestion and thought-provoking insight into its slender frame, the book is a richly rewarding read.

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