Piano Adventures®
has set a new standard for a new century of piano teaching. It is fast
becoming the method of choice at leading university pedagogy programs
and major teaching studios around the world. But more importantly, Piano
Adventures® is bringing smiles to the faces of
thousands of piano students. It can do the same for your students.
Here's why:
Approach to Reading
Every teacher has experienced the
frustration of students who have difficulty reading music. Have you heard
students perpetually ask, "What hand position am I in?" Perhaps you've
heard a concerned parent remark, "But she still doesn't know her
notes!" Piano Adventures® has established the new model
for piano methods with its composite approach to note reading. The ability to
read music is developed by effectively integrating three skills: 1) individual
note recognition; 2) intervalic reading; and 3) a multi-key understanding. These
are carefully sequenced and reinforced to ensure success.
Students begin by
learning a limited set of notes – the notes of Middle C Position... yet they
play these notes with varied fingerings. For example, the student plays Middle C
with finger 1, finger 2, and then with finger 3. As the student learns Treble G
(the next in a series of important guide notes – Middle C, Treble G,
Bass F), the pieces require the student to play finger 3 on G, and then 5 on G.
Similarly, varied fingering is used for Bass F and other notes presented. This
pedagogy has several important benefits:
The fingering for
the first note in either hand of each piece is set up for the student to
identify the note name, write it on a blank, then place the hand according to
the note and finger number given. The student learns the fundamental procedure
of music reading and becomes self-sufficient in this process. No longer will the
teacher be plagued by the student asking, "What hand position?"
Concurrent with
individual note reading, the student is required to read by the contour of the
musical line - step or skip, up or down. This intervalic reading approach
promotes fluency, recognition of melodic pattern, and understanding of the
musical line.
At level 2A, with
the student firmly grounded in note reading, a multi-key approach is taken. Here
the student learns the major and minor 5-finger patterns in C, G, D, and A...
not so many as to overwhelm the student's reading or to become tedious, but
enough to grasp transposition and basic chord recognition. (The student is
encouraged to learn all 12 major and minor 5-finger positions in exercise
format.) Minor is included early to tantalize the ear and to offer additional
appealing sounds. At Level 2B, the complete major scale is introduced along with
key signatures and primary chords in the keys of C, G, and F.
Pianistic Music
Pianistic arranging is one
of the hallmarks of the Fabers' material. All of the music in Piano Adventures
is specifically written or arranged for the piano.
Artistic Music
The pieces included in Piano
Adventures® are eminently musical. A method can only be
as good as its music, and the music of Piano Adventures®
shines. The course combines technique and artistry so that the teacher may bring
out the maximum expression in the student's playing. Parents notice the
musicality... students thrive on it... and you the teacher will appreciate the
artistic results. The Technique & Artistry books in Piano
Adventures® are ground-breaking and unparalleled in
teaching technical gesture for artistic playing. The "Technique
Secrets" and exercises deliver the pianistic tools to play with ease and
expression. The "Artistry Hint" and "Artistry Piece" that
conclude each unit bring student awareness of sound and musicality to new
heights.
Student Appeal
Students are attracted to the
pieces and sounds of Piano Adventures®. Ten years of
painstaking pilot testing has ensured that the method has wide student appeal.
Literally, over one hundred pieces that did not pass the test of student
enthusiasm were discarded and replaced, until the method met the standard and
musical taste of both piano student and teacher. The tremendous appeal of the
music as published has been confirmed by the thousands of letters and comments
from teachers and students across North America.
How to Use
Piano Adventures®
A Supplementary Library that
Motivates
The PreTime®
to BigTime® Piano Supplementary Library
correlates with Piano Adventures® to provide a broad
selection of music to meet each individual student's interest - at the precise
level of difficulty. With styles that include Popular, Rock 'n Roll, Classics,
Jazz & Blues, Ragtime & Marches, Children's Songs, Favorites, Hymns, and
More Popular, the teacher can choose the style that motivates the student, and
can be assured that it is arranged to meet the pedagogical demands of the level.
PreTime® to BigTime® offers
the right fit between student interest and student repertoire.
For beginning
students ages 5 to 9, use the basic edition of Piano Adventures®,
starting at the Primer Level. All students should receive the Lesson Book and
Theory Book, and most should also be given the Performance Book and Technique
& Artistry Book. (However, if you only teach a 30-minute lesson, you may
need to choose between the latter two books.)
As the student
finishes the pre-reading units, add a PreTime® book of
the student's choice (PreTime® = Primer Level). Young
students enjoy PreTime® Children's Songs; PreTime®
Favorites is a staple in many studios. Older students appreciate PreTime®
Popular or PreTime® Classics. For fun and work on rhythm, use
PreTime® Rock 'n Roll or PreTime® Jazz
& Blues.
For older
beginners ages 10 and up, use Accelerated Piano Adventures®
for the Older Beginner. This course begins with Book 1, eliminating the
use of a primer. The pieces and illustrations are appropriate for an older age,
and the repertoire is sufficiently different from the basic course (which allows
two siblings to both use Piano Adventures®.) The
Lesson Book is essential. It is ideally supported by the Theory Book,
Performance Book, and Technique & Artistry Book. A proficient student in the
accelerated edition may go directly into a PlayTime®
Piano Book midway through the lesson book (PlayTime® =
Level 1). The older beginner progresses from Book 1 to Book 2 of the accelerated
course.
Adult students
may use the
Accelerated
edition or
Adult Piano Adventures®
Every student
should be given an assignment book. Piano Adventures® PracticeTime
is fun, effective, and provides correlated listings for the PreTime®
to BigTime® Piano Supplementary Library.
