Piano Method Books

I have been a piano student for a while now and have had at least three different methods taught to me. Great fortitude is required to play and pursue the art of the piano. In order to present the techniques that are practical for learning, a person must know what's available.

So, what is available? Several methods have been introduced and I will attempt to describe them. First there are the John W. Thompson series.

What's included in the series? Well, first we have the basic finger power series. These are finger exercises that introduce the scales. Next is the is the "Schaum course Pre A Revised.

According to Schaum this book is:

"A time-honored tradition just got better! The John W. Schaum Piano Course has been newly revised with 100 percent new engravings and typesetting, color highlighting for concept emphasis, updated song titles and lyrics, and full-color illustrations."

The playing books are labeled by colors. The first is green, the second is blue, and the third is purple, etc. The Schaum series also has an adult series as well.

Another method is one which I am more familiar with. The Music Tree books are written by Frances Clark, Louise Goss, and Sam Holland. Music Tree company describes these books as:

"The Music Tree is the elementary section of the Frances Clark Library for Piano Students. It consists of four levels (Primer Level , Level 1, Level 2A, and Level 2B) with each level consisting of a textbook and an activities book used together. These companion volumes provide a comprehensive plan for musical growth at the piano and prepare for the early intermediate materials that follow at level 3.
This latest revision of The Music Tree combines the best of the old and the new - a natural child-oriented sequence of learning experiences that has always been the hallmark of Frances Clark materials, combined with new music and unprecedented variety and appeal."

The third idea for teaching is mainly for the advanced students. This does not necessarily require a method book. Have your advanced students begin with scales. Next, have at least two to four pieces to work on. These pieces should have different styles. They can go under the category of classical period, baroque period, renaissance period, and impressionistic era.
There are many more method series that one can choose from. There are popular children's teaching books by Alfred, Bastien, Clark, Faber and Faber, Pace, Robyn, etc. Adult methods include "Play by Choice", "Bastien Method for Adults", etc. There is an extensive list found at http://pianoeducation.org/pnomethd.html.

I hope this guide can be helpful to someone just starting out. You can do a search in google on piano methods, and you'll find oodles of website to visit about the methods. Good luck!