Perspectives in Pedagogy

 

There’s a new series in the music store - how should I evaluate it?

While planning for the evaluations in the upcoming series of articles on method books (see this issue’s article A new look at current method), I reviewed how three pedagogy textbooks approached evaluating piano methods.

In the first chapter of The Well-Tempered Keyboard Teacher (Schirmer Books, 2nd Edition, 2000), Marienne Uszler discusses the various approaches that method books take when introducing elementary level reading, rhythm, technique, musicianship, theory, experimentation at the keyboard, and using technology. She then completes the chapter with thumbnail reviews of eleven methods. Martha Baker-Jordan gives suggestions on how to evaluate methods materials and then describes ten series in Chapter 13 of Practical Piano Pedagogy: The Definitive Text for Piano Teacher and Pedagogy Students (Warner Bros. Publications, 2003).

Chapter Three of Jeanine Jacobson’s Professional Piano Teaching: A Comprehensive Piano Pedagogy Textbook for Teaching Elementary- Level Students (Alfred Publishing, 2006) offers information on elementary- level introductions to reading and counting approaches and provides an extensive section on what to consider when choosing a beginning method.

After combining the information from these excellent resources with what elements I look for in a method book, I came up with a sort of “laundry list” of things to consider. By the time this series of articles is completed, it is very possible that another new method will have been published. I hope that the information provided by this article will provide you with a road map for evaluating current and future materials. It is important to note, however, that NO one series will have everything listed in this article. It is up to you to decide which of these items are important to your teaching philosophy, and use that as a guide in choosing your materials. So…..let’s get started!

Reading approaches

Pre-reading:

How important are pre-reading activities? Sometimes parents are impatient with them, thinking they are a waste of time. But prereading materials offer a number of positive things. While beginning students are off the staff they are building their understanding of finger numbers; experiencing the sounds of up and down, high and low, and how that correlates with what order the fingers play in when going up or down; and gaining the ability to recognize types of notes and their rhythmic value. Pre-reading experiences open up the entire keyboard without using ledger lines, develop the recognition of the groups of two and three black notes, and logically lead to learning the names of the white notes. All of this is experienced without the distraction of the grand staff.

There are, however, some things to watch for in the pre-reading section of a beginner’s book. Sometimes the students are required to cover all five black keys (D^b, E^b, G^b, A^b, and B^b) with the fingers of one hand. For a fairly young beginner this may stretch the hand too much for a healthy technique and encourage playing with very flat fingers. Even when the student is only asked to cover a group of two or three black keys, there is a tendency to play with a longer than normal section of the finger flat on the keys for a greater sense of security. Possible questions to ask about pre-reading sections of a book could include:

• Does it explore the whole keyboard?
• Does it use just the long fingers or does it have all five fingers covering the black keys?
• Does it lead to pre-reading on the white keys?
• If it uses the white keys, does it have note names in the note heads? In your opinion, is this a positive or negative addition?
• How does it transition to the staff – one or two lines at a time, one clef at a time, or the whole grand staff?

Reading Notation:

There are four basic approaches to introducing notational reading:

• Middle-C reading approach: Methods which concentrate the early reading experience on playing pieces with both thumbs on Middle-C. The lines and spaces are generally learned by their letter names. Teachers may find this attractive since it permits the student to immediately play familiar songs and tunes. Because of this, many beginning supplementary books begin with this approach. One must, however, consider the technical implications of this hand position, as it often causes students to play with their hands pronated inward from the wrist.
• Multi-key reading approach: Methods which concentrate on learning five-finger patterns (with Finger 5 in the left hand and Finger 1 in the right hand on the key note, one octave apart) and cadence chords in many keys. Teachers may find this attractive because the student is very quickly able to harmonize and transpose simple melodies, as well as use the five-finger patterns for beginning improvisation.
• Intervallic reading approach: Methods which concentrate on reading the lines and spaces primarily by interval and direction from guidepost or landmark notes rather than solely by note name. Teachers may find this attractive because it helps the student rely less on finger numbers and remembering mnemonics for the lines and spaces, as well as providing an easy way to read ledger lines. It eliminates the unnecessary step of naming the lines or spaces when sight-reading, giving the hand all the information it needs to play the next note.
• Eclectic reading approach: Methods which use some combination of all three of the above. Most current methods use some degree of an eclectic reading approach, with several of them beginning with one of the more specific approaches. Teachers may find this attractive because it is intended to offer the strengths of all three approaches.

Possible questions to ask about the reading approach of a book could include:

• Which reading approach does this book seem to favor? Does it begin with one and then change to another?
  • Middle-C: Are the songs and tunes ones that the child will recognize and enjoy playing?
  • Multi-key: How quickly are new keys introduced? Are the I and V7 chords introduced as two- or three-note chords? Sometimes a young beginner with small hands may have trouble reaching a three-note chord with good hand position and healthy technique.
  • Intervallic: Are the first intervals introduced 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc., or are 3rds and 5ths introduced first to enable the student to initially only read line-to-line or space-to-space? Is the student encouraged to explore the entire keyboard?
  • Eclectic: Does it lean towards one approach more than the others? Are the greatest strengths of the three approaches blended in an effective way?
• Are there accompanying flashcards available? Are they important to you?
• Is there adequate repertoire following the introduction of each new note or interval? This is a matter of pacing – some books move very quickly, with just one song reinforcing a new note or interval; others move more slowly, providing several songs before the next new note or interval.
• Are finger numbers used appropriately, or might overuse lead to reading by finger numbers?
• Do the students gradually learn how to read and play beyond the five-finger position before they become rigidly locked into a hand position?

Rhythmic approaches

What is the first approach to feeling the beat? Large muscle movement? Clapping? Tapping? It is very difficult to teach children to feel the beat unless they have internalized the pulse in their body.

• How is counting initially taught? Take as an example the following measure:
  • Metric: Counting the beats of the measure: 1 2 3-and 4. All the current methods eventually arrive at this approach. How quickly is it introduced? Too quickly? Not soon enough? This often depends on the student.
  • Nominative or Chanting: Using the names of the notes to generate the rhythm of the notes: quar-ter quar-ter twoeighths quar-ter
  • Unit: Naming the value of each note: one one one-na one
  • Syllabic: Using a syllable or word that equals the value of the note: ta ta ti-ti ta
• Are drills provided to reinforce each new rhythmic concept?
• If you use all the levels of the series, will the students be prepared for the rhythms that will occur in early-intermediate literature?

 

Theory

Is the theory adequately presented in the Lesson book, or is a separate Theory book necessary for most students?

• Are key signatures first introduced with just accidentals placed in the pieces? Do the accidentals continue to appear in the pieces for a while even after the new key signature is used?
• Does the book eventually introduce the Circle of Fifths? Is it explained in a clear and logical manner?
• If you use all the levels of the series, will the student have played in every major and most minor keys? Is this important to you?
• Are all forms of the major and minor scales taught? How quickly or slowly? Are they played in the Lesson and/or Technique books, and do they occur in the repertoire, or are they only used “in theory”?
• How extensive are the chords that are taught? Primary only? Secondary? All types of seventh chords? Are they apparent in the repertoire that coincides with the Theory book? Are melodies given for harmonization to reinforce the chords that are taught?
• Are there games and puzzles in addition to written drills?

 

Skills

Teachers hold many different philosophies concerning the importance of teaching skills beyond repertoire in the lesson. Some teachers are very product oriented—they teach reading and counting skills primarily to support the performance repertoire. Other teachers are more process oriented and are interested in exposing the student to a variety of skills in addition to learning repertoire. Which are you? If skills are important to your philosophy of teaching, some things to look for could include:

• Ear training: Clap-back/sing-back/play-back? Major, minor, diminished, and augmented intervals? Major and minor scale types? Dictated melodies and harmonies?
• Transposition: Only in five-finger positions? Parallel or relative minors?
• Harmonization: With classical theory and/or jazz symbols? Used beyond the early elementary level? Lead sheets with seventh chords?
• Cadences: Only taught to support the theory of chords? Used to harmonize melodies in core books? Primary chord cadences only (e.g. I-IV-I-V7-I)?
• Form: Discussion of identifying themes? Designation of large sections? Discussion of Binary? Ternary? Rondo? Sonata- Allegro?

 

Improvisation/Composition:

Although this area is rarely emphasized, the ability to improvise and compose is vital in developing a student’s feeling of connection to and expression in their music. It can lead to a greater understanding of phrasing and “personalize”—sometimes for the first time—a student’s understanding of their emotional connection with a piece. Activities could include:

• Question-and-Answer phrase completions
• Improvisation over a teacher ostinato
• Improvised accompaniments to lead lines
• Formulae for short compositional assignments Technique

Technique

• How much technique is specifically addressed in the Lesson book? Is a separate Technique book necessary for the average student?
• In the very beginning, are single notes played one at a time with a braced finger and whole arm?
• Do the beginning pieces start with only the long fingers or the whole hand?
• Are there “how-to” suggestions and exercises illustrating technical issues in the pieces?
• Does the method include etudes or etude-like pieces? Do they effectively teach a particular technical concept? Are they reasonably attractive?
• When hands begin playing together, do they initially alternate or does the student play them together from the beginning?
• When the hands begin moving out of position, are they given time to move by strategically placed rests, long notes, or fermatas?
• Do the melodies and accompaniment figures appear in both hands?
• Are the accompaniments mainly chordal or are some two-part?
• Do the pieces at each level fit the developing hand of the average- aged and average-sized student? Are octaves introduced at an appropriate developmental time?
• Are the more advanced pieces still edited for a small hand? Is that a positive or negative thing?
• Does the book discuss appropriate physical approaches to issues such as articulations?
• If the teacher uses all levels of the series, will the student be technically ready for early-intermediate literature of all genres? Does this include two-part polyphony?
• Are the technical approaches and exercises in each level generally consistent with your philosophy of a healthy playing approach?

 

Repertoire

In evaluating the repertoire in a series, many of the questions are objective. There are also, however, visceral and musical questions that we should ask:

• Are the pieces written with an acceptably high standard of musical quality? What tangibles do you use to define “good musical quality”?
• Over the course of several levels, do the pieces begin to have a certain sameness of harmonies, form, and melody types, or do they retain a freshness of interest?
• Will the student, after playing through this series, have been exposed to good instructions concerning phrasing and playing with artistic musicality?
• And to me, one of the most important questions: Can I enjoy teaching and listening to these pieces week after week, or will they soon become annoying, stale, and hackneyed? Some of the more objective repertoire questions might include:
• Over the course of the series, does it stay mostly in the center of the piano or use a large range?
• Are the pieces well sequenced? Do concepts ever appear in the pieces before they are introduced in the Lesson book?
• Does it teach various types of pedaling? After a pedaling concept is taught, does the repertoire continue to reinforce that type of pedaling when appropriate? Do the pedal markings on the page truly portray the correct way to produce legato or other types of special effects pedaling?
• Are the dynamics presented consistently? Are they developmentally and realistically doable by the average student at each level?
• Is the repertoire throughout the series mostly original pieces written by the authors of the series? Is this a positive or negative thing?
• Does the series use a variety of genres? Folk songs? Jazz? Classical transcriptions? Non-Western? Atonality? Mixed meter?
• Do the early pieces generally have descriptive and appealing titles and lyrics? For boys and girls?
• Are well-sequenced strategies given for practice?
• Are suggestions given for making the piece more challenging?
• Are concepts and skills repeated and expanded at more difficult levels in a spiraling approach to learning?
• Do the pieces include all of the key signatures introduced in the Theory books?

 

Supporting technology

Most methods offer MIDI disks and CDs with accompaniments for each song. What are the advantages of incorporating these technologies into the lesson (and the student’s practice session)? At the most basic and practical level, they require the student to play with a steady beat! Sometimes the CDs have two versions of each accompaniment – one at a practice tempo and one at a performance tempo. However, some teachers complain that the practice tempo version is more of a performance tempo for many of their students, thus restricting the usefulness of the CDs. In past years, MIDI files were unusable for teachers who did not own the special players needed to read them. Now, however, most computers will read MIDI files. A computer or laptop near the piano makes these disks eminently useful, as it allows the teacher to set the tempo of each accompaniment for each song, for each student.

Beyond acting as a really cool metronome, prerecorded accompaniments also offer an exciting rhythmic background and a full range of supporting instrumental timbres. In this age of American Idol, downloadable iPods, and jazzy ringtones, our students may find the solo piano sounds of “Go Tell Aunt Rhody” somewhat less than enthralling!

Some things to look for in this area include:

• Are MIDI files and/or CDs available for separate purchase or included with each book? If they are separate, will you require your students to purchase available disks to use for home practice?
• For CDs, are accompaniments given in practice and performance tempi? Are these versions slow enough for the average student?
• Do the MIDI files have tracks that will play: Just one hand of the piano part with no accompaniment track? Accompaniment only with no piano track? Piano only with no pedal?
• Does the series offer software for use with digital pianos?
• Is supplementary theory software available?
• Are supplementary web activities and teaching tips available?

 

The overall series

In addition to the various aspects of the series discussed in this article, there are also some questions that apply to the series in general. These include:

• Are the pages visually appealing? Do the illustrations enhance the music or distract the child? As the series progresses, do they continue to be age-appropriate?
• Are the pages well edited? Are there adequate information and markings without undue textual clutter?
• Are teacher duets provided? Just in the beginning levels? Are the duet parts easy enough for some parents and older siblings, or are they strictly for a “practiced-up” teacher?
• Are extensive supplementary materials needed, or are the core materials generally adequate?
• Is the cost realistic for your demographic of students?

I hope this list of criteria will help you take an in-depth look at new methods, and perhaps a fresh look at the series that you are currently using! And remember to check out the Perspectives in Pedagogy articles in coming issues of Clavier Companion for valuable information about the newest and most popular methods on the market today.