I have read on here that the book "Teaching Piano' Vols. 1 &2 is a recommended book for new piano teachers. I checked it out on Amazon but saw another one by the same author called "The Art of Teaching". Is one better than the other?
Also, an update on the 87 yr. old student I have had for about 3 months: She is a real hoot and I enjoy her a lot. But she doesn't practice so she doesn't really improve. So basically I am her coach. She has so many interests that piano is just one of many other things on her list. At her age, I pretty impresssed that she does have all these interests. So e.g. she has a banjo that her deceased son left her, but supposedly has to give back to the wife of her son. (not sure why). But she wanted to play the thing at least a little. So I ended up teaching her how to tune a banjo in G tuning (which i had to learn. haha) and gave her a chord chart and bought her a book. She hasnt bothered with the book, but at least we got the thing tuned. I showed her exactly where the strings corresponded to the piano keyboard. So I am turning into her coach and she is minimally (if that) improving. She has a lot of issues due to age and has several trouble spots in her songs. Unless she practices, those trouble spots aren't going to improve. But this is her choice and as long as she still wants me to come......off i go!

Hi SueKZ,

As a trainee teacher myself, I recently bought James Bastien's 'How to Teach Piano Successfully' (which is excellent) and Denes Agay's 'The Art of Teaching Piano', which has also proved very useful. In answer to your question, 'The Art of Teaching Piano' is exactly the same as 'Teaching Piano'- it is just both Volumes 1 and 2 combined into a reprint paperback edition, as the seperate volumes are no longer widely available.

I hope that answers your question!

Andrew

I read Denes Agay's book, The Art of Teaching Piano, very recently, though I haven't seen the other two you mentioned. Agay's book is quite good; it is well-organized and clearly written, and it pretty much lays out everything a teacher would want to cover. For that reason, it is also a good book for an older student (like myself).

The soft-cover edition is nicely-bound, printed on good paper, and benefits from very good typography and editing--- you don't need a microscope to read the typeface. The music examples are very legible... and it's printed in the United States.

If you like collections, I could also recommend his four-book series, An Anthology of Piano Music (Baroque, Classical, Romantic, 20th Century). The same comments apply, though I could add I think it was sensible to separate the volumes so that each is a reasonable size, and the binding does not scratch up the music desk. I wish some other editions could say as much.

Sue,

Denes Agey's teaching book was the very first I read and studied as a new teacher. Loaded with wonderful ideas and suggestions.

Some other books I found invaluable were Frances Clark's Teaching Q&A and Richard Chronister's A Piano Teacher's Legacy. Clark wrote a column for Clavier Magazine for at least a decade which covered virtually every aspect of teaching. I'd consider these three "must reads."

On the practical side, there are some excellent newer books. One I particularly like is by Dr. Martha Baker-Jordan "Practical Pedagogy." This addresses solving a myriad of problems similar to the ones raised on this forum.

The book by Richard Chronister, "A Piano Teacher's Legacy", is certainly a must-read. I just finished this book and am finding it to be valuable. Best pedagogy book I've read. Order it here:
www.francesclarkcenter.org

OK. Thanks all. I will buy "The Art of Teaching Piano" by Denes Agay and go from there. I already have the Bastien pedagogy book.

I suggest using the "search" on PWF for Denes Agay, I know he's been a topic of discussion several times in the past 2 -3 years.

I like this gentleman so much because of his pedagogy and teaching music attitudes. There is a lot to learn about him as he is less conspicuous that many other pedagoges but he was also an earlier pedagogue than most and he has passed away in his 90's a few years go. I find him delightful and think of him as a gem and that is because of his content but written without an ego or seeking fame. Read everything you can by him, and by googling, you will find a lot of referances to him and his work.

Yes, there are many other pedagogues to read - the list is endless. Don't forget Seymour Bernstein's contributions. Some of my best ideas have come from both of these men.

Reading pedagogy is a must - it explains the why's and wherefore's of teaching. Much more highly evolved and pertinent than the method books. When we have our own ideas to use, the use of a method becomes less attractive, and we can seek from our own knowledge the appropriate and valuable idea that is the next step for our piano student. Pedagogy study makes us capable and resourceful and independent as teachers, and it gives us confidence and inspiration, I think.

Off topic, but just wanted to say it's good to see you again, Betty!