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Just curious...as to how people in Europe learn piano? do they have some sort of a european method? I gather there are no Alfred methods available in europe so they must have their own methods.

I also after a quick browsing of google found out that some europeans actually do not like method books at all. So how do they learn it?

Do they go through Beyer and Czerny op. 599 books?

Thanks

There's quite a lot of variation in Europe when it comes to musical education, languages and methods

We have access to some of the method books that you use in US, but of course many local ones as well.

When I started again a couple of years ago I purchased the Alfred for adults book and from my childhood I had the Michael Aaron method books. But when I started lessons my teacher didn't use method books, instead we started repertoire and easy studies from Lemoine, Burgmüller and many others. Not much Czerny, I don't like it... Bach is pretty popular here, but I don't like him much either, I prefer Scarlatti.

My teacher uses the Michael Aaron method book.

My teacher does not use any method books, he just gives me different pieces to practice (I, personally, do not work through the Czerny an Hanon stuff). He also gives me different kinds of music, like classical and jazz pieces to play. We also do some theory, and he will explain and show me on the piano.

So my teacher does not use any kind of method book, and everything I have learned was, and is through pieces!

In my country it's usually not the case to work through one and the same (beginner-) book. Normaly it's a mix from a lot of stuff: Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach, Schumanns Album for the young, Bartok ten easy pieces and Mikrokosmos, Tchaikowsys children's album, Chatschartujans children's album, Max Reger children's album etcetera.
Normaly you do that with a teacher.

Those who are self-taught surely try out beginner-books, very popular but also discussed is "Heumann, the classical piano method".
Also popular is "The russion school of piano playing" book one. The edition in my country is more expanded than the english edition.
Margot Feils "play piano" is often mentioned but I don't know it, the same with "Uli Molsen, piano school for adults".
Hanon is controversial, Cramer an Czerny more popular, but they are in little use. It's popular to create your own exercises based on the piece you work on.

Don't know Alfred method till I joined this forum and I was a little surprised how popular it is.
Also I haven't had any knowledge about all the ABRSM and RCM stuff, I was astonished how many people make examinations!
This is not common in my country.

Vester, what country are you referring to? Germany? Hans-Guenter Heumann sells books in Germany by the thousands: he seems to be a one-person cottage industry. He's both a jazz and classical guy by training, who also studied music pedagogy in the US.

Seems like a cool dude.

Oh sorry that I didn't mentioned it, yes, I refer to Germany.
Heumanns stuff is omnipresent but he also have a lot of critic.
The most chink is, that he ease original classical music. A lot of people don't like this procedure.

There are a number of method books rather than one european method. My teacher uses the books by Charles Herve and Jacqueline Pouillard (http://www.henry-lemoine.com/en/catalogue/rechercheFiche.html?cotage=26279
and http://www.henry-lemoine.com/en/catalogue/rechercheFiche.html?cotage=26280) for older students (I started at 39). I know that she uses completely different set of books for children.

I like the book. I think it is very good structured and usually every piece introduces one new skill to learn. And it is all music pieces rather than techical exercises.

It is possible to get US methods books here in Europe. When I started, I also bought Faber's Adult Piano Adventures 1 and 2, but never really worked with them.

Beside the Herve/Pouillard books I try to play pieces, which I like. Actually I usually bring something to my teacher and ask her to help me with a particular piece. Once she asked me if I'd like to play the original L.Mozart Minuet in F, rather then the simplified version from the method book (which I was happy to do).

I'm in the US, but I had never heard of Alfred's (or any of the other modern piano methods) before I discovered the ABF. I've also learned about many more methods via lurking on the Teachers' Forum.

All I knew about when i started out were the methods used during my childhood (40+ years ago): Schaum & John Thompson.

How do Europeans learn piano?

Good'nRight

Thanks Everyone...it is very good to have a transcontinental perspective thanks to this forum...How popular is Beyer BTW? I am personally in love with Beyer's course...Vorschule in Klavierspiel opus. 101.

I will check the books you mentioned as well.

alfred is hard to come by at music stores here. but there are alot of international solutions(amazon). for me. i use the lypur method(http://www.youtube.com/user/Lypur) my days are full with all sorts of assignments. so i cant go to a school/teacher for lessons

I believe we Europeans are not different to the rest of the world. We do what we like or what we can do about piano learning, and everybody tries to find his own way.

Presumably through a similar combination of their brains, eyes, and bodies to us

The main difference is that when driving to lessons they sit on the right...

note by note..........ok now it's just getting silly

as an ex European living in Australia I am learning the piano upside down.......ok I'll stop now

You must be joking ... I hope

Over the years, a fair amount of Europeans have learned to play at PianoMagic ... and I've had the pleasure of watching 'em.

thats only in the uk

As an American who lived in Germany for 5 years courtesy of the US Army, I can tell you two things.

1. You sit on the left, drive on the right.
2. You keep driving because there ARE NO PARKING SPOTS!