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Just wanted to mention this book as an alternative or as an accompaniment to Alfred's or Faber:

The Russian School of Piano Playing

This book, which I understand is the standard in Russia, had a completely different approach than those popular in the U.S. The emphasis is on nimbleness in both hands (very little use of chords), as well as constant changes in dynamics to create an overall more unconstrained learning method. The melodies are from Eastern Europe but they are really more studies in technique than melodies.

While I still use Alfred's, I go more to this book since I find it more well rounded. I believe the are three books in all. I have the first two. Very good explanations as well as scale exercises that are suitable for both children and adults.

This was reported in another thread, but you can find more info and first few pieces explained in a video at this page:
http://www.pianocareer.com/piano-practice/nikolaev-russian-piano-school-practice-guide/

What struck me when I looked at the sample music and saw your reference to "very little use of chords" is that it reminded me of the 1910 or so books (publ. date) that were passed on from my grandmother's childhood. I didn't know about chord-base until recently. Only those books were no Russian, they were being used in a school of music in Bayreuth, Germany, where she grew up.

A Russian trained teacher introduced me to this series several years ago. I am going back to them now on my own. I feel like my fingers and mind are unchained and being challenged by this method. For me, a far superior approach to the melody oriented Alfred's and Faber's.

I never heard of a chord-based piano learning method for complete beginners until I came to PW - I was taught (along with all my fellow piano students) on developing fingers, and finger independence and agility etc before playing chords. My teachers didn't use any Russian method either.

Which makes complete sense for a classical pianist - the simple piano pieces that 'classical' composers write (from Purcell to Bartók) are all based on good finger development and equal technical proficiency in both hands. And classical music at all levels is heavily reliant on the pianist having equal agility in both hands. I expect that in USA, where pop and jazz is huge, that's not the way most beginners (especially adults) want to learn, so they are taught chords from day 1 even before they have developed sufficient finger control to be able to play them with all notes sounding properly together.

This is a nice video on the overall intoning technique:


Intoning technique

I watch it often to observe the technique close-up.

This is a much better book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1871082889/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_0

Here is another very nice video on playing technique. In this on the instructor explains how to train body memory in the left and right hands so b that they can play with different sound intensities. Very well done:

Technique for different left and right hand sound intensities

So it was with me in both directions: a few months after the start of piano lessons  I played for the teacher monophonic Russian children's little pieces, and at home was looking on white keys for chords for familiar songs. They were unfortunately two completely different dimensions that in the school never crossed ...

Playing different sound intensities or dyanamics in different hands (or even in the same hand if you have two "melodies" going on) is indeed a good thing to be able to do to make piano music alive. However, this is not specifically Russian! It is taught the world over by good teachers, and used by good pianists. It is not unique to Eastern Europe.

I don't think anyone claimed it is specifically Russian.

The title is "Russian School of Piano Playing", the teacher being featured is one I'm familiar with and the Russian idea is emphasized. It seemed prudent to stress that these things are taught and applied everywhere in the world.

I believe it would be more accurate to say, such techniques are sometimes taught to some students by some teachers. If it was everywhere, I would have surely come across by now among the various teachers I have been taught or who taught my wouldn'

If you're talking about playing with different dynamics in each hand, and - much later - with different fingers in each hand, that would (or should) be taught to all students eventually.

Beginners aren't likely to be taught it initially, because they have to develop some coordination and control first. As for playing more loudly with certain fingers, you'd need to master it to play the more complex polyphonic music as well as those with chords in both hands, where the melodic notes must be emphasised.

There is nothing specifically "Russian School" about any of this: you have to learn all that to play classical music properly, for example. Have a listen to this song arranged for solo piano - the pianist is playing full chords in RH, but you hear a single-line melody above a subdued chordal accompaniment, because he plays the melodic notes (mainly with his right pinky) much louder than the other notes, just as if a singer was singing it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJxcbOK62eU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_fUDDhPsR0