I'm going to need a gigantic favor from the extremely generous teachers here on Piano World. I was wondering if someone could post a general outline of the materials they cover with their students after they finish method books and...basically up to the time that they are able to handle standard repertoire (I know, it would end up being a very long outline, but I'm sure everyone on this forum would benefit from it). I can honestly only think of selections from the Anna Magdalena Bach notebook, Clementi Sonatinas, and easy Haydn Sonatas (probably in that order) :rolleyes: . I start my child beginners with the Bastien method books and my adult beginners with the Joy of First Year Piano by Denes Agay. Once they are finished with that, or at least satisfactorily finished, as method books can move much too slow for students that actually work hard, I move both of them onto the Joy of First Classics by Agay. However, I've only been teaching for a year, and now I need something else for the beginners to move to! I recently found "The Joy of Classics" (not FIRST classics) by Agay, and it looks like a good follow up to the First Classics book, but I need some more ideas!

I usually work into the graded repertoire for the RCM examinations (whether or not they will be actually doing the exams).

Hi there!

There are two ideas that come to mind. . . The first is Jane McGrath's book called "The Pianist's Guide to Standard Teaching and Performance Repertoire" published by Alfred. She has done a tremendous favor to the piano teaching community by compiling and grading such a huge selection of teaching repertoire. I refer to it so often when I'm assigning new repertoire. Second, I would look for graded repertoire collections rather than trying to compile a complete list yourself. After you've taught from graded collections, you'll be more comfortable branching out on your own and choosing or supplementing with collections by composers rather than collections by grade.

Frederick Harris has the Celebrations Series, Levels Prep-10

FJH has Helen Marlais' Succeeding with the Masters, (Late Elem-Early Adv)

and Kjos has Bastien Piano Repertoire Levels 1-5 (Late Elem-Adv) and Keith Snell's Essential Repertoire Books, Levels Prep-10.

You won't be disappointed in any of these, but it's important if you're new to teaching the intermediate student that you get used to assigning appropriately leveled music. I found teaching my way through series like these was the best way to learn. HOpe this helps!

Here's what I use before Bach Anna Magdalena or Clementi:

Developing Artist Series[/b](FJH) - graded from Prep level on up. Original classical repertoire by some lesser-known composers (in the early grades, that is). I begin these with kids in level 2 method books.

Keith Snell Essential Repertoire[/b](Kjos) - similar to above; original classical pieces.

Expressive Etudes[/b] (FJH) - graded studies that are again simple and original.

On Your Way to Succeeding w/Masters[/b] (FJH) - by Helen Marlais. To be used BEFORE Succeeding w/Masters series.

The following are not classical but wonderful to use alongside classical repertoire:

Composers in Focus Series[/b] (FJH) - wonderful series of modern composers such as Kevin Costley, Melody Bober, David Karp, Timothy Brown, Judith Strickland, and many others.

In Recital Series[/b] - graded level 1-6; wonderful original works by today's composers. There is also "In Recital w/Classic Themes" and "In Recital w/Jazz, Rags, Blues"

Misc Composers[/b]- like Catherine Rollin, Dennis Alexander, Christopher Goldston (Fantastic Fingers series is awesome!), Kevin Olson, and Robert Schultz (wonderful jazz books).

These are great responses so far!

How do you think the "Joy of First Classics" and the "Joy of Classics" books by Agay as well as the Bastien series for children fit in with those? Would they go before your suggestions or would there be some overlap?

(Here are the Agay books, as they are less well known -
Joy of First Classics
Joy of Classics )

Thanks!

Joy of First classics should be started during the method series - there's very little in them that's beyond an early intermediate level. The Joy of Classics anthology is good.

I usually move students out of method series after the fourth book. I then have them follow our state syllabus and supplement with the RCM syllabus materials.

Do any of you use the Applause series edited by Lynn Freeman Olson? Would something like this fill the gap?

My son essentially skipped the method books and went straight to music after the first five or so months of basic grounding in keyboard theory and practice. The first Applause book essentially became his method book. The music was varied in structure and style. It was challenging enough to push his technique along, but easy enough to master relatively quickly (which is important for kids with less than infinite attention spans).

The major anthologies I use are:

Applause (Olson)
Encore (Magrath)
Festival Collection (Marlais)
Celebration Series
Essential Keyboard Repertoire (Olson)
The Sonatina Album (Kohler)
Bastien Keyboard Repertoire (Bastien)
Developing Artist Series (Faber and Faber)
Succeeding with the Masters (Marlais)

I'm sure I'm forgetting a few, but those are the big ones I can think of off the top of my head.

Generally, I take my students out of method books after book 3 or 4 inmost methods. I then like to use either Easy Classics to Moderns vol. 17 by Denes Agay, or Beginning Piano Solos by Paul Sheftel. This takes them through late elementary early intermediate. After they grasp 16th notes and triplets, and can manage their scales well, then they're ready to move onto sonatinas (usually Clementi and Kuhlau) in preparation for sonatas.

For other selections, I like to use Jeanine Yeager (kind of new age), Kevin Olson, Eugenie Rocherolle (especially for jazz & blues).

There's really such a wide variety when they get to this point of music that they can learn, it's very exciting! Your best bet is to first determine what the student needs to learn next: should they improve their reading skills? Maybe assign an easier impressionistic piece. Do they need to work on a triplet vs 8th note figure? Find a piece that has that. Don't forget about setting long-term goals, too. This will help you decide what things they need to learn to get to that point.

Many of my advanced piano students have been playing classical and baroque music for quite some time and would love to have other types of advanced music to learn (such as jazz and pops) that have beautiful-sounding arrangements and stylish cord structures. Does anyone know of advanced/late advanced music for these types of music?

miss sharon, Philip Keveren and Tom Roed (sp?) have some wonderful early advanced to advanced arrangements. I think Keveren is more lyrical, and generally a little easier, and Roed's arrangements are more dense, chordal and more challenging.