A Primer to Primers: Reading Approaches

Jul 2

Welcome to Part I of the series A Primer to Primers: Practical Approaches to Method Selection. In this series, I aim to give teachers a thorough, but practical, guide to help them select a method for use in their studio. While this series of articles is primarily aimed at novice teachers selecting their first method, more experienced teachers may still find this process useful, especially if that are interested in selecting new materials for their studio.

“What method book should I use?”

This is one of the most common questions that I encounter with new teachers, and even comes up in conversation among more experienced teachers. However, with so many methods available, it can be difficult to figure out what makes each method unique. Many methods tend to share common folk-tunes and famous melodies, so there is often the sense that most methods are basically the same and that it does not matter what method series a teacher uses. This can leave newer teachers confused and at a loss for what to do, and veteran teachers reluctant to try new things. Despite the numerous commonalities, one area where method series diverge in a significant way is in their approach to reading. In this article, I’ll describe the various reading approaches used by method books along with some classic examples of series that use them. While this article is intended to provide readers with a brief overview of these approaches, I’ve also included resources for more in depth reading at the end of the article.

So, what exactly is a “reading approach”? The primary goal of most piano method books is to establish basic elements of music literacy, and the reading approach defines this process. The reading approach dictates the music, the sequence of increasing difficulty, and how a student begins to recognize patterns of pitches. In general, method books employ one of four approaches to reading music: Middle C, Multikey, Intervallic, and Eclectic.

The Middle C approach generally starts students directly on the staff with the introduction of – as the name suggests – Middle C. Notes generally expand outwards from this starting point, gradually introducing all of the notes within the two octaves from C3 to C5. This approach tends to develop facility in memorizing notes on the staff at the expense of neglecting broader reading concepts. Arguably the most famous example of this approach is the John Thompson Modern Course for the Piano. While originally published in 1936, it remains extremely popular for its compelling music, and many of you reading this may have used this during your childhood lessons. Other classic examples include the Michael Aaron Piano Course and the John W. Schaum Piano Course.

Methods that use the Multikey approach begins in similar fashion to the Middle C approach, but instead places students in tonally oriented hand positions, starting with a five-finger position on C in both hands, and gradually introducing other keys. While it did not originate with him, this approach was popularized by Robert Pace in the 1950s and 1960s and gained even more recognition with Jane Bastien’s publications starting in 1963 with Music Through the Piano, leading to one of the most prolific method series: Bastien Piano Basics (1985). The multikey approach has the benefit of introducing tonal function very early, rapidly moving students around the keyboard, and encouraging pattern recognition. However, students can become rooted in the five-finger position and have trouble reading beyond it.

The Intervallic approach, first present in Frances Clarke’s method series Library for Piano Students in 1955 (eventually renamed The Music Tree in 1973), actively de-emphasized raw note identification in favor of emphasizing interval recognition – in other words, students read music based on their upwards or downwards movement on the page. Note that the original 1955 edition was published around the same time as Robert Pace’s own Multikey method. This was revolutionary at the time because students were introduced to off-staff notation first to develop fluency in reading intervals before being introduced to a partial, then full staff. This allowed students to develop the ability to deal with groups of notes, rather than stay focused on individual note naming, and move around the entire keyboard. While there many positives to this approach, a purely intervallic approach can appear to move rather slowly, and the early pieces may seem overly simplistic.

Each of these three core reading approaches have their respective strengths, but also weaknesses. To be clear, a skillful teacher can successfully develop a student’s music literacy using any method and its respective approach to reading. However, this often requires skillful supplementation and resources beyond the primary method that a teacher has selected. The Eclectic approach, generally accredited to Alfred’s Basic Piano Library (1981), sought to remedy this situation by incorporating the elements from more than a single reading approach. Most Eclectic methods begin off staff with intervallic reading principles before introducing pitch names, and eventually the staff. They also tend to incorporate landmark notes, five finger positions, and begin by introducing middle C and its surrounding pitches when the staff is first introduced. If you’re unfamiliar with Eclectic methods, this can seem rather confusing, but most methods using this approach skillfully blend these elements together in a seamless and straightforward way.

While there are many teachers who faithfully – and successfully – adhere to their favorite method books of old, methods that use an Eclectic approach are some of the most popular methods in use today. At this point in time, there are many series that use an Eclectic approach. Some of the most widely used include Faber’s Piano Adventures and Alfred’s Premier Piano Course. While these two are extremely popular, know that there are many more options available such as Keith Snell’s Piano Town, Katherine Fisher and Julie Knerr-Hague’s Piano Safari, and Hal Leonard’s Student Piano Library, just to name a few. It’s also worth noting that most newly published methods tend to use this reading approach.

So, given the different approaches to reading and the myriad options available, how does a teacher narrow things down to select a method from which to teach? We’ll discuss a practical approach to method selection in Part II of this series of articles! In the meantime, do you have a favorite reading approach? Let me know in the comments below.

A Primer to Primers: Reading Approaches

“What method book should I use?”

Suggested Reading

Teaching Philosophies and the Element of Curiosity