Piano pedagogy
Encyclopedia
Piano pedagogy is the study of the teaching of piano
playing. Whereas the professional field of music education
pertains to the teaching of music in school classrooms or group settings, piano pedagogy focuses on the teaching of musical skills to piano students on the level of the individual. This is done most often via private or semiprivate instructions, which are most commonly referred to as piano lessons. The practitioners of piano pedagogy are called piano pedagogues, or simply, piano teachers.
or another performance area (voice, orchestral instrument, etc). Other teachers, without higher education in music, may have studied piano playing independently or have been self-taught. For better or worse, the quality and knowledge these teachers offer can range widely.
, master
, or doctoral
degree at music colleges or conservatories. The undergraduate level may require many years of prior piano studies and previous teaching experience as prerequisites for application. At the graduate level, many schools require applicants to have some teaching experience and at least a bachelor of music
or equivalent experience in piano performance and/or pedagogy.
Although virtually all piano pedagogy programs include a significant portion of performance requirement, the pedagogy major may be distinct from the performance major at some schools. Some members of the latter group may have the option to take courses in the teaching of piano, but not all do.
, Émile Jaques-Dalcroze, Russian-American piano pedagogue at Longy School of Music
, Dr. Faina Bryanskaya, advocates a holistic approach which integrates as many aspects of music-making as possible at once would result in the most effective piano teaching.
Gerig, Reginald (2nd Ed. 2007). Famous Pianists and their Technique. Indiana University Press. ISBN 0253348552
Magrath, Jane (1995). Pianist's Guide to Standard Teaching and Performance Literature. Alfred Publishing Co. ISBN 0882846558
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
playing. Whereas the professional field of music education
Music education
Music education is a field of study associated with the teaching and learning of music. It touches on all domains of learning, including the psychomotor domain , the cognitive domain , and, in particular and significant ways,the affective domain, including music appreciation and sensitivity...
pertains to the teaching of music in school classrooms or group settings, piano pedagogy focuses on the teaching of musical skills to piano students on the level of the individual. This is done most often via private or semiprivate instructions, which are most commonly referred to as piano lessons. The practitioners of piano pedagogy are called piano pedagogues, or simply, piano teachers.
Professional training
The range of professionalism among available teachers of piano is undoubtably wide. "Competent instruction is not always assured by the number of years one has taken lessons", warned piano pedagogue and writer of numerous pedagogical books, James Bastien. The factors which affect the professional quality of a piano teacher include one's competence in musical performance, knowledge of musical genres, history, and piano repertoire, experience in teaching, ability to adapt one's teaching method to students of different personalities and learning styles, education level, and so on.Musicians without degrees in piano pedagogy
In the United States, piano lessons may often be found offered by teachers without higher education specifically focused in piano performance or piano pedagogy. Some teachers may hold degrees in another discipline in music, such as music educationMusic education
Music education is a field of study associated with the teaching and learning of music. It touches on all domains of learning, including the psychomotor domain , the cognitive domain , and, in particular and significant ways,the affective domain, including music appreciation and sensitivity...
or another performance area (voice, orchestral instrument, etc). Other teachers, without higher education in music, may have studied piano playing independently or have been self-taught. For better or worse, the quality and knowledge these teachers offer can range widely.
Undergraduate and graduate studies in piano pedagogy
The field of piano pedagogy may be studied through academic programs which culminates to the attainment of a bachelorBachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree; the majority of work consists of prescribed music courses and study in applied music, usually requiring a...
, master
Master of Music
The Master of Music is the first graduate degree in Music awarded by universities and music conservatories. The M.Mus. combines advanced studies in an applied area of specialization with graduate-level academic study in subjects such as music history, music theory, or music pedagogy...
, or doctoral
Doctor of Musical Arts
The Doctor of Musical Arts degree is a doctoral academic degree in music. The D.M.A. combines advanced studies in an applied area of specialization with graduate-level academic study in subjects such as music history, music theory, or music pedagogy. The D.M.A...
degree at music colleges or conservatories. The undergraduate level may require many years of prior piano studies and previous teaching experience as prerequisites for application. At the graduate level, many schools require applicants to have some teaching experience and at least a bachelor of music
Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree; the majority of work consists of prescribed music courses and study in applied music, usually requiring a...
or equivalent experience in piano performance and/or pedagogy.
Although virtually all piano pedagogy programs include a significant portion of performance requirement, the pedagogy major may be distinct from the performance major at some schools. Some members of the latter group may have the option to take courses in the teaching of piano, but not all do.
Professional organizations in the USA
Many piano teachers hold memberships in professional organizations for professional networking. These organizations often offer teachers' workshops, conferences, mentorship programs, publications on piano pedagogy, and opportunities for scholarships, competitions, and performances for the students of members. Some prominent organizations in the United States include:- Music Teachers National Association - MTNA (USA)
- National Federation of Music Clubs (USA)
- National Guild of Piano Teachers
- Piano Teachers Congress of New York
- Piano Teachers Federation
Notable piano pedagogues in history
- Carl CzernyCarl CzernyCarl Czerny was an Austrian pianist, composer and teacher. He is best remembered today for his books of études for the piano. Czerny's music was profoundly influenced by his teachers, Muzio Clementi, Johann Nepomuk Hummel, Antonio Salieri and Ludwig van Beethoven.-Early life:Carl Czerny was born...
(Austria, 1791–1857) - Theodor Leschetizky (Poland, 1830–1915)
- Franz LisztFranz LisztFranz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
(Hungary, 1811-1886) - Tobias MatthayTobias MatthayTobias Augustus Matthay was an English pianist, teacher, and composer.-Biography:Matthaw as born in London in 1858 to parents who had come from northern Germany and were naturalised British subjects...
(England, 1858–1945) - Heinrich NeuhausHeinrich NeuhausHeinrich Gustavovich Neuhaus was a Soviet pianist and pedagogue of German extraction. He taught at the Moscow Conservatory from 1922 to 1964. He was made a People's Artist of the RSFSR in 1956...
(Russia, 1888–1964) - Dimitri Bashkirov (Russia, 1931-)
- Leila FletcherLeila FletcherLeila Fletcher was a Canadian pianist, composer, publisher, music editor and educator.-Early years:She was born in Hamilton, Ontario. Her parents provided her piano lessons from a local teacher...
(Canada, 1899-1988) Ontario, Mayfair Montgomery Publishing - Neil A. Kjos (US, 1931-2009) Illinois, known for the James Bastien books
- Abby WhitesideAbby WhitesideAbby Whiteside was an influential and controversial American piano teacher. She challenged the finger-centric approach of much classical piano teaching and instead advocated a holistic attitude in which the arm and torso are the conductors of a musical image conceived first in the mind and...
(US, 1881-1956) - Isidor PhilippIsidor PhilippIsidor Philipp was a French pianist, composer, and distinguished pedagogue of Hungarian descent. He was born in Budapest and died in Paris.-Biography:...
(France 1863-1958) - Harold BradleyHarold Bradley (pianist)James Harold Bradley , was a pianist and the Founder and Principal of the Bradley Institute for Music Education Research.-Early life:...
(Canada 1906-1984)
Topics of study
Piano pedagogy involves the study of the teaching of the motor, intellectual, problem-solving, and artistic skills involved in playing the piano effectively. Citing the influence of Zoltan Kodaly, Carl OrffCarl Orff
Carl Orff was a 20th-century German composer, best known for his cantata Carmina Burana . In addition to his career as a composer, Orff developed an influential method of music education for children.-Early life:...
, Émile Jaques-Dalcroze, Russian-American piano pedagogue at Longy School of Music
Longy School of Music
The Longy School of Music of Bard College is a conservatory located near Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1915, it was one of the four independent degree-granting music schools in the Boston region along with the New England Conservatory, Berklee College of Music, and Boston...
, Dr. Faina Bryanskaya, advocates a holistic approach which integrates as many aspects of music-making as possible at once would result in the most effective piano teaching.
Ear training
Dr. Bryanskaya argues that the foremost important task for piano teachers at the onset of a student's time of study is the introduction of a habit of listening to quality performances of “descriptive and strikingly expressive music”, as a means for "sensitizing [the student] to the meaning of music".Technique
Good piano playing technique involves the simultaneous understanding in both the mind and the body of the relationships between the elements of music theory, recognition of musical patterns in notation and at the fingertips, the physical landscape of the entire range of the keyboard, finger dexterity and independence, and a wide range of touch and tone production for a variety of emotional expressions. Skills in all of these areas should always be nurtured and development for the sake of expressing oneself more effectively and naturally through the sound of the piano, so that the elements of technique would sound alive with musicality.Improvisation
The modern trend of piano lessons tends to lean toward an overemphasis on learning notation, and neglects the nurturing needed for developing the creative spirit and sensitive ears which lead to expressive music-making. Studies point to the need for using multiple approaches in learning musical skills which engage both sides of the brain—the analytical and the intuitive—for students to master all aspects of playing. Therefore, teaching improvisation skills may help students take ownership of the expressive quality of the music they make, and to keep music learning and practicing alive and interesting. One way to do so is to make up stories full of different emotions through improvising, in order to reinforce concepts of music theory already introduced and to develop a wide range of touch and tone production.Memorization
Effective memorization results from the “combination of visual, kinaesthetic, aural and analytical skills”.Repertoire
Well-known keyboard works written with special attention for pedagogical purposes in mind include:- Notebook for Anna Magdalena BachNotebook for Anna Magdalena BachThe title Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach refers to either of two manuscript notebooks that the German Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach presented to his second wife Anna Magdalena...
(1725) by family and friends of J.S. BachJohann Sebastian BachJohann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity... - Klavierbüchlein für Wilhelm Friedemann BachKlavierbüchlein für Wilhelm Friedemann BachKlavierbüchlein für Wilhelm Friedemann Bach is a collection of keyboard music compiled by the German Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach for his eldest son Wilhelm Friedemann...
, Little Preludes and Fugues, Inventions and Sinfonias, & the Well-Tempered Clavier by J.S. BachJohann Sebastian BachJohann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity... - sonatinas by Muzio ClementiMuzio ClementiMuzio Clementi was a celebrated composer, pianist, pedagogue, conductor, music publisher, editor, and piano manufacturer. Born in Italy, he spent most of his life in England. He is best known for his piano sonatas, and his collection of piano studies, Gradus ad Parnassum...
- Album For the Young, Op. 68 (1848) by Robert SchumannRobert SchumannRobert Schumann, sometimes known as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era....
- Album For the Young, Op. 39 (1878) by Pyotr Ilyich TchaikovskyPyotr Ilyich TchaikovskyPyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian: Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский ; often "Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky" in English. His names are also transliterated "Piotr" or "Petr"; "Ilitsch", "Il'ich" or "Illyich"; and "Tschaikowski", "Tschaikowsky", "Chajkovskij"...
- Music for Children, Op. 65 (1935) by Sergei ProkofievSergei ProkofievSergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor who mastered numerous musical genres and is regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century...
- pieces by Igor StravinskyIgor StravinskyIgor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ; 6 April 1971) was a Russian, later naturalized French, and then naturalized American composer, pianist, and conductor....
, Dmitri KabalevskyDmitri KabalevskyDmitry Borisovich Kabalevsky was a Russian composer.He helped to set up the Union of Soviet Composers in Moscow and remained one of its leading figures. He was a prolific composer of piano music and chamber music; many of his piano works have been performed by Vladimir Horowitz. He is probably...
and Aram Khatchaturian - Mikrokosmos, Sz. 107, BB 105 (1926–39) by Béla BartókBéla BartókBéla Viktor János Bartók was a Hungarian composer and pianist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century and is regarded, along with Liszt, as Hungary's greatest composer...
Venues offering instructions in piano playing
The teaching of piano playing most often take place in the form of weekly private lessons, in which a student and a teacher have one-on-one meetings. Instructions may sometimes be offered semi-privately (one teacher meeting with a small group of two or more students) or in classes of larger groups, in other intervals of time. Piano lessons are offered in a variety of different settings, including the following:- Studios of independent piano teachers
- Piano and music stores
- Community music schools
- Continuing education programs
- Preparatory division of music colleges or conservatories
- Music colleges or conservatories
See also
- Five finger exerciseFive finger exerciseA five finger exercise is a musical composition designed primarily for the purpose of exercising all one's fingers. A typical example is the Hanon Piano Exercise....
- Music educationMusic educationMusic education is a field of study associated with the teaching and learning of music. It touches on all domains of learning, including the psychomotor domain , the cognitive domain , and, in particular and significant ways,the affective domain, including music appreciation and sensitivity...
- PedagogyPedagogyPedagogy is the study of being a teacher or the process of teaching. The term generally refers to strategies of instruction, or a style of instruction....
- Pianists
- PianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
Further reading
Bryanskaya, Faina (1988). The Key to Music Making: Piano Method for Beginners, Parts I, II, & III. Providence, RI: White Lilac Press. ISBN 0929571002, ISBN 0929571010, ISBN 0929571029Gerig, Reginald (2nd Ed. 2007). Famous Pianists and their Technique. Indiana University Press. ISBN 0253348552
Magrath, Jane (1995). Pianist's Guide to Standard Teaching and Performance Literature. Alfred Publishing Co. ISBN 0882846558