Method: Bastien Piano Basics
The Bastien Piano Basics is a well-known series of instructional books for piano. It is graded to assure steady progress, starting with the Piano Primer, and progressing to Level 4. This series includes instructional books for practical piano, theory, performance, technique, and sight-reading exercises. Additional material such as CDs and flash cards are also available to accompany this series.
For the young beginner, this series offers a two-part primer that is geared towards children aged 5-6. A separate primer is designed for older children (age 7-10). After the completion of either set, the student can then continue with Level 1.
In my opinion, this method is among the best that is available for children. It focuses on mastering the basics, rather than relying on some type of gimmick. The page layout is clean, the descriptions concise, and every page features a fun full-color illustration. The compositions encourage good technique and independence of hands. The songs are generally attractive and fun to play, and many include duet accompaniment. After completing this series, the student will have a very good understanding of the piano keyboard, musical terms and notation, as well as chords, major and minor scales, and a variety of musical techniques and terms.
Posted on October 19th, 2008 by sharlene
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