The Difference between American and European Piano Methods & Teaching

[@KM-gi2qo]

This was great, thank you for making this video. I learned piano about 30 years ago as well, in the US from a piano teacher / opera singer from Shanghai. Her method of teaching was much more like the European method you mentioned. My first books was the purple Schaum method book and Czerny Op599. After 4 months I was done with Schaum and my piano training was entirely Czerny, Burgmuller, a Sonatina book that included Clementi's Op36 No1 - 6, Dusk Op 55, and individually graded classical repertoire. Then when I was done with Op 599, I received my second Czerny book Op849 (at the time I was young and didn't know there was so many Czerny exercises). My former teacher emphasized precise playing, finger dexterity, accuracy - plus it had to sound nice like someone singing. She didn't teach me any Bach but some of of the last pieces she taught me included Haydn Sonata in D Major, Dance of the Waterweeds, and Beethoven Rondo. I agree there wasn't an emphasis on "fun" - piano lessons were taken seriously and discipline was expected. But the "fun" would occur once a piece was mastered. Today I have a few beginner students and am using the Faber books. While I think the books do a good job in breaking down concepts to help children grasp new information, I've added supplemental repertoire so they can hear some classical melodies and patterns. And even though the books make learning more enjoyable for some children, I've also had some students comment that the (primer level) book is too hard.

[@lollycopter]

I'm in Australia and my late Italian-Australian piano teacher started me on John Thompson's Easiest Piano Course (2 books), followed by Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Course (3 books), and then mostly AMEB books & exams (plus some pieces for local junior eisteddfods for several years). Your mention and clarification of Bach being "dry" for the child is spot on - it took me a long time to even begin to appreciate Bach because I knew I just couldn't grasp it and enjoy it that much even though I always managed to learn the required notes for my exams. Now that KZbin exists, it's so much easier to not only listen, but watch many different performances with all kinds of repertoire. Looking back on some of the pieces I learned for exams and now seeing how they're actually played by professionals (at full tempo!) was quite the eye opener and made me realise just how lenient the whole examination process was - it's not a bad thing, but it definitely was geared towards progression which I happened to very much thrive on.

[@2011watchman]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts & experiences. I am in my late 60s and taking myself, without the aid of a teacher, through several different method books(three songs away from finishing Alfred's All-in-one) I like spending time in the Bastien, Faber, Fletcher, Schaum and Thompson books for the sheer exposure to different pieces of music. While many would scoff at me using many different sources, I AM learning to play varying styles of music. It's working for me, although I often play songs I don't like to improve on those that I do.

[@noneyabid]

Czerny, Liszt, Chopin, and.....Mariah. Love the "Glitter" soundtrack in the background. 🤣

[@gaill7314]

Thanks! Enjoyed the video!

[@tomlavelle8340]

Awesome content as always!

[@inga9788]

Great! Thanks! interesting, makes sense!

[@rayofaz]

Thanks for your teachings. I would like to know about the teaching methods in Latin American countries. I think there is a strong tradition in countries like Brazil, Argentina, Cuba, and the rest of them.

[@stephenkyambadde7393]

No mention of John Thomson's method books; The Easiest Piano Course and The Modern Course for the Piano including Supplementary Piano Course books and Fifty Second-Grade STUDIES. Please say something about John Thomson's Method books and where they fall. Secondly The Modern Course grading compared to ABRSM grading. Thank you!

[@pianotips2623]

I made a full video about john thompson before. have a look on my channel

[@backtoschool1611]

Currently Icam in America, but I feel my unoryhodox music learning lines up with Europe. I learned as much theory brfore trying thongsvpn piano. I learn both Trrble and Bass clefs ussing my choir music, note and rest from dightcreading, although I had np clue of "beat" ie Tempo to regilate them until I understood the Metronome. Oclearned all the majorvand minor key signatures also. After about 1-2 I started picking up Classical music. Brcause I had no teacher, my technique is very poor. I still syrugglevwith Scales, chored, trnsion etc. Througjput my learning I picked up a tone of collections of the masters: Baxh, Beethoven, Chopin, etc. I also I avbunchbof "old school" books like Czerny, etc. With not having Braille music, I cannot read notes due to poor sight, and all the bad habbits, I dont know where to start again.

[@James-io8lj]

what about Canada

[@6266slim]

potayto potahto.. British terms demi semi quavers to crotchets minims and breves are totally legit like the metric system is metres (and NOT meters) vs feet (Imperial System)

[@Persun_McPersonson]

It's much more metric to have a logic-based naming system for note durations than random historical names, which is more like imperial.

[@CaptainCaveman782]

Thanks man, I really love to see a commentary of the Russian Piano Technique, many older Russian and Ukrainian teachers are using this for online teaching. Given some excellent pianists emanate from there, it must have merit. Also another topic I'd love your thoughts on is regarding having two different teachers. Will it provide a more rounder learning experience or would it be a bad idea due to different teaching styles?

[@pianotips2623]

it’s hard to say. depends on the two teachers. they might complement each other but might also talk against each other which is not helpful

[@gb3496]

That's why I (and others?) stopped watching your channel. Learning the piano is "hard" enough without having you deal with the confusion of half-notes also being called minims; and quarter- notes also being called crochets, etc.

[@mss9778]

Lol what? That's a bit of an over reaction 😅 Stefans videos are really well thought out. Just because he doesn't use American words, it doesn't mean he's wrong and should be boycotted 😂 I was taught the terms "minims" and "semibreves" etc at the age of 7 and didn't find it too difficult. I watch other piano channels too, and I certainly wouldn't stop watching them because they use simplified American terms instead of my preferred European ones.