Introducing Elementary Students to Standard Repertoire

There comes a time when every piano student is ready to graduate from the simplified arrangements of method books to piano music in its “original form” – music exactly as written by the composer.

As a piano teacher for adults , I appreciate this transition as an opportunity to deepen my students’ appreciation of classical music. Obviously, most adults who wish to play classical music already have some appreciation of it, yet many are unaware of the vast range of piano music contained in the classical canon. Therefore, while it’s possible to start students on original form repertoire by having them purchase a book of pieces by an individual composer, I usually prefer that they acquire a book containing a wide range of repertoire by composers of different eras. The best option I’ve found, and my “go to” for books of original form classical piano music, is Alfred’s eight-volume Essential Keyboard Repertoire series.

Most often, I have students begin with Volume 1 of the series. Edited by Lynn Freeman Olson, Volume 1 includes numerous brief pieces by major and minor composers including J.S. Bach, Bartok, Beethoven, Gurlitt, Haydn, Kabalevsky, Leopold and W.A. Mozart, and Türk. All of the pieces in the volume are one or two pages long, short enough to be not daunting and quickly learnable.

There are several things I appreciate about the Essential Keyboard Repertoire series:

• Thoughtful fingering is included, although naturally teachers may devise different fingering solutions according to their own preferences or the needs of a student.
• The suggested performance of ornaments is shown above the grand staff or in the bottom margin. This is particularly useful for students who are learning to play ornaments for the first time, whom of course largely comprise the audience for the series.
• There are suggested tempo markings, dynamics, and articulations, particularly in the repertoire of the earlier periods when composers rarely included them. Such additions are clearly marked, usually within parentheses, to clarify their editorial (and therefore optional) nature.
• Measure numbers are shown at the beginning of every system (how piano teachers despair when these are missing!).
• Perhaps most usefully, and relatively rare these days, is that the volumes are sold with comb binding, eliminating the all-too-frequent struggle to keep the music open while playing, or alternatively having to pay extra to add comb binding at a local copy shop.

There are a number of factors I consider when students are ready for the original form music in the Essential Keyboard Repertoire series:

Student’s Playing Level

Every piano student is unique. No two students who have just “graduated” from the same method book are at exactly the same playing level. So I consider what difficulty of repertoire they’re ready to tackle. Related to this, it’s useful to consider whether a given student appreciates a challenge. (In my experience, most adult students thrive on a challenge, particularly if they are enthused about the music, as long as it’s not excessively difficult). If so, I will use that information to select more challenging repertoire, such as the exciting Marche by C.P.E. Bach (p. 34) or Song by Béla Bartók (p. 119). Conversely, a student might be easily intimidated by a difficult piece. If so, I would consider starting them on repertoire closer to their current skill level. Volume 1 facilitates this decision-making with a list of the 12 easiest pieces in the book.

Student’s Strengths

Another important consideration is a student’s strengths. For example, if hand independence is a strength, I will lean towards choosing a piece that uses that strength and develops it even further, like the Minuet by Johann Krieger (p. 7) or the lovely Bourrée by George Frideric Handel (p. 19).

Student’s Weaknesses

In conjunction with considering a student’s strengths, I also consider their weaknesses. For example, a student who is challenged by reading rhythms might benefit by starting with a piece with simpler rhythms such as the Scherzando by Reichardt (p. 50) or Prayer by Gurlitt (p. 102). Of course, I will gradually assign repertoire with more difficult rhythms in order to strengthen this weakness.

Student’s Interests

As I suggested above, while it’s true that many adult piano students are unfamiliar with the vast range of classical piano music, it’s also the case that many have some acquaintance with it. A student might prefer to play the music of a specific period (e.g. Romantic), or of a certain composer, or perhaps a specific piece. Taking this information into the repertoire choice equation usually makes for a happier piano student! (For students interested in music of a specific period, Volume 1 usefully orders the pieces in chronological order: Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Contemporary.)

Piano teachers seeking books of original form piano music suitable for both children and adults are well-advised to consider the eight volumes of Alfred’s Essential Keyboard Repertoire .