Monday, March 23, 2009

7 Free Faber Piano Adventures Resources

In the last few years, one of the meethods that I keep coming back to for many different types of students is the Faber Piano Adventures series. With a huge number of lesson, technique, theory, note-speller, and performance books to choose from, the Piano Adventures series has numerous routes through it for different types of students and teachers. Here are only a few of the possible paths through the series:
  • classical piano
  • popular/rock piano
  • jazz piano
  • sacred piano
  • integration with the RCME/NMCP Prep A and B exams
  • exiting from the series into Royal Conservatory grade levels once students are ready
But unlike many other methods where there is only one pathway, Piano Adventures features an almost bewildering array of books for learners of all ages that require a certain amount of decision-making on the teacher's part to determine what elements of the entire series they wish to pursue.

Fortunately, the FJH Music Company now has a fair amount of free online resources available to teachers and students. Here are some of them:

1. Teaching Guide to the Piano Adventures Primer Level. Each concept and piece introduced in the Primer level has a description of how you might teach it, as well as an instructional video. In addition, there are articles on subjects such as rhythm, pre-reading, creativity, technique, steps vs. skips, and the book's philosophy. There's a massive amount of information here, and I hope that the Faber crew will be continuing the series with pedagogical guides beyond the primer level.

2. Piano Adventures Newsletter. Each issue deals with one level of the series (8 have been released so far, detailing matters related to teaching from Primer through Level 5). The articles in the newsletter are written by well-known teachers such as Marienne Uszler, Scott Price, Paul Johnson, Richard Weise, and Beth Gigante Klingenstein. You can read all the back issues on PDF files, as well as sign up for future issues of the newsletter.

3. The Piano Club Forums. This is a community devoted to discussions of issues such as teaching materials, teaching issues, motivation, teaching adults, and the business of teaching, to name only a few. Registration is required, but free.

4. My First Piano Tour. This recent method targeted towards teaching very young piano students (5-7) was introduced only recently (2006), and integrates with Level 1 of Piano Adventures at the end of the series. Topics covered include videos about young learners, a course guide, and a video lesson guide.

5. FAQ's for Teachers. Lots of valuable information here, including information on switching to Piano Adventures, motivating students, utilizing technology, theory, and supplementation.

6. FAQ's for Students. Again, lots of great information, including stuff on practice habits, finding a teacher, the importance of performing, and sibling issues.

7. Glossary of Musical Terms. There are more comprehensive glossaries on the internet, but the terms on the Faber glossary integrate nicely with the concepts you'll find in the Piano Adventures series.


Here are some quick links to various books in the Piano Adventures series:


Look inside this title
My First Piano Adventure, Lesson Book A - sheet music at www.sheetmusicplus.com
My First Piano Adventure, Lesson Book A (for the Young Beginner) Written by Nancy Faber, Randall Faber. Instructional book for piano. Written for ages 5 and 6, My First Piano Adventure captures the child's playful spirit. Fun-filled songs, rhythm games and technique activities develop beginning keyboard skills. 88 pages. Published by The FJH Music Company Inc. (FJ.FF1619)
See more info...

Look inside this title
Piano Adventures Lesson Book, Primer - sheet music at www.sheetmusicplus.com
Piano Adventures Lesson Book, Primer Written by Nancy Faber, Randall Faber. Instructional book for piano. Primer. 64 pages. Published by The FJH Music Company Inc. (FJ.FF1075)
See more info...
Look inside this title
Piano Adventures Technique & Artistry Book, Level 2B - sheet music at www.sheetmusicplus.com
Piano Adventures Technique & Artistry Book, Level 2B By Randall Faber, Nancy Faber. For Piano. Piano Adventures. Methods. Level: Grade 2B. Book. Published by The FJH Music Company Inc. (FF1099)
See more info...

Look inside this title
Accelerated Piano Adventures For The Older Beginner, Lesson Book 1 - sheet music at www.sheetmusicplus.com
Accelerated Piano Adventures For The Older Beginner, Lesson Book 1 By Randall Faber, Nancy Faber. For Piano. Piano Adventures. Methods. Level: Primer/Level 1. Book. Published by The FJH Music Company Inc. (FF1205)
See more info...

Look inside this title
Piano Adventures Flashcards In-A-Box - sheet music at www.sheetmusicplus.com
Piano Adventures Flashcards In-A-Box By Randall Faber, Nancy Faber. For Piano. Piano Adventures. Methods. Flashcards. Published by The FJH Music Company Inc. (FF1168)
See more info...

Look inside this title
Piano Adventures PracticeTime Assignment Book - sheet music at www.sheetmusicplus.com
Piano Adventures PracticeTime Assignment Book By Randall Faber, Nancy Faber. For Piano. Piano Adventures. Methods. Book. Published by The FJH Music Company Inc. (FF1167)
See more info...

3 comments:

  1. Anonymous1:34 PM

    I LOVE Faber and it's online resources.

    ReplyDelete
  2. My daughters (ages 4 & 7) are both in the "My First Piano Adventures" series. My oldest started 2 years ago with the Primer & just didn't like it very much. Then, this past summer, her teacher put her into book B of the 1st series & she immediately zoomed ahead & is now 1/2 way through book 3.
    My youngest started at age 3.5 in book 1. The CD's that come with books 1 & 2 are fabulous. They help with tempo & pitch (my daughters sing the silly songs along with the recording). Here is a video of my youngest playing a few weeks ago: http://www.facebook.com/inbox/?drop&ref=mb#/video/video.php?v=55076069355.
    This is a fabulous series & I love it!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous5:46 PM

    This is AWESOME. Thanks for such a comprehensive list. I did not like the series I used as a beginner and I feel like everyone only talks about the My First Piano Adventure series....one of the books I have found really helpful is The Bollywood Piano which is based more on ear training so it's good for a range of ages. Check out http://www.bollywoodpiano.com/

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