Brock Tjosvold

Piano Pedagogy

Method Evaluation 1 – Faber and Faber’s Piano Adventures

I. Design and Format

a. Gradual multiple key approach
b. Format
i. There are colorful animations that are the right size and
amount, but sometimes I think the colors are too bright in the
Primer books and can be distracting. The Accelerated books
have a more neutral color scheme.
ii. The instructions in the margins are clear without being too
wordy.
iii. The length of each book is fitting. The Accelerated books for
older beginners are much longer, but I think adults move
through them faster. Children are probably also more
motivated by completion of books than adults, so it’s more
useful for their books to be shorter.
iv. The size and font of the music is very good and easy to read.
c. Sequence and progression of materials
i. In some ways, the progression of materials is very smooth in
steady. For example, reading in both bass and treble cleffs,
rhythms, and intervals seem to be presented in a fairly steady
manner. On the other hand, I don’t think it does a good job of
presenting movement around and familiarity with the
keyboard, and it doesn’t present different keys for a very long
time.
d. This method is intended for individual study, although most pieces
have a teacher accompaniment, so students also get used to playing
with other people.
e. Note range
i. The method does gradually extend the note range throughout
each book, but I think that more could be presented and it
could be presented more effectively. By the end of level 3B, the
range of both hands combined is about 4 octaves, with the
exception of the 8va’s written. While I think that it is
important for students to be able to read the 8va’s, I think they
should also start presenting more ledger lines and showing
where the notes are actually written without the 8va’s.
f. Methods of counting
i. Whole notes, half notes, and quarter notes were presented
together in the first “rhythm flag”.
 ii. Whole note: The student counts “1 – 2 – 3 – 4” while clapping,
tapping, or playing one note on the keyboard.
iii. Half notes: The student counts “1 – 2” twice in a row for two
half notes.
iv. Dotted quarter notes: The student counts out loud while
tapping a quarter note followed by two eighth notes. Then
they do the same except they tie the quarter note to the first
eighth note. It then teaches the student that that is the same
rhythm as the tied rhythm.
v. Quarter notes: The student counts “1” for each quarter note in
a measure.
vi. Eighth notes: The student counts “1 and” for every beat with
two eighth notes.
vii. Sixteenth notes: The student counts “1 e and a” for every
sixteenth note in the first beat and counts “2 e and a” for the
second beat, etc.
viii. Triplets: The series through level 4 does not address triplets.
g. Presentation of rhythm
i. Accelerated Level 1: The whole notes, half notes, quarter notes,
and eighth notes were presented.
ii. Accelerated Level 2: The dotted quarter note is introduced.
iii. Level 3B: Sixteenth notes were introduced.
iv. Level 4: No new rhythms were presented.
h. Chords and scales
i. Chords
1. Accelerated Level 1: Most of this level addresses diads
until pg. 78 when triads are introduced. It begins with
both thumbs on middle C, so the left hand is playing F
Major and the right is playing C Major. The student only
plays either the root and the third or the root and the
fifth for a while. Eventually, they start to move this
position around to different chords. This level
introduces the I and V7 chords in C and G.
2. Accelerated Level 2: While teaching the pentascales of F,
D, A, E, Cm, Gm, Fm, Dm, Am, and Em, it teaches the
tonic root position chord of each key. It also adds the IV
chord to the already addressed I and V7 chords in C and
G Major. It also introduces all of the primary chords in F
Major.
3. Level 3B: Primary chords in Am and Dm are taught and
the student also practices moving through major and
minor triads chromatically. Triad inversions also
appear.
4. Level 4: Primary chord and inversion are addressed
more in depth, with the key of D also added. The V7
 chord is specifically addressed in root position. It
introduces the I and V7 chords in E minor.
ii. Scales
1. Accelerated Level 1: C and G pentascales
2. Accelerated Level 2: C, G, F, D, A, E, Cm, Gm, Fm, Dm, Am
and Em pentascales. It introduces the C, G and F Major
scales.
3. Level 3B: A harmonic minor and D harmonic minor are
added.
4. Level 4: Minor scales are addressed more in depth.
Natural and harmonic scales for Am, Dm, and Em are
covered. Students begin playing two-octave scales in C,
G, D, A, E and B.
i. Theory
i. Intervals
1. Accelerated Level 1: 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th
2. Accelerated Level 2: 6th
3. Level 3B: octaves
ii. Harmonizing and improvising is included.
iii. Rhythms are introduces in a pretty gradual manner.
iv. Guide notes are heavily emphasized.
v. Whole and half step patterns of scales are addressed.
vi. Rests are covered more in depth.
vii. The student gets to be more creative with composition.
j. Supplementary materials
i. Each level has many different books, including the Lesson
Book, Theory Book, Performance Book, Theory & Artistry
Book, Christmas Book, and Popular Repertoire.
k. Form and structure
i. Accelerated Level 1: ABA and AABA forms are presented.
ii. Accelerated Level 2: D.S. al Coda is introduced.
iii. Level 3B: Motives and sequences are discussed and theme and
variation form is introduced. Binary form is also discussed.
iv. Level 4: Sonatinas are taught and a coda is defined.
II. Reading
a. There are prereading activities, and the first is sitting at the piano.
There are pictures of the keyboard and rhythms are introduced even
before noteheads. The noteheads start with no staff and have the note
names in the middle. The names of notes are still there once the staff
is introduced. Students preread in 2nds and 3rds.
b. This method is sort of a combination between multikey and intervallic
approaches.
c. Pitch reading is reinforced by reading by step at first, and then adding
skips of thirds. Pitch reading is also reinforced through the Technique
and Artistry Book.
 d. 4/4 and 3/4 are the most common time signatures at first, but 6/8 is
introduced later. I think that it could have been introduced more
often and earlier. 2/4 also becomes more common.
e. Rhythmic reading is enforced with terms to put with the rhythm such
as “trip-o-let” or “hot po-ta-to soup” for four 16ths and a quarter note.
It also has the student drum or tap instead of always playing on the
keyboard. Rhythms are covered more in depth in the Theory Book.
III. Technique
a. The Lesson Book from Accelerated Level 1 doesn’t specifically address
which playing technique to use in the very beginning, so it must be at
the discretion of the teacher, but five-finger legato is the first
technique that is taught in the Lesson Book.
b. Staccato playing is taught next, also in Level 1. Accents are also
presented.
c. Most early pieces alternate hands. The first book addresses parallel
motion and imitation between hands. Later, contrary motion and
thumb crossings are introduced with scales.
d. Fingering is mostly associated with five-finger patterns and hand
shifts, so crossings and scale fingerings don’t come until later. It also
addresses chord fingerings fairly early in the method. There are
varied and sequential fingerings.
e. Attention to nuance and sound is found mostly in the Technique and
Artistry Book of the series. It emphasizes dynamic contrasts and how
to properly produce different sounds at an early level. It is also very
specific about articulation, but agogics aren’t addressed until later
levels. Pedaling is introduced fairly early also.
f. Technique is reinforced by methods such as the braced finger. I also
noticed that pieces are assigned that specifically target one technique,
such as a relaxed wrist float-off.
IV. Musicianship
a. Many different keyboard patterns are emphasized, including five-
finger patterns, major scales, parallel minor scales, chords and
inversions, and cadences.
b. Students experience a change in tonality by moving to closely related
keys to C, such as F and G. By the end of the first book, they have
experienced G with five-finger patterns and the I and V7 chords,
although they write the key signature with accidentals throughout the
piece before they introduce the concept of a key signature. This
happens at the end of the 2nd Accelerated book. They later address
shifts to parallel and relative minor keys within one piece.
c. There is freedom to improvise, harmonize and compose. There are
also some transposition exercises. Many of these are found in the
Theory book.
d. Repeats, ottava, 1st/2nd endings are all introduced in this series. There
is also a glossary at the end of every book.
 e. Musicianship is reinforced with a mostly playing response. This is
found in the Technique and Artistry Book.
V. Other observations
a. In the beginning the materials are sequenced starting with posture
and position, arm weight, keyboard range, hand position, fingertips,
and dynamics, respectively.
b. I like the music that the student hears and plays. It seems to be good
quality for the most part, and the student even plays repertoire from
the classical masters at a very early level.
c. I find the language clear and concise
d. I did not find any ethnic or cultural assumptions.
e. The graphics and format are attractive to me, although sometimes I
think that some of the pictures are too colorful and can make the
music difficult to read.
VI. Comments
a. Overall, I think that this method would be effective. It has a good
variety of music so that the student doesn’t get bored, although I think
that they could incorporate different textures other than just
homophony. It seems to me that it creates a strong technical and
musical base for the student, including scales, arpeggios, and
cadences.
b. Rhythmically, it could have incorporated more complex rhythms by
the end of the 4th level. The rhythms are all very straightforward even
by the end. I noticed that triplets weren’t really even covered. 16th
notes were covered, but much later into the series, and I think that
they could have been incorporated earlier.
c. While I like that it covered scales, arpeggios, and cadences in many
different keys, I think it could have incorporated reading in more keys.
The keys are still closely related to C, even by the end of the fourth
book, and when different keys are introduced, it is just for one piece,
so students don’t get a chance to keep practicing ready in those keys.
d. I would use this method for my own students, but there are some
things that I would have to be sure to fill in the gaps.