Library
The books and material I teach from, and who each one suits.
A structured path, not a fixed syllabus
Every pupil follows their own learning plan, and no two people learn in quite the same way. But a good method book gives that plan a spine — material that introduces one idea at a time, in an order that works, with tunes worth playing along the way.
These are the books I actually use, alongside my own teaching material. I've listed what each one is for, so you can see there is a considered method behind the lessons rather than a single course applied to everybody.
You don't need to buy anything before your first lesson. We'll work out what suits you once I've heard you play.
For Children and Teenagers
Which of these I reach for depends mostly on age and on how ready a child is to read notation.
Playing with Colour
Ideal for very young children. This method introduces new notes coded with colours. It is a three-book series: the colours are removed for some songs in Book 2, and entirely by the end of Book 3. It provides a well-paced ramp up to reading music notation in the usual way, and includes a nice mix of traditional tunes and some written for the book.
Me & My Piano
Another series aimed at young children. This is a traditional method where notes are introduced one at a time. It also includes a mix of familiar and original material.
Piano Time
A longtime favourite series, covering complete beginner up to around Grade 2. They include learning to read notation, some theory, and a mix of familiar and original material. Some of the pieces have accompaniments for the teacher to play along.
Piano Adventures
A large series from the Fabers, including a progressive set of method books covering notation, technique and theory.
play piano! teenage
A nicely paced series aimed at teenagers. It keeps a lot of the early pieces in the same hand positions, in contrast to methods that move around the piano sooner — building fluency in the C major position is the goal early on.
A Dozen a Day
A long-running classic: a progressive series of books of finger exercises, designed to help develop good physical technique at the piano.
For Adults
Adult beginners need different material from children — the tunes have to be worth an adult's time, and the explanations can assume rather more.
Adult Piano Adventures
A complete and thorough method book series with a moderate learning curve. These also have some great demonstration and backing audio tracks.
Pianoworks
A series of method books aimed at the older beginner. This has good material, but quite a steep learning curve as you move through the book. Good for highly motivated adult learners.
Grade Books
Graded exams are optional, and plenty of my pupils never take one. If you do want them, each board publishes its own books of set pieces, scales and supporting tests. Grades 6 to 8 carry UCAS points, which count towards UK university applications.
ABRSM
Grade books and resources from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.
Rockschool
Grade books and resources from RSL Awards, for pupils who would rather work through popular repertoire.
Buying the Books
The links above go to each publisher so you can see what a book actually contains before you buy it. Most are also stocked by the usual online retailers and by any decent music shop, often more cheaply.
I don't earn anything from these recommendations, and there are no affiliate links on this page. These are simply the books I use.
Not sure where to start?
You don't need to choose a book on your own. Book a lesson and we'll find what suits you — and if you haven't got an instrument yet, there's a guide to choosing a piano too.