Piano Adventures (Primer Level) - Faber Tutorials
Faber's Piano Adventures is our preferred tutor book of choice for the younger learner. We use this book along side supplementary books and pieces in our Early Keys Classes (age 5-7) and for our younger students age 4-6. This book has a good pace and more importantly, spends a good few weeks using fingering rather than letters to play pieces. This is important as younger children may not have as strong alphabetical knowledge as a 8 year old learner. It also starts using the black keys and has a focus on fingers 2,3,4 for several weeks before using the thumb. This is fundamental in the success of this book as little fingers simply do not have the same strength or co-ordination as a slightly older learner and pushing them into the C hand position to early can feel uncomfortable for them and put them off. The tutor book does cover all the essential musical elements including, dynamics, fingering, rhythm, notation and basic musical symbols. It also gets children playing using hands early on and when notation is added, bass clef and treble clef are developed simultaneously. There are parts of the tutor book that we feel needs supplementary studies and pieces to consolidate new content or bridge the gap in pace and this is when your teacher will guide you in what else you may need. The series has theory books, performance and lesson books and it is the lesson book this page will support.
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These tutorials are not designed to replace a teacher or attending a piano lesson or class. They should be used to help you in-between times to support your piano practice. We have not provided a demonstration for all the pieces in the both, rather a few key songs that pupils would benefit from having reference to in-between lessons.
Old McDonald had a Song p22
The Escalator, p27
This song introduces new notes of FGAB and aims to help pupils find these notes independently. If you are helping a child, don't worry if you need to help them by pointing out the three black keys for reference each time they jump to a new octave. Gradually reduce your support so they can do it independently. Once they have mastered it, try the extension task at the bottom of the page by doing it backwards.
Merrily We Roll Along p26
CDEFG March, p28
It is time to put all of the notes we have learnt so far in one piece. Remember to encourage good hand position throughout and keep both hands on the piano, even when they are not being used. If they need extra support, perhaps sing the fingering along with them as they play then once they are confident move to singing letter names. Remember to play 'Forte' (Loud) in the first line and 'Piano' (quiet).
Men from Mars, p29
Another piece to help pupils familiarise themselves with five notes in each hand. Also adding in new concept of bar lines, gradually building up to standard musical notation. Always reinforce good hand position and fingering when playing. As a warm up trying clapping the rhythm before playing the piece on the piano.