Practical Piano Pedagogy [Paperback]

Martha Baker-Jordan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2004

Practical Piano Pedagogy by Dr. Martha Baker-Jordan is a comprehensive 468-page pedagogy text for ALL piano teachers including those future teachers who are currently enrolled in pedagogy courses in colleges and universities. This definitive pedagogy text will teach readers how to use any teaching materials in a better, more organized, and pedagogically sound way. Included with the textbook is a CD-ROM for Mac or PC, which enables teachers to adapt and personalize more than 40 forms for use in their teaching studios. Informative chapters on the business of piano teaching, learning styles, methods and materials, technology, jazz in the traditional lesson, motivation, and teaching tips make this text indispensable for not only aspiring teachers but also for more experienced ones who desire to improve and enhance their teaching.

Product Details

• Paperback: 452 pages
• Publisher: Warner Bros. Publications; Revised edition (March 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0757922201
• ISBN-13: 978-0757922206
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #299,036 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "MUST HAVE" Book for Piano Teachers, July 22, 2003

By 

Dellana L. Cook "Dellana Cook" (Dallas, TX United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Practical Piano Pedagogy: The Definitive Text for Piano Teachers and Pedagogy Students (Paperback)

Dr. Jordan has really presented a well written reference book for piano teachers who are just creating a group piano studio or the experienced teacher who would like to convert to a group piano studio. She has covered many aspects of group teaching and included many examples of practical piano pedagogy forms. Dr. Jordan discusses everything from the business aspect of running a home studio, interviews with parents and students, how to evaluate transfer students, teaching tips from technic to master class, how to set practice goals, methods and materials, etc. just to name a few. Every piano studio should have a copy of this book as a reference.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mixed Feelings, July 19, 2007

By 

K. Coan (Hartford, CT) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Practical Piano Pedagogy (Paperback)

For a teacher with a collection of pedagogy texts, this book is a welcome addition. If you are looking for a single book to purchase, consider James Bastien's "How to Teach Piano Successfully" instead. This book assumes that teachers already know what the various approaches are, such as the intervalic approach, the multikey approach, etc. Thus, it is not a good starting point for someone new to pedagogy. The book comes with a CD of various forms and policies. THe CD is a gold mine for that purpose.

The book includes an overview of piano courses currently in use, although the book did not include any of the courses I personally use. The reviews do not really get at the heart of the differences in the various methods. Her recommended coordination of books is often not in harmony with what the authors intend, especially with Schaum and Pace. I would love to meet the budding genius who can complete two levels of Pace in a year. Robert Pace intended each level to last a full year, and states so in the teacher's manual.

There is an interesting section on learning psychology, but I wouldn't take it too seriously. I wouldn't recommend making curriculum decisions on the basis of which animal you believe yourself to be!

Overall, it's a decent book, but there are better.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Helpful. A must read for starting teachers., March 30, 2006

By 

W. Butler (Harrisburg, PA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Practical Piano Pedagogy (Paperback)

Baker-Jordan covers a plethora of topics that are all important to teaching, ranging from the business aspects to the practical teaching aspects. Most useful is her information on being a "planning" teacher and examples she provides using major piano curricula. The book also contains many useful forms and worksheets -- most in .doc format on the accompanying CDROM.

Although she encourages readers to seek beyond the text about learning styles, I am a bit concerned that she hasn't employed nor discussed more learning styles that cover some other issues regarding how students best learn. Also the chapter on technical tips was lacking, covering only tips for early students and also giving vague details about how to these techniques work and function. The section would be very helpful if it were boosted and given more attention. These shortcomings are minor, however, and do not detract from the usefulness of the text.