Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Teachers Forum Embarking on teaching my own kids piano finally (sigh...)

Hello!! I haven't been around this forum for years!!

I posted 5 years ago about teaching my kids myself. I got some great advice, but in the end I decided that I would not teach them myself and would instead find them a teacher. I was too afraid of screwing it up, even tho I do have experience teaching kids when I worked with my own piano teacher YYEARSS ago.

Fast forward 5 years later and I *still* have not found them a teacher. Biggest concern for me? cost. I have put it off so long I'm feeling a bit disgusted by it, really. All this time lost....

So today, with the concern of cost still an issue, I'm waiting no longer. My kids were 5 and 2 back then. Today they are 10 and 7. They've started banging away at the piano regularly, obviously interested in playing it and hearing the sounds. They ask me why I don't play much anymore, etc... so I think it's time I did something to help them along.

I'm getting a couple books from Faber Piano Adventures (Primer Level) to start teaching them. I'm SUPER excited and I'm soooo wanting to get it right with them.

What I want to see if I can find some piano duets. There is one in particular I heard so many years ago I don't remember it at all, but I know I would recognize it if I heard it. It's one where the teacher played with the student. The teacher portion was not beginner level, but the accompanying parts for the student were fun and easy.

I know my kids would eat it up if I taught them something easy that they could play along side me.

Can anyone point me towards any pieces that match this description?

Wow, this post finally worked!!!

You're describing just about every method book that exists. Many of the beginning pieces have accompanying teacher parts.

You have made three previous attempts while the forums were down. That is why it didn't work.

Hi Tania,

The lower level Piano Adventures lesson books feature lots of student/teacher duets. That's one of the reasons why I use them. And the kids love the duets, too!

Go get Alfred Premier books and you'll be hooked. They hired real composers who write interesting music that appeal to kids.

Piano Adventures is good, too. Try the Gold Star Adventures books that come with these glorious CD tracks.

I love playing the teacher/student duets with kids. Be sure that they can play it well by themselves first, and let them know if it doesn't work right the first time you play together that's OK - it may take a few tries. Pick a slow tempo, too.

A 2nd on Alfred's Premiere. Very well received by all my students that I've tried it with.

When I was little I used to duet the Peanuts theme with my sister. Both parts were super easy based on what was shown to me. I think she just did it by ear and needed my help because she couldn't play both hands. I loved that tune even then and I would think your kids would enjoy it. It's too bad I couldn't really sit still at that age so I took a pass on learning piano until many years later.

I'm in a similar boat. My daughter is 6 now and I am making an attempt to get her started myself with the Faber book. Honestly I think it's more of a music lesson at this stage so as long as we make it fun and do a lot of rhythm and singing there can be no harm done. Since she is learning to read also I make her read everything so the lessons are pretty much over in a couple pages. (we are only about 8 pages in)

The biggest challenge is keeping a regular schedule like she would have for other activities such as dance class.

I made three short duets for Barb (in this very forum), who was looking for a set of duets that was VERY easy. I think that these ARE VERY easy...

http://www.musica-ferrum.com/documents/duets%20for%20barbara.pdf

Have a blast everyone!