Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Teachers Forum How do performance books compare to lesson books

I am curious how each method's performance books compare to their lesson books. I am also wondering if it differs between methods.

For the method you use, are the performance book songs generally easier than the lesson books songs, so the student can concentrate on musicality and performance? Or instead do you find they are typically slightly more difficult so as to be "challenge" pieces or something the student "graduates" to? Do you find the performance songs are trying to tie multiple concepts ("putting it all together") into single songs?

Are the performance books songs generally longer than lesson book songs?

Do you find you enjoy the songs from the performance books more than the lesson books? Are they more musical melodies etc?

For any responses, please remember to include the method you are referring to- PianoAdventures, Music Tree, Alfreds, PianoTown, Fletcher etc.

The Piano Adventures performance books have slightly more interesting music than the lesson books.

I've been using the performance books to reinforce concepts learned in the corresponding pages in the method book. I wouldn't say the pieces in piano adventures or Succeeding at the Piano performance books are more difficult, maybe a bit longer. In general the music is better too. Piano Aventures has a Gold Star performance book that I've been told is slightly harder than the other books.

The pieces in the Technique and Artistry books (piano adventures and Alfred premier) do put together multiple concepts learned in the previous pages.

If there is going to be a difference, generally the Performance book pieces tend to be a little longer. Regarding easier/harder, I haven't found a clear trend. Sometimes the corresponding song will be harder in one book, and then the next songs might be a littler harder in the other book. I regularly use Piano Town, Piano Adventures, and the Alfreds.

In Piano Adventures, the Performance books are not much harder, but the Gold Star Performance books are a lot harder.

I really like the pieces in Alfred Premier's Performance books.

I'll have to take a look at these. I've opted to go for the Technique books instead of the Performance books. Or maybe I should use all 4 (incl. theory & Lesson). 4 books just seems like too many books to be going through every week.