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To give you a bit of context, nearly all my students started with me. The ones who didn't, about 7 students, took lessons for a few months with another teacher or a "music school" but the parent pulled them out because they wanted a less cookie cutter education or wanted a quiet private setting, so they basically started with me as well. For the "transfer wrecks" who took lessons for a few years, I had to basically start from Express Book 1 or 2 unless they were early intermediate level students playing Sonatinas.

Now to begin answering your question. I introduce the C pentascale by rote just a bit before Alfred Premier formally introduces them in book 2A. Thus, I introduce pentascales in the middle of 1B or towards the end of the first Express Book. I find starting them early is the key, and with separate hands.

I want to elaborate more on the 7 year old girl who I mentioned could play B Major Scale one octave hands together. I spend 4-5 days a week with her for 45-60 minutes because of practice sessions I offer, so her progress is entirely because of me. Before we got to the pentascales in the 2A book, she was playing one handed white key pentascales for about 2 months. After constant reminders about no overlaps in sound, curved fingers, loose level wrists, and counting, she easily put both hands together. It also helps that she loves piano and has parents who can afford so much time with me.

The same process worked with Junior Hanon exercise 1 with her just recently. She did hands separate for 1 month, and just recently she played two hands together simply because she was bored and decided to, and hey it was pretty good!

Same process for B Major, which was taught before the Hanon.

My other students learn similarly, though with more or less technical problems such as stiff wrists, flying fingers, etc. which I try to fix asap. I require these students to practice white key pentascales hand separate every day at home and I see their progress every week. I also require they memorize them because... well, it's not too hard to memorize.

So no, I don't have the most "interesting" strategies... but simply hands separate for a long time seems to work. In my opinion, Alfred Premier introduces pentascales way too fast in the sense that many songs begin to involve pentascales in Lesson 2A out of nowhere... just look at "Bartok's Study" and "Shadows". I find it better to start early.

I think 45-60 minutes 4-5 days each week is a pretty interesting strategy!

Yup. They would do every day if my schedule allowed. She's basically 3-4 students in one haha. She advances noticeably faster than the students around her age, she sightreads every practice, and her technique is solid.

I'm going to quote you on that. Several of my students need this, and obviously their parents can afford to do so.

I have a couple of students who have two lessons a week, and they progress SO MUCH faster than the other little ones.

In contrast, I have a pair of siblings who split a 30-minute lessons, so I see them 15 minutes per week. You can guess how poorly they play. It's like their parents aren't willing to invest the time or energy or money.

Thanks AZNpiano. Ouch. I wouldn't even accept split 30 min lessons. I recently had to talk to a family of a pair of siblings saying 30 min was not enough for the 9 year old because it was too easy for him. I barely had enough time to introduce new material too. I can't imagine 15 min lesson per kid... they must learn... 2 kiddie songs a month.

I require parents of students ages 4-7 to sit in during lessons so they know how to guide their child at home. I even text "Practice Guidelines" each week to these families. It's a bit extra work, but these kids progress decently and families are happy. My practice sesh 7 year old progresses way faster than these students still.

Also, I notice around 7+ is when kids want to practice on their own without their parents, haha.

More off topic than cooking............

Yesterday our trombone choir did a concert in the local library. (I asked if I should bring a mute. Eyes rolled.) That professor showed up, and he's a virtuoso player. And............he sat down next to me and played the same part. I found it a bit intimidating.

The legendary Bernhard of PianoStreet advocated this. Not everyone has the time or the money, though....

This is the formula used at piano camp: 60 min private lesson daily; master classes in the evening. Awesome! Wish it could be my normal routine.... alas, lack of both time and money

I do two 45-min lessons a week. I don't think I practice enough for much more lesson time to be fruitful, although I could see in a future edition of my piano lessons asking my teacher to extend to 2x60mins instead of 2x45mins. This is assuming I can get back on the wagon with practicing, which was temporarily derailed by a pinky sprain from the dreaded 'collapsing pinky' phenomena.