Introduction to Basic Piano Teaching

Author: Zhang Jianguo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-04-01
Features: The Piano Basic Course (hereinafter referred to as PBC), published by Shanghai Music Publishing House, has been proven through more than twenty years of teaching practice to be suitable for the conditions of our country. It is a practical course for beginners and advanced learners of piano, catering to both ordinary university music majors and numerous piano enthusiasts, hence earning the nickname "PBC" among music professionals. Based on feedback from over a decade of teaching, the revised edition, written by one of the main compilers of PBC—Li Xiaoping—in 2003, presents a more contemporary and forward-looking image for the new century and will continue to play a positive role in traditional piano teaching. This Piano Basic Teaching Guide is a knowledge-based reader on piano basic performance theory. For the convenience of reading and learning, considering the widespread use of PBC as a piano textbook in normal universities across the country, the main pieces in this book are selected from PBC Books 1 and 2. Additionally, pieces from traditional piano books such as Beyer, Czerny, and Burgmüller are also included. To save space, the musical examples cited from PBC Books 1 and 2, as well as related traditional piano books, are omitted. When reading this book, readers should have PBC as a reference. Before practicing a piece, it is necessary to mark its measure numbers. To achieve ideal learning goals, the use of this book must be combined with piano performance practice to obtain superior learning results. The teaching practice base for this book can be set as a digital piano classroom. Currently, digital piano classrooms are a common teaching method for basic piano group lessons in higher normal universities (including music majors in general universities). This is a result of technological progress and a revolution in piano art education. It significantly enhances the productivity of teaching and learning in piano performance skill training, contributing to the optimization and improvement of piano music education quality. The multimedia music education system in digital piano classrooms comprehensively realizes the ideal "nurturing both people and music" environment in terms of initiative, interaction, inspiration, intuition, motivation, as well as individuality and collectivism.
Regarding the learning of basic piano, what version system should be adopted? What learning philosophy should be established? What learning process should be followed? What learning methods should be used? What basic techniques should be mastered? What technical level should be achieved? What pieces should be practiced? What artistic goals should be realized? These are the original intentions and pursuits of this book. The pieces for practice in this book are set for four semesters (two academic years), with each semester divided into 18 lessons. Additionally, to stimulate learning interest and individual pursuits, each semester includes 6 years of supplementary content (pieces) for learners of different levels to practice as needed. The learning progress strictly follows the principle of gradual progression from simple to complex, aiming for standardization, rationalization, scientification, systematization, and optimization of learning. The reading target of this book is the Czerny 849 technical specification at the level of optimized artistic quality, laying a correct track and cultivating behavioral norms for subsequent studies. It also lays a solid foundation for learning piano accompaniment and improvisation, while exploring innovative approaches to the healthy cycle of national piano education.
This Piano Basic Teaching Guide is not only suitable for ordinary university music majors but also holds certain guiding significance and reference value for social piano learners (primary, secondary, and adult learners) and music teachers. It is a reflective summary of the author's 20 years of teaching and education in basic piano. If it can bring some help to readers, it will be the greatest writing aspiration of the author. Zhang Jianguo
School of Arts, Huzhou University