I'm bringing this 2017 review back from the vault, because these two books are packed with memorable, and in many cases highly distinctive new compositions. This is superior music, in no way just another batch of pastiches ⬇️

The rudimentary facets of our pianism, our musical understanding, technical accomplishment, and creative personality, are ultimately no more than a means to an end... ⬇️

The ‘Graded Gillock’ series is proving hugely popular - #piano learners from Grade 1-6 progress in leaps and bounds with this brilliant and engaging music! Good to see they are now back in stock at Sheet Music Plus. You can read all about them here: ⬇️

Here's an easy publication to recommend, combining classic hit songs, solid progressive arrangements at five levels (Grade 1-5), with educational insight and helpful practice tips by Christopher… https://pianodao.com/2026/02/19/the-beatles-graded-pieces/?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=jetpack_social

I have been a fan of Angeline Bell's music since her first publications appeared, so it is a particular joy to welcome this more advanced collection, which so absorbingly brings to life the composer's memories, and paints such a gorgeous musical picture of the East Asian landscape... ⬇️

Of the many gifted composers of intermediate piano music today, Naoko Ikeda remains a favourite, and it's great to welcome this new collection of solo pieces, particularly as it is one of her most consistent and enjoyable yet! ⬇️

If piano teachers don't enthusiastically communicate the many glories of our repertoire, who on earth will? 👇 https://pianodao.com/2024/07/07/why-the-classics-still-matter/?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=jetpack_social

Teachers: are you feeling uncertain about how your teaching can develop, and whether your studio can continue to grow in the future? Here’s some encouragement 👇 https://pianodao.com/2026/02/22/piano-teaching-an-uncertain-future/?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=jetpack_social

Darragh Gilleece is an Irish pianist, composer and educator, whose pieces in these collections are traditional with a modern twist, imaginative, highly appealing, and packed with valuable learning content 👇

What part do the Grade exams play in fostering positive motivation? Do they provide the impetus and framework needed for musical achievement, or do they distract from more important goals? Might they put some learners off continuing to play? Some answers to these questions here 👇

There's perhaps no better time than the Spring 🌼 months for embarking on exciting new piprojects, but let's also remember to give our perennial 'Active Repertoire' a timely spring clean... 👇

For those interested in academic insight into instrumental teaching trends, this is a wide-ranging and thought-provoking book sporting 19 chapters, each a distinct article covering an area of special interest. I highly recommend it...👇

Louise has significantly improved as a potter since making this, but the sentiments of this old blog post remain true: let's be kinder to ourselves and each other, and we'll find that our pursuit… https://pianodao.com/2024/07/21/beauty-in-imperfection/?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=jetpack_social

Much is made of the benefits of learning to play a musical instrument, and rightly so. But perhaps the greatest of all these is this: the pinnacle of developing patience. Are those eager to progress as quickly as possible in danger of missing the point? Read more here 👇

As musicians, "making a name” for ourselves can very easily become an unhealthy preoccupation, whether through competition in its many forms, or through self-promotion. Perhaps we need to stop and consider whether we are truly content with the path we are on...👇

Here's a series which can be highly recommended, and which brings an important body of little-known piano education repertoire to a wider global audience...👇

Effective studio policies, clearly communicated, fence off our personal and professional lives, and are especially important for those of us whose studios are based within our homes. Boundaries help us devote ourselves to our shared objective of pupil progress 👇

Most piano educators would balk at the suggestion that we would ever humiliate a student. But realistically, many of us will have inadvertently done so, and will likely also have experienced humiliation ourselves… 👇

Teachers: are you feeling uncertain about how your teaching can develop, and whether your studio can continue to grow in the future? Here’s some encouragement 👇

Here's an easy publication to recommend, combining classic hit songs, solid progressive arrangements at five levels (Grade 1-5), with educational insight and helpful practice tips...👇

Happy #ChineseNewYear to all who celebrate this evening and tomorrow around the world, and best wishes for Spring Festival. Wishing you a prosperous, happy and productive Year of the Fire Horse! pianodao.com/2026/02/08/t...

Written in partnership with the brilliant musician, composer, broadcaster, and writer Jack Pepper, and with a Foreword by Jeneba Kanneh-Mason, 'Music We Might Have Played' brings together nineteen stunning solo piano pieces for early advanced players 👇

With their 'Winter Piano Anthology', Faber Music have again hit the bullseye, offering an essential collection that gathers an impressively diverse and inspiring array of evocative pieces to satisfy all tastes, including many that pianists are unlikely to already have elsewhere... 👇

As he enjoys his 80th birthday year, John Rutter is rightly considered a national treasure, and his publishers OUP Music are celebrating with (among other things) a new compilation of his two recent solo piano albums in one superb book of 16 pieces 👇

House of Ghosts - I’m enjoying these piano pieces by British composer Francis Pott, performed by Duncan Honeybourne. They’re perfect for a read of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

I cannot think of a better gift for the young kiddos in your life this Christmas. Beyond the wonderful book itself, the 'Bluey First Ever Piano Book' offers the gift of music, which is one to cherish for a lifetime. How brilliant! 👇

With their 'Winter Piano Anthology', Faber Music have again hit the bullseye, offering an essential collection that gathers an impressively diverse and inspiring array of evocative pieces to satisfy all tastes, including many that pianists are unlikely to already have elsewhere... 👇

This selection of arrangements written by composers with very contrasting styles proves to be a collection with genuine educational and musical value, and one to which I expect to return as a teacher, and for my own personal pleasure, for many years to come... Truly superb! 👇

Musicians have always had a significant part to play in the feasts and festivals of community life, and for piano players this is a time of the year in which our Active Repertoire can play a particularly significant role in our music-making... 👇

For advanced players with a penchant for boogie and jazz piano, here's where the Christmas party starts!

We are delighted that Ivana Gavrić will be performing at the MK Piano Celebration 2025, and on the eve of the release of her new album 'Throwback to Dance' it has been a pleasure to catch up with her for a chat about her piano journey so far... 👇

Educator and best-selling author Paul Harris explains how deep subject knowledge promotes spontaneity, and how a connected "simultaneous learning" approach can enhance teaching... 👇

OUP Music’s evergreen ‘Piano Time Carols’ book has been given a contemporary redesign, with added downloadable audio, and they have also published the excellent ‘Christmas for Ten Fingers’ for younger learners…👇

Keeping track of all the seasonal music reviewed on Pianodao is becoming more challenging with each passing year. The Christmas Shortlist brings this music together in one easy-to-use portal, making it easier than ever to find what you are looking for 👇

Within my teaching practice, Pianoworks Christmas has proven to be a perennial chestnut, and my top, most tasty recommendation for a basic no-frills Christmas songbook... 👇

With so many Christmas-themed piano books on the market, and with yet more appearing to challenge our established favourites each year, it takes something quite special and distinctive to stand out from the crowd... 👇

Written in partnership with the brilliant musician, composer, broadcaster, and writer Jack Pepper, and with a Foreword by Jeneba Kanneh-Mason, 'Music We Might Have Played' brings together nineteen stunning solo piano pieces for early advanced players 👇

Are you sure that you breathe when playing the piano? It might seem like an odd question – of course we continue to breathe while playing! But to what extent are we aware of our breath, and how it affects our technique, musicality and comfort at the piano?

This addition to the popular Phillip Keveren Series sees the veteran arranger delivering dazzling “encore” versions of 18 songs, classic and contemporary. If you fancy delighting listeners with short, entertaining pieces based on classic hits, look no further: 👇

Penelope Roskell's Essential Piano Technique series has established itself as a benchmark resource for introducing healthy piano techniques in an imaginative and musical way. Now, Roskell provides a similarly useful and significant resource for Elementary to Intermediate learners... 👇

Thanks to Mark Goodwin Pianos for this positive feature on their website: markgoodwinpianos.co.uk/blog…

The obvious and very natural blend of musical inspiration and educational content to be found in these pieces make Carolyn Miller's 'Piano Expressions' a superb addition to the intermediate piano education repertoire, indeed a truly magical one! 👇

This bumper selection of piano masterpieces will undoubtedly and significantly enrich the advancing pianist's musical diet, bringing depth and understanding to their appreciation of our core literature. Superb! 👇

As Halloween approaches, many teachers and players ask about top choices of easy, but spooky, piano music to enjoy on these darker evenings. When it comes to whole collections dedicated to exploring the ghoulish and macabre, here are my top choices... 👇

In case you missed it, this in-depth article considers the links between #piano technique and injury, other important risk factors, and suggests a complementary pathway that freely leads to a more healthy piano playing approach…👇

Early intermediate players who enjoy imaginative content presented within a fairly traditional framework, and who embrace challenge in their learning, will absolutely love this latest collection from award-winning composer Jakub Metelka... 👇

Eugénie Rocherolle’s name and music remain too little known here in the UK, so this valedictory tribute to her genius offers both a superb introduction, and a glowing memorial to one of the true greats of the piano pedagogy literature… 👇

Have you considered keeping your own Piano Journal? In this post I explain how you can use a journal to improve your progress, deepen your engagement, track progress, get organised and plan for the future...

Autumn is a time of dynamic change and possibility, the old giving way to the new. As the 'fall' approaches, let's take another look at our Active Repertoire and reflect on our piano goals for the coming months... 👇

Fantastic article by Samatha Ege and @leahbroad.bsky.social in this month’s @prospectmagazine.co.uk on the life, career and legacy of Avril Coleridge-Taylor (usually ££ but free for a limited period). @arusbridger.bsky.social