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

It can feel overwhelming trying to keep track of all the latest and best piano education resources from one year to the next, so I am happy to publish this year's annual Pianodao roundup! 👇

🎹 NEW TERM 🎹 NEW MUSIC 🎹 The 'Joy of Graded Piano' offers an educationally varied, diverse, inspiring selection of music in five books covering Grades 1-5. Everything from Bach to Einaudi, and from Beethoven to Florence Price, all in one place! 👇

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... 👇

Ben Crosland has done it again! From beginner to proficient jazzer, the 'Jazz Beans' series offers a delicious mix of styles and catchy melodies which will surely bring much enjoyment, and inspire players of all ages (and especially teenagers) to develop their groove... 👇

The Tunes For Ten Fingers series remains one of the top-selling methods for young beginners, and with good reason. With these new editions, OUP Music have given this evergreen resource a fresh, more diverse, contemporary look and feel, audio recordings, and many other tweaks... 👇

Debbie Wiseman has been voted the most popular living composer by Classic FM listeners, and it's easy to understand her wide appeal based on these attractive and winsome piano pieces, suitable for intermediate players. One of the must-have collections of 2025 so far... 👇

FREE DOWNLOAD 👇 Did your last practice session leave you feeling like a corpse, or was your playing on fire? Unlock your piano potential with this unique PRACTICE REFLECTION SHEET — track your progress, enjoyment, and overcome frustrations for better practice.

Rather boldly describing itself as "The Perfect Resource for Between Piano Grades", the new 'Junior Performer' series from Willis Music clearly has ambitions! But does it succeed? The Pianodao review considers both the musical and pedagogic content in depth to find out...👇

Some really good #news for once! www.ism.org/news/prime-m...

Debbie Wiseman has been voted the most popular living composer by Classic FM listeners, and it's easy to understand her wide appeal based on these attractive and winsome piano pieces, suitable for intermediate players. One of the must-have collections of 2025 so far... 👇

The topic of singing in aural tests has long been a contentious one. Evidence now shows that compulsory singing in aural tests is neither reliable as a means to assessing musical… https://pianodao.com/2022/07/02/singing-in-aural-tests-why-its-a-problem/?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=jetpack_social

Karen Marshall says of The Willis Student Recital Collection: "As a teacher, I’m immediately drawn to the memorable and appealing pieces, which are rich in teaching value, that I’m… https://pianodao.com/2025/03/09/the-willis-student-recital-collection/?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=jetpack_social

Pianodao launched on 1st August 2015, and as I celebrate a decade of blogging, reviewing music, and writing articles, I’m really grateful for your support. Here is a short look back at history of the site, including a countdown of the all-time top 20 articles.. 👇

Introducing the Pianodao TEACHER HUB, where you can find dozens of FREE articles, resources, and a wealth of advice to support effective teaching and learning… 👇

Recent decades have seen a wonderful resurgence of piano playing by adults for their own personal development, enrichment, relaxation, enjoyment, and as a social activity. These articles are written to support them, and teachers working with them... 👇

What are the benefits and potential pitfalls of taking the grades? Do they motivate us, offer a balanced curriculum, and are standards being maintained? Pianodao includes many articles tacking these important questions... 👇

Performing and communicating are regarded by many as key goals for learning to play an instrument. But is it essential to play to others, or to perform in public? And if so, how do we overcome anxiety, nerves, and any negative past experiences? 👇

The music we play lies at the heart of our piano journey, and our instrument unquestionably has the most astonishing, diverse, and extensive repertoire of any.... 👇

Age verification? Whatever. I thought that was for "adult" sites, not social media etc. Anyway, apparently I'm old enough.

To become a three-dimensional pianist we need to focus on developing our musical soul: that is, our latent musicality, aural internalisation, deep engagement, and creative expression 👇

A healthy technique empowers us to fully realise our musical intentions and communicate our creativity, all without sustaining injury. Pianodao includes a growing series of articles addressing these topics and more... 👇

To become a three-dimensional pianist we need to focus on developing our musical mind: that is, our understanding, literacy, historical awareness. and theoretical analysis of the music we play… 👇

The majority of our piano journey is spent privately in the practise room, so it is important to find musical fulfilment here. Pianodao includes many in-depth articles and reflective blog posts about this crucial topic... 👇

Why do we love the piano? How do we fan that flame and keep it alight? What motivates us to practise, play, and perform? How do we help to motivate others?

FREE DOWNLOAD 👇 Did your last practice session leave you feeling like a corpse, or was your playing on fire? Reflecting on our practice is not just a good idea, but an essential component of making the progress we hope for at the piano.

In this in-depth article, I consider the link between piano technique and injury, discuss other important risk factors, and suggest a pathway that freely leads to a more healthy piano playing approach…👇

The 'Lang Lang Piano Book' is a brilliant achievement, which offers continuing appeal to a broad audience. With the Encore Edition, it remains an affordable anthology of great piano music for early advanced players, and as such it is still very hard to beat...👇