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...👇

This is my favourite album from Alexis Ffrench to date, the joyous work of a unique musician hitting a new creative peak, and confidently in command of his fully matured expressive gift... 👇

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? Can they put learners off playing altogether?

🎹 The more time that I have spent playing these original contemporary works, the more certain I have become that this is a significant publication, and one which belongs in the collection of all late intermediate players and their teachers. Don't miss it... 👇

The confidence to perform to an audience isn't conjured overnight. We need to provide plenty of occasion for learners to develop the art of performance if we want to ensure that live music continues to prosper... 👇

“What grade is this piece?” Having reviewed many syllabus offerings in depth, I think that we can draw a number of common conclusions about the Grade Expectations underpinning repertoire selections... 👇

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... 👇

A healthy teacher-student relationship offers a safe space in which we learn to pick up on cues, work stuff through, foster realistic expectations of others, navigate and embrace contradictions... 👇

Have you explored 'The Willis Student Recital Collection' yet? Which of the 40 pieces are your favourites?

Mark Tanner has distilled his considerable professional experience and intelligent reflection into The Mindful Pianist. Cramming such a panoply of advice, practical suggestion and thought-provoking insight into its slender frame, the book is a richly rewarding read.

The need to practice using our full attention is integral to our development as Three-Dimensional Pianists. We must develop our practice focus using our mind, body, and soul... 👇

Angeline Bell's latest two intermediate collections bring her tally to five in the last three years. In this review I consider what they add, and who these books will best suit...

Haydn's music can be guaranteed to put a smile on your face, and I think that this collection is the best introduction to his easiest piano works that I’ve come across! 👇

Why am I filled with nostalgia for a pre-internet age I never knew? | Isabel Brooks

The latest addition to Faber Music's 'Piano Player' series offers "21 of the best themes from the biggest films"... Curious to find out more? Here's my review 👇

Liszt was perhaps the most significant of the pianist-composers of the 19th century, but the significance of his late piano pieces has been the subject of much debate. Bärenreiter have now delivered a scholarly edition of this astonishing music...

WINNER • THE PRESIDENT'S AWARD 2025 As President of the Art of Piano Education Awards, it gave me great happiness to select this milestone publication for special recognition at our presentation in London's Royal Albert Hall earlier this month 👇

Having considered the importance of establishing a stable five-note hand position in the early stages of piano playing, we must consider the three most basic ways that we move beyond the five-note position at elementary level... 👇

WINNER: The Founder's Award! The Art of Piano Education Awards 2025