Our instructors have tried almost every piano method book on the market. When it comes to preschool age piano, there are a few select resources that make our shortlist of recommended learning materials. It is important to keep in mind that each student is different and that learning materials must be customized to the student - there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Here are some of our favorite method books for 4-5 year olds, as well as what we like about them.
Advertised age range: 3-6
Usecase: Best all-rounder for most preschoolers
Publisher: Alfred Music
Year Published: 1998
Who are the books best for?
Little Mozart is, in our opinion, the industry leading method book series for preschool piano. Rather than focusing heavily on technical precision early on, it introduces foundational musical concepts through storytelling, characters, and imaginative play, using characters such as Beethoven Bear and Mozart Mouse. This approach emphasizes listening skills, basic rhythm, keyboard geography, and a natural sense of musicality, which creates a foundation of music skills that allow them to excel when they transition to more formal instruction. To illustrate, many students who begin lessons at age 7 learn slowly and have not decided whether or not they enjoy music lessons. In contrast, a 7 year old student who has completed the Little Mozart course will learn much faster and will already be "hooked" on music.
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Advertised age range: 5-6
Usecase: Preschool students who are slightly older or have precocious learning abilities.
Publisher: Faber
Year Published: 2010
Who are the books best for?
Since we consider Little Mozart to be the best fit for most preschoolers, we will specifically compare MFPA to Little Mozart. Compared to Little Mozart, MFPA moves somewhat faster and may have a slightly lower risk of seeming "babyish" to a very mature 6 year old. The fact that this course moves faster is the main reason that we find it to be inferior to Little Mozart for most students. Using a course that moves too fast is a major barrier to learning, while it is almost impossible to have a course that moves "too slow" because a more slowly paced course helps to build confidence and reinforce concepts such as rhythm, motor control, ear training, and reading. Because of this asymmetry, we recommend Little Mozart to nearly all preschoolers. So then, why list the Faber books in this article at all? Because they can be ideal for 6 year olds and some 7 year olds. The goal of music instructors during the first year of instruction is to get them "hooked" on piano - that means making them feel like piano is easy, or at least that it is of reasonably surmountable difficulty, and not overwhelming them with practice regimens that extinguish the flame before it even has a chance to take hold. Rather than an alternative to the Little Mozart series, MPFA might be better thought of as an alternative to the Faber Piano Adventure Primer books (our recommended books for most 6-8 year olds), or perhaps as a middle option between Little Mozart and the Faber Piano Adventure Primer books.
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