What Do I Play Next?
Solid Guidance with Freedom to Choose
The video courses section of the academy consists of a number folders representing courses at various levels such as beginner, level one, level, two, etc.
The levels correspond roughly to the ABRSM or LCM grading system although this comparison is for guidance only.
If you have never played before, are a very recent beginner, or you have played years ago but forgotten most of what you learned then you should start at beginner level with An Accelerated Piano Course for Beginners. This is a complete primer course consisting of fifty graded pieces and covering all aspects of beginning piano. All things being equal, you should probably spend three to six months on this course. Careful and considered study at this level will set you up to play some of the worlds finest piano music.
You are, of course, free to take any other beginner level courses at the same time. You could start the theory course almost immediately, for example but might want to delay the mini course on scales until you have completed the ‘Thumb Under, Finger Over’ section of the primer course. Upcoming beginner level courses will include an introduction to sight reading and building technique and these can be started at any time.
How do I know when it’s time to move on to the next level?
A great time to definitely ask for feedback is when you are planning to move on to the next level. Posting a video will enable you to get constructive feedback on any issues as well as acknowledging your strengths before you level up.
As you move into the numbered levels you will have more freedom regarding what order to take courses in and even if you want to skip various courses.
At these levels, courses could more accurately be called collections. Each collection focuses on a composer or theme and it’s a good idea to have pieces from multiple collections on the go at any one time (the norm is three pieces). Working cross-collection like this allows for mixing and matching of diverse styles to keep your practice fresh and interesting while each collection presents its pieces in order of difficulty.
This means that you could work through a number of pieces presented early on in various collections and then go back later to continue with later pieces as you see fit and following your own interests.
Again, feedback and advice is always available in the discussion group, via private chat, and through the live drop-in sessions when you need it.
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