Piano books for a 10 year old
June 9, 2015 6:08 AM Subscribe
Looking for suggestions for songbooks my 10 year old might like for playing the piano.
My daughter has been taking piano lessons for about 5 years now and seems to enjoy it, but rarely plays for just for fun. Her teacher takes a very traditional/classical approach to training but I was thinking of getting some books of music that are more contemporary or just less serious. Things like traditional sing-a-long songs, summer camp songs, popular music from any era but especially the last 50 years. I am intentionally leaving this question kind of broad in scope in hopes of getting a good variety of answers. As always, thanks in advance for your help!
My daughter has been taking piano lessons for about 5 years now and seems to enjoy it, but rarely plays for just for fun. Her teacher takes a very traditional/classical approach to training but I was thinking of getting some books of music that are more contemporary or just less serious. Things like traditional sing-a-long songs, summer camp songs, popular music from any era but especially the last 50 years. I am intentionally leaving this question kind of broad in scope in hopes of getting a good variety of answers. As always, thanks in advance for your help!
Going with Disney or pop artists are both great suggestions.
I took piano lessons for years as a child and really didn't enjoy them much. I also had a very practical teacher. I only recall 3 pieces that I ever enjoyed, that made me happy to play piano, and they were all recital pieces, and they were all picked out for me by my dad, so this question (much like the ziplock bag of tampons) is like fate.
-Chariots of Fire theme
-America from West Side Story
-Linus and Lucy from A Charlie Brown Christmas
I think I also would have really liked playing Scott Joplin, but I didn't see The Sting until I was in my 20s and didn't have any exposure.
So, these are hardly contemporary, but I do have to say, for a kid who pretty much hated piano, these pieces were fun. It's funny, because god I hate musicals, and honestly listening to the singing and dance version of America from that video I just linked makes me want to claw the walls, but it was really nice on piano. Oh look, here are some little cheaters playing it as a duet.
I quit after 5th grade and those are the only three pieces that have ever made me feel even a fleeting bit of "I wish I could still play piano" nostalgia.
posted by phunniemee at 6:51 AM on June 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
I took piano lessons for years as a child and really didn't enjoy them much. I also had a very practical teacher. I only recall 3 pieces that I ever enjoyed, that made me happy to play piano, and they were all recital pieces, and they were all picked out for me by my dad, so this question (much like the ziplock bag of tampons) is like fate.
-Chariots of Fire theme
-America from West Side Story
-Linus and Lucy from A Charlie Brown Christmas
I think I also would have really liked playing Scott Joplin, but I didn't see The Sting until I was in my 20s and didn't have any exposure.
So, these are hardly contemporary, but I do have to say, for a kid who pretty much hated piano, these pieces were fun. It's funny, because god I hate musicals, and honestly listening to the singing and dance version of America from that video I just linked makes me want to claw the walls, but it was really nice on piano. Oh look, here are some little cheaters playing it as a duet.
I quit after 5th grade and those are the only three pieces that have ever made me feel even a fleeting bit of "I wish I could still play piano" nostalgia.
posted by phunniemee at 6:51 AM on June 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
It may also be worth shopping around for teachers. She should be playing stuff that is fun to her.
posted by bfields at 11:06 AM on June 9, 2015
posted by bfields at 11:06 AM on June 9, 2015
Just go to a music store (either an actual store or online music store) and browse what they have to offer. There are tens of thousands of publications for this type of thing, and the only way to find anything is hoping the publisher has a good marketing department to get your attention.
A average ten year old playing for five years would still fall into the "easy piano" arrangements (because "easy" means easy from the pros' perspective; not easy for students. And some "easy piano" arrangements are still quite difficult). There are exceptions of students' abilities at this point, of course, but this is the safest route to take.
posted by TinWhistle at 11:23 AM on June 9, 2015
A average ten year old playing for five years would still fall into the "easy piano" arrangements (because "easy" means easy from the pros' perspective; not easy for students. And some "easy piano" arrangements are still quite difficult). There are exceptions of students' abilities at this point, of course, but this is the safest route to take.
posted by TinWhistle at 11:23 AM on June 9, 2015
Oh, yeah, and seconding the shop-around-for-a-different-teacher comment. I usually teach traditional piano lessons, but I put my students' interests first, because, well that is the whole point. I have several students who only do pop music, for example.
posted by TinWhistle at 11:24 AM on June 9, 2015
posted by TinWhistle at 11:24 AM on June 9, 2015
Response by poster: I agree that the "easy piano" arrangements are the way to go; she's progressed a lot but is still about where you'd expect a ten year old to be. As for teachers, she actually likes her teacher (who is well thought of by some serious musicians I know) and in any event that's her mother's call. My question is really about stuff she can play for fun. The Frozen suggestion is good; she and her best friend were singing those songs constantly for a while. Thanks again for your answers!
posted by TedW at 11:53 AM on June 9, 2015
posted by TedW at 11:53 AM on June 9, 2015
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It looks like sheet music for all of Taylor Swift's recent albums has been put out in Easy Piano versions.
If you have a sheet music store in your town, you could bring her in to browse. Fun, accessible music for kids to play is a decently-sized market, and she'll know her tastes better than you.
posted by pie ninja at 6:32 AM on June 9, 2015 [1 favorite]