What is the European Method?
The European Method was developed to train students in the classical principles of musical pedagogy. The teaching method focuses on developing a strong ear for music in the students along with concrete musical abilities based on memory, attention, and practice.
The idea behind the European method is that reading is about more than just memorizing individual letters or words. So, similarly, music is about more than knowing the notes and memorizing their order. It is about learning the piece as a whole and artfully playing it with that in mind.
This means that students start out learning:
- sight-reading
- scales, chords, and arpeggios to a high level of mastery as a foundation
- time signatures demonstrating rhythm, tempo, and pacing
- proper hand gestures, movements, and posture
- proper finger skills
Why Choose the European Method?
Reason #1 : Proven Track Record
The European Method produced the great names we have all heard of such as: Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and Rachmaninoff.
Reason #2: Quality Over Quantity
Unlike the American Method which seeks to give students a very surface level training, It does not skip from pop song to pop song, gaining quantity. It sets goals of learning 1-2 pieces at a time to achieve a minimum level of mastery before moving forward to the next stage.
Reason #3 : Skill Building
The European Method invests in a long-term foundation based on an outlined methodology. It begins the musical education with simplified versions of traditional songs, building a skill set which is applicable to pieces across generations and genres. It develops transferable skills across instruments and integrates music theory (an important building block for young piano students).
For more advanced students, it teaches mastery and analysis of every pieces’ meaning and interpretation of composition.
Reason #4: High Standards
To this day, the European method maintains these impeccable standards of teaching and applies them to pupils of all ages. Students are not given repetitive nursery or folk songs but are shown chords, scales, and other exercises to produce real progress.
For more information about the European method versus the American methods, please see Useful Links section.