Why use the Suzuki and Pace methods together for keyboard instruction?
Although some of my fellow teachers found these two methods of piano teaching incompatible, I found them to compliment each other. While some parents and children preferred one over the other, the two were effectively utilized together by some students. This compatibility stems from the fact that both methods emphasize similar concepts for the first two (the most critical) levels of instruction. The main shared concepts include initial use of: (1) a five-finger position for melody, and (2) the three Major chords in the diatonic scale (the I, IV, and V) for accompaniment, using a six-key range of notes. For self-teaching, I have felt the Pace materials to be profound, so that they capture a student’s interest and inspire creativity. Especially with a teacher’s manual, the instructions are very clear, and there are rich, sequenced repertoire materials to explore at all levels. Concept coverage is broad, and language is applied to concepts, so that the student gains solid command of the t
