Teaching Methods of Piano Playing: Concept of Universalism and Author's Philosophy

Abstract

This research aimed to determine the methods for teaching piano by focusing on the synthesis of the concept of universalism and the author's philosophy of pedagogy, which affect the piano performance. Using an uneven scale, the author revealed that at baseline, the traditional approach to teaching piano was common (58%). However, this educational approach does not reflect the principles of universalism, which prevents the attainment of high results among the majority of students and does not demonstrate the potential for utilising an individualised approach to learning. The obtained results influenced the development of a teaching methodology that included a preliminary analysis of the repertoire, the enhancement of musicality during the interpretation of sounds and melodies, the acquisition of skills in sound contrast and polyphony, and the development of performance dynamics and creativity. Using the sociometric rating index, the researchers determined that the author's approach ($I_{\text{s}}$ = 1.37) was of the highest importance for improving piano skills because it was aimed at developing playing skills of varying complexity. On the basis of the respondents' piano composition performance quality, it was evident that the execution technique for pre-existing musical compositions ($T_{\mathrm{ef}}$ = 9.7) exceeded that of improvised pieces ($T_{\mathrm{ef}}$ = 9.3). The results obtained contribute to the development of technical and creative skills in piano performance, employing principles of universalism that influenced the creation of the author's methodology. The research prospects are related to a comparative analysis of the effectiveness of teaching piano under different author's methods.