A Practical Guide to Working Through James Bastien Piano 2
I have taught from the James Bastien Piano 2 book for roughly twelve years now, and I still run into the same friction points with students every time someone hits Level 2. The method itself is solid, but it was designed for kids and beginners in a structured studio setting. That means if you are self-teaching or working with an adult student, you will immediately notice where the gaps are. The book assumes a teacher is there to fill in the spaces. The core structure of James Bastien Piano 2 builds directly on Level 1. You move from just learning note names on the treble clef staff into both hands working at the same time, introducing intervals, chords, sharps, flats, and time signatures like 3/4 and 6/8. The method uses a theme-and-variations approach where every concept gets explored through songs, games, duets, and ear training before moving forward. It is intentional, but the pace can feel slow if you are working alone.
How to Actually Use James Bastien Piano 2
The way most people burn through this book is by treating it as a complete curriculum rather than a workbook. Each section has its own purpose. The songs are for playing and rhythm. The games teach music reading through visual recognition. The duets introduce listening and coordination. The ear training and theory pages build the foundation. If you skip any of those sections, you create blind spots. I tell students to work through each page in order, not skip ahead when something feels too easy or too hard. The book is built so that each skill reinforces the next one. Here is something most people do not expect: the theory pages in Level 2 are actually where the real learning happens. The songs feel rewarding because you are playing actual music, but the theory sections are where a student either clicks or they do not. I have seen students sail through the repertoire in three weeks while still struggling with basic scale degrees and chord identification weeks later. The method separates those two tracks deliberately, and if you only focus on playing, you will hit a wall around the middle of the book. I once had a student who was playing the pieces beautifully but could not identify a G sharp versus a G flat on the page. She had memorized the patterns on the staff rather than actually reading the notes. The workaround I used was to print out blank staff paper and have her write the names of the notes under each one while playing slowly. Not singing, not guessing, just writing. After about four sessions of that, she started actually reading instead of memorizing shape patterns. It took maybe twenty minutes each session, but it fixed a problem that would have come back later when the music got more complicated.
There is also a student workbook that goes along with the book. Some teachers treat it as optional homework. I treat it as mandatory. The workbook gives additional practice on the concepts introduced in each section, and without it, you are basically doing half the work. A typical session should take about forty-five minutes to an hour if you are going through everything properly. That means songs, games, duets, ear training, theory, and workbook pages. If you are cutting it down to twenty minutes, you are only playing the songs and probably not getting the full benefit of the method. One counter-intuitive thing about this level: the sharps and flats get introduced in a way that feels gentle, but they actually change how a student reads music. Before Level 2, a beginner is mostly working in C major and A minor. Once sharps and flats enter the picture, sight-reading becomes a completely different task. Students who never practiced reading with accidentals end up stumbling at the hardest point of the book. The fix is straightforward. Spend extra time on the accidental-related games and songs before moving forward. Do not rush through that section just because the pieces sound nice. The accidentals are a gatekeeper concept in this method, and skipping over them causes problems later. Another thing that trips people up is the assumption that the recording component is optional. There are audio tracks that come with the book, usually accessible through a code printed inside. Those recordings are not just background music. They are designed to model proper rhythm, tempo, and phrasing. If you are self-teaching without using them, you are missing a critical reference point. I use the recordings for rhythm clapping exercises at the start of every lesson. It takes about five minutes and it keeps everyone on the same page, literally.
Get the Full Details
The book also includes parent involvement sections. If you are an adult teaching yourself, you can skip those, but I do not recommend skipping them entirely. They contain useful reminders about practice habits, posture, and how to approach difficult passages. The method was written with parents in mind, but the advice is still relevant for independent learners. It is just packaged differently.
Where the Method Falls Short
No method is perfect, and James Bastien Piano 2 has a few real limitations. The biggest one is that it does not teach scales in a systematic, sequential way. You encounter scale patterns throughout the book, but there is no dedicated scale curriculum. If your goal is to eventually play classical repertoire or jazz improvisation, you will need to supplement this method with separate scale practice. It is not included, and it is not hinted at much. Most teachers add Hanon or a simple scale routine alongside the book to cover that gap. Another limitation is the repertoire. The pieces are pleasant but generic. They were written for pedagogical purposes, not artistic depth. A student finishing Level 2 will be able to play simple two-hand pieces with basic dynamics, but they will not be ready for actual sonatinas or more advanced literature without additional study. That is fine if you are using this as a starting point, which is what it was designed to be. It is not meant to be your entire piano education. It is meant to get you through the first two years of structured learning. The layout can also be a problem for certain students. The notes are sometimes printed a little too small, and the spacing between staves is tight. For younger kids or anyone with vision issues, this can make reading difficult. I have switched a few students to using larger printed copies or tablet versions to avoid the strain. It is a minor issue but worth noting if you are buying the book for a child who already struggles with fine motor tasks or reading.
Finally, the method assumes access to a piano or a quality keyboard with weighted keys. It will work on an unweighted keyboard for the earliest exercises, but as soon as you get into dynamics and two-hand coordination, a cheap keyboard becomes a real obstacle. The books do mention this, but not prominently enough. If you are working with a student who only has a $200 keyboard, plan to spend extra time on finger strength and technique exercises because the instrument itself will not help with that development. The book can be found through most major online retailers and music stores. You do not need to hunt for a specific edition. The standard hardcover version with the accompanying CD and online audio access is the one to get. There are digital editions available through Hal Leonard's website and similar platforms if you prefer not to deal with physical books. Some teachers also buy the teacher's edition, which contains additional notes and suggestions, though most of that content is not necessary unless you are actively teaching from the book. If you are looking for a complete replacement for this method, Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Library is a reasonable alternative for older students or self-learners who want more structured theory integration. But for children in a studio environment, or for parents who want a guided approach, James Bastien Piano 2 remains one of the more effective options available. It just requires that you use it the way it was designed, not the way most people assume they should use it.
