Music Tree Time To Begin

Getting Started With Music Tree Time To Begin

If you are picking up a beginner piano method book for a student or for yourself, Music Tree Time To Begin is usually the entry point. It is part of a series by Nancy and Randall Faber, designed specifically for adults and teens who are starting from zero. The book covers basic note reading, simple rhythms, hand coordination, and foundational technique. It is not meant to be a comprehensive conservatory syllabus. It is a first step. I have used this method with about a dozen students over the past few years, and I can tell you what actually works and where people tend to hit a wall. The book moves fairly quickly through initial concepts, which is intentional. The Fabers assume the learner will continue through the series into Music Tree Aquatic Adventure and beyond. Stopping after the first book without a plan for progression leaves gaps.

Music Tree Time To Begin

Here is how I approach teaching from it. The book is structured around small repertoire pieces rather than dry exercises. That is its strength and also its weakness. A student might learn to read a simple melody but still struggle to apply that reading to unfamiliar notation. I supplement the book with short, improvised reading tasks at every lesson. Five minutes. Just something new every time so the sight-reading skill does not become dependent on the book itself. The rhythm section in this book introduces quarter notes, half notes, and whole notes before getting into any subdivisions beyond eighth notes. That pacing is fine for most people. One edge case I ran into recently involved a student who had strong prior keyboard experience from piano toys and mobile apps. He could play melodies by ear but could not read standard notation at all. When we hit the note-reading sections in the early pages, he was frustrated because the material felt too slow for his hands. I skipped ahead to the rhythm reading exercises and had him clap patterns while pointing to a staff diagram I drew on a whiteboard. That bridge between his existing motor skills and the notation system cut about two weeks off his initial progress. You do not need to follow the book linearly. Use it as a resource, not a mandate. One thing beginners often miss is the importance of the finger numbering system. The book introduces 1 through 5 for the fingers of each hand. It seems trivial. It is not. I have watched students skip over that explanation and then spend weeks struggling with hand position because they do not internalize which number corresponds to which finger. Spend ten minutes on that section properly. Have the student point to their thumb and say "one" repeatedly until it becomes automatic. That alone prevents a lot of later frustration.

The technique section includes basic wrist motion and arm weight concepts. Again, the book introduces these lightly. In practice, if you ignore them, you will develop tension issues within a month. I make my students demonstrate the wrist circle exercise from page twenty-two out loud, explaining what they are feeling. If they cannot describe the motion, they have not actually learned it. The book assumes the teacher will clarify these points in person. If you are self-teaching, find a video that demonstrates the wrist mobility exercise and watch it alongside the relevant section. There is a section on playing with both hands together that starts around the middle of the book. This is where most learners stall. The book provides gradual exercises, but the transition from separate-hand practice to coordinated playing is not always smooth. I recommend practicing each hand separately for at least three repetitions before attempting them together, then starting the combination at half the tempo of the marked metronome setting. Many students rush this step and cement bad habits that are harder to undo later. The metronome markings in the book are generally reasonable, but do not treat them as absolute requirements at the beginner stage. A tempo marking of quarter note equals sixty does not need to be perfect when the student is still working on note identification and finger placement. Accuracy of notes and evenness of touch matter more at this stage than strict adherence to the metronome. Once the hands are coordinated, then bring the tempo up gradually over the following lessons.

One common pitfall is neglecting the accompaniment parts. The right-hand melodies in Music Tree Time To Begin are straightforward, but the left-hand parts sometimes introduce harmony that students gloss over. I have students play the left-hand part by itself first, naming each note as they play it. This reinforces note reading in the bass clef and helps them understand that the left hand is carrying harmonic information, not just playing random notes. Without that awareness, the student ends up playing a hollow-sounding piece that lacks structure. Supplemental materials from the Faber series include practice CDs and online audio tracks. Use them. The student should listen to each piece before attempting to play it. This builds an auditory model in their head, which significantly reduces the cognitive load when reading and playing simultaneously. I ask my students to submit a recording of the piece after they have listened to the track at least twice. The improvement is noticeable. When students finish Music Tree Time To Begin, they should be able to read simple melodies in both treble and bass clef, play basic rhythms, and coordinate both hands at a slow tempo. If they are not there after completing the book, I review the earlier sections rather than pushing forward. The structure assumes steady progress, but real students do not always follow that assumption. Going back is not a failure. It is standard practice.

The book is available through major music retailers and the Faber Music website. Pricing varies by region. Some users report that used copies circulate widely in secondhand markets, which is fine as long as the binding is intact and the pages are not heavily marked. My preference is the new softcover edition because the lay-flat binding makes it easier to work with during lessons. If you are looking for an alternative to this method, the Alfred Basic Adult Piano Course covers similar material with a different pedagogical approach. The Faber series tends to introduce musicality earlier, while Alfred leans more toward a structured technical foundation. Both are valid. Choose based on the student's learning style rather than assuming one is universally superior. The real question is whether you will use it correctly. The book is a tool. It does not teach itself. The teacher, the practice routine, and the student's engagement determine the outcome. Nothing about this method guarantees results on its own. What matters is consistent, focused practice with attention to the details that the book only briefly touches on.