Let’s Talk about John Thompson’s “Teaching Little Fingers To Play” – Color In My Piano (2023)

This was my first piano method book too! Although, I was taught by an elementary teacher who also knew how to play piano and I’m not sure why, but I don’t remember being taught about reading and using the finger numbers, so the over abundance was just filtered out for me, I guess! I don’t think I truly used finger numbers as an actual guide until high school.

This was my first piano method book as well, way back in 1972. I got as far as the third grade book before my teacher moved me out of the method books altogether and into other repertoire. I credit this method with helping me master key signatures quickly. Interestingly, I never noticed the overabundance of finger numbers until I read about it several years ago. All four of my original John Thompson books still reside in my music library…I’ll have to dust them off and relive some memories.

Interesting that you progressive teachers are praising J Thompson! About 70 years ago when I was a beginner in that series, I totally relied on finger numbers until I “ran out of fingers”. Then I asked my sister to play the pieces which gave me a highly developed ear but no expertise in reading. My parents figured out something was wrong and I wasn’t learning to read! They sent me to a knowledgable teacher who thought I’d NEVER learn to read!! The rest is history!
You see, my view of JK is not exactly positive!!

I love the John Thompson method books and use his “Easiest Piano Course” for my young beginners. I usually switch them over to the “Modern Piano Course First Grade” after “Easiest” Book Two. They do very well and like the pieces. I have used “Teaching Little Fingers to Play” for older beginners but prefer a different method for them now.

I am old enough that my first books were John Thompson. I feel like learning the middle c position and adding a note each week gave me a strong foundation in note reading. I have had very good luck with young beginners using Janet Vogt/Leon Bates Piano Discovery series. It seems like the same approach as John Thompson with an updated much cute selection of pieces and pictures.

I grew up on John Thompson, and still have fond memories of the tunes in “Teaching Little Fingers…” I loved playing the pieces as duets with my teacher. When, as an adult, I was teaching, I moved away from it because of criticism about over-reliance on finger numbers instead of note-reading. I actually caught on to note reading quite easily, either in spite of or because of that method, I’ll never know. The melodies in that series were just lovely.

Teaching Little Fingers was my first book also and I went through all his Graded Books after that though they were well supplemented with many other pieces and exams so maybe that is why I never really relied on the marked fingering.
Just a few weeks ago I started a new adult pupil on his new Adult Course.
It is well presented and easy to understand. Fingering is marked but not overly so.

I’m just now seeing this post. I started with this book, Teaching Little Fingers to Play. It belonged to my dad, uncle, and aunt when they took lessons. Back then, the books were about $.75!! Mine is (barely) held together with tape that is flaking off. I, too love to look through my grandma’s old music. I have her 1948 Acrosonic piano which has held up well with my piano students. Thanks for sharing the J.T. books/video!

Thanks so much for this video. I wish I hadn’t gotten rid of my original copy of Teaching Little Fingers to Play when I bought our kids the new version. The black and white drawings were so lovely. I’m working on a memoir and it was very helpful to me to come across your video to remind myself of what the original looked like. I loved this book so much as a child, and our children enjoyed working their way through as well.