METHODOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES OF THE CHINESE TEACHER DAN ZHAOYI ON THE WAY OF FORMING THE PERFORMANCE SKILLS OF PIANISTS (ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE TRAINING COURSE “NEW PATHS. BASIC PIANO TUTORIAL”)

Abstract

The article is devoted to the consideration of methodical principles of piano learning in the class of the Chinese pianist Dan Zhaoyi as one of the most successful teachers of the second half of the 20th – beginning of the 21st century. A detailed analysis of four volumes of the training course ‘New Paths. Basic piano tutorial’ traces the ways of gradual formation, assimilation, and practical development of techniques of playing the piano. The purpose of the article is to identify the pedagogical and methodological principles of the training course ‘New Paths. Basic piano tutorial’ by Dan Zhaoyi, the specifics of his author’s approach to teaching the piano and the specifics of forming the performance skills and abilities of a future pianist-performer. This education course is based on many years of practical experience of the main editor of the course, Dan Zhaoyi. Training course ‘New Paths. Basic piano tutorial’ is based on many years of practical experience of editor-in-chief Dan Zhaoyi. The value of the textbook lies in the detailed treatment of each stage of learning, a scientific approach to the selection of musical material, and a comprehensive approach to the education of the student-pianist’s personality. The offered educational materials in the course help to develop the individual capabilities of students, their talents and skills, provide an opportunity to master professional skills, the technique of playing the piano, introduce the basic means of musical expression and the structure of a musical piece. Pedagogical ‘successes’ of the training course ‘New Paths’ are based on the methodical selection of each step of the study, on the creation of an individual study plan for students according to their abilities. The method of developing piano playing skills, proposed by Dan Zhaoyi in this edition, is aimed at the correct formation of students’ performance skills, gradual assimilation of educational material, and practical mastery of piano playing techniques. Special attention in the training course is focused on the use of works of the Chinese national musical tradition, which help piano students to easily learn the theoretical material.