Synopses & Reviews
Designed for non-music majors who want to learn piano "for the fun of it,"
Learning Piano: Piece by Piece is also ideal for courses in class piano and for individual instruction. This concise and user-friendly book presents materials in an engaging manner and in a logical piece-by-piece progression of difficulty. Offering a rich and well-rounded solo and ensemble repertoire, it enables students to master basic keyboard skills--through the study of fresh, appealing, and easy-to-play arrangements of both traditional and newly created pieces--and provides them with ample opportunities to improvise, transpose, and harmonize. By encouraging students to play music from different time periods, genres, and cultures,
Learning Piano: Piece by Piece also inspires musicality and creativity.
FEATURES
* Uniquely diverse and global repertoire: Learning Piano: Piece by Piece contains a wealth of musical compositions, from classical (Baroque through the twentieth century) to folk, blues, jazz, boogie, and rock, all in interesting arrangements. It features music that is heard and played around the world, in the United States, France, Germany, Ireland, Scotland, Russia, China, Japan, South America, Mexico, and the Middle East. The nine ensemble pieces include such favorites as "Amazing Grace" and Pachelbel's "Canon in D." An entire unit is devoted to twentieth-century pieces.
* Accessible yet creative instruction: Laid out in an easy-to-follow, piece-by-piece format, the text also integrates numerous fun exercises, like improvising in various styles--pentatonic (creating music reminiscent of Chinese and Japanese tunes), open-fifth "new age," 12-bar blues, and Dorian mode (jazz style).
* Two CDs packaged free with each book, containing almost 100 original orchestrations by renowned composer Phillip Keveren (in both practice and performance tempi) for students to use on their own. These orchestrations are also available on MIDI disks for adopting instructors to use in class.
* Marginal icons in the text direct students to the appropriate track with the orchestration accompaniment on the CDs.
* "Practice Strategies" sections throughout give students the opportunity to practice theory and techniques immediately after they are introduced in the text.
* "On Another Note" boxes provide interesting historical information on the piano, musical styles, and composers, as well as learning tips from performing artists.
* An Instructor's Manual containing suggested lesson plans will be available online.
Review
"Mach has a gift of understanding how people learn, especially those who have not previously studied the piano. The curriculum is fine tuned to match the experiences of students, rather than superficially imposing new ideas."-John Blacklow, Clavier Magazine
Table of Contents
PrefaceUNIT 1. KEYBOARD INSTRUCTION
Sitting at the Keyboard
Finger Numbers
Basic Note Values
The Keyboard
Dynamics
More Dynamic Signs
Using the White Keys
Using Black-Key Groups to Locate White Keys
Octave
Terms
More Terms
Improvisation
Rhythms to Read
Training the Ear
Worksheet Review
UNIT 2. PLAYING MELODIES USING DIFFERENT POSITIONS
C Five-Finger Position
Time Signature: 4/4
Slur and Phrase Markings
G Five-Finger Position
Common Time Sign: C
Middle C Position
Rests
Time Signature: 3/4
Tied Notes
Improvisation
Technique
UNIT 3. READING MUSIC
The Staff and Clefs
Grand Staff
Landmark Pairs
Intervals
Seconds
Thirds
Transposition
Dynamic Changes
Fourths
Damper Pedal
Fifths
Upbeat and Downbeat
Rhythms to Read
Training the Ear
Worksheet Review
UNIT 4. MORE READING BASICS
Playing in Various Octaves
Fermata
Tempo Markings
Flat Sign
8va --------
Sharp Sign
8va --------
Ritardando (Rit.)
Natural Sign
Staccato
Accent Sign
More Dynamic Markings
Improvisation
Technique
Rhythms to Read
Training the Ear
Worksheet Review
UNIT 5. MAJOR FIVE-FINGER PATTERNS AND MAJOR TRIADS
Half Step
Whole Step
The Major Five-Finger Pattern
Major Triads
Five-Finger Patterns and Triads in Major
Eighth Notes
Improvisation
Technique
Rhythms to Read
Training the Ear
UNIT 6. MINOR FIVE-FINGER PATTERNS AND MINOR TRIADS
The Minor Five-Finger Pattern
New Time Signature: 2/4
Minor Triads
Five-Finger Patterns and Triads in Major and Minor
A Tempo
Worksheet Review
UNIT 7. HARMONIZING MELODIES
Using the C Major and G7 Chords
Using the F Major Chord
Playing the C Major, F Major, and G7 Chord Progression
Dotted Quarter Notes
Alla Breve
Changing Five-Finger Positions
The Damper Pedal
Harmonizing a Lead-Line Melody
Rhythms to Read
Training the Ear
Worksheet Review
UNIT 8. THE MAJOR SCALE/READING IN C MAJOR
The Major Scale
The C Major Scale
The Major Scale in Tetrachord Position
The C Major Scale in Tetrachord Position
Playing the C Major Scale in Contrary Motion
Playing the C Major Scale in Parallel Motion
Playing an Arpeggio Accompnainment Pattern
Ternary Form
Intervals of Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth (Octaves)
Sixths
Binary Form
Sevenths
Eighths (Octaves)
Harmonizing a Lead-Line Melody
Training the Ear
Worksheet Review
UNIT 9. READING IN G MAJOR
The G Major Scale
The G Major Scale in Tetrachord Position
Playing the G Major Scale in Contrary Motion
Playing the G Major Scale in Parallel Motion
Using the G Major and D7 Chords
Using the C Major Chord in a New Position
Playing the G Major, C Major, and D7 Chord Progression
Playing a Waltz Accompaniment Pattern
Harmonizing a Lead-Line Melody
Rhythms to Read
Training the Ear
Worksheet Review
UNIT 10. TRIADS AND CHORD INVERSIONS
Triads of the Major Scale
Playing Arpeggiated Chords with Alternating Hands
The Damper Pedal--Legato Pedaling
Chord Inversions--Triads and Seventh Chords
Playing Triad Inversions--Blocked and Arpeggiated
Rhythms to Read
Training the Ear
Worksheet Review
UNIT 11. READING IN F MAJOR
The F Major Scale
The F Major Scale in Tetrachord Position
Playing the F Major Scale in Parallel Motion
Using the F Major, Bb Major, and C7 Chords
Playing the Alberti Bass Accompaniment Pattern
Sempre Staccato
Harmonizing a Lead-Line Melody
Training the Ear
Worksheet Review
UNIT 12. THE MINOR SCALE
The Relative Minor Scale
The Harmonic Minor Scale
The A Harmonic Minor Scale in Tetrachord Position
Playing the A Harmonic Minor Scale in Contrary Motion
Playing the A Harmonic Minor Scale in Parallel Motion
Playing the i, iv, and V7 Chords in A Minor
Prelude
Harmonizing a Lead-Line Melody
Worksheet Review
UNIT 13. EXPLORING THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Blues
Windy City Blues
Transcendental Blues
Ragtime
What Time? Ragtime
Jazz
Just Struttin' Along
Twentieth-Century Classics
The Bear
Springtime Song
Scherzando
A Little Joke
Innovative Notations
15ma
Seashore
Metronome Mark
Quartal Harmony
The Cathedral in the Snow
Ensemble: Black and White
Improvisation
Movin' On Blues
UNIT 14. MORE REPERTOIRE TO PLAY
Four Miniature Classics
Türk, March
Köhler, Melody
Kabalevsky, Dance
Kabalevsky, Moving Around
Gurlitt, Vivace
Beethoven, Für Elise
Schubert, Écossaise
Joplin, The Entertainer
Robertson, A First Nocturne
Olson, Razz-Ma-Tazz
Keveren, Wondering
Glossary Terms
Assignment Sheets
Title Index
Composer Index
Subject Index