Recommended Books
The books listed below are ones that I recommend to aid in lesson learning, and at home practice.
The books listed below are ones that I recommend to aid in lesson learning, and at home practice.
There's nothing quite like gathering around the piano at Christmas time to sing and play through the favourite carols, though amidst all the Christmas hurly-burly there's never much time to practise them. Realising this, Pauline Hall has produced Piano Time Carols - 19 really easy arrangements of the best-loved carols starting at around the level of Piano Time 1. They have been carefully simplified so that, instead of learning just one or two carols, you will find that you can play a wide selection, to the delight of your friends and family!
Piano Time 1 starts at the very beginning, with simple five-finger tunes for hands separately and together, many with duet parts. It gradually adds more notes and techniques to cover sharps and flats, simple scales and keys, and a range of dynamics and symbols.
Piano Time 2 builds on the techniques acquired in Piano Time 1, extending the range of notes and time signatures and including tones and semitones, chords and triads, arpeggios, major and minor scales, and keep-fit exercises for the left hand. It also introduces simple pedalling, new signs and symbols, and pieces to help players get around the whole keyboard.
Piano Time 3 builds on the techniques acquired in Piano Time 1 and 2, introducing new keys, semiquavers in various rhythmic patterns, triplets, and a variety of finger-twister exercises. It also practises the Alberti bass, scales with hands together and the melodic minor scale, and shows players how to plan their own concert.
Improve your sight-reading! Piano Grade 1 (Early Elementary) is part of the best-selling series by Paul Harris, guaranteed to improve your sight-reading! This workbook helps the player overcome problems by building up a complete picture of each piece, through rhythmic and melodic exercises related to specific technical issues, then by studying prepared pieces with associated questions, and finally by going solo with a series of meticulously graded sight-reading pieces. This edition now includes supporting audio available online for students to check their performances against.
Improve your sight-reading! Piano Grade 2 (Elementary) is part of the best-selling series by Paul Harris, guaranteed to improve your sight-reading! This workbook helps the player overcome problems by building up a complete picture of each piece, through rhythmic and melodic exercises related to specific technical issues, then by studying prepared pieces with associated questions, and finally by going solo with a series of meticulously graded sight-reading pieces. This edition now includes supporting audio available online for students to check their performances against.
A piece a week Piano Grade 1 is ideal to be used alongside the Improve your sight-reading! graded piano books to support and improve the reading skills so fundamental to successful sight-reading. These fun, short pieces are specifically written to be learnt one per week. By continually reading accessible new repertoire, the crucial processing of information and hand-eye coordination are established and improved, developing confident sight-reading.
A piece a week Piano Grade 2 is ideal to be used alongside the Improve your sight-reading! graded piano books to support and improve the reading skills so fundamental to successful sight-reading. These fun, short pieces are specifically written to be learnt one per week. By continually reading accessible new repertoire, the crucial processing of information and hand-eye coordination are established and improved, developing confident sight-reading.
A piece a week Piano Grade 4 is ideal to be used alongside the Improve your sight-reading! graded piano books to support and improve the reading skills so fundamental to successful sight-reading. These fun, short pieces are specifically written to be learnt one per week. By continually reading accessible new repertoire, the crucial processing of information and hand-eye coordination are established and improved, developing confident sight-reading.
A piece a week Piano Grade 5 is ideal to be used alongside the Improve your sight-reading! graded piano books to support and improve the reading skills so fundamental to successful sight-reading. These fun, short pieces are specifically written to be learnt one per week. By continually reading accessible new repertoire, the crucial processing of information and hand-eye coordination are established and improved, developing confident sight-reading.