Before I jet off to the Far East for a very exciting book tour (more about that in another post), it’s time for a Weekend Competition. Today’s competition features Paul Harris’ latest book, A Piece A Week, and a new series, The Foundation Pianist, written by Karen Marshall and David Blackwell; both published by Faber Music.
Building on the success of The Intermediate Pianist, Faber’s most recent addition to this series will certainly be a very useful resource for piano teachers. The Foundation Pianist is a set of two progressive books for pupils just beyond the beginner stage who want to develop a solid pianistic foundation.
I like the layout, which is clear and easy to read, and the selection of music will inspire students to explore many different styles and genres; from madrigals, symphonies and operas, to folksongs, minuets and gypsy dances. As well as arrangements, there are also original pieces, some written by David Blackwell. Teachers and students will find invaluable information to help improve technique, musicianship and theory – with lots of little extras, such as detailed reference to various musical periods (Renaissance, Baroque, Classical etc.), and ‘scale and arpeggio generators’, including both the melodic and harmonic minor scales (not always a feature at this level). These volumes are well worth exploring.
A Piece A Week Grade 4 piano written by renowned educator Paul Harris should also be a teacher’s library favourite. I have enjoyed observing the development of this series, which offers students that important bridge between sight-reading tests and learning repertoire at speed. These books are designed to be used alongside Paul’s series, Improve Your Sight-reading!, and they aim to encourage pupils to learn fairly straightforward pieces (all written by Paul) swiftly – preferably in a week! It’s a great concept and the ideal way to improve reading skills.
I have one copy of A Piece A Week and a copy of Book 1 and Book 2 of The Foundation Pianist to give away this weekend. As always, please leave your comment in the comment box at the end of this post, and I will announce the three lucky winners on Monday evening, so do check my blog to see if you’ve been selected. Good Luck!
You can find out much more about these publications and purchase them here: The Foundation Pianist Book 1, The Foundation Pianist Book 2, and A Piece A Week Grade 4 Piano
My Publications:
For much more information about how to practice piano repertoire, take a look at my two-book piano course, Play it again: PIANO (Schott). Covering a huge array of styles and genres, 49 progressive pieces from approximately Grade 1 – 8 level are featured, with at least two pages of practice tips for every piece. A convenient and beneficial course for students of any age, with or without a teacher, and it can also be used alongside piano examination syllabuses too.
You can find out more about my other piano publications and compositions here.
from Melanie Spanswick https://melaniespanswick.com/2018/09/07/weekend-competition-the-foundation-pianist-a-piece-a-week/
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