Alfred S Basic Piano Library

The Recital Books congratulate students for a job well done by providing correlated repertoire to their Lesson Books that are based on concepts they've already learned. As a result, the pieces are quickly mastered. Included in Recital 1A are familiar favorites such as "Lost My Partner" and "Tumbalalaika," and fun originals like "Charlie the Chimp!" and "My Secret Place."

This easy step-by-step method emphasizes correct playing habits and note reading through interval recognition. Lesson Book Level 1A begins by teaching basic keyboard topography and fluent recognition of white key names in relation to black keys. It focuses on simple rhythms and prepares students for intervallic reading with entertaining songs that focus on "same," "stepping up" and "stepping down." It then introduces lines and space notes in treble and bass clefs, melodic and harmonic intervals of 2nds, 3rds, 4ths and 5ths, and graduates to reading on the grand staff. It also introduces the flat and sharp signs. This course is most effective when used under the direction of a piano teacher or experienced musician. Songs Include: Balloons * Batter Up! * The Donkey * A Friend Like You * Hand-Bells * A Happy Song * Horse Sense * Totem Pole Song * It's Halloween! * Jingle Bells! * Jolly Old Saint Nicholas * July the Fourth! * Just a Second! * Love Somebody * Merrily We Roll Along O'er the Deep Blue Sea * Mexican Hat Dance * My Clever Pup * My Fifth * My Robot * Old MacDonald * Old Uncle Bill * Play a Fourth * Raindrops * Rain, Rain! * Rockets * Rockin' Tune * Rock Song * Sailing * Sea Divers * See-Saws * Skating * Who's on Third? * Willie and Tillie * Wishing Well * The Zoo

More than 3-million adult students have learned to play the piano using this well-sequenced course. Perfect for beginners who prefer a chord approach, students learn how to play chords in either hand in order to move beyond simply playing single note melodies. The course contains outstanding songs such as "The Entertainer," "Scarborough Fair," "Greensleeves" and "Amazing Grace."

This easy step-by-step method emphasizes correct playing habits and note reading through interval recognition. Lesson Book 2 continues where Level 1B finishes. This book introduces dotted half notes and dotted quarter notes, plus intervals of 6ths, 7ths and octaves. Teaches greater movement of the hands, including crossing two over one and scalework. Students will also learn more about triads, primary chords, and blocked and broken chords. Songs Include: 18th Century Dance * Alouette * Blue Scales * Calypso Carnival * The Can-Can * Cockles and Mussels * The Galway Piper * Get Away! * Got Lotsa Rhythm * Kum-ba-yah! * Lavender's Blue * London Bridge * Lone Star Waltz * Malaguena * Nick Nack Paddy Wack * Ode to Joy * Oh! Susanna! * On the Bridge at Avignon * Our Special Waltz * Prelude * Red River Valley * Sarasponda * Square Dance * When You Grow Up * Why Am I Blue?

This easy step-by-step method emphasizes correct playing habits and note reading through interval recognition. Lesson Book 1B begins by reviewing the concepts taught in Lesson Book 1A, then introduces new concepts such as incomplete measures, tempo markings, eighth notes and rests, using the damper pedal, half steps and whole steps. It also introduces the major scale through the concept of tetrachords. Songs Include: Brother John * Carol in G Major * The Carousel * The Clown * Concert Time * A Cowboy's Song * The Cuckoo * French Lullaby * Good King Wenceslas * Good Morning to You! * Good Sounds * Grandpa's Clock * The Greatest Show on Earth! * G's in the "BAG" * Hail to Thee, America! * Harp Song * Happy Birthday to You! * Indians * Join the Fun * The Magic Man * Money Can't Buy Everything * Music Box Rock * Oom-Pa-Pa! * Ping Pong * The Planets * The Rainbow * Sonatina * Step Right Up! * Waltz Time * When Our Band Goes Marching By! * When the Saints Go Marching In * The Whirlwind * The Windmill * Yankee Doodle

This easy step-by-step method emphasizes correct playing habits and note reading through interval recognition. Lesson Book 5 concepts include the ornaments: long appoggiatura, short appoggiatura, trill and mordent; plus arpeggios; the A Major scale; and the keys of B minor and C minor. Also introduces the playing of minuets, sonatinas, preludes and arias. For reinforcement of each principle as it is introduced, supplementary material is carefully coordinated, page for page, at each level of instruction. Coordinating supplemental books for Level 5 include: Classic Themes * Ear Training * Merry Christmas * Recital * Repertoire * Theory and Top Hits! Solo. Songs include: An American Hymn (Lowry) * Aria from "The Marriage of Figaro" (Mozart) * Bagatelle (Diabelli) * Ballade (Burgmuller) * Brazilian Holiday * Loch Lomond * Magic Carpet Ride * A Miniature Overture * Minuet (Bohm) * Prelude in C Major (Bach) * Prelude in C Minor (Morovsky) * Rondeau (Mouret) * Scene from "Swan Lake" (Tchaikovsky) * Sonata in the Style of Scarlatti * Sonatina on Three French Folk Tunes * Sonatina, Op. 36, No. 1, 1st Mvmt. (Clementi) * Spanish Dance * The Tailor's Song * Theme (Corelli) * Variations on a Sea Chanty * A Very Special Day (Palmer)

A piano course for beginners of all ages. Alfred's Basic Piano Library offers 4 complete beginning piano methods that use the same eclectic reading approach (with a focus on intervals). However, the grading, songs, illustrations, covers and names of the courses are all different.

This book teaches sight reading in a systematic way by creating exercises based on the same concepts that the student is studying in the Lesson Book. Exercises are short and the music is generally easier than correlating pages in the Lesson Book.