Piano Aerobics

(Keyboard Instruction). Written by Kansas City's first-call keyboardist Wayne Hawkins, Piano Aerobics is a multi-style, 40-week workout program for building real-world technique. Often when students decide to play in contemporary styles, they lack the chops for the job. The exercises in Piano Aerobics will introduce students to styles such as jazz, salsa, swing, rock, blues, new age, gospel, stride and bossa nova, and help them play with more musical flair. Concepts covered include: keeping time; hand independence; articulations; building a better touch; strengthening weak fingers; accompanying; using the thumb; ear training; and more. The accessible online audio features professional musicians performing accompaniment tracks in each style.

Exercises designed to develop strength, flexibility and agility, and coordinated page-by-page with Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Course. These exercises make a great warm-up and conditioner for the hands during practice time.

(Educational Piano Solo). Since its first publication in 1873, Charles-Louis Hanon's Le Pianiste Virtuose ( The Virtuoso Pianist ) has became an undisputed classic, the staple of technical study in music schools and conservatories worldwide. Easy Hanon is a simplified version of the first part of the book (20 exercises), along with the major and minor scales, arpeggios, and additional excerpts. The exercises have been shortened and condensed to make them more accessible for the elementary to intermediate level pianist. A bonus practicing plan created by the editor includes suggested rhythmic and articulation variations to the exercises. Includes: exercises 1-20; exercises for turning the thumb under; preparatory exercises for the scale; major and minor scales; chromatic scales; arpeggios; practicing plan; and more!

(Guitar Educational). From the former editor of Guitar One magazine, here is a daily dose of vitamins to keep your chops fine tuned! Musical styles include rock, blues, jazz, metal, country, and funk. Techniques taught include alternate picking, arpeggios, sweep picking, string skipping, legato, string bending, and rhythm guitar. These exercises will increase speed, and improve dexterity and pick- and fret-hand accuracy. The accompanying CD includes all 365 workout licks plus play-along grooves in every style at eight different metronome settings.

(Bass Builders). Perfect for beginning to advanced players, this book with audio by world-renowned bassist and educator Jon Liebman provides a 52-week, one-exercise-per-week workout program for developing, improving and maintaining bass guitar technique. Liebman teaches: chromatics; scales & arpeggios; string-crossing and advanced patterns; slapping & popping; and more -- all in styles ranging from rock, funk and R&B to jazz, disco, reggae and more. Bassists using "Bass Aerobics" will benefit from increased speed, improved dexterity, better accuracy and heightened coordination not to mention an awesome new groove vocabulary! The accompanying audio contains all 52 workout grooves for both demonstration and play-along.

As seen on public television stations nationwide, a revolutionary new approach to playing non-classical music on the piano. Have you ever wished you could play the piano Well, now you can! Scott "The Piano Guy" Houston teaches you to play the way the pros play, in a style enormously simpler than traditional classical piano and with an absolute minimum of note-reading. By focusing on playing the melody with the right hand (one note at a time) and simple chords with the left hand, Houston gives you the tools you need for a lifetime of musical enjoyment. Best of all, your tour guide to this adventure forces you to have fun along the way!

A slight condensation of Hanon's first exercises. The simplification in layout and range make the exercises appear less difficult to a young student.