Tim Vine
Composer
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PIANO
curriculums
Piano Star is a series of repertoire books to inspire young pianists and help them to develop their musical skills.
The books offer a rich selection of imaginative solo pieces plus some duets for pupils and teachers to play together, along with activities to enhance learning. With over 120 newly composed pieces and arrangements from a host of leading educational composers, the wide variety of repertoire provides a rich mix of musical styles, with techniques introduced progressively.
Inventive titles such as ‘Wonkey Donkey’, ‘My Best Sandwich’ and ‘Tyrannosaurus Rocks’ are brought to life with colour illustrations. Young pianists will find the pieces inspiring, motivational and above all, fun!
New in 2019, the Piano Star Theory activity book helps students to develop an understanding of musical notation and boost their aural awareness. With colour illustrations and stickers, this workbook is the perfect companion to the Piano Star beginner repertoire books.
This was the first book published in Alfred’s Basic Piano Library, and it remains the most popular. It provides a quick way to learn to read music by recognizing intervals of 2nds, 3rds, 4ths, and 5ths. As you leaf through the book, you will notice a number of attractive features, such as the clean and uncluttered pages, the clear music engraving, and the attractive art work, all designed to appeal to young students. Most pieces have duet parts that can be played by the teacher, a parent, or another student.
What Makes Alfred’s Basic Course Special?
1. New musical terms are enlarged and highlighted in a blue box. The definition is simple, precise, and clear.
2. A colorful and witty illustration accompanies nearly every piece and is related to either the title or the lyrics. These illustrations are sure to bring a smile to the student's face and fun to the lesson.
3. New musical symbols are identified in the music. First, the musical symbol is defined. Then there is an illustration that relates to the title or lyrics. Lastly, the new musical symbol is included in the piece.
The Primer Level introduces young beginners to the keyboard, note values, and the grand staff. Students play in C 5-finger scale patterns, develop recognition of steps and skips, and learn letter names independent of finger number. Musicianship is built through the use of dynamics and coloristic experimentation with the pedal.
This set offers a complete start in one convenient bundle. It includes the four core method books that are correlated page-by-page to form a comprehensive curriculum: Lesson, Theory, Technique & Artistry and Performance.
With the core Piano Adventures Primer set, students can:
- Learn musical concepts with engaging songs
- Build ear-training, eye-training and improvisation skills
- Develop physical skills for expressive playing
- Prepare for advancement to Level 1
Piano Exam Pieces - this book contains nine pieces from ABRSM's Grade 4 Piano Syllabus for 2019 & 2020, three pieces chosen from each of Lists A, B and C. The pieces have been carefully selected to offer an attractive and varied range of styles, creating a collection that provides an excellent source of repertoire to suit every performer. The book also contains helpful footnotes and, for those preparing for exams, useful syllabus information. Recordings of all 18 pieces on the
Grade 4 syllabus are available. These can be purchased as part of the Piano Exam Pieces with CD package or as audio downloads (see www.abrsmdownloads.org for more details). ABRSM also offers a range of apps to support musical learning, available from www.abrsm.org/apps.This edition contains all the scales and broken chords required for the Grade 4 ABRSM Piano exam. Provides suggested fingering and a helpful introduction including advice on preparing for the exam.
Piano Specimen Sight-Reading Tests - this volume contains valuable practice material for candidates preparing for the ABRSM Grade 4 Piano exams.
Piano Scales & Arpeggios - the book is written in attractive and approachable styles and representative of the technical level expected in the exam.