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Are there any nice progressive technique books that would work well as an accompaniment to standard early/mid intermediate repertoire collections? I'm familiar with Celebration Series, Discovering piano lit., First Impressions, and several other repertoire series, but there are no technique books that go along with these.I saw an add for a revised edition of the Technique Is Fun series but am not familiar with them. What others are available? Thanks
-- Gretchen T. (gtpiano@yahoo.com), July 05, 2001
Other than the standard Hanon, another one I sometimes use is Schaum's Fingerpower. It is a progressive series (I think there are 5-6 levels) and does give the fingers a pretty good workout in a variety of ways. Nearly every month Clavier has an ad for Fingerpower stating that teachers can call for a free sample copy. (It is in this month's issue, so I know the offer is still good). Call Schaum at 1- 800-786-5023. They will ask you which level you want to try. For early or mid intermediate, I'd suggest 4 or 5.
-- annie (noname_poster@yahoo.com), July 07, 2001.
For pure technique (scales, chords, arpeggios, cadences) check out Keith Snell's SCALE SKILLS (Kjos); there are 10 levels. This series also includes finger exercises (adapted Hanon, Schmitt, etc.). Have you used the PIANO STUDIES that correlate with the Celebration series? There's also PIANO ETUDES & MUSICAL FINGERS (Clark); books 1- 4. Do check out TECHNIC IS FUN. I was pleasantly surprised with many of the selections. Somewhere here I listed some of it's contents (I'll go look and come back). A Dozen a Day is still out there...now I'm running out of ideas!
-- John Bisceglia (Bisceglia2000@yahoo.com), July 11, 2001.
Look under PIANO TEACHING METHODS, then TECHNIC MATERIALS (options for EE students). I listed some of the better-known pieces from this series. I also like the nice big print in the first few books for the young ones.
-- John Bisceglia (Bisceglia2000@yahoo.com), July 11, 2001.
I also like a combination of Frances Clark's Musical Fingers and Piano Etudes. I usually don't have the student buy the MF book because it is so dry, but I do like to use it as a guide and also to show the students the photographs of the hand positions. I'll send home my own copy for a week so that they can use those pictures to compare with their own hand.I like the Etudes books because the etudes aren't overly long like a lot of Czerny, etc. You might take a look, depending on the age and level of your students, at the Czerny 180 Six-measure Exercises. They're awfully good at getting a point across!
-- Arlene Steffen (asteffen@fresno.edu), July 17, 2001.
I have been having some success with the 20 Minute Workout by Douglas Riva. This would be for very diligent students with some talent. Slightly easier- the McGrath Piano Technic seems to work well, especially book 3 for the students at about the one year mark.
-- Matthew Lepold (straydrop@yahoo.com), December 16, 2002.