Level 4

Once again we arrive at this special time of year. We send to you and your students our warmest holiday wishes! Let’s imagine we are all chatting around the table drinking hot cocoa: What kind of fun things do you and your students do this month? Do you have a…

This month we are happy to share our newest publications, FunTime® Piano Disney and BigTime® Piano Disney. This exciting series is now complete with six graded levels. FunTime Piano Disney features current and classic Disney hits arranged for the Level 3A-3B pianist. Students will explore swing rhythm, play showy cross-hand…

The holidays are nearly here. In November we caught a breather by relaxing for a bit with that easy-going Thousand-Year waltz. But the scurry-hurry of December is now reflected in the lists, boxes, recipes, wrappings, and lights that seem to be everywhere. For many, December also means a gathering of…

October days can begin to seem grayer. The leaves, the ground, the sky all herald change. The Canadian novelist, Joy Fielding, calls October “the least dependable of months.” Yet, in October, we are bombarded with a single enticing message: Halloween! Sweets ahead! So now’s just the right time to sample…

Ready for this? Camille Saint-Saëns, born on this date in 1835, began composing less than a decade after the death of Franz Schubert, and only a smidge over that from the death of Beethoven. Yet this brilliant and prodigious composer lived to rebelliously storm out of the premiere of Stravinsky’s…

September brings mixed feelings. Reluctance—summer’s disappearing. Eagerness—the possibilities in a new school year. “What About Us?” We’re thinking of all of you who are with us in the adventure of reaching minds and hearts through making music. And what about you? Still in the flurry of launching your new schedule?…

Flying fingers! Who isn’t thrilled hearing a rippling succession of notes? Who doesn’t imagine that playing a smooth and fluid scale is a pianistic ultimate? And who doesn’t assume that the fingers must, indeed, “fly?” Well, here’s a surprise, explained and demonstrated by Dr. Faber. The fingers themselves don’t need…

The flowers that bloomed in April and May provide renewed hope and fresh delights. And the butterflies are here to sample the sweets! It’s tempting to chase them in order to admire their own special beauty. Just as a butterfly flits among flowers to “choose” a preferred nectar, students working…

We are pleased to announce a stunning new collection of contemporary pop hits arranged by Faber & Faber. Students in Levels 3A and above will enjoy a variety of  current blockbusters and Grammy winners as performed by pop artists such as Ed Sheeran, Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, Adele, Justin Bieber,…

This etude doubles as an arpeggio exercise as well as a preparation for the hand-crossing pattern within the “Maple Leaf Rag.” Philip is taught this etude by rote and quickly has it memorized so that he is able to focus on his technique. As he increases the tempo, he becomes…