Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect” from ChordTime Piano Hits may be the favorite wedding song of our generation. It also happens to be the perfect song to learn four chords that define western popular music: I, vi, IV, and V. These chords surely sound familiar by now—they’re the same four chords we…
Level 2B
“I wanna see you be brave!” This chorus from Sara Bareilles’ “Brave” offers words of encouragement for each of us—as piano teachers, students, and performers. How many of us grew up playing only classical piano, while listening to the Beatles, Billy Joel, and Coldplay? Perhaps being brave as a teacher means…
Today we are pleased to announce that the Gold Star Performance audio files for all four levels in the Gold Star series are available as interactive audio in the Piano Adventures Player app. As the “Gold Star” title suggests, pieces in this series are especially appropriate for recitals and other…
In many places Autumn is the most beautiful season, with colorful leaves creating a kaleidoscope of whirling reds, yellows, rusts, and orange-browns, each with its own changing nuance as the days and weather shift. Nuance itself is a delicate word, implying subtlety and fine distinctions. And attention to playing with…
Piano practice often seems like a lonely business. No partners. No other members of the band or orchestra with whom to make music. Yet, when you think about it, the hands themselves need to be partners. Unless they are a team, with each “member” playing its own role, the results…
In the words of Walt Disney, “There is more treasure in books than in all the pirates’ loot on Treasure Island.” This collection, arranged by Nancy and Randall Faber, offers musical treasure from contemporary to classic for today’s piano students. Enjoy teaching Disney hits from Coco, The Lion King, Frozen,…
Nature offers wonderful contrasts. Dramatic red flowers emerging from rich, black earth. Subtle shades of green in a deep forest. Pianistic artistry also involves dramatic and subtle contrasts. As Dr. Faber points out in Sunshine, Raindrops from Technique & Artistry Level 2B, it is the balance between melody and harmony…
If you asked someone living in Germany when J.S. Bach was alive—who is the best and most famous composer?—the answer would be Georg Philipp Telemann! His music topped the charts in those days, and he earned in Hamburg nearly three times what Bach did in Leipzig. He was prolific. His…
Snowball Scales opens the Technique & Artistry 2018 calendar. What do scales and snowballs have in common? Let’s find out! This rolling scale exercise from Level 2B applies the essential Technique Secret #3, Light Thumb. Dr. Faber demonstrates how to align the thumb behind each finger for tension-free preparation. The snowball…
At first glance, Spindler’s two Preludes in G present a flurry of eighth notes—first in the treble line, then the bass line. However, if we look through our “theory glasses,” patterns emerge! This video explains how grouping the 8th notes into chords allows us to see the harmonic structure of…