Mozart 21 of His Most Popular Pieces: Alfred Masterwork Edition [Paperback] Review

The Alfred Masterworks Editions are my favorite piano music books. I've been playing the piano for about 20 years, and these are the best series of books I've used. They have very good, clear notations, the arrangements are really well presented and put together, the fingering recommendations are the best I've seen (with the little numbers by the notes), and the biographical information and performance recommendations are a nice touch.

I only wish they had more books in the series.

This Mozart book is a good starter for someone who hasn't played Mozart before, and is looking to get better acquainted with his music.

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Product Description:
Some of Mozart's most popular works are contained in this volume, including the "Fantasia in D Minor," the "Sonata in C Major" (first movement) and the "Turkish March" from the Sonata in A Major. Other selections include intermediate-level transcriptions from operas and orchestral works. Arranged in the order of difficulty, each piece is prefaced by a short description. A biographical sketch of the composer is also provided.

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Ear Without Fear Bk/Cd Volume 1 (Hal Leonard Student Piano Library (Songbooks)) [Paperback] Review

This book is a great way to get started with ear training.It was recommended to me by my music teacher.It's pretty short and easy to get through, and well worth the money.I am taking guitar and singing lessons, and this book is a cheap way to also train my ear.

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Product Description:
Ear Without Fear is an innovative program aimed at building a foundation for reading music and developing the skills to perform it accurately. This step-by-step method offers demonstrations, listening exercises, sight singing, and melodic dictations to help students of any instrument reinforce and hone melodic skills. The accompanying CD features over 90 exercises, recorded by real instruments, to aid in these goals and make the learning process enjoyable.

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The Big Book of Torch Songs 2nd Ed. (Piano/Vocal/Guitar Songbook) [Paperback] Review

I have a wide range... can sing soprano and alto quite easily, but when I sing torch songs or other jazz/blues standards, I prefer to sing them in my lower register. This book is great with offering these types of songs, but the keys they are in are HORRIBLE! They must be transposed down to even be comfortable for a woman to sing them in that "sulty-torch-song" style. I wouldn'trecommend it at all... instead, I found a book called "Belter's Hot Standards." This has been my Bible of music! Go find that book if you're a woman looking for low jazz songs.

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Product Description:
Features 75 heart-on-the-sleeve standards, such as: Angel Eyes * As Long as He Needs Me * Bewitched * Black Coffee * Crazy * Cry Me a River * Glad to Be Unhappy * Good Morning Heartache * Here's That Rainy Day * I'll Be Seeing You * Misty * Mood Indigo * My Man * My Old Flame * The Party's Over * Skylark * So in Love * Stormy Weather * When Sunny Gets Blue * and more.

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Ballades: Piano Solo (Piano Collection) [Paperback] Review

This edition of Chopin's Ballades is great. Notes are printed clearly. Fingerings are not confusing. Ballades are quite difficult so this book is suitable for late-intermediate to advanced pianists.

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Product Description:
In this edition, Palmer provides fingering and offers suggestions for the performance of ornaments and other markings as revealed through the study of original sources. The introductory material includes a helpful discussion of ornamentation in Chopin's music.--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Burgmuller, Czerny & Hanon: 32 Piano Studies for Technique and Musicality [Paperback] Review

The pieces in this book are organized according to technical purpose and level of difficulty, which make it easier for teacher to assign students.The pieces chosen are very effective in addressing particular technique and musicality.I use this book after my students complete Faber level 2B or after they learn scales, chords, and arpeggios. I don't usually use method books after students reach intermediate level, so this book makes a perfect switch.

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Product Description:
An outstanding compilation of piano etudes and exercises from the ever-popular Burgmuller's 25 Progressive Pieces, Opus 100, Czerny's Practical Method for Beginners on the Piano, Opus 599, and Hanon's The Virtuoso Pianist. Etudes are organized into four units according to difficulty and emphasize different aspects of technique and musicianship. Hanon exercises are included within each unit to reinforce the need for finger strength, independence and agility. Information about each composer's life, music and books is also provided.

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Technique Builders: Fundamental Study Patterns to Improve Piano Proficiency [Paperback] Review

This is a truly fine set of exercises for the late-beginner/early-intermediate pianist.Beyond the expected parallel and contrary motions, there are accompanied exercises.One hand plays an accompaniment to the other hand's scale runs, arpeggios, and chord inversions.Everything is related to the playing of songs.

This book focuses heavily on the seven diatonic triads of the C major scale and their inversions and arpeggios.But it also includes work on all twelve major triads and many chromatic studies, as well.Simple repeated bass figures, rhythms, octaves, and finger-independence drills round things out.

I really enjoy Technique Builders.I can open it to nearly any page and play something challenging and musical-sounding.Ten minutes to an hour of exploring its pages is very rewarding.I give it 5 stars!

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Product Description:
The ultimate objective is to train the student through repeated patterns and precise exercises, to acquire a conscious control in these techniques: the use of the whole arm for lateral freedom and arm weight, the forearm for rotation (Alberti bass and similar patterns) the wrist for flexibility in phrasing and the fingers for dexterity in passage work.

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