John Thompson's Easy Piano Course (3)

Author: Thompson Zhou Yongda
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: The book begins by emphasizing that music should be thought of and felt in phrases, not in individual notes. This is crucial. Teachers should draw students' attention to the fact that playing each phrase with different musical treatments (according to personal understanding of the piece) is one of the fundamental techniques of piano performance. Touching the keys is undoubtedly an extremely important aspect of piano playing. The arrangement of examples such as staccato, legato, and tied notes in this book is progressive and logical. To develop various touch techniques comprehensively, the author's Hanon Exercises serve as an excellent guide. Currently, this book is used as one of the standard teaching materials by most piano teachers and music schools.
Scales and Chords After learning about semitones and whole tones, the next step is the construction of scales, along with examples where scales are used as melodies and accompaniment patterns. Then, small pieces composed of chords through vertical combination and broken forms introduce students to triads and their inversions. Seventh chords (and their inversions) are not analyzed from a harmonic perspective but are simply taught as chord forms. Students should memorize this type of chord because it frequently appears in music at this stage.
Range In terms of key signatures, this book only uses up to three flats and three sharps. The remaining key signatures will be introduced in the fourth volume in proper order. A list of the scales and chords used in this book is provided on page 44 for reference. A compilation of musical terms and expressive marks (with abbreviations and explanations) can be found on page 46. The last few lessons of this book introduce 6/8 time, which is a new time signature up to this point. Like the other volumes of this course, the lessons are specifically designed for short-term training programs for contemporary students.