John Thompson's Easy Piano Course 4

Author: John Thompson
Publisher:
Publication Date: 1995-10-01
Features: The main purpose of this book, the fourth one, is to give students the opportunity to further enhance their application skills with the knowledge learned in the previous books. For this reason, this book no longer introduces more technical requirements. Instead, it introduces a few new keys: E major, B major, A? major, D? major, and G? major. The examples of new keys are intentionally designed to be very simple. The added lines between the treble clef and bass clef are also explained with diagrams, making it easier for students to identify the notes on the added lines. The explanation of dotted quarter notes uses examples in 3/4 and 4/4 time signatures. There are also examples that require finger pattern changes for repeated notes. Of course, this helps to expand the range of hand movement and prepares students for a new technique introduced in the fifth book—playing with the thumb passing under the hand and other fingers crossing over the thumb. When playing some of the later pieces in this book, students are allowed to use the pedal simply and initially, preparing them for a detailed study of pedal art in the fifth book.