Children's Piano Course in China (3)

Author: Ying Shizhen
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2000-11-01
Features: This book consists of six lessons. Building on the foundation of the second book, the scope and length of the pieces have been expanded, and the difficulty level gradually increases, requiring 8 to 10 months of study. Almost every lesson in this book selects works from composers of different periods, styles, and countries during the classical, romantic, and modern eras, allowing students to begin to encounter and understand the stylistic characteristics of different times and ethnic groups. In terms of dance pieces alone, various types such as minuets, bagpipe dances, mazurkas, polkas, and German dances are included. Through the study of this book, students' knowledge will be significantly broadened. The Chinese music section includes pieces adapted from folk songs and model drama music, as well as original compositions by composers. Many of these works are written in pentatonic scales, which differ from the rules of diatonic scales in terms of playing techniques. Additionally, this section often employs complex compositional techniques, making phrasing, articulation, and dynamic variations more challenging for soft playing techniques. Therefore, the number of pieces in this book is relatively fewer compared to the previous two. The proportion of lyrical pieces has increased in this book. First, learning lyrical legato playing is a very important topic at this stage. Second, Chinese children are relatively unfamiliar with lyrical and expressive music. Some of the exercises and pieces selected for each lesson are coordinated with the scales and arpeggios learned in that lesson. The pieces within each lesson vary in difficulty. Some may be mastered in just two or three weeks, while others may take five or six weeks for students to fully grasp. Therefore, the arrangement should be adjusted based on the piece and the student's learning progress—avoid a one-size-fits-all approach. This book begins to include training on the use of the sustain pedal. The sustain pedal is an important part of piano performance, and it is best to introduce it early in teaching. However, if a child is too short and lacks specific equipment, it is not advisable to force them to use the pedal. Instead, it can be addressed later. In the teaching requirements of this book, brief introductions to the historical background, purpose, and works are provided. This historical knowledge helps students understand the music. Simple analyses of musical forms have also been increased in the teaching requirements. Musical form analysis plays a significant role in playing pieces well, and it must not be overlooked in piano teaching. Two-part forms, three-part forms, and general phrasing techniques can all be understood by children. Of course, when explaining to students, teachers should not simply read from the text but should use language that children can understand to explain concepts they are likely to accept. In the teaching requirements, I have also summarized anded some important and fundamental issues, such as melody and accompaniment, different touch techniques, staccato playing methods, phrasing, and different phrasing and playing techniques in polyphonic music, as well as the coordination of different voices.