John Thompson's Easy Piano Course (2)

Author: John Thompson & Zhou Yongda
Publisher:
Publication Date: 1995-10-01
Features: The first example in this book is designed for reviewing the notes, durations, and other music theory learned in the review book. It is very important to ask students to play only with one hand when learning new notes. At the same time, completing the oral and written exercises in the practice questions will ensure that students become familiar with these new concepts before playing with both hands. The accompaniment for teachers and parents not only makes these examples sound more complete but also greatly helps in establishing good rhythm and tempo, and even in encouraging students to play expressively. Short four-measure finger exercises in five-finger positions are provided before most examples. Since the five-finger group is the precursor to scales, the importance of these small exercises cannot be underestimated. A more detailed discussion of scales, which serve as the basic form of music and technique, will follow. The latter half of the book introduces very simple two-note and three-note chords, including vertical combinations and broken forms. This allows students to develop a "feel" for harmonic accompaniment before learning the principles and evolution of chords. Of course, this can only be done after students have mastered some knowledge of scales and intervals.