By Margaret Brandman.

The Junior Primer is designed for the 5 to 12 age group. It contains all the skills required to play with both hand simultaneously on the instrument, encouraging the reading of music by intervals, shapes and patterns. Among the many features of the book are: the enjoyable written exercises and puzzles, the graphic boxes to be coloured in to teach rhythm, improvisation suggestions, transposition, and catchy songs to play.

The overall objective of this book is to familiarise the young student with the intervals up to a Fifth or jump and the note values of whole, half and quarter notes. The book also aims to impart a sense of direction, i.e. Up, Down, Contrary Motion In or Out, and most of the pieces use identical intervals in both hands. For new users, the concepts are illustrated in the Contemporary Piano Method DVD. For the complete learning experience, The Contemporary Aural Course Preparatory Set (Book and CD), should be used in conjunction with the book, for opportunities to listen to and re-inforce the concepts of the Piano Method.

Section 1: Getting to know the basics.

Seating, Hand-position, Parts of the Piano, High and Low, Improvisation, Playing tunes from Graphic notation. Interval recognition- aural, visual and tactile; Same (repetition) Step (second ) and Skip (third), Rhythm Training through colour, the meaning of Staff, Clef etc.

Section 2: Reading, Listening and Playing using the intervals of Same and Step

Here the student learns to play pieces using the knowledge gained in Section 1. Each page has written activities to consolidate the concept being taught and a short piece to play. The material in this section is for not only separate handed playing but also for both hands playing concurrently, facilitated by the use of direction concepts. Duets are provided and lyrics to sing, all illustrated with pictures of Dexter the Koala.

Section 3: Reading, Listening and Playing using Skips, plus review of Steps and Sames

The tunes in this section explore these intervals, and the note and rest values of whole, half and quarter. The songs require students to play the same types of intervals in each hand whilst experience is given in reading the direction in which both hands are moving.

'Warm Kitty' and 'I am a Fine Musician' from Junior Trax should be introduced for extra tunes at this stage.

Section 4: Reading, Listening and Playing using Skip-plus-ones (4ths) and Jumps (5ths)

The fun way to learn the look, feel and sound of these intervals through catchy tunes. The tunes require some differentiation of tasks, for co-ordination and independence.

The Contemporary Piano Method Book 1A is recommended for use alongside this section of the book, to provide extra practice in music speed reading of these intervals. Students can then graduate to level one of the course.

'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star ' and 'Come Clap your Hands' from Junior Trax should be introduced for extra tunes at this stage.