By Willard A. Palmer, Morton Manus, and Amanda Vick Lethco

Lesson: This easy step-by-step method emphasizes correct playing habits and note reading through interval recognition. Lesson Book 2 continues where Level 1B finishes. This book introduces dotted half notes and dotted quarter notes, plus intervals of 6ths, 7ths and octaves. Teaches greater movement of the hands, including crossing two over one and scalework. Students will also learn more about triads, primary chords, and blocked and broken chords. Songs Include: 18th Century Dance * Alouette * Blue Scales * Calypso Carnival * The Can-Can * Cockles and Mussels * The Galway Piper * Get Away! * Got Lotsa Rhythm * Kum-ba-yah! * Lavenders Blue * London Bridge * Lone Star Waltz * Malaguena * Nick Nack Paddy Wack * Ode to Joy * Oh! Susanna! * On the Bridge at Avignon * Our Special Waltz * Prelude * Red River Valley * Sarasponda * Square Dance * When You Grow Up * Why Am I Blue?

 

Theory: Designed to coordinate page-by-page with the Lesson Books. Contains enjoyable games and quizzes that reinforce the principles presented in the Lesson Books. Students can increase their musical understanding while they are away from the keyboard.

 

Technic: The Technic Books provide reading and rhythm drills and exercises perfectly paced with each Lesson Book in Alfreds Basic Piano Library to improve musicianship and develop coordination of the hands.

 

Notespeller: Students needing to review and improve their note-naming and interval-naming skills will benefit greatly from these well-prepared Notespeller Books. Each book provides a variety of written activities that reinforce note reading concepts presented in the Lesson Books. Correlates page-by-page with the Lesson Books, but may also serve as an effective supplement to other piano methods.

 

Fun: The Fun Books provide additional recital pieces designed for students who require more solo material and are particularly useful when two students are from the same family (Recital Book for one, Fun Book for the other).

 

Recital: The Recital Books congratulate students for a job well done by providing correlated repertoire to their Lesson Books that are based on concepts theyve already learned. As a result, the pieces are quickly mastered. Included are such familiar favorites as "Clementine" and "Arkansas Traveler," and originals with a classical feel like "Divertimento in D" and "Rondo."

 

Repertoire: The Repertoire Books contain attractive compositions from the 17th century to the present. The pieces have been organized in progressive order and meet the requirements of many piano festivals, auditions and competitions. The books may also be used as sight reading material or a supplement to other method books. Titles: Air in D Major (Handel) * Alberti Etude (Duvernoy) * Allemande (Haydn) * Among the Leaves So Green-O (Traditional English Air) * Antique Dance (Hofe) * The Beautiful Jasmine (Ancient Chinese Melody) * Blues Adagio (Lethco) * The Cello (Spindler) * Dance in G (Bartok) * Dreams (Spindler) * Etude in C (Czerny) * Etude in Sixths (Czerny) * Humming Song (Kabalevsky) * Interlude (Bischoff) * A Little Joke (Kabalevsky) * March in C (Kohler) * Mechanical Toy (Godicke) * Melody (Baumfelder) * Miniature Suite No. 1 (Turk) * Miniature Suite No. 2 (Turk) * Music Box (Gurlitt) * A New Irish Tune ( Purcell) * Pavane (Anon.) * Quiet Falling Snow (Palmer/Letcho) * Remembrance (Bartok) * Scherzo (Gurlitt) * A 16th Century March (Anon.) * Sonatina (Bolck) * Two Songs (Kabalevsky) * Variation on a Theme by Mozart (Mozart).

 

Top Hits! Solo: Alfreds Top Hits series has overwhelmingly been accepted by students and teachers. This series combines just the right combination of hits from Broadway, Hollywood, television and recordings! As you might expect from Alfred, this series offers a rare combination of great music arranged with care and creativity. Your beginning and intermediate students can savor the excitement of playing pop music and reap the benefits from making practicing more fun and rewarding.
Titles: The Bare Necessities * Beauty and the Beast * Be Our Guest * Can You Feel the Love Tonight * The Grouch Song * My Favorite Things * Part of Your World * The Rainbow Connection * Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious * Tomorrow * What a Wonderful World * Wont You Be My Neighbor?

 

Duet: Each duet is arranged for student-teacher (parent or older student) performance. These charming Duet Books increase motivation and add fun to practice time and lessons.

 

Popular Hits: Alfreds Basic Piano Library: Popular Hits offers Broadway, pop, and movie music arrangements to be used as supplementary pieces for students. Soon after beginning piano study, students can play attractive versions of favorite classics, as well as the best-known popular music of today. This book is correlated page-by-page with Alfreds Basic Piano Library: Lesson Book 2. When pieces from the Popular Hits book are assigned in conjunction with the material in the Lesson Book, new concepts are reinforced in a fun and motivating way, increasing the students interest in piano study. Titles: All Night (Icona Pop) * Best Day of My Life (American Authors) * Dont Stop Believin (Journey) * Over the Rainbow (As sung by Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwoole) * Maybe (from Annie) * Raiders March (from Raiders of the Lost Ark) * Some Nights (fun.) * Star Wars (Main Theme) * Take on the World (Theme from Girl Meets World) * You Raise Me Up (Josh Groban) * Youve Got a Friend in Me (from Toy Story).

Sample Score