Succeeding at the Piano, Recital Book, Grade 4

In Grade 4 of Succeeding at the Piano students continue to cultivate musicianship and a passion for playing piano!

New concepts are: triads and inversions; two octave scales; the circle of fifths; dominant seventh chords in root position; the trill; the key of B flat Major; 3 forms of E minor and G minor; diminished triads; refined pedal technique; sixteenth notes and sixteenth notes variants. Bach’s Prelude in C BWV 846 and classical themes by Brahms, Liszt, Mozart, Beethoven and Grieg are interspersed with folk tunes and original solos by leading FJH composers.

By reviewing the concepts of transposing, musical forms, intervals, and technical tips,Grade 4 supports the pedagogical foundation laid down in previous grades.

The CD reinforces good practice habits with a short, verbal, pedagogical comment between the practice track and performance track. It also provides an opportunity to play with a string quartet accompaniment for some of the pieces.

Engaging pieces, in a wide variety of compositional styles, reinforce valuable concepts presented in the Lesson and Technique Book. These compositions make fine recital, festival, and competition repertoire for students.

Some of the selections are: Fantasie by Telemann; Minuet by Haydn; Musette by Gräfe; artistic arrangements of Tales from the Vienna Woods and Musetta’s Waltz; and outstanding originals by Timothy Brown, Kevin Costley, Mary Leaf, Edwin McLean, and Kevin Olson. Musicianship, good practice habits, and listening skills develop as students focus on “Before Playing” and “After Playing” points.