Contents About the Author... Introduction... Chapter : Getting Started... 6 Sitting at the Piano... 6 The Musical Alphabet, Piano Keyboard, and Enharmonic Equivalents... 7 Music Notation Pitch... 8 Music Notation Time... 0 Chapter : Playing and Transposing Your First Pieces... The Major Scale... Intervals... Ode to Joy/ Beethoven... 6 Transposing to the Key of D Major... 7 Ode to Joy (Key of D)... 9 Transposing to the Key of G Major... 0 Ode to Joy (Key of G)... 0 Transposing to the Key of F Major... Ode to Joy (Key of F)... A Ne Piece... Largo (Key of C)/ Dvorák... Largo (Key of G)... Chapter : Using Chords to Fill Out Harmonies...7 Triads...7 Largo (Key of C, Triads)...0 Largo (Key of D, Triads)... Largo (Key of F, Triads)... Preparing for Pachelbel s Canon...6 Ro, Ro, Ro Your Boat...6 Pachelbel s Canon (Key of C, Triads)...8 Pachelbel s Canon (Key of D, Triads)...9 Preparing for Wagner s Bridal Chorus...0 Bridal Chorus (Key of C, Triads)... Bridal Chorus (Key of A, Triads)... Bridal Chorus (Key of F, Triads)... Chapter : Using Triad Arpeggios...6 Arpeggio Etude (Left Hand)...7 Arpeggio Etude (Right Hand)...8 Pachelbel s Canon (Arpeggios)...9 Preparing for Schumann s The Wild Horseman Time, Pickup Notes, Minor Scales, and Minor Keys...0 The Wild Horseman (Key of A Minor, Arpeggios)... Carmen (Key of A Minor, Arpeggios)/ Bizet... Make Your On Arrangement... Ode to Joy... Chapter : To Other Methods of Manipulating Chords... Broken Chords... Broken Chord Etude... The Blue Danube (Key of C, Broken Chords)/ Strauss...6 The Blue Danube (Key of D, Broken Chords)...7 Lullaby (Broken Chords)/ Brahms...8 Lullaby (Broken Chords, Sustain Pedal)...9 Alberti Bass...60 Lullaby (Alberti Bass)...60 Pachelbel s Canon (Alberti Bass)...6
Chapter 6: Inverting Chords...6 Root Position, st Inversion, and nd Inversion...6 Chord Voicings...6 The Wild Horseman...6 Allegretto (from Symphony No. 7)/ Beethoven...6 Tarantella/ Beaumont...66 Chapter 7: Putting It All Together...67 Preparing for Prelude No. 0 in C Minor...67 Prelude No. 0 in C Minor/ Chopin...68 Preparing for Prelude No. 7 in A Major...69 Prelude No. 7 in A Major/ Chopin...69 Preparing for Für Elise...70 Für Elise/ Beethoven...70 Preparing for Minuet in G...7 Minuet in G/ Beethoven...7 Preparing for Mendelssohn s Wedding March...77 Wedding March...78 Preparing for Clementi s Sonatina (Opus 6, No. )...79 Sonatina (Opus 6, No. ) st Movement...80 Sonatina (Opus 6, No. ) nd Movement...8 Sonatina (Opus 6, No. ) rd Movement...8 Preparing for Gymnopédie No....86 Gymnopédie No. / Satie...86 Preparing for Melody and Soldier s March...89 Melody/ Schumann...89 Soldier s March/ Schumann...90 Preparing for Minuet in G Major and Minuet in G Minor...9 Minuet in G Major/ Petzold...9 Minuet in G Minor/ Petzold...9 Preparing for Bach s To-Part Invention No....9 To-Part Invention No....9 Conclusion and Appendices...96 Appendix A: The Circle of ths...96 Appendix B: Chart of Musical Symbols...97 Appendix C: Major and Minor Scales in Every Key...98 Appendix D: Anatomy of the Piano... Appendix E: Finding and Choosing a Piano That s Right for You... Appendix F: Glossary...
About the Author Catherine Schane-Lydon has been playing piano for more than 0 years, receiving classical training from her mother, and improvisatory and ear training from her father. She majored in composition in her undergraduate studies and earned a Masters degree in education. Schane-Lydon performs extensively as a church musician, dance accompanist, music director of musical theater, soloist, and in a classical trio. One of the principal piano instructors for the online music education ebsite WorkshopLive, she teaches all levels and ages of students. In addition to being a music arranger, Schane-Lydon performs ith several bands and the a cappella group Strike a Chord. She has to piano solo albums I Lift My Eyes and Unto the Hills featuring ell knon hymns in relaxing, improvised arrangements. Schane-Lydon lives in upstate Ne York and enjoys running, hiking, motorcycling, and cooking ethnic cuisines. PHOTO COURTESY OF WORKSHOPLIVE.COM Acknoledgments I have so many people to acknoledge in helping me complete this book... My students, ho are, unittingly, the guinea pigs for trying out my zany ideas. My lovely husband, ho kindly hands me a cup of coffee as I m riting another chapter. My piano teachers, Hilda Banks Shapiro, Evelyn Chin, and the late Andre Berliner. But most of all, my parents, ho gave me the gift of music. Without their guidance and patience, I ould not be making a living through music. I suppose I can blame them, as ell. I could ve been a layer... (Thanks, Mom and Dad!) My editor, Burgess Speed, ho gently reminds me to get him some material, hopefully by noon today.
Transposing to the Key of G Major To the right is the G Major scale. Notice that the key signature has only one sharp, F. Do not forget to replace F ith F in the scale! Try playing through it here and on page 00 as ell. Get used to the fingerings and ho the intervals fall on the keys. Play through it many times, then go on to the piece belo. Let s play Ode to Joy in the key of G Major. Like before, the melodic and harmonic intervals did not change, only the tonal center has changed. 7 9 q = 00 0 Ode to Joy (Key of G). Ludig van Beethoven Arr. by Schane-Lydon j. j 9 Ó. j n 0
Once you re comfortable ith the arrangement on the previous page (and your left hand is successfully jumping around and hitting those chords), try the folloing arrangement in the original key of D Major. Remember that the scale of D Major has to sharps: F and C. q = 0 Pachelbel s Canon (Key of D, Triads) Johann Pachelbel Arr. by Schane-Lydon 9 7 9
Preparing for Gymnopédie No. Gymnopédie No. is by the French composer Erik Satie (866 9). This piece, ritten in time, should be performed sloly, ith almost a bitterseet quality. You ll notice in the accompaniment that the left hand plays a bass note folloed by the rest of a chord in a very slo, sort of stride style. (Stride is a piano style characterized by large leaps in the left hand). The right hand plays the melody and occasionally helps out the left ith a ell-placed thumb. The trick here is to make everything sound effortless, legato, and calm. You ll ant to use a lot of sustain pedal to help smooth everything out. When playing this piece, think of a soft, dreamy summer day, ith no place to go just taking the time to breathe and atch the clouds go by. q = 80 6 Gymnopédie No. π Erik Satie π....... 8....... f...... π...... 86