TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreord UNIT Keyboard Basics UNIT The Music Alphabet UNIT The Staff 8 UNIT Steps in Bass Clef 6 UNIT Steps in Treble Clef 6 UNIT 6 Skips on the Staff UNIT 7 Legato and Staccato UNIT 8 Intervals of nds and rds 60 UNIT 9 The G -Finger Pattern 68 UNIT 0 Intervals of ths and ths 76 UNIT Sharps and Flats 8 Copyright 06 Alfred Music All rights reserved. Printed in USA. No part of this book shall be reproduced, arranged, adapted, recorded, publicly performed, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means ithout ritten permission from the publisher. In order to comply ith copyright las, please apply for such ritten permission and/or license by contacting the publisher at alfred.com/permissions. ISBN-0: -706-69-8 ISBN-: 978--706-69- Alfred Music P.O. Box 000 Van Nuys, CA 90-000 alfred.com
Foreord Premier Piano Express is designed for students ho need a faster-paced approach to piano study. Based on the concepts and music from Premier Piano Course, this All-in-One Accelerated Course integrates Lesson, Theory, Technique, and Performance pages. This comprehensive course is organized into skills-based units that feature clear explanations of important musical concepts, ritten orksheets to provide revie and strengthen understanding, as ell as optional duet accompaniments to create fulfilling musical experiences. The non-position reading approach helps students recognize important landmark notes instead of relying on fixed hand positions. Intervals are introduced sequentially and reinforced creatively. Rhythms are read in multiple-note patterns rather than as single notes, and playing ith a steady pulse is emphasized. Included ith the book is a C-ROM that contains MP files of audio performances on acoustic piano and orchestrated accompaniments for selected pieces in the book. Pieces ith recordings are identified in the book ith a speaker icon ( ). There are four versions of each piece on the C-ROM: All music as composed or arranged by ennis Alexander and Martha Mier. C-ROM Instructions: When you insert the disc into your computer, navigate to Computer or My Computer, right-click on the disc drive icon, and select Open or Explore. (Mac users can simply double-click the disc icon that appears on the desktop.) The MPs can be dragged to your desktop and then transferred to your smartphone or ipod, or burned to an audio disc. Alternatively, to install the TNT softare, double-click on the installer file please note that installation may take up to minutes. Once it is installed, you ill be able to slo don or speed up each MP, loop playback, and select specific sections for practicing.. A digitally orchestrated accompaniment ith piano.. A digitally orchestrated accompaniment ithout piano.. A practice tempo performed on acoustic piano.. A performance tempo performed on acoustic piano. The TNT Custom Mix Softare allos the user to change tempos in these audio files. In addition, the C-ROM contains General MII files that can be donloaded. These recordings add musical interest, and motivate students in the lesson and during practice. For students ho do not have a C-ROM drive, these files can be donloaded at alfred.com/premierpianoexpress. The authors of Premier Piano Express send our best ishes as you begin this exciting musical journey! TNT System Requirements: Windos 0, 8, 7, Vista, XP QuickTime 7.6.7 or higher.8 GHz processor or faster 0 MB hard drive space, GB RAM minimum C or V drive for installation Speakers or headphones Internet access required for updates Macintosh OS X 0. or higher (Intel only) QuickTime 7.6.7 or higher 0 MB hard drive space, GB RAM minimum C or V drive for installation Speakers or headphones Internet access for updates Windos is a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. ipod, Macintosh, OS X and QuickTime are trademarks of Apple Inc.
UNIT Keyboard Basics Ho to Sit at the Piano Sit tall, ith relaxed shoulders on the front half of the bench, and lean slightly forard. Place your feet flat on the floor, right foot slightly forard. Let your relaxed upper arms hang loosely from your shoulders, straight don. Relaxed Shoulders Raise your shoulders up toard your ears as you take a deep breath. Relax, breathe out, and let your shoulders fall back don into a natural position before playing. Good Arm Position When your hands are on the keys, your elbos and arms are level ith the keyboard. Good Hand Position Your hands are slightly curved and relaxed. Each hand is shaped like it is gently holding a bubble.
UNIT The Music Alphabet The hite keys on the piano are named using the first 7 letters of the alphabet. These names repeat over and over. Middle M I L E A B C E F G A B C E F G A B C E F G A B C E F G A B C E F G A B C E F G A B C E F G A B C Lo High Name and play every hite key on the keyboard, beginning at the lo end and moving up. Use LH for keys belo Middle C and use RH for Middle C and above. Keyboard Anchor: C and E is easy to find. It is the hite-key anchor beteen the to black keys. C and E are also easy to find. They are outside the to black keys. C E. Begin in the middle of the keyboard and: play all the s going higher ith RH. play all the s going loer ith LH.. Begin in the middle of the keyboard and: play all the C s going higher ith RH. play all the E s going loer ith LH.. On the keyboard: rite a on all the s. rite a C on all the C s. rite an E on all the E s.
UNIT : The Music Alphabet 7 Worksheet Rhythms and Time Signatures Rhythm 8 Tap and count aloud. Count: -. - -. ra a dotted half note in each blank measure. Write the counts belo each rhythm. Then tap and count aloud. a. b.. Write the counts belo each rhythm. Tap each rhythm ith the correct hand. Count aloud. a. Rhythm 7 Rhythm 8. b... Write the correct time signature ( or ) for each rhythm pattern. a. b. c. Πd.
8 UNIT The Staff Music is ritten on the lines and spaces of the staff. Lines Line Notes Spaces Space Notes Line notes have a line passing through the middle of the notehead. Space notes are in the spaces beteen the lines. Notes on the staff can move up, move don, or repeat. Move Up (higher) up Repeat Move on don (loer) Bass Clef A bass clef on the staff usually shos notes belo Middle C. Treble Clef A treble clef on the staff usually shos notes above Middle C. M I L E C LH (usually plays bass clef notes) RH (usually plays treble clef notes)
9 UNIT : Sharps and Flats A fermata over or under a note means to hold the note longer than its rhythmic value. When the Saints Go Marching In 6 March-like f Oh, hen the Œ Ó saints Ó p go march - ing Œ Ó in, Ó oh, hen the Œ Ó saints go march - ing in, Ó # uet: Student plays one octave higher. March-like RH # Œ Ó LH F Œ Ó Œ # Œ # Ó Œ # Œ n # Œ #