calling all piano teachers...I need some suggestions...

[ProudGrandma]

My children are taking piano lessons and they are using the Piano Adventure series. My dd13 and dd11 are both at the level 3A point and my ds9 is at the 2A point.

 

They use all of the books...performance, theory, technique and lesson. They also play out of the Fun Time books (classical for my dd, jazz, ragtime for my sons)...

 

so that is the level...now, I am looking for some more classical type music at the level for my dd (3A) for my daughter to play in our very liturgical church. Something very nice, slow and pretty...but at her level. Not hymns...she can play out of our hymnal for that.

 

Plus I am looking for some more books for all of my kids. The part that makes it tricky, is that I totally want to stay away from pop music, most movie themes (except my son did learn and like Stars wars...which is fine) and would rather stick with classical,ragtime, marches and those types of things. If you have any suggestions, I would love to know.

 

thanks.

[wintermom]

At our church, the hymn books have a special edition for the piano or organist. Perhaps you can find a copy of this for your church and have your children try it - maybe playing the right hand melody line and add in a chord for the left hand.

 

You can find books with easy versions of well-known classical music. Suzuki method piano books may also be worth looking at for simple classical music arrangements.

[Susan in TN]

You might look for collections of Gurlitt - I Remember Gurlitt, books 1 and 2. Also, Lyric Preludes in the Romantic Style by Gillock has some wonderful short pieces in different levels of difficulty and tone. I loved them and still play many of them often. Not sure how many of them would be appropriate for a liturgical service, but I think they would be worth looking into.

 

And just for additional interesting music to learn, I would pick up a copy of Bartok's First Term at the Piano (I love love love Bartok :)) you can get this and many other works free on imslp.org (public domaine in the US, not in the EU, though, as far as I can tell)

 

http://imslp.org/wiki/First_Term_at_the_Piano,_Sz.53_(Bartók,_Béla)

[Sara in AZ]

Faber publishes a classical repertoire book at those levels. It's called The Developing Artist series. There are probably appropriate pieces in there. Your older daughters are also are probably at the point that they could start some easier sonatinas. Many middle movements of sonatinas are slow and and appropriate for what you want. Look into the six Clemente Sonatinas Op. 36.

[Tammi K]

I would pick up a copy of Bartok's First Term at the Piano (I love love love Bartok :))

 

NNNNNooooooooooo!!!!! For the love of all that is melodic, do not do this to your children! I still remember the wailing, moaning, and nashing of teeth wrought from my little darlings when they were asked to play from this book. One brave daughter overcame her angst and went on to major in piano performance. But, the other, alas, she fell to the pain it foist on her tender psyche. And, to this day she quivers in fear of the cursed piano.

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(Do you get the sense that Bartok was not loved in our household? :crying:  Seriously, I never heard my girls grumble more over any of the pieces they were asked to play than they did over anything by Bartok. :lol: )

[Susan in TN]

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(Do you get the sense that Bartok was not loved in our household? :crying: Seriously, I never heard my girls grumble more over any of the pieces they were asked to play than they did over anything by Bartok. :lol: )

Sacrilege!

 

Of course, I broke my Bartok teeth on his violin pieces, so that may have given me a more gentle introduction. :D Really though, my kids have enjoyed the piano book as well.