Keyboard artists in the time of J.S. Bach were simultaneously performers, composers, and improvisers. By the twentieth century, however, the art of improvisation was all but lost. Today, vanishingly few classically-trained musicians can improvise with fluent, stylistic integrity. Many now question the system of training that leaves players dependent upon the printed page, and would welcome a new approach to musicianship that would enable modern performers to recapture the remarkable creative freedom of a bygone era. The Pianist's Guide to Historic Improvisation opens a pathway of musical discovery as the reader learns to improvise with confidence and joy. Useful as either a college-level textbook or a guide for independent study, the book is eminently practical. Author John Mortensen explains even the most complex ideas in a lucid, conversational tone, accompanied by hundreds of musical examples. Mortensen pairs every concept with hands-on exercises for step-by-step practice of each skill. Professional-level virtuosity is not required; players of moderate skill can manage the material. Suitable for professionals, conservatory students, and avid amateurs, The Pianist's Guide leads to mastery of improvisational techniques at the Baroque keyboard.

The name of Ruckers is as important to early keyboard instruments as Stradivarius is to strings. This book describes in close detail the art and technique of the Ruckers family, who produced harpsichords and virginals throughout a period of over 100 years. Dr O'Brien provides detailed information about the construction and decoration of Ruckers harpsichords and virginals, as well as the numbering, pitch, stringing, and the determination of the original state of their instruments. Like Stradivarius violins, Ruckers instruments were later altered, and the nature and musical significance of these alterations are discussed, as is the influence of the Ruckers style on later building practice. The instruments in their original and altered states are considered in relation to the music of the time and to contemporary performance practice. The text is richly illustrated with diagrams and pictures of original instruments, and with plan-view photographs reproduced at a scale of 1: 10. The book also contains a partially illustrated catalogue of authentic and fake instruments, followed by extensive appendices.

This book explores the history of keyboard instruments from their fourteenth-century origins to the development of the modern piano. It reveals the principles of their design and describes structural and mechanical developments through the medieval and renaissance periods and eighteenth- and nineteenth-centuries, as well as the early music revival. Stewart Pollens identifies and describes the types of keyboard instruments played by major composers and virtuosi through the ages and provides the reader with detailed instructions on their regulating, stringing, tuning and voicing drawn from historical sources.

Learn to play the electronic keyboard and open up a brand new world of musical knowledge with this exciting method from Alfred. Beginners of all ages can start their journey to a lifetime of musical enjoyment. Beginning with the fundamentals, you will learn about MIDI, position at the keyboard, preparing your instrument for use, and proper hand position. You will then move right along to learning about the different keys on the keyboard and basics of standard musical notation. You will immediately dive into playing notes and transforming them into well-known songs, all while continuing to increase your ever-growing knowledge of reading and understanding standard musical notation and keyboard functions. Throughout the book, you will be introduced to a variety of styles, including pop, rock, country, blues, classics, folk favorites, hymns, spirituals and ragtime and upon completion you will know how to use chord symbols to play from pop sheet music, fake books and lead sheets. This book is for keyboards with automatic rhythms and "single-finger" chords.
The book features the following helpful resources for reference during and after your lessons:
* Explanation of the Circle of 5ths
* Improvising techniques
* Exciting arrangements of "The Entertainer," "Amazing Grace," and many more.
Be your own teacher, and let Alfred be your resource every step of the way.

Mozart's piano sonatas form a richly diverse and significant part of his instrumental output, and span much of his mature composing career, thereby representing a microcosm of the composer's changing style. Part I examines the contexts in which the sonatas were composed and performed, and reviews likely sources of influence. Part II concentrates on the genesis of the sonatas and the surviving autographs, which reveal important information about Mozart's compositional process. In Part III the music is studied from the standpoint of rhetoric - a discipline featured in numerous contemporary aesthetic and theoretical textbooks on music - and proceeds through an investigation of the nature of the musical ideas, followed by a discussion of formal design and finally a consideration of the style. The resulting picture affords a cross-section of Mozart's compositional strategies.

(Big Note Songbook). Big-note arrangements of 17 songs from the film adaptation of the megahit musical featuring the songs of ABBA. Includes: Dancing Queen * Does Your Mother Know * Honey, Honey * I Have a Dream * The Name of the Game * Super Trouper * Take a Chance on Me * The Winner Takes It All * and more.

(Piano Solo Songbook). Nine piano solo arrangements of ten Michael Giacchino compositions from the score of the hit 2009 movie, the highest-grossing film in the Star Trek series. Includes: Back from Black * Does It Still McFly? * Hella Bar Talk * Labor of Love * Nero Fiddles, Narada Burns * Nice to Meld You * Star Trek * That New Car Smell * To Boldly Go.

(Faber Piano Adventures ). 12 songs carefully graded for students to enjoy, including: Colors of the Wind * Eleanor Rigby * La Bamba * The Lion Sleeps Tonight * Pachelbel Canon * Star Wars * and more.

Piano Mix is packed full of brilliant music that has been specially arranged for easy piano. It's a whirlwind of styles and genres from centuries gone by through to the present day. The repertoire reflects the type of music found in our Piano syllabuses. In Piano Mix 2 the pieces are mostly at Grade 2 standard, helping pianists progress to Grade 3 towards the end of the book. The series has been compiled and edited by David Blackwell with arrangements by Alan Bullard, Nikki Iles, Christopher Norton and Tim Richards to name a few. Every arrangement is enjoyable to play because it fits well under the pianist's hands while remaining faithful to the original work. Well-known music includes ballet music from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker and 'The Muppets' theme tune. There are also lots of unsung melodies to be discovered like China's 'Kangding Love Song' and a traditional Scottish piece called 'Roaring Jelly'. From the orchestra to the opera and from folk to jazz, there's a world of music at your fingertips!

The clavichord, forerunner of the piano, was one of the most important instruments in Western keyboard history until the first decades of the nineteenth century. Bernard Brauchli's comprehensive history fills a major gap in the literature on this instrument. Beginning with the earliest-known references, he traces the clavichord's evolution up to the mid-nineteenth century, ending with a study of performance technique. The clavichord's structural developments (traced largely through an analysis of extant instruments), literary documentation (much of it presented here for the first time in English), treatises and iconographical sources are presented in chronological order. What emerges from this study of the various sources is an overview of the essential role this instrument played both socially and musically for more than four centuries, restoring the clavichord to the position it justly deserves in history. Awarded the Nicholas Bessaraboff Prize for 2001, honoring the best book-length organological study in the English language published in 1998/99.

Encore is the official collection of best-loved ABRSM piano exam pieces, selected from syllabuses of the past few decades. Pianists will find an appealing mix of repertoire, while teachers can be confident that the perfect balance of content has been selected at every level. Book 3 features 19 popular pieces at Grades 5 and 6. Have fun exploring modern favourites and timeless classics, like Satie's Gymnopedie No. 1, or Of Foreign Lands and Peoples by Schumann. Footnotes provide background information, a summary of the key skills that each piece develops, and new ideas for exploring the music. Perfect for learners exploring repertoire for the own-choice piece in ABRSM's Performance Grade exams Whether you're working through our exams, playing informally, or planning a performance, Encore is full of music you'll want to play again and again!

David Rowland traces the history of piano pedalling from its beginnings in the eighteenth century to its first maturity in the middle of the nineteenth century and beyond. Pedalling technique was a major feature of nineteenth-century piano performance and, coupled with new developments in piano structure, inspired many composers to write innovative works for the literature. Rowland examines this through the technique and music of composer-pianists such as Beethoven, Liszt, and Chopin. In addition, he follows the transition from harpsichord and clavichord to piano and outlines the physical properties of the various stops, levers, and pedals available at the different stages of the instrument's development. The book also includes an appendix of translated extracts from three well-known piano-pedalling tutors. It will be of interest to students and scholars of music history and performance practice, as well as to pianists.

Pam Wedgwood's Piano Basics Pop (Pre-Grade to Grade 1) is a fantastic collection of pop hits such as Let It Go (from Frozen), Best Song Ever (One Direction) and Price Tag (Jessie J), as well as great original pieces by Pam Wedgwood. Teaching notes and practice exercises are featured throughout to help players learn and understand the pieces. Pam Wedgwood's Piano Basics Series provides the building blocks to develop a sound technique in an imaginative and practical way, whilst also establishing key musicianship skills. This book is ideal to be used alongside Pam Wedgwood's Piano Basics 2.

Encore is the official collection of best-loved ABRSM piano exam pieces, selected from syllabuses of the past few decades. Pianists will find an appealing mix of repertoire, while teachers can be confident that the perfect balance of content has been selected at every level. Book 4 features 14 popular pieces at Grades 7 and 8. Have fun exploring modern favourites and timeless classics, like Willie Wagglestick's Walkabout or Chopin's Nocturne in B, Op. 32 No. 1. Footnotes provide background information, a summary of the key skills that each piece develops, and new ideas for exploring the music. Whether you're working through our exams, playing informally, or planning a performance, Encore is full of music you'll want to play again and again! Perfect for learners exploring repertoire for the own-choice piece in ABRSM's Performance Grade exams

Encore is the official collection of best-loved ABRSM piano exam pieces, selected from syllabuses of the past few decades. Pianists will find an appealing mix of repertoire, while teachers can be confident that the perfect balance of content has been selected at every level. Book 1 features 21 popular pieces at Grades 1 and 2. Have fun exploring timeless classics and modern favourites, like Hook's Gavotte, or Vampire Blues by Wooding. Footnotes provide background information, a summary of the key skills that each piece develops, and new ideas for exploring the music. Whether you're working through our exams, playing informally, or planning a performance, Encore is full of music you'll want to play again and again! Perfect for learners exploring repertoire for the own-choice piece in ABRSM's Performance Grade exams