The most widely used piano technique book ever written, The Virtuoso Pianist was designed to develop agility and strength in all the fingers as well as flexibility of the wrists. Exercises are sequenced so that in each successive exercise, the fingers are rested from the fatigue caused by the previous one. Translated from the original French, this Masterwork edition includes the complete Exercises 1-60 and is clearly engraved for easy reading. Hanon's original introduction is included. He recommends that a student have at least one year of experience before starting this book.
A General MIDI disk is available separately (Item #5715). The disk contains varied styles of accompaniments including pop, classical and jazz for Exercises 1-20.

The original edition of Beyond and Before extends an understanding of “progressive rock” by providing a fuller definition of what progressive rock is, was and can be. Called by Record Collector “the most accomplished critical overview yet” of progressive rock and one of their 2011 books of the year, Beyond and Before moves away from the limited consensus that prog rock is exclusively English in origin and that it was destroyed by the advent of punk in 1976. Instead, by tracing its multiple origins and complex transitions, it argues for the integration of jazz and folk into progressive rock and the extension of prog in Kate Bush, Radiohead, Porcupine Tree and many more. This 10-year anniversary revised edition continues to further unpack definitions of progressive rock and includes a brand new chapter focusing on post-conceptual trends in the 2010s through to the contemporary moment. The new edition discusses the complex creativity of progressive metal and folk in greater depth, as well as new fusions of genre that move across global cultures and that rework the extended form and mission of progressive rock, including in recent pop concept albums. All chapters are revised to keep the process of rethinking progressive rock alive and vibrant as a hybrid, open form.

’You never knew what you were going to be confronted with when you went on Later…’ Nick Cave ‘Later… is a voyage of discovery for us as well as the viewers’ Dave Grohl Dave Grohl and Alicia Keys loved it, Björk treasured it, Ed Sheeran’s life was changed by it, Kano felt at home while Nick Cave was horrified but inspired, and they all kept coming back. This first-hand account of the BBC’s Later… with Jools Holland takes you behind the scenes of one of the world’s great musical meeting places. Legends including Sir Paul McCartney, Mary J. Blige and David Bowie found a regular welcome, alongside the next generation of superstars including Adele, Ed Sheeran and Amy Winehouse. Part of what has made the show so special is the format – all those bands, singers, stars and newbies brought together to listen as well as to perform in Jools’ circle of dreams. But there’s always been plenty of mayhem alongside the magic of convening a room full of musicians hosted by one of their own. Written by the show’s co-creator and 26-year showrunner, music journalist Mark Cooper, this is the story of how Later… grew into a musical and TV institution. It was Mark who had to explain to Jay-Z why he couldn’t just do his numbers and split, who told Seasick Steve why he had to play ‘Dog House Boogie’ on the Hootenanny and persuaded Johnny Cash that he simply had to come in, even when The Man in Black wasn’t feeling well. From Stormzy to Björk, from Smokey Robinson to Norah Jones, from Britpop to trip hop, here is the word on how Later… began, evolved and has endured, accompanied by exclusive interviews with some of the show’s regular stars as well as the unique pictorial record of Andre Csillag who photographed the show for over 20 years. A must-read for music fans everywhere, Later… with Jools Hollandpulls back the curtain on classic performances to reveal that the show is just as magical, if even more chaotic, than you imagined.

Sound Innovations: Sound Development emphasizes playing with a characteristic beautiful sound. The components of producing this sound are broken into four levels, consistent with the revolutionary Sound Innovations structure: (1) Sound Tone, (2) Sound Bowings, (3) Sound Shifting, and (4) Sound Scales, Arpeggios, Chorales, and Rhythms. The levels can be used in the order that is best for your students, as individual warm-ups or as structured units. Your students will learn the proper use of the bow with the variables of tone, the next group of bowings needed for intermediate repertoire, and how to shift and play with vibrato. These skills will be reinforced with comprehensive scales, arpeggios, sight-reading materials, rhythm exercises, and warm-up chorales. Video demonstrations of key skills are referenced in the book and can be viewed online at www.alfred.com/SoundDevelopmentVideo.
This title is available in SmartMusic.