Jazzin’ Americana For Two: Books one and two
Wynn-Anne Rossi is an American composer with over 100 publications to her name, most of them for the piano. They include Creative Composition Toolbox and the fabulous Get Ready for Scales series (scale duets – simply amazing), and many piano pieces in Latin styles.
Book One of Jazzin’ Americana features five piano duets that celebrate American jazz at late elementary to early intermediate levels (approximately Grade 1 to approaching Grade 3 level). Each duet is in a different jazz style and includes rhythm workshops to help pianists prepare for each duet and interesting facts about jazz pioneers and legends such as Mary Lou Williams, Charlie Parker and Duke Ellington as they play music in their styles.
The second book is aimed at early intermediate to intermediate level pianists (Grade 2 to 4 level). The rhythm workshops with each duet again help pianists get used to, count, then ‘feel’ tricky jazz rhythms. Performers will become familiar with the names of Chet Baker, McCoy, and Sarah Vaughan in this book.
These duets are both clearly laid out and printed using ‘big note’ music. Above all they are very engaging jazzy duets. My Grade 1 to 3 pupils enjoyed learning them, while my more advanced pupils loved sight-reading them. What a great and comfortable way to learn about jazz styles, via piano duets. My pupils who have previously been a little wary of jazz found this a most accessible way to try out jazz styles, and to experience the pleasure of duet playing. Highly recommended.
John Thompsons’ Easiest Piano Course First Nursery Rhymes
These books have been in print for a few years but only came to my notice recently. John Thompson's Piano Course still has much to recommend it: one piece per page, clearly laid out, big notes and so on – these follow the same format. The First Nursery Rhymes book is ideal for pupils reaching the end of Part One of the JT Piano Course but would complement any tutor book system. The first six pieces pass the tune from hand to hand, and then there are some very simple hands together with most in static left-hand positions, in the keys of C, G, F, and D, with one in A major. I have to say that of the 26 nursery rhymes, only just under half were ones I knew; the others I did not know, or failed to recognise the tune under a familiar title.
John Thompson's Easiest Piano Course First Disney Songs
This book is more advanced and designed for the elementary pianist – I took this to mean Grade 1 to 2 pianists – but would be enjoyable sight-reading pieces for more advanced pupils. They do include rhythms and keys that are not normally present in pieces in these exam syllabuses, but I found that because my pupils enjoyed and knew the pieces, they would persevere. There are eight Disney Songs: ‘Les Poissons’, ‘Hakuna Matata’, ‘Lavender Blue’, ‘Reflection’, ‘Chim Chim Cher-ee’, ‘You Can Fly! You Can Fly!’, ‘Friend Like Me’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast’. Like my pupils, yours will have their favourites and thoroughly enjoy playing them over and over again – what we all aim for!
More Favourite Children's Songs for Piano
If you read my review last year of Matt Walker's fabulous Favourite Children's Songs For Piano’ then you will be delighted to know that there is a sequel! This book takes you right up to Grade 1 standard via 24 pieces and, as a bonus, includes scales you might need for your exam, whatever board you use, and some specimen sight-reading tests. How handy to have these in one volume. The book includes such favourites as: ‘Twinkle Twinkle’, ‘Five Little Speckled Frogs’, ‘The Grand Old Duke of York’, ‘Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes’, ‘This Old Man’, and many more. There are four arrangements that are definitely Grade 1 standard – one being ‘Baa Baa Black Sheep’ with an alberti bass accompaniment, such fun!
These are all standard UK songs and rhymes that we sing and hear in play groups and schools all the time. Great for young pupils, for pupils with younger relatives, and also quite handy for older pianists with children and grandchildren.
