Progressive Piano Method, consisting of two books, has been designed to introduce the basics of playing piano and reading music to the student who has no previous musical knowledge. All the songs have been carefully graded into an easy-to-follow, lesson-by-lesson format.
To maximise enjoyment and interest, each book contains an extensive repertoire of well known songs with easy arrangements, playing basic chord shapes with the left hand, and melodies with the right hand.
Method Book 1 introduces the student to playing and reading music in the keys of C, F and G major over a range of more than two octaves. It gives basic left hand chord shapes and inversions for C, F, G7, Bb, C7, G and D7. These chords are combined with right hand melodies in * and ^ time, incorporating whole, half, quarter, eighth and dotted notes, with their equivalent rests. The C, F and G major scales are also introduced, along with sharp and flat notes.
At the completion of this book, the student will be able to play over 50 songs. The book also has a chord chart section listing basic shapes for all major, minor and seventh chords.
Method Book 2 extends the playing and reading to include the keys of D major, A minor, E minor and D minor, and expands the range of notes to include all chromatic notes. It introduces the following new chords – D, A7, E7, Am, Em, Dm, B7, diminished and augmented chords. Cut time, ) time, syncopation and swing rhythms are also explained, along with sixteenth notes, dotted eighth notes and triplets. Natural and harmonic scales, as well as the chromatic scale are also covered.
At the completion of this book the student will be able to play an additional 30 songs, along with 12 bar blues and turnaround progressions.
The chord chart section at the end of the book is expanded to include minor seventh, augmented and diminished shapes.
