Piano Book 1
This course teaches the pieces in Suzuki piano volume 1 except the first few pieces (the Twinkles) which are covered in the Prep Course. Coordinating the hands is a big step in getting started on piano and it is common for students (especially young children) to keep the hands playing separately for quite some time. The Right Hand pieces should be learnt in order. Similarly with the Left Hand pieces and the Hands Together pieces. If co-ordination is no problem then each piece could be learnt hands together immediately after learning each hand's separate part. However for anyone who finds the co-ordination difficult (especially young children) there is no problem with continuing to learn hands separately through a large part of the book then going back afterwards and putting the hands together.
As you learn each piece in this course the piece will pass through a "learning" stage and a "polishing" stage. The learning stage is where you are learning the notes, fingering and rhythms. The "polishing" stage is where you will improve your posture, tone and speed.Â
This course usually takes between 6 months to 2 years to complete.
Developing a good piano hand position and the dexterity to play at CD-speed often takes most of book 1 so take your time.
Instructions
To view the lessons in this course register for a Piano membership.
Print out the course booklet using the link in the Course Materials section (visible when logged in), then work through the lesson videos using the course booklet to record your progress.
If you would like my feedback at any time, just send me a video ("Piano" "Video uploads") or book a lesson ("Piano" "Book lessons"). I look forward to hearing from you.
Course Materials
You will need a copy of:
Suzuki piano volume 1 (New International Edition) book and CD (or mp3s)
In some countries you might be able to get the mp3 tracks as a digital download on Amazon (though they don't seem to sell to New Zealand) or on iTunes. The Suzuki book is available without the CD in music shops and some bookshops.
You'll also need the course booklet:
A narrow A4 ringbinder folder with tabs can be a good way to keep your piano paperwork in order.