It's too early to think about fall... isn't it?

 

Hello! I'm back!

   I had a sad experience on Thursday
. When I came into Wal-Mart, the seasonal display right at the front door was no longer carrying bubbles, pool floaties, and s'mores kits.

   It now has back-to-school supplies.

   *groans* It's not even August yet! 

   People complain about how the Christmas stuff starts coming out even before the Halloween décor is down. I don't mind that. I love seeing the Christmas stuff come out, love watching the light of hopeful, child-like anticipation chase away the darkness of night. Even if it's all secularized and very little of it actually has to do with Baby Jesus or salvation.

   But I do mind the back-to-school supplies coming out in July. 

   And now, I'm going to make matters worse in the world by reminding people that piano lessons are coming up, too, in a little over a month. (Actually, is that so bad? Because I've already got a cool September theme in  my head and.... never mind. Just let me run my spiel and tell you that piano lessons are a great thing, on account of being fun, healthy, and fun, and that if you are looking for piano lessons for yourself or your child, either online or in-person, please click here and I'd love to hear from you. *draws deep breath*)

   One thing I've been thinking about a lot is supplemental music. Supplemental music is music that's not in the method book. It's something I found out last year that I really enjoy incorporating into lessons -- because method book songs are usually dull and boring. 

   So I decided to provide a list of suggested supplemental music you can purchase for your budding musician. (Note: All Amazon links are not affiliate. All Sheet Music Plus links are affiliate, but if you live in Canada, unless you are buying digital downloads, I would suggest looking in your local stores for the same titles. You know what Canadian shipping is like -- price-wise and speed-wise. Support local businesses and save yourself the hassle.) This list will be in three parts. Today I'll share with you resources for note-reading and technique; next time we'll talk about movie, pop, and jazz; and finally, I'll share with you sacred and Christmas music. (Because, while it can certainly be too early for back-to-school, it's never too early for Christmas! 😃)

Note Reading

   Note Reading Made Fun, from The FJH Music Company. I have one of these books sitting on my shelf. I'm starting to wonder why I haven't utilized it more. It's a great book for young beginners getting acquainted with the staff, because each music note has a specific animal to go with it. I found that the difference between a "camel" and a "cat" was very effective for a young student who kept playing songs written in Middle C position on High C. There is an entire series of these, and I plan on using them more in the near future. After all, they are what the title promises -- fun!

   Timed Note Reading Tests for Piano, by Andrea and Trevor Dow. Actually, they have a lot of other supplemental books to look into -- the Very Useful Piano Library, the ClassicalPop piano solos, The Adventures of Fearless Fortissimo, and the Celtic-inspired Guardians series. And I don't actually own any of their supplemental works. However, I do use their Wunderkeys method books (sometimes), and these fun-loving creators are the first site I turn to when looking for free games and other resources! So I think it's safe to recommend their music and their note reading tests. I hope to explore more of their works with students looking for extras this year! 

   For sight-reading, most method series come with their own sight-reading materials. However, I would particularly recommend Piano Safari's Sight Reading Cards and RCM's Four Star Sight Reading and Ear Tests. You can also create your own sight reading materials using the music you already have. Just take the first line or two of a song one or two levels lower than your current playing level. 

Technique

   I found myself loaning out my old, tattered Dozen a Day books a few times last school year, as I found students struggling with things that weren't theory problems -- they were technical problems. Exercising your fingers is just as important as any other exercise, if you want to play fluently! As a student, I never actually did an entire set of exercises from these books in one sitting. But I do think they're super beneficial to developing good technique and articulation. I started Book Two at the same time I started RCM Level 3. They could probably easily correspond with the RCM levels -- I loaned Book Two to a Prep A student, though it would have been better for her if I had owned the Level 1 book to loan her. 

   One thing that's perpetually frustrated me about method books is their lack of attention to scales and chords. RCM has their own line of carefully-graded books, where the scales taught correspond to the official syllabus, but for a one-stop book with all the scales in it, I used The Brown Scale Book in my late-elementary/intermediate years. Yes, it says it's advanced. By the time I actually hit advanced levels, I knew all my scales well enough that I didn't usually use the book anymore. 

   For those who are getting into intermediate music with a long-term goal of becoming an advanced pianist, we can't leave the classic Hanon out of the picture. Again, I started playing this at a fairly young age, probably Level 4 or 5 -- although admittedly, until last summer, there were several exercises I had not ever played through before. Young fingers probably can't handle the strain of the exercises in Part 2, but they certainly can get started on the first part, and it is beneficial! 

   This is not an exhaustive list, by any means. Do you have favourite resources for note-reading and technique? Comment below!