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Method Book
Evaluation – Selected pieces from Essential
Keyboard Repertoire Volumes 1-3 – (Lynn Freeman Olson) – published
by Alfred
Each
of these books have several intermediate pieces of various difficulty – I
have decided to grade them based on four common elements of an intermediate
piece – Concepts, Fingering, Range, and Musicality.
|
Concepts |
Fingering |
Range |
Musicality |
|
µ The concepts are quite basic and could be sight
read easily. |
µ Very easy, and almost all scalar or in a single
position. |
µ Both hands stay within an octave. |
µ This piece has very little phrasing, dynamics or
musical elements. |
|
µµ This piece presents a few concepts that are
challenging, but nothing a student couldnt figure out in a lesson. |
µµ This piece has both scalar fingering and switched
positions. |
µµ Both hands remain within two octaves and may
occasionally switch position. |
µµ This piece has some musical elements, which make it
interesting to listen to. |
|
µµµ The concepts are more difficult and most likely
require a demonstration. |
µµµ This piece has moderate fingering with possible
substitutions and somewhat difficult passages. |
µµµ Taking up a large range of the piano requiring
several skips. |
µµµ Contains elements of dynamics, phrasing,
articulation and a melody with clear direction. |
|
µµµµ The concepts are very difficult and will most
likely take several weeks to master. |
µµµµ The fingering is very difficult and would require
several drills to master. |
µµµµ Uses nearly the entire span of the piano and hands
are spread far apart from each other at times. |
µµµµ This piece could be classified as a classic with
all of the wonderful musical elements included. |
I have randomly selected
several pieces through out the three volumes, which are representative of this
method:
Minuet (Bach) pg.
17 – Vol. 1
Concepts: µ1/2 Fingering:
µµ Range:
µµ Musicality:
µµµ
Comments: A classic Minuet by
Bach – difficulty comes with hand independence, and holding appropriate
long notes.
Gypsy Dance (Haydn) pg.
44 – Vol. 1
Concepts: µµ Fingering:
µµ Range:
µ1/2 Musicality: µµµ
Comments: Easy range for
students, fun melody – difficulty comes in some fingering and syncopation
with the right hand. Left hand is
quite easy.
Never a Dull Moment (Turk)
pg.
59 – Vol. 1
Concepts: µµ1/2 Fingering:
µµµ Range:
µµ Musicality:
µµ
Comments: Lots of ledger
lines, fairly larger range, and treble clef on bottom staff makes this one a
challenge. Once you get it, its
an easy melody, but not terribly exciting. The best part is the question and answer between each hand.
Etude (Concone) pg.
82 – Vol. 1
Concepts: µµ1/2 Fingering:
µµ Range:
µµ Musicality:
µµµ
Comments: The difficulty with
this piece comes in playing one hand staccato and the other a legato
melody. The piece is very musical
basically in ABA form with a Fur Elise moment in the middle. I think this would be a fun one for
most students.
The Clear Stream
(Bergmuller) pg.
64 – Vol. 2
Concepts: µµµ Fingering:
µµµ Range:
µµ Musicality:
µµµµ
Comments: This piece has a
wonderful flow to it with the difficulty being playing softly while voicing the
melody. It sounds quite a bit more
difficult than it really is. One
tough passage getting back to the A section again. ABA form.
Waltz (Grieg) pg.
100 – Vol. 2
Concepts: µµµ1/2 Fingering:
µµµ Range:
µµ Musicality:
µµµ1/2
Comments: This piece will
probably throw your student for a loop.
The difficult concepts include many accidentals, including double
sharps, a very odd melody and treble clef being in both hands for half of the
piece. I would assign this after
they are quite intermediate.
Promenade (Prokofiev) pg.
126 – Vol. 2
Concepts: µµ Fingering:
µµµ1/2 Range:
µµ Musicality:
µµµ
Comments: Looking on the
printed page, this piece isnt too hard and conceptually it isnt, however the
difficulty comes in making musical sense of it. It is not predictable like Mozart, and certainly has unique
20th century fingering and character to it.
Sonatina in G Major
(Haydn) - Allegro pg.
8 – Vol. 3
Concepts: µµµ Fingering:
µµµ Range:
µµ Musicality:
µµµ
Comments: This is certainly
more difficult than some of the songs in Vol. 2, however this piece is
predictable and once the student has the basic concepts, its not as hard as it
looks. One of the important elements
to discuss with this piece is ornamentation.
Sonatina 4 (Clementi)
– Andante con espressione pg.
28 – Vol. 3
Concepts: µµ Fingering:
µµ Range:
µµ Musicality:
µµµµ
Comments: This piece is a
wonderful introduction into the middle movement of a sonata. It has a wonderful melody that is
conceptually easy, but very beautiful.
This is quite accessible for most intermediate students.
Sonatina No. 1 in C Major
(Kuhlau) pg.
82 – Vol. 3
Concepts: µµ Fingering:
µµµ1/2 Range:
µµ Musicality:
µµµ
Comments: Looking on the
printed page, this piece isnt too hard and conceptually it isnt, however the
difficulty comes in making musical sense of it. It is not predictable like Mozart, and certainly has unique
20th century fingering and character to it.
Sonatina Op. 13, No. 1
Allegro Assai pg.
138 – Vol. 3
Concepts: µµµ Fingering:
µµµ1/2 Range:
µµµ Musicality:
µµµ1/2
Comments: This is very fun,
but quite challenging piece with a modern and jazzy flair. Chords with 9th, 11ths, and
13ths are used distorting the tonal center a bit. The B section is beautiful contrasting
the A sections quirky sound. The
harmonies are complex and a wonderful intermediate piece of 20th
century music.
Final Comments:
Overall, I think these books
are wonderful, besides having a great collection of standard repertoire; they
also include pieces Ive never heard that sound like a lot of fun to
learn. As far as presentation, I
also like how all of the books are spiral bound, and as the difficult increases
(Vol. 3) – a CD is included.
ã
2006 James Berry, ilearnmusic.com
