One of the biggest challenges for a teacher can be finding appropriate pieces that students love to play! I’m always looking for interesting, well written music that captures their imagination but also contains sound pedagogical ideas. Finding such a piece is like finding a hidden treasure.
These past few weeks my students have been busy preparing for their first master class and for the Christmas recital. I teach many different levels, ranging from beginners to advanced. Several students are working towards specific goals such as recitals, exams or evaluations.
We currently live in a rural area and all of my students celebrate Christmas. Because of that, most of them have picked a Christmas song for the recital. However, this was not always the case. When I lived in a large city, I had a more multi-cultural program, reflecting the various ethnic backgrounds of my students.
Master classes and recitals are great because students have an opportunity to share their musical gems with others while building confidence at the same time. It’s important to broaden their musical horizons by having them experience all different styles and types of music, from the Classics to Modern to Pop and Jazz. It's also important that we, as teachers, avoid getting stuck in a ‘musical rut’ by always teaching the same material.
Every year I try to find something new and fresh to share with my students. It makes them feel special because they are playing something unique. They especially enjoy descriptive pieces that paint vivid musical picture.
Regular Pieces
Here are some of the wonderful musical gems that my students have worked on this fall. A few are regular graded pieces, others are Christmas songs, some are pieces that I have taught before and some I am teaching for the first time.
Elementary (Pre-Grade 1 - Grade 2)
- very simple and yet very beautiful
- have students write a story and draw a picture
- great piece to introduce descriptive playing to a younger student
- great piece for teaching the pentatonic scale
- I played the duet with my student while her sisters improvised on a xylophone
- evokes picture of a magnificent eagle soaring high above the majestic mountains
- patterns, counting, pedal, phrasing
- another wonderfully descriptive piece
- broken triads, smooth peddling between hands, dynamic contrasts
- can you imitate the wind as it ebbs and flows? Think of a windy, stormy winter night!
- one of my favourite books, based on poems by Robert Louis Stevenson
Intermediate (Grade 3 - 5)
- very dramatic piece, fun to play
- alternating arpeggios, peddling, dynamic changes, 6/8 time
- the password to obtain the audio track is on the inside cover of the book
- imagine the lazy bedbugs laying around waiting for their next meal!!
- teaches counting and rhythm (swung eighths), listening and staying with the beat
- click here to listen to this piece (from the website)
- all pieces based on provincial flowers of Canada
- Blue Iris is the flower of Quebec
- can you visualize a field of beautiful flowers moving gently in the breeze?
- left hand ostinato, melodic projection, fluid flowing lines
- check out
Red Leaf Pianoworks for more exciting new piano repertoire
Intermediate/Early Advanced (Grades 6 - 8)
- very descriptive piece with modern notation
- always a student favourite
- many changes of dynamics and mood
- dream-like story about a castle, bats and wolves in the dark mist
- great collection of clever and creative arrangements of Irish folk tunes
- fun but challenging piece in 6/8 time
- lots of clef, tempo and key changes, very rhythmic and lively
- Grade 8 exam piece (RCM Syllabus), uses some modern notation
- chord clusters and rapid repeated notes to create a shimmering effect
- lots of dynamic changes and patterns
- very ethereal, beautiful sound picture
Christmas Arrangements
My students love playing creative arrangements of familiar tunes.
These types of arrangements can sometimes be challenging to find, but they are well worth learning.
Elementary (Pre-Grade 1 - Grade 2)
- easy arrangement of a classic song by Tchaikovsky
- relay the history of the piece and explain the use of the celesta
- Alfred’s Basic Adult Piano Course level 2
- beautiful arrangement of this song
- gentle syncopation, chord patterns, melodic projection and balance
Intermediate (Grade 3 - 5)
- this book contains lots of beautifully simple and elegant arrangements
- clever use of Brahms' Lullaby throughout
- balance, phrasing and rubato
- well-written fun, jazzy arrangements of Christmas favourites
- syncopated rhythms and jazz harmonies
- beautiful, inspiring and interesting arrangements
-book 2 is also a favourite
- gentle syncopation, melodic projection, tricky scale passages
Intermediate/Early Advanced (Grades 6 - 8)
- classic carols written in the styles of some of the great composers
- creative, fun way to introduce styles and time periods of different composers
- second volume is called 'More Bach Around the Christmas Tree'
- this book is truly a hidden gem
- wonderful arrangements of familiar and not-so-familiar carols
- fresh approach using Celtic rhythms and colour
- fun romp in 6/8 time
- changes of time and key signatures
Duets - Early & Late Intermediate
- 3 wonderful volumes in this series
- lovely arrangements, great for recital programs
Our first master class of this year was a HUGE success. Everyone loved sharing their special songs and hearing new and interesting pieces. After each performance, I asked them what they liked about the piece. Here are some of their varied and insightful comments....I loved the dreaminess of that piece, I closed my eyes and imagined that I was flying over the mountains, I loved the sounds of the different chords, I could clearly hear 2 voices in the right hand, it sounded very dramatic, the balance was GREAT, I LOVED the story!
Don’t be afraid to try something different. My students love playing imaginative and descriptive pieces. They also enjoy playing creative arrangements of old favourites. Have fun exploring some of these musical gems with your students.
**Feel free to share your Musical Gems in the comments below.**
♥︎ Remember - Great Music Comes From the Heart ♥︎
