Contemporary Piano Method Book 2A

By Margaret Brandman.

The overall objective in this book is the development of theoctave spanas a point of reference, and the increase of harmonic knowledge to include allmajorandminorkeysandscales, as well asaugmented, diminished,and suspended fourth chords and all standardfour-note chords.Throughout there is also a progressive introduction of signs, ornaments and musical features.

STAGE 1:
Review
– All major scales and chords
– Primary triads in major keys and the ‘chord table’
– Counting and colouring with proportional diagram

STAGE 2:
Minor scales – introduction
– Study ofnatural and harmonic minor formsfirst
– Later study of melodic minor forms
– Full major key ‘chord table’ including minor chords and then the diminished chord
– Diminished and augmented chords
– Naming of intervals as Perfect, Major and Minor, Diminished, Augmented
(N.B. Throughout the book various methods of changing position are introduced. (a) Chord Climbing, (b) Helping Hand exercises (c) Finger Swaps (d) Skimming over Keys and so on.)

STAGE 3:
Minor Chord Table
– Octave spanning exercises
– Pedalling
– Dominant Seventh Chords and Suspended Fourth Chords

STAGE 4:
Blues Scale; Boogie Patterns; Swing Timing; Shuffle Patterns
– Chord progressions; improvising on a chord pattern
– Cadences
– Diminished Seventh Chords

Apart from the original tunes that have been written for the book, there is music by such composers as Beethoven, Bach, Handel, Purcell.