Copyright © 2008 Chester Music This edition © 2010 Chester Music (A Division of Music Sales Limited, 14-15 Berners Street, London, W1T 3LJ) ISBN: 978-0-85712-384-8 The Author hereby asserts his/her right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with Sections 77 to 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, expect by a reviewer who may quote brief passages. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. For all your musical needs including instruments, sheet music and accessories, visit www.musicroom.com For on-demand sheet music straight to your home printer, visit www.sheetmusicdirect.com … for Ana Gwen Wigley Teachers and Parents This comprehensive Piano Course, in three books, can be used by the youngest beginner. This SPECIAL EDITION includes material to help the pupils get to grips with extra sight-reading and extra warm-up exercises along the way. These have been taken from Chester’s Easiest Warm-Ups and Chester’s Easiest Sight-Reading Course and are on the coloured pages. To reinforce certain topics, suggestions for supplementary material – drawn from Chester Piano Teaching Material – have been added in italics at the bottom of certain pages. For Book 1 of this course, supplementary material has been drawn from Chester’s Piano Starters Volume One (CH55661) and Chester’s Easy-Peasy Theory Set 1 (CH73513) – a whole new set of theory puzzles designed to tie-in perfectly with this book. The range of notes is limited in the early stages so that the pupil can feel confident and not overpowered by so many written notes. Move on fairly quickly as the pieces should be well within the pupil’s capabilities. Enjoy yourselves! This book belongs to ……………………………………………………… WHERE THE NOTES LIVE Notes show which keys to play on the Piano. Notes are written on five lines and four spaces called the Stave. Two Staves are joined together for Piano Music, one for each hand. How many lines are there in each Stave? How many spaces are there? FINDING YOUR WAY Piano music uses two Clefs. The Treble Clef is for high notes. The Bass Clef is for low notes. BLACK KEYS AND WHITE KEYS You are now ready for Chester’s Easy-Peasy Theory Set 1, papers 1 and 2. THE MUSICAL ALPHABET IN THE MIDDLE Find the C in the middle of the Piano. This is Middle C. This is always written on a little line of its own. JUNIOR’S PLAYTIME Accompaniment (for both pieces) RIGHT AWAY Play Middle C with your thumb. LEFT TO PLAY Play Middle C with your thumb. You are now ready for Chester’s Easy-Peasy Theory Set 1, paper 3. ABOUT TIME BARS Music is divided into Bars with Bar Lines. At the end of a piece is a Double Bar Line. TIME SIGNATURES The numbers after the Clef are called the Time Signature . The top number shows how many counts in each Bar. NOTE VALUES ALL SHAPES AND SIZES This piece uses both hands. Look at the Stems. Middle C Middle C Stems go up Stems go down You are now ready for Chester’s Easy-Peasy Theory Set 1, paper 4. MORE & NOTES Learn the two new notes D and E in the Right Hand. FINGERING Each finger has a number. The thumbs are number 1. In this book the numbers for fingers are in circles so that they don’t get mixed up with the counting numbers. JELLY ON THE PLATE You are now ready for Chester’s Easy-Peasy Theory Set 1, paper 5. MORE NOTES Learn the two new notes B and A in the Left Hand. LEGATO Legato means play smoothly. To do this, don’t lift the finger off until the next finger plays. Think of a see-saw. SAUSAGE IN THE PAN You are now ready for Chester’s Easy-Peasy Theory Set 1, paper 6. MORE & NOTES Learn the two new notes F and G in the Right Hand. STEPS A Step is when a note steps up or down a note (from a line to the next space, or a space to the next line). These Steps are also called Seconds. LULLABY FOR MO You are now ready for Chester’s Easy-Peasy Theory Set 1, paper 7. CHESTER’S CHART HINTS AND REMINDERS 1. Listen as you play. 2. Don’t look down at your hands. 3. Hold your fingers in a curved shape and play on the tips of your fingers – as if you were holding a very small orange in each hand. Your hand is a bridge which mustn’t collapse. 4. Your wrists should be level with your arms. 5. If your feet don’t reach the floor use a pile of thick books to put under your feet. Telephone directories are good for this. 6. Looking at the shape of the music before you play will help you become a good sight-reader. SIGHT-READING PAGE Solve the sight-reading mystery MASTER PLAN FOR PUPILS Before you play each piece: 1. Read the clues. 2. Clap the piece, counting as you go. 3. Imagine yourself playing the piece, putting correct fingers on correct notes as you count. When you play each piece: 1. Make sure you keep your eyes on the music, so that you don’t miss any vital clues! 2. Try to look ahead. Do not look back. 3. Keep going, even if you make a mistake. 4. Enjoy yourself! WATCH YOUR STEPS! GO TELL AUNT NANCY Poor Aunt Nancy, her goose was drowned in a millpond so she had no goose-feathers for her bed. The story says that the goose died standing on its head! “WORK-OUT” PAGE Warm up your fingers with these exercises at the start of your practice. SEE-SAW Remember to curve your fingers. Add dynamics (see page 35 for dynamics f and p) e.g. f the first time and p the second time. WALKING Remember the ‘see-saw’ movement. Don’t lift the fingers off until the next finger plays. (This touch is called Legato, which is the Italian word for smooth.) SKIPPING Choose your dynamics. MORE NOTES Learn the two new notes G and F in the Left Hand. SKIPS A Skip is when a note skips up or down to the next-but-one note (from a line to the next line, or a space to the next space). These Skips are also called Thirds. EASY-PEASY! Before you play: look for the Steps and Skips in this piece. Can you spot the repeated notes? You are now ready for Chester’s Easy-Peasy Theory Set 1, paper 8. SIGHT-READING PAGE TEACHER’S NOTE Read through the notepads with the pupil, and examine the clues where they are given. Encourage the pupil to learn by feel, and not to look at the keyboard when they are playing. Remember to stress the importance of doing a little sight-reading every day. SKIP ALONG! FUZZY WUZZY Look at all these repeated notes. You need to lift your finger off each note just before you repeat it. You can’t do a proper Legato touch on repeated notes. (Look back at page 16 and 23 for Legato.) Does your hand still look like a bridge – or has it collapsed? “WORK-OUT” PAGE Warm up your fingers! LEFT MARCH Don’t look down at your hands – feel for the notes as you read the music. ON THE MOVE Say these letter-names out loud as you play them. Vary the dynamics e.g. bars 1 to 2 f. bars 3 to 4 p. (See page 35 for dynamics) ROCKING ANOTHER NOTE VALUE DOTTED MINIM BRADLEY’S WALTZ Now play this starting on the second C below Middle C. Supplementary material: Chester’s Piano Starters Volume One, pp2-3. SIGHT-READING PAGE IN THE KNOW! PIANO KEYBOARD Use this keyboard for sorting out exercises and finger patterns. You may not always have a Piano handy. NINE NOTES You have now learnt these nine notes. Practise writing them on the Manuscript paper at the back of the book. Using this keyboard, find all the Steps and Skips in the nine notes you have learnt. Take the first C on this page as Middle C. Try out exercises on it such as C E G E C in your and F A C A F in your You are now ready for Chester’s Easy Peasy Theory Set 1, paper 9. POP! GOES THE WEASEL When you can play this tune, sing as you play. ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE JUMPS A Jump is when a note jumps further than a Skip. In this book Jumps to look out for are Fourths and Fifths. FOURTHS AND FIFTHS 4ths jump over 2 white keys. 5ths jump over 3 white keys. LEAP AND LEARN Look at all the Jumps of 4ths and 5th in this piece before you learn it. Looking at the shape of the music before you play will help you to become a good sight-reader. Call out the letter-names of the notes as you play them. You are now ready for Chester’s Easy-Peasy Theory Set 1, paper 10. Supplementary material: Chester’s Piano Starters Volume One, pp6-7. “WORK-OUT” PAGE LEFT, RIGHT Make sure that no-one can hear where you change hands! Keep the dynamics the same for each four bars. ROLLING Remember – your hand is a bridge which mustn’t collapse. THREES Try playing this one using a metronome. Keep the Legato line unbroken between the hands. TALLIS’ CANON Pieces don’t always start with count 1. In the piece below, the last Bar has only 3 counts because the first bar began with count 4. Count 1, 2, 3 then start playing on count 4. This piece of music is called a Canon – this means that two or more parts follow each other with the same tune. When the pupil reaches ∗ the teacher can join in here to make a proper Canon. Teachers start on This piece was written during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. You are now ready for Chester’s Easy-Peasy Theory Set 1, paper 11. SIGHT-READING PAGE JUMP AT THE CHANCE CAMPTOWN RACES RESTS THEME FROM THE SURPRISE SYMPHONY Play the last note surprisingly LOUD! Haydn wanted to make the old ladies in the audience jump! What different kinds of Rests are used in this piece? Accent (play slightly louder than other notes). You are now ready for Chester’s Easy-Peasy Theory Set 1, paper 12. TIME TO WRITE Use a 2B, 3B or 4B pencil for writing music, Save up your pocket money to buy one! SIGHT-READING PAGE HANDS OFF! CHORDS Two or more notes played together make a Chord. Make Chords by adding another note – next-door notes fit sideways. LIZZIE’S POLKA Look for all the Steps, Skips, and repeated notes. Can you still remember your Name Tune? “WORK-OUT” PAGE RESTING! Don’t hang on when you should be resting! Always take your hand off when you see a rest sign. TWO AT A TIME Make sure that you are still curving your fingers. The correct hand shape makes it easier to play chords. RIGHT HOLD Don’t forget – your wrists should be level with your arms. LEFT HOLD A TIE A Tie is a small curved line joining two of the same notes. Play the first note then HOLD ON and count the second note. OLD OILY OLLIE Clap and sing this first. How fast can you say this tongue-twister? SIGHT-READING PAGE ARE YOU RESTING? DOUBLED UP! MUSICOBOT Finish off the Musicobot by adding: For the eyes – 2 Semibreves For the nose – 1 Crotchet, stem up For the mouth – 4 minim Rests For the ears – 2 crotchet Rests On the left antennae – the sign for soft On the right antennae – the sign for loud On the chest – a Treble Clef sign and a Bass Clef sign Draw some Minims and Crotchets on the arms. ERIC’S BOOGIE Learn this Boogie as a solo first. When you play it with the Accompaniment, play the same notes one Octave (8 notes) higher. Can you spot the Jumps of 4ths and 5ths? CHESTER’S PICNIC Has your bridge collapsed? SIGHT-READING PAGE BACK TRACK! Play these Steps, Skips and Jumps. REMINDER BOX These are also called Good sight-readers follow the shape of the music as it goes up and down in Steps, Skips, and Jumps. LEAP FROG! Sometimes the hands visit the other Clef. Before you learn this crossing-hands piece, practise the Octave leap from G to G with 4 and 2 of your Left Hand. You are now ready for Chester’s Easy-Peasy Theory Set 1, paper 14. HANDS TOGETHER From now on, the pieces may use hands playing together. Two reminders: 1. 2. Practise hands separately and when each part is perfect, try it hands together SLOWLY. You can always play the pieces faster when you really know them. Always practise with the correct fingering. WARM-UPS In the first Warm-up, both thumbs share Middle C. Can you still remember your Name Tune? CHIT CHAT Knees can be very useful! Before playing this piece tap out the Right Hand rhythm on your right knee and the Left Hand rhythm on your left knee. Practise knees separately at first, and then try knees together. You are now ready for Chester’s Easy-Peasy Theory Set 1, paper 15. “WORK-OUT” PAGE HANDS TOGETHER, HOORAY! In this exercise, both thumbs share Middle C. Remember – practise hands separately and when each part is perfect, try it hands together. SWIMMING Vary the dynamics e.g. bars 1 to 2 p, bars 3 to 5 f Write them in. STROLLING Make sure you are using a Legato touch. PARTY PIECE Always listen carefully to the sound you are making. Well done, you are now ready for Book Two.