JOHN THOMPSONS |
MODERN COURSE
FORTHE PIANO
The
SLCOND GRADE
BOOK
SomethingNew
Every Lesson
Drawings by
Doris and George Hauman
FOLLOWS UNINTERRUPTEDLY AND
IN PROGRESSIVE SEQUENCE THE
MUSICAL FOUNDATION DEVELOPED
BY THE “FIRST GRADE BOOK”
THE WILLIS MUSIC COMPANY
* Order No: WRM000033PREFACE
INCE the plan of the author’s Modern Course for the Piano is to make the
teachers’ and pupils’ work so pleasing that it will lead tothe quickest and best
results, THIS BOOK TAKES UP EXACTLY WHERE “THE FIRST GRADE
BOOK” LEFT OFF. Briefly, it continues, uninterruptedly, to “make haste
slowly”, but surely and steadily.
With consideration for the needs of MODERN BEGINNERS, the contents
of this, The Second Grade Book, are not limited strictly to piano music. In order
that the young student may experience the joy of a COURSE IN APPRECIATION
as well as of PIANISM, examples (with explanatory notes) from Light Opera,
Ballet, Grand Opera, Oratorio, Songs, ete. have been included. Hence, the slogan
“Something New Every Lesson” follows in logical sequence.
TECHNICAL AND MUSICAL PROGRESSION
In THE FIRST GRADE BOOK most of the examples remained necessarily
in the five-finger position. In this book, the positions become gradually more ex-
tended. The thumbs are trained to pass under and the hands over; Leger lines
are introduced; the Pedals explained; Major Scales and their Minors, both Relative
and Parallel, are presented; Examples in Hand Expansion, Cadence Chords, Ar-
peggios, the Dominant-Seventh Chord, as well as, Lessons in Chord Analysis, Trill
Studies and, of course, the Various Touches are included.
Most of the pieces are preceded by short technical exercises, which in many
cases, are subtle illustrations on how to practise—an art in itself.
MAKING MUSICIANS
Everything possible has been done to encourage the pupil to think and feel
musically; to play with musical understanding so that his progress will be measured
by increased enjoyment, as well as in terms of technical proficiency.
Examples from the Masters include Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven,
Chopin, Liszt, Auber, Ponchielli, Bizet, and Offenbach. It is the sincere wish of
the author that pupils who complete this book will have become not only better
pianists but also better musicians and that the urge to explore still deeper into the
wonderful realm of music will have been intelligently stimulated.
/
PS. Certificate of Merit (Diploma) will be found on page 91.
42980CONTENTS
“Something New Every Lesson”
_ Page
Preface
‘Thumb UNDER 2nd ‘Finger ((rom Black key) “In
the Alps”
What is Light Opera?—'
clining"—Fra Diavolo.
Second Finger CROSSING Thumb—‘Hop 0!
‘My Thumb"
Johann Sebastian Bach—"Menuet”
Leger Lines and Leger Spaces.
Chromatic Progressions—'"Round the Village”
Signature of Common Time—‘Country Gar-
dens"
What is the Ballet?—"Dance of the Hours"—La
Gioconda.
Wrist Staccato—"A Christmas Carol”
‘The Pedals of the Pianoforte
Long and Sustained Pedal—‘Distant Bells’—
‘Streabbog.. . eee .
‘The Pedal with Arpeasio Groups—"Brue
Duvernoy...
‘The Pedal in Chord Playing—'
Goat" —Left Hand Alone
The Connected Pedal—"In Church”
A Frolic in Velocity—Adapted from C. Czerny
Sustained and Connected Pedal—“Carry Me
Back to Old Virginny”’. .
Thumb UNDER 3rd Finger—'Reverie”
‘Third Finger CROSSING Thumb—“Puck”
Frédéric Francois Chopin—"Prelude in A Ma-
jor”. i
C Major Scale in Contrary and Parallel Motion
Variations on a Theme—"Starlight Waltz’
‘Teaching the Minor Scales.
‘The Relative Minor Approach
‘The Parallel Minor Approach.
Major and Minor Modes—"A Journey in the
Arctic” (C major and A minor)
Fourth Finger CROSSING Thumb—
Pilot”. .
Melodic Minor Scale—"Hide and Seek” (G minor)
Study in, Smooth Finger Legato—“The Gipsy
Camp" (E minor)
‘On Yonder Rock Re-
“Bill Grogan’s
“The Sky
What is Grand Opera?—"Minuet"—Don Juan
‘The Mazurka—"A Little Polish Dance” (A minor)
Sostenuto—"The Hare and the Hounds”
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Hand Expansion—"Off We Go""—Streabbog.....-
Up-arm Stroke—'
Cadence Chords
Chord Analysis and Writing Exercise—"Etude”
The Dominant-Seventh Chord
Ludwig vansBeethoven—"Romanze"
Signature of Alla Breve—"Scherzino”.
Franz Liszt—Theme from "A Dream of Love”
Contrast in Mood—"A Little Slavonic Rhapsody”
(D minor)
What is Oratorto?—"Halleuah Chorus"—
Messiah
‘Tarantella—‘‘Skipping ‘Through the Forest”
Arpeggio—The Kolling Attack.
‘Arpeggio—"Etude" by Czerny
Arpeggio Variation—"Hinkey, Dinkey, Parley
Voo".. -
Melody Playing—"Deep River”
Cross-hands—“Moths" (Scherzino)
“Dark Eyes" —Russian Folk-Song
Triplets, (Diatonic figures)—"Grandpapa Jona-
than”
Georges, Bizet—"Habanera——Carmen (D_ minor
and D major)
Staccato—'The Bee and the Clover”...
Broken Chords in Triplets—"A Trial Flight”
‘The Trill. ; :
Trill Study—"The Nightingale and the Cuckoo”
Staccato and Trill—“Two Guitars” a
Gipsy Song (D minor) :
Sign #7 “Song of the Birds”
Jacques Offenbach—"Barcarole—-Tales af tp.
mann
Franz Joseph Haydn—Theme from “Gypsy
Rondo"
Rotary Attack—'March of the Gnomes”
Jungmann—" Will o' the Wisp”.
Rotary Attack—"Jocularity”. ... .
Scale Fingering Chart—Major and Minor
‘The Three Minor Forms—Natural, Melodic,
Harmonic.
Glossary of Musical ‘Terms used in this book.
‘Technical Drills... .
CERTIFICATE OF MERIT.
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