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: WRM000033PREFACE 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. 42980CONTENTS “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” 42980 1 10 u 12 “4 16 7 18 19 20 2 23 24 25 26 29 30 31 32 34 35 36 38 40 4 Page 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. 42 44 46 48 49 50 st 52 54 56 37 58 39 60 61 62 65 66 68 70 n 72 4 76 7 8 aL 82 8 86