Piano Adventures

Technique & Artistry Book 2 combines “Technique Secrets” from levels 2A and 2B with new exercises and “Artistry Magic” pieces that correlate with Accelerated Piano Adventures Lesson Book 2. These elegantly simple “technique secrets” build a solid technical foundation for the older beginner and are used as daily warm-ups throughout the book. Students are guided to produce a variety of pianistic motions always with the purpose of creating artistic sounds.

In the Level 3B Technique & Artistry Book, students learn four effective Technique Secrets to help develop fluency for early-intermediate repertoire. New etudes by Bertini, Beyer, and Czerny are used to review and apply the Secrets, leading to Artistry Magic pieces that are suitable for recital performance.

Designed for the teenager or transfer student, this technique course combines “Technique Secrets” from both the Primer and Level 1 with new exercises that correlate with Accelerated Piano Adventures Lesson Book One. The integration of technique and artistry gives students the tools for expressive performance. “Technique Secrets” develops a technical foundation, while the “Artistry Magic” page at the end of each unit explores expressive playing.

Major and minor pentascales; intervals through the 6th; C. G, and F major scales. Contents include: Almost Like a Dream • America • American Fiddle Tune • Beach Party • Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony Theme • Blues Train • The Boogie Machine • Brahms’ Lullaby • Can-Can • Cathedral Chimes • Chord Jumps • Classical Dance • Cross-Hand Arpeggios • El Matado.

The 2nd Edition of this ground-breaking book combines two essential elements of pianism: technical skill and artistic performance. “Technique Secrets” open the book, followed by engaging technical exercises. An “Artistry Magic” piece at the end of each unit promotes expressive, pianistic playing at the earliest level.

This book features “Technique Secret” exercises which train students in firm fingertips, light thumb, fast fingers, hands together coordination, and wrist float-off. An “Artistry Magic” page at the end of each unit explores expressive playing. An appendix of the 12 major 5-finger positions and 7 white-key minor 5-finger positions is included.

The four core Level 3A Books guide the student’s musical mind with advancing rhythms, scales, pedaling, and musical form. Classical pieces by Turk, Reinagle, Grieg, and Tchaikovsky blend with world folk songs and American ragtime. Composing a mini-sonatina and improvising in D major bring creativity to new understandings of music theory.

The 2nd Edition of this ground-breaking book integrates of technique and artistry, giving students the tools for expressive performance. Four effective “Technique Secrets” open the book, followed by engaging technical exercises. The “Artistry Magic” pieces at the end of each unit promote expressive, pianistic playing for the Level 1 student.

Enhancements to the 2nd Edition Level 2B Technique & Artistry Book include emphasis on pattern recognition, new teacher duets for several Artistry Magic pieces, and a new exercise to prepare students for playing chord changes. The four effective technique secrets are used as warm-ups throughout the book.

The Level 3A Technique & Artistry Book combines two essential elements of pianism – technical skill and artistic performance. This smooth, integrated approach builds basic elements of piano technique, always directed toward an artistic goal. Four effective “Technique Secrets” focus on nuanced gestures of the hand and wrist, as well as pedaling. Targeted exercises and etudes lead to expressive, musical performance of the Artistry Magic pieces.

Developing the ear and training the eye of the young child is a key component of the Writing Book A. Tucker, the mascot dog who loves to LISTEN, is always on the scene as the young child imitates, matches, and creates rhythmic and melodic patterns. The multi-cultural friends present improvisation and simple, guided composition activities. Blinker, the owl who loves to LOOK, helps students recognize patterns of rhythms and notes, and introduces sightreading. The Writing Book offers a holistic, musical approach to theory through discovery, creativity, imagination, and fun!

Writing Book C (the companion book for Lesson Book C) provides 64 colorful, fun-filled pages of writing, ear-training, and “CLAP for Sightreading” activities. A focus on reading skips leads students to cross bridges, connect flags, meet a mouse, and skip to deep-sea treasures, to name just a few! Writing Book C engages children in the lives and melodies of classical composers introduced in the Lesson Book C. Take part in Haydn’s Fun Facts and Game, make after-dinner music with Mozart, tap Beethoven’s rhythms, and help Tchaikovsky tell the story of a doll with a broken arm. The valuable educational activities and vibrant illustrations of My First Piano Adventure ® are sure to delight the young beginner and teacher.

64 pages of fun-filled activities support the music learning process. Reading steps on the staff is a primary focus of Book B. The inventive Writing Book guides young players in reading, hearing and creating with steps on the Grand Staff. Teachers will welcome the special “C.L.A.P. for Sightreading” pages, designed to reinforce and celebrate note-reading. Students touch on music history with Mozart’s and Beethoven’s Fun Facts and Games and take a peek into Beethoven’s Composing Room. Tucker, Blinker and Tap return with ear-training, sightreading, and rhythm fun. Then there is also the Tooth Fairy Visit, Rhythm Beads, Escape of the Quarter Notes… and much more.

Level 5 continues to build musicianship with the circle of 5ths, cadences, flat key signatures, and the three forms of the minor scale. The use of octaves, arpeggios, and dynamic playing across the range of the keyboard develops pianistic skills. Contents include: Autumn Ballad • Ballade (Burgmuller) • Blue Etude • Carillon Fantasia • The Chase (Burgmuller) • Coral Reef Etude • Fanfare on America • Hot Pursuit • Jazz Reflection • Pomp and Circumstance • Rhythm Flight • Risoluto • Rolling River Etude • and more.

Level 4 stresses chord inversions, sixteenth notes, and minor keys. Attention to graceful touch and dynamics continues to focus the pianist on expression. Contents include: Bridal Chorus • Burlesca • Chanson • Drummer at the Keyboard • The Gondola • In the Hall of the Mountain King • Little Joke • Maple Leaf Rag • Right Ride • Prelude in C • Prelude in D Minor • Procession • The Sailor’s Story • and more.

Book B of the Fabers’ method for the young beginner moves the student into staff-reading. Music notation is explored through stepwise directional reading, pattern recognition, and changing hand positions, all in the context of engaging songs, games and creative exploration at the piano. Maintaining the child-centered philosophy of the series, the “friends at the piano” from the A Books introduce students to the music of two new composer friends – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven. Classic themes share the stage with contemporary pop and jazz sounds for young ears to absorb and enjoy. The Book B audio presents a vibrant mix of sounds, from boogie to Beethoven. It serves as a listening experience which educates and as an accompaniment for play-along.

The 2nd Edition of the Level 3B Lesson Book is a fresh, dynamic update for early-intermediate students. This is the level of contrasts: fast fingerwork contrasted with sonorous tonal colors, and traditional harmonies mingled with contemporary sounds. Compositions from Dvorak, Rebikov, and Liszt are included along with new Faber originals. Concepts include the octave, A minor, E minor, and D minor scales (natural and harmonic minor), motive and sequence, all 12 major and minor triads, triad inversions, syncopation, and introduction to sixteenth notes.

The Level 2A Lesson Book follows Level 1 and continues an intervallic orientation to reading through a musically appealing multi-key approach. Includes C, G, D, and A major and minor 5-finger positions. Eighth notes, transposition, and functional harmony skills are introduced.

The Primer Lesson Book presents key names, note values, and reading on the Grand Staff. Students learn the C 5-finger scale, steps and skips, and dynamics with coloristic use of the pedal. The book is organized into ten units that feature constant review of skills through new, appealing songs.

The 2nd Edition Level 1 Lesson Book introduces all the notes of the grand staff, elementary chord playing, and the concept of tonic and dominant notes. Students play in varied positions, reinforcing reading skills and recognizing intervals through the 5th. Musicianship is built with the introduction of legato and staccato touches. This level continues the interval orientation to reading across the full range of the Grand Staff. The 5-finger approach is presented here in a fresh, musically appealing way.

Written for ages 5 and 6, My First Piano Adventure® captures the child’s playful spirit. Fun-filled songs, rhythm games and technique activities develop beginning keyboard skills. Three distinguishing features of the Lesson Book A make it unique and effective for the young 5-6 year old beginner.

Book C of the Fabers’ young beginner method continues the staff-reading adventure with the introduction of skips (3rds). Students first explore skips aurally and kinesthetically across the full range of the keyboard. A delightful variety of songs follow which carefully and comfortably guide the child toward line-line and space-space staff recognition.

The 2nd Edition Level 2B Lesson Book offers a systematic approach to scales, primary chords (I, IV, V7), and transposition for the keys of C, G, and F major. This new edition features nine new songs, plus enhanced arrangements of favorite pieces from the first edition. The new “Scale and Chord Adventures” appendix offers teachers the flexibility to explore major and minor scale and chord patterns in all twelve keys.

Book 1 covers fundamental rhythms, all the notes of the grand staff, C position, G position. Contents include: Aloha Oe • Amazing Grace • Bagpipes • Bus Stop Boogie • Camptown Races • Chant of the Monk • Chant of the Monks • Chinese Dragon • Chord Crossings • Dreamscape • Eine Kleine Nachtmusik • English Minuet • Fife and Drums • Forest Drums • French Minuet.