Because it deals effectively and practically with technical problems found in virtuoso keyboard music, Op. 849 has remained one of the most widely used of Czerny's collections. Each of the 30 exercises for advanced level pianists is preceded by instructions on how it should be played and the specific goal of that exercise. This book is a necessary tool for practicing pianists. 64 pages.

A Masterworks Method for Developing Pianists series pairs motivating performance repertoire with thoughtful technical studies. Each level contains a Repertoire book with CD and a Technique book, both with convenient page-by-page correlations. When used together, the books give students a deep understanding of the art of music, performance practices, and the necessary skills to play the piano with technical ease. The Technique books are designed to give students a highly structured program of technical development. They include basic keyboard patterns (five-finger patterns, scales, chords, cadences, and arpeggios in the major and minor keys found in the Repertoire books), exercises and etudes, and other necessary technical drills for mastering each piece in the Repertoire books. Suggestions for efficient practice are also included.

The Exploring Piano Classics: A Masterworks Method for Developing Pianists series pairs motivating performance repertoire with thoughtful technical studies. Each level contains a Repertoire book with CD and a Technique book, both with convenient page-by-page correlations. When used together, the books give students a deep understanding of the art of music, performance practices, and the necessary skills to play the piano with technical ease. The Repertoire books include pieces from the major style periods, selected and graded based on festival, competition, and examination lists from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Background information on each style period, its instruments, composers, and the music itself is included. The CD recordings of the repertoire are performed by internationally known clinician and teacher Nancy Bachus. The Preparatory level is an introduction and features easy to follow pictures and diagrams which teach the students how to learn proper technique and proper keyboard etiquette.

The Exploring Piano Classics: A Masterworks Method for Developing Pianists series pairs motivating performance repertoire with thoughtful technical studies. Each level contains a Repertoire book with CD and a Technique book, both with convenient page-by-page correlations. When used together, the books give students a deep understanding of the art of music, performance practices, and the necessary skills to play the piano with technical ease. The Repertoire books include pieces from the major style periods, selected and graded based on festival, competition, and examination lists from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Background information on each style period, its instruments, composers, and the music itself is included. The CD recordings of the repertoire are performed by internationally known clinician and teacher Nancy Bachus. Level 1 features historical notes on the composers and actual classical pieces written by famous composers such as Satie, Gurlitt, Hook, Haydn, Bartok and more.

Editors' Choice
Hanon for Students Books 1 - 3 contain exercises from The Virtuoso Pianist, Book 1. Exercises 1 - 6 are found in Book 1; 7 - 13 are in Book 2; and 14 - 20 are in Book 3. The exercises are notated as eighth notes in one octave so students may begin to practice them at the late-elementary level. Each exercise appears five times to be played with a legato touch, varied articulation, varied dynamics and varied rhythm. This series encourages proper technique and practicing.

Basic Library
Because Hanon's studies are so important, editors Allan Small and Morton Manus have compiled this crucial edition with early intermediate-level students in mind: the exercises are cut in half, hands are placed two octaves apart and eighth notes are substituted for the original sixteenths. Junior Hanon includes the complete Book 1 and excerpts from Books 2 and 3 of C. L. Hanon's famous studies, The Virtuoso Pianist in 60 Exercises, arranged in a simplified and condensed format. Alfred's Junior Hanon now makes Hanon's work accessible to most students.

Basic Library
After acquiring basic reading skills, students at the late elementary level are ready to begin this innovative series designed to emphasize artistry in the early stages of piano study. The series introduces basic technical skills and expands the student's knowledge of style, form and artistic ideas. The Technique books give students a verbal vocabulary by describing 12 basic technical skills and accompaniment patterns needed to play music artistically and with technical assurance. They also explain these skills in detail (i.e. elastic wrist, two-note slurs, finger independence) and offer exercises to master them. Most of the technical skills in Level 1 involve the use of arm weight. The twelve basic technical skills covered in Level 2 are elastic wrist, strong fingers, wrist rotation, two-note slurs, balancing torso and forearm, finger independence, slurs, forearm staccato, push-off staccato, rolling wrist, arm-to-arm independence and damper pedal technique. Most of the skills in Level 2 involve pivoting the arm. Among other things, Level 3 covers distribution of arm weight and opening/closing the hand in Hanon exercises, arpeggios, and scales. The Repertoire books provide original music by Catherine Rollin, and employ the technical skills taught in the Technique books.

Aloys Schmitt is best remembered for his Op. 16 exercises. The collection is divided into three sections. The first aids students in developing finger independence through a variety of single and double-note patterns within the range of a fifth. The second section emphasizes passing the thumb under fingers to prepare for scales and arpeggios. The final section provides traditional scales and arpeggios in a notated format with fingering.

Every intermediate through advanced-level student should have a copy of this 96-page volume! It combines the best technical exercises and etudes from a variety of composers including Hanon, Schmitt, Liszt, Cramer, Moszkowski, Pischna, Brahms, Wieck, Philipp, Bertini and Rachmaninoff. Editors Valerie Cisler and Maurice Hinson have arranged the book into eleven parts in progressive order: scales; chords; arpeggios; speed, agility and finger independence; even tone between the hands; double notes; trills; repeated notes; rotation; alternating hands and chromatic patterns. Each part is packed with a wide variety of exercises and etudes. Advancing pianists who work from beginning to end of the volume will surely acquire a solid technical base.

Basic Library
The Hanon exercises have become a staple for developing piano technique. Book 1 is Part 1 and includes exercises 1 - 20: early intermediate to intermediate-level preparatory exercises to acquire speed, precision, agility and strength in the fingers of both hands as well as flexibility of the wrists. A General MIDI disk is available for Book 1, which includes a full piano recording and background accompaniment. Book 2 is Part 2 and consists of exercises 21 - 43 at the intermediate to early advanced level: further exercises for the development of a virtuoso technique. The Complete volume includes Parts 1 through 3. Part 3 consists of exercises 44 - 60: virtuoso exercises for mastering the greatest technical difficulties. The Complete volume is offered spiral bound, useful for keeping this large volume open on the piano rack.