Celebrate Piano!

Celebrate Piano! is a comprehensive and carefully paced piano method designed to provide students with a foundation of understanding, experiences, and skills that will guide them as they discover the joy of music. Students experience a wide range of repertoire, including classical and contemporary selections as well as folksongs. An emphasis upon reading and artistic development gives students of Celebrate Piano! the foundation they need to progress in their study of piano literature.  Every "Lesson and Musicianship" book incorporates repertoire, technique, reading, theory, rhythm, aural skills, and creative skills in a comprehensive approach. "Lesson and Musicianship" Book 1A includes a total of six gradually progressing units.  The first two units orient the beginner to the black keys with pre-staff tunes. In Unit 3, the student is introduced to the five-line staff, line and space notes, and steps. Clefs are not presented until "Lesson and Musicianship" Book 1B. Instead, the student is pointed to a starting note by a keyboard chart and one letter name on each staff. Thus, students experience playing on the wide range of the keyboard and are not wedded to particular hand positions. Unit 4 introduces the grand staff, harmonic and melodic 2nds.  The interval of a third is not introduced until Unit 5.  Unit 6 combines 2nds and 3rds in melodies and introduces dotted half and whole notes. Besides plenty of original, child-friendly tunes by the authors, every unit offers many creative exercises in rhythm, singing, aural skills, note recognition and theory. Practice Plans are frequently included, challenging the student to be thoughtful and productive during practice sessions. "Lesson and Musicianship" Book 1B continues where Book 1A leaves off and covers the concepts of staccato, time signatures, treble and bass clefs, landmark notes, rests, ledger lines, ties, and accidentals.