Among the many collections of piano studies that have been written over the years for the beginning pianist, Friedrich Burgmuller’s 25 Easy and Progressive Studies, op. 100 (written in 1852) has stood the test of time. These works cover a wide range of piano techniques in settings that are tuneful, artistic and perfectly suited for the aspiring pianist. These pieces’ challenges span the range from lyric/legato, tender and singing, to dramatic, deft and (fast!). One of the favorites of this collection (in its accessibility and musicality) is the second piece, Arabesque.

Key: A minor  ~  Time Signature: 2/4  ~  legato phrasing; smooth, even 8th notes, solid pedaling skills
You can purchase Burgmuller’s 25 Easy and Progressive Studies, op. 100 online at J.W. Pepper, Sheetmusicplus, or at your local music store. And for more information on Friedrich Burgmuller visit Wikipedia.

Flowing streams, expansive rivers, serene seas and turbulent oceans . . . all these have inspired great works by composers throughout the ages (think of Schubert’s Miller and the Brook, Smetana’s The Moldeau, and of course Debussy’s La mer). And the resources of the modern piano have been used to great effect to portray the ebb, flow and rush of water, especially in a masterpiece like Ravel’s Jeux d'eau (Water Games). But even for early intermediate pianists there are pieces that can challenge the player to employ the special sound and technique necessary to bring this watery world to a listener’s ears and imagination. Margaret Goldston composed an impressive body of work for student pianists over her lifetime, from early elementary works that introduce the beginning pianist to the beauty and fun of playing the piano, to challenging and inspiring works that help bring intermediate and late intermediate pianists closer to artistic heights. Goldston’s The Sparkling Brook calls on the early intermediate player to paint a flowing, bubbling, swirling sound picture. Hear it today in a performance by Liam Korchoski.

The Sparkling Brook can be found in Margaret Goldston’s The Virtuosic Performer, Book 1 (Alfred).
Key: C major  ~  Time Signature: 3/4  ~  legato phrasing; smooth, even 8th notes, solid pedaling skills
You can purchase Goldston’s The Virtuosic Performer, Book 1 online at J.W. Pepper, Sheetmusicplus, or at your local music store. And for more information on Margaret Goldston, visit her webpages at her son (and also composer) Christopher Goldston’s website, and at her Composer Page at the Pytheas Center for Contemporary Music.

The Romantic Era produced some of the most famous - and challenging - works written for piano. Pieces by Schumann, Brahms, Liszt, and especially Chopin form the core of many concert pianist’s repertoire. But for the aspiring pianist, those masterworks are many years of toil and struggle away. Luckily, modern composers have produced works which mirror the style of the great Romantic composers, but at technical levels that make them accessible, yet ultimately, inspiring. Many famous waltzes were written in the 19th century, some of the most famous by Frédéric Chopin. Robert Donahue has composed a waltz that is inspired by those classics, yet makes its challenges interpretive rather than technical. His Parisian Waltz is a beautifully flowing and lyric piece for early intermediate pianists. Our thanks to Zoe Lee for a winning performance!

Key: E minor  ~  Time Signature: 3/4  ~  legato right hand; interpretive phrasing; deft pedal use
You can purchase Donahue’s Parisian Waltz online at J.W. Pepper, Sheetmusicplus, Piano-pal, or at your local music store. For more information on Robert Donahue, see his biography at Hal Leonard.

We all love a good walking bass line - it draws us in and creates the foundation for something that cries "The Blues!" Today we’ll hear PianoNic in a very stylish performance of Bill Boyd’s The Bass Man Walketh, an intermediate level piece that is all about the walking bass line. Composer Bill Boyd (1933-2001) was able to find the essence of jazz and the blues and compose pieces for the beginning pianist that bring that essence to young players fingertips. Boyd played professionally as both a solo performer and band member in hotels, supper clubs and private clubs in New York and Long Island, NY for many years. He also taught junior high school in Huntington, Long Island, for over twenty years. When he retired to Florida in the late 1980s, he devoted his time to arranging and composing. Boyd's ability to impart the essence of "true" jazz and blues style to very young piano students is a hallmark of his writing.

The Bass Man Walketh can be found in Bill Boyd’s Jazz Sketches (Hal Leonard).
Key: C major  ~  Time Signature: 4/4  ~  walking bass line; syncopation; swing 8th notes
You can purchase Boyd’s Jazz Sketches online at J.W. Pepper, Sheetmusicplus, or at your local music store. It is also in the Hal Leonard Student Piano Library, Piano Solos, Book 5. For more information on Bill Boyd, visit his Composer Page at the Pytheas Center for Contemporary Music.

Welcome! I’ve decided to begin a blog on repertoire for beginning pianists because I want to share the wonderful music I have discovered while searching for exciting, challenging and motivating pieces for my own piano students. And I hope others will share there favorites, too. For each recommendation you’ll have the opportunity to watch performances by student musicians who have attempted these works in real world situations. The repertoire will be wide ranging, covering contemporary composers, "classic" composers, and etudes. Let’s begin!

Edwin McLean is a composer based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He has written many outstanding works for beginning, intermediate and advanced students. His highly-acclaimed works for harpsichord have also been performed internationally. McLean’s Ghost Waltz (Late Elementary) is a beautiful, haunting piece that challenges the lyrical side of any aspiring artist.

Key: E minor  ~  Time Signature: 3/4  ~  broken chord accompaniment in LH 
You can purchase McLean's Ghost Waltz online at J.W. Pepper, Sheetmusicplus, Piano-pal, or at your local music store. It is also in the collection Federation Favorites, Book 2 (FJH). For more information on Edwin McLean, visit his website or his Composer Page at the Pytheas Center for Contemporary Music.