Alfred's Basic Piano: Chord Approach Theory Book 1: Piano Book
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Alfred's Basic Piano: Chord Approach Theory Book 1: Piano Book
A Piano Method for the Later Beginner
By Willard A. Palmer, Morton Manus, and Amanda Vick Lethco
Level: 1
Item: 00-2646
$9.99
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The Theory Books are coordinated page-by-page with the Lesson Books, and reinforce the concepts through theory games and drills that are fun to complete.
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About the Authors
Dr. Willard Palmer stands as an internationally recognized musician, scholar, and educator whose career spanned multiple instruments and disciplines. A childhood prodigy who performed piano on radio at age 13, he studied under Mae Vardeman, whose mentorship in proper technique and improvisation shaped his musical foundation. His early training in both piano and accordion at Whitworth College and Millsaps College set the stage for a prolific career of composition and instruction.
Palmer authored 789 published works across diverse genres: accordion and guitar methods, piano instructional materials, Hammond Chord Organ methods, solo pieces, and choral compositions. Many of his publications have been translated into German, Japanese, French, Dutch, and Spanish. He earned recognition as a leading authority on Baroque music ornamentation, a specialization that informed the acclaimed Alfred Masterworks series. His scholarly contributions were honored with a Doctor of Humanities degree in 1971 and a Doctor of Music degree in 1983.
Beyond his writing, Palmer established himself as a dedicated educator and church musician. He taught the first successful college accordion courses at the University of Houston for 18 years and later devoted his attention to advanced musicological research and teaching methodology. He served as choir director of Memorial Lutheran Church in Houston and held positions as director of the Riemenschneider Bach Institute. Throughout his career, he remained active in professional organizations including the American Federation of Musicians Local #65, the American Accordionists' Association, and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.
Palmer authored 789 published works across diverse genres: accordion and guitar methods, piano instructional materials, Hammond Chord Organ methods, solo pieces, and choral compositions. Many of his publications have been translated into German, Japanese, French, Dutch, and Spanish. He earned recognition as a leading authority on Baroque music ornamentation, a specialization that informed the acclaimed Alfred Masterworks series. His scholarly contributions were honored with a Doctor of Humanities degree in 1971 and a Doctor of Music degree in 1983.
Beyond his writing, Palmer established himself as a dedicated educator and church musician. He taught the first successful college accordion courses at the University of Houston for 18 years and later devoted his attention to advanced musicological research and teaching methodology. He served as choir director of Memorial Lutheran Church in Houston and held positions as director of the Riemenschneider Bach Institute. Throughout his career, he remained active in professional organizations including the American Federation of Musicians Local #65, the American Accordionists' Association, and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.
Morton Manus served as president of Alfred Music Publishing Co., Inc. for over six decades, beginning in the early 1950s. His father, Sam Manus, had founded the company's predecessor in 1922 as Manus Music, a Tin Pan Alley publisher specializing in popular sheet music. In 1930, Sam merged with Alfred & Company, establishing the combined entity that would become a cornerstone of music publishing. Morton joined the family business in the late 1940s following his graduation from City College of New York with a degree in business.
Under Morton's leadership, Alfred Music transformed from a sheet music publisher into a comprehensive music education company. As a clarinetist and pianist himself, he championed the creation of instructional materials, launching successful series for accordion, guitar, piano, and recorder. This strategic shift positioned Alfred Music as an educational leader rather than merely a retailer of published compositions. The company expanded dramatically over the following decades, necessitating a relocation of its main offices to Los Angeles in 1975 while establishing a distribution center in upstate New York.
Morton's sons, Ron and Steve, continued the company's growth trajectory after joining Alfred Music in 1988 and 1992 respectively. Together, they expanded the company's international presence through offices in Australia, Germany, Singapore, and the UK. In 2005, Alfred Music acquired Warner Bros. Publications, gaining access to the EMI Catalogue Partnership and forging an ongoing relationship with Warner/Chappell Music.
Under Morton's leadership, Alfred Music transformed from a sheet music publisher into a comprehensive music education company. As a clarinetist and pianist himself, he championed the creation of instructional materials, launching successful series for accordion, guitar, piano, and recorder. This strategic shift positioned Alfred Music as an educational leader rather than merely a retailer of published compositions. The company expanded dramatically over the following decades, necessitating a relocation of its main offices to Los Angeles in 1975 while establishing a distribution center in upstate New York.
Morton's sons, Ron and Steve, continued the company's growth trajectory after joining Alfred Music in 1988 and 1992 respectively. Together, they expanded the company's international presence through offices in Australia, Germany, Singapore, and the UK. In 2005, Alfred Music acquired Warner Bros. Publications, gaining access to the EMI Catalogue Partnership and forging an ongoing relationship with Warner/Chappell Music.
Dr. Amanda Vick Lethco is a renowned piano pedagogue and co-developer of Alfred's Basic Piano Library, one of the world's most widely used piano methods. Working alongside Dr. Willard Palmer and Morton Manus, she shaped music education for generations of students. She served as Professor Emeritus of Piano Pedagogy at the University of Texas at Austin.
Her formal training was distinguished, including study at Juilliard with James Friskin, at Chicago Musical College with Rudolph Ganz, and at Columbia University with Douglas Moore. Northwestern University awarded her degrees in Piano Performance, Music Education, and another in Piano Performance at the master's level. Whitworth College in Brookhaven, Mississippi also honored her with an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree.
Throughout her career, Dr. Lethco maintained an active presence as a clinician, recitalist, and workshop facilitator across the United States, Europe, Canada, and throughout Asia and the Pacific region including Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Thailand, and Indonesia. She co-authored Creating Music at the Piano with Dr. Palmer and maintained private teaching studios in New York City, San Antonio, Austin, and Houston. Her contributions to music education are recognized in the International Who's Who of Musicians and the World Who's Who of Women.
Her formal training was distinguished, including study at Juilliard with James Friskin, at Chicago Musical College with Rudolph Ganz, and at Columbia University with Douglas Moore. Northwestern University awarded her degrees in Piano Performance, Music Education, and another in Piano Performance at the master's level. Whitworth College in Brookhaven, Mississippi also honored her with an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree.
Throughout her career, Dr. Lethco maintained an active presence as a clinician, recitalist, and workshop facilitator across the United States, Europe, Canada, and throughout Asia and the Pacific region including Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Thailand, and Indonesia. She co-authored Creating Music at the Piano with Dr. Palmer and maintained private teaching studios in New York City, San Antonio, Austin, and Houston. Her contributions to music education are recognized in the International Who's Who of Musicians and the World Who's Who of Women.