Alfred's Basic Piano Library: Composition Book 2: Piano Book

This book treats composition as a natural extension of piano study rather than an intimidating separate skill. Students gain ownership over what they're learning by creating their own pieces, which deepens their understanding of the concepts they encounter in their lesson book.

Playful and exploratory. Students encounter guided creative prompts that let them experiment with melody, rhythm, and notation on their own terms. The process feels more like discovery than assignment.

Piano students at early elementary levels who are building foundational notation skills and music reading. This book works alongside any piano method, making it ideal for teachers who want to add compositional activity to their curriculum without overhauling their existing materials.

• Start with the simplest exercises and let students hear their own ideas played aloud, even if imperfectly. Early success builds confidence in composition.
• Encourage students to play their compositions for family members or other students in the studio. Public sharing, even in small groups, reinforces that their creative work has value.
• Use the page-by-page correlation with the Lesson Book to assign composition activities right after learning new notation or musical concepts, while the material is fresh.

Assign composition pages as reinforcement during regular lesson periods to solidify the week's musical concepts. Students can also perform their creations as part of studio recitals or informal gathering performances, giving their work real purpose beyond the page.

• Music notation and staff reading through personal composition
• Creative decision-making in melody and rhythm
• Understanding music symbols and their written representation
• Connecting aural learning with written music
• Confidence in self-expression through a musical medium