Alfred's Basic Piano Prep Course: Notespeller Book C Cover Image

Alfred's Basic Piano Prep Course: Notespeller Book C: Piano Book

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Alfred's Basic Piano Prep Course: Notespeller Book C Cover Image

Alfred's Basic Piano Prep Course: Notespeller Book C: Piano Book

For the Young Beginner

By Gayle Kowalchyk and E. L. Lancaster

Level: C

Item: 00-5730

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Description
Coordinated page-by-page with the Lesson Books, the Notespeller Books reinforce note-reading concepts through coloring and written exercises.

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Additional Details
Series: Alfred's Basic Piano Library
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 32
ISBN10: 0-7390-1923-6
ISBN13: 978-0-7390-1923-8
UPC: 038081051130
SKU: 00-5730

More about this title

About the Authors

Gayle Kowalchyk
Dr. Gayle Kowalchyk is currently a faculty member at California State University, Northridge, where she teaches class piano, individual piano, and piano pedagogy. She earned a bachelor's degree in piano performance from Ohio University (1977), a master's degree in piano performance and pedagogy from Northwestern University (1979), and a doctorate in piano pedagogy from Teachers College, Columbia University (1989).

Throughout her career, Dr. Kowalchyk has held teaching positions at Eastern Illinois University, Oklahoma Baptist University, and the University of Oklahoma. She coordinated the class piano program and directed the piano preparatory program at Eastern Illinois, and spent summers from 1979 to 1982 teaching class piano and ensemble at the National Music Camp in Interlochen, Michigan. As a clinician and adjudicator, she has presented at numerous national conferences including the Music Teachers National Association, Music Educators National Conference, National Group Piano Symposium, and World Piano Pedagogy Conference.

Working alongside her husband, Dr. E. L. Lancaster, Dr. Kowalchyk has authored over 300 educational piano publications, among them Alfred's Premier Piano Course and Music for Little Mozarts. From 1981 to 1996, the couple operated an independent piano studio in Norman, Oklahoma. Based in the Los Angeles area, she currently serves as a clinician for Alfred Music while continuing her teaching work.
E. L. Lancaster
Dr. E. L. Lancaster served as Executive Editor for Piano at Alfred Music and currently teaches piano as an adjunct faculty member at California State University, Northridge. He earned degrees from Murray State University and the University of Illinois, completing his Ph.D. at Northwestern University.

From 1979 to 1998, Lancaster was Professor of Music at the University of Oklahoma, Norman, where he shaped the piano pedagogy program and taught piano courses. He founded the master's and doctoral programs in piano pedagogy there in 1980, subsequently mentoring more than 50 doctoral candidates. His teaching extended to pre-college students through the Piano Pedagogy Laboratory Program, which integrated group and private instruction. Between 1981 and 1996, he and his wife Dr. Gayle Kowalchyk operated a thriving independent piano studio in Norman.

Lancaster's professional leadership includes roles as National Chairman of Group Piano and Student Chapters for MTNA, plus service as 2020 National Conference Chair. He has held positions within the National Conference on Piano Pedagogy, including chair of the Administration and Pedagogy Liaison Committee. Recognition of his excellence includes the Regents Award for Superior Teaching (1984), a David Ross Boyd Professorship (1991), and multiple university honors such as the Provost's Outstanding Academic Advising Award and Outstanding Faculty Award in the College of Fine Arts. In 2013, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia designated him a Signature Sinfonian for his distinguished representation of the fraternity, and Murray State University awarded him its 2014 Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Why we love this

The Notespeller Book C stays completely in sync with its paired Lesson Book, so students encounter new note locations on the staff right when they're learning them at the keyboard. Coloring activities and written exercises transform note reading from abstract symbol recognition into something tactile and rewarding, which keeps younger learners engaged through the crucial early stages of music literacy. You get reinforcement built into the curriculum rather than scrambling to find supplemental worksheets.

What to expect

Approachable and playful. The combination of coloring and writing keeps the material feeling like exploration rather than drill work, while the systematic progression ensures nothing gets skipped. Students finish each page with visible proof that they've learned something new.

Who it's for

This book serves students in the early prep stages of piano study, typically ages 4-7, who are building foundational note-reading skills alongside their Lesson Book instruction. It works equally well in group class settings and private lessons where coordination with the main curriculum matters.

How to get the most out of it

  • Assign the coloring pages first. The visual activity primes students' brains to recognize those note locations before they write or play them.
  • Work through the written exercises during lessons rather than assigning them as homework. This gives you immediate feedback on which notes are still fuzzy and lets you adjust your Lesson Book pacing accordingly.
  • Pair each completed page with a return to the keyboard. Have students find and play the notes they just identified on the staff.

How to use it

Integrate this as a core supplementary material for any student working through Alfred's Basic Piano Prep Course. The page-by-page coordination means you assign it during the same week as the corresponding Lesson Book material rather than treating it as optional enrichment. For group piano classes, these exercises become especially valuable for ensuring all students lock in their note reading at the same pace.

Skills your students will build

  • Identifying note locations on the treble staff
  • Matching written notes to their keyboard positions
  • Fine motor coordination through writing musical symbols
  • Visual memory for note patterns
  • Reinforcing ledger line notes introduced in the Lesson Book

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