Contest Winners for Three, Book 1: Piano Trio (1 Piano, 6 Hands) Book

Familiar folk melodies and playful arrangements meet accessible technical demands. The collection balances straightforward accompaniment parts for developing hands with moments of gentle interplay, creating a sense of teamwork and musical accomplishment.

Elementary and late elementary pianists preparing for festivals, contests, or ensemble recitals. Students benefit from the collaborative experience of playing with peers at a single instrument while building sight-reading and rhythmic independence.

• Work out hand positions and reach before rehearsing sections. Three people at one keyboard means coordinating body placement so no one's elbow hits anyone else mid-phrase.
• Lock in the rhythmic foundation first. With multiple hands on the same instrument, ensemble precision matters more than in solo repertoire; establish a steady pulse before worrying about interpretation.
• Use the Federation Festivals selections as your benchmark for contest preparation. Both 'Chopsticks for Three' and pieces from the 2020-2024 list carry familiarity with adjudication standards.

Feature a piece from this book on a festival or contest program where you need a piano trio entry; the Federation Festivals selections are particularly strong choices for adjudicated events. These works also work well for student recitals or ensemble demonstrations when you want to showcase collaborative playing without requiring three separate pianos.

• Ensemble listening and rhythmic coordination at a shared instrument
• Reading and performing multiple simultaneous melodic lines
• Balancing touch when hands overlap or play in close range
• Sight-reading facility across elementary to late elementary repertoire
• Performance confidence in group musical contexts