David Carr Glover's Favorite Solos, Book 3: Piano Book

This collection gathers some of Glover's most performed solos in one place, which means you get 11 pieces that have already proven themselves in thousands of studios. The stylistic range prevents monotony; you can program contemporary sound alongside nocturne, blues alongside miniature tone poem. Teachers and students return to this book year after year because the writing is honest and the musical payoff justifies the practice time required.

These solos range from the reflective quiet of a Nocturne to the energy of Go, Tiger Go! and the bluesy swagger of New Orleans Blues. You'll find yourself exploring miniature tone paintings of natural landscapes, performing technically engaging etudes that don't feel like studies, and discovering that Glover understood how to make intermediate pianists feel like real musicians.

Intermediate to late intermediate piano students ready to move beyond method book material into genuine recital repertoire. Piano teachers building a studio library of pieces that students actually enjoy playing and audiences enjoy hearing. Advanced elementary or beginning intermediate students aiming for pieces with musical substance and stylistic variety.

• Study the harmonic structure before worrying about tempo. Many of these pieces contain richer chord progressions than they first appear; understanding the underlying harmony makes the melodic line sing naturally.
• Attend carefully to Glover's articulation and dynamic markings. His scores are written to be read precisely, and the suggested touches and balances create character that general interpretations often miss.
• Listen to recorded versions if available, but use them to understand style, not to imitate. These pieces reward personal interpretation within Glover's written framework.
• For the blues and contemporary pieces, feel the rhythmic pulse first. Lock the rhythm in your body before focusing on note accuracy; that foundation makes the passages lie under the hands naturally.

Build a recital around contrasting pieces drawn from this collection; the stylistic range means you can program three or four consecutive pieces without repetition of mood or texture. Use individual solos as recital fillers or as statement pieces in student showcases where you need music that reads well to audiences unfamiliar with the student's level. Stock this book in your studio library as a permanent resource for the intermediate plateau, where finding engaging, playable, and musically honest repertoire is essential.

• Phrasing in multiple styles (nocturne, blues, contemporary, impressionistic)
• Hand independence and coordination in rhythmically varied contexts
• Dynamic control and subtle tonal shaping
• Reading and executing articulation markings with precision
• Harmonic understanding through analysis and interpretation
• Performance confidence through repertoire that sounds professional