Essential Piano Technique Level 1: Leaping Ahead [US edition] Cover Image

Essential Piano Technique Level 1: Leaping Ahead [US edition]: Piano Book

$14.95 USD
$14.95 USD
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Essential Piano Technique Level 1: Leaping Ahead [US edition] Cover Image
Essential Piano Technique Level 1: Leaping Ahead [US edition]: Piano Book

Essential Piano Technique Level 1: Leaping Ahead [US edition]: Piano Book

By Penelope Roskell / Illustrated by Eilidh Muldoon / Words by Carl Heap / Music by Aaron Burrows

Item: 98-EP73707
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Description

Penelope Roskell, author of the award-winning book The Complete Pianist, is recognized as one of the world's leading experts on natural and healthy piano technique. Her series Essential Piano Technique draws on the principles of The Complete Pianist to develop a strong foundation of healthy technique, helping young pianists to progress rapidly and confidently through the early stages of piano playing.

  • Can be used by beginner pianists alongside existing method books to enhance the teaching of good technique.
  • Includes detailed notes for teachers, giving learning objectives and teaching tips.
  • Links to free videos show technique in practice.
  • Fun activities, illustrations, and imaginative original music throughout.
  • Teacher accompaniment duets provide a rich musical experience.

Penelope Roskell is a Professor of Piano and Piano Pedagogy at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, London. She is a world-leader in the field of healthy piano playing, and Piano Adviser to the British Association for Performing Arts Medicine. Her award-winning book, The Complete Pianist, is the leading book on healthy piano technique. As a soloist she has performed in major concert halls in more than thirty countries.

Primer A: from the first lesson to legato and staccato

Primer B: from dynamics to scales and broken chords

Level 1: from hands-together to Elementary Level

"Ms Roskell's book demonstrates that she has a profound understanding of the obstacle--- technical, musical, physiological, or psychological---encountered by pianists of any age, and an ability to express that understanding in logical terms. I wish I had had access to her book when I was younger."

- Peter Donohoe CBE, writing about Penelope Roskell's The Complete Pianist

"In terms of its quantity and quality, its detail and depth, I know of no comparable resource."

- Andrew Eales, www.pianodao.com, writing about Penelope Roskell's The Complete Pianist

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Additional Details
Series: Penelope Roskell's Complete Pianist Series
Publisher: Edition Peters
Page Count: 64
ISBN10: 1-84367-062-3
ISBN13: 978-1-84367-062-9
UPC: 9781843670629
SKU: 98-EP73707

More about this title

Why we love this

Roskell's pedagogy shines through imaginative original compositions that don't feel like exercises. The duet accompaniments transform technique work into genuine musical moments, so students experience healthy hand position and finger independence within real musical contexts rather than isolated drills.

What to expect

Approachable and encouraging. The illustrations and varied activities break up technical focus with playfulness, while the original music communicates that good technique serves real musical expression, not just mechanical facility.

Who it's for

Early elementary pianists who need structured technique building alongside their method book work. Teachers seeking to establish healthy habits from the start will find detailed guidance alongside repertoire that keeps young students musically engaged.

How to get the most out of it

  • Watch the linked videos before teaching a section. Seeing the technique modeled in motion clarifies what the written instructions ask for, especially for hand position and arm weight.
  • Play through the teacher duets yourself first. Understanding the harmonic and rhythmic support you're providing helps you listen for precision in your student's part.
  • Pace the activities across multiple weeks rather than completing a section in one lesson. Technique develops gradually, and spacing out the inventive exercises maintains engagement.

How to use it

Assign sections as supplementary material during the first year of study, using the teacher notes to align technique goals with your existing curriculum. The short, purposeful pieces work well as recital selections once students master the technical concepts within them.

Skills your students will build

  • Healthy hand position and neutral wrist alignment
  • Finger independence and control in hands-together passages
  • Legato and staccato articulation from the wrist
  • Weight transfer and arm coordination in leaping movements
  • Reading and executing basic dynamic and tempo changes
  • Playing duets while maintaining rhythmic independence

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