Fantastic Fingers, Book 4: Intermediate Piano Book

Goldston's gift for rhythmic vitality shines throughout this collection. Each piece feels distinctly crafted rather than formulaic, which means your students won't tire of the material even as they work through it methodically. The stylistic range keeps the practice experience fresh while the technical demands build steadily without overwhelming.

This collection swings, dances, and daydreams by turns. You'll find yourself drawn into rhythms that feel natural under the fingers, legato passages that invite you to shape the phrase, and character pieces that each paint their own small world. The writing never feels mechanical; there's genuine music-making in every line.

Intermediate pianists ready to explore multiple styles within a single book. These pieces work well for students who have solidified their basic technique and are developing interpretive choices and stylistic awareness.

• In Twelve Key Rag, keep the swing eighths bouncy but controlled. The chromatic passages will flow more easily if you let them sit under a relaxed hand position rather than reaching for each note.
• The Enchanted Stream rewards attention to pedal changes. Practice shifting the pedal on beat one of each measure to let the legato eighths sing without muddying the texture.
• Let Chinese Kites' quick 3-note phrases breathe between each gesture. Slight separation between the rise-and-dip patterns makes the rhythmic shape clear and gives the brisk tempo room to sparkle.

Use this book as a mainstay in your studio's intermediate curriculum, or pull individual pieces for student recitals across the year. Pieces like Twelve Key Rag add personality to a program without demanding virtuosic display, while The Enchanted Stream pairs naturally with Romantic-era pedagogical repertoire.

• Swing eighth articulation and rhythmic independence between hands
• Pedal technique for legato passages and harmonic blending
• Stylistic interpretation across ragtime, lyrical, and contemporary idioms
• Hand position management across varying technical demands
• Phrasing and shaping in quick, staccato gestures