In Recital® with Christmas Favorites, Book 6: Piano Book

A collection that honors the gravity of holiday tradition while keeping students engaged through rhythmic variety and textural surprises. The mix of well-known carols with Spanish selections creates both comfort and discovery.

Late intermediate pianists ready to tackle mixed meters and hand coordination challenges. Students in this book have solid technique but need structured work on rhythmic complexity and baroque-era ornaments.

• Work the dotted eighth and sixteenth note patterns in isolation before playing them in context. These rhythms settle much faster when students understand them rhythmically rather than visually.
• Prepare rolled chords by having students practice the hand motion slowly first, then gradually increase tempo. The physical gesture matters more than the speed.
• Address grace notes and trills early in rehearsal; many students will rush these ornaments instinctively. Deliberate practice on just the ornament itself, separate from the main note, prevents this habit.
• Use the Spanish carols to discuss cultural context and performance practice. Even brief conversation about where these pieces come from enriches the recital experience.

Schedule these pieces across multiple recitals rather than clustering them all in December. A Spanish carol in October or November program followed by traditional selections in December gives you programming flexibility and lets each piece get proper airtime.

• Dotted eighth note patterns in various metric contexts
• Triplet recognition and execution in simple and compound meters
• Sixteenth note rhythms and their coordination with other values
• Grace notes and trills as ornamental devices
• One- and two-octave scale passages
• Octave technique in both hands
• Rolled chord execution and timing
• Hand-over-hand crossing and voice independence
• Mixed meter navigation (3/4 and 4/4 shifting within pieces)