In Recital® with Jazz, Blues & Rags, Book 2: Elementary Piano Book

Upbeat and accessible, with the swagger of real jazz and blues but written so every passage sits comfortably under elementary hands. These pieces have personality; they swing, they have attitude, and they make students feel like real musicians rather than etude workers.

Elementary pianists ready to move beyond classical solos and explore contemporary styles that feel relevant to their interests. This book works for students who respond well to rhythmic, groove-based music and benefit from motivational material that connects lesson work to recognizable jazz and blues idioms.

• Listen to the included recordings multiple times before opening the score. Let your ear absorb the groove and phrasing first so your hands aren't learning music from notation alone.
• Pay close attention to jazz articulation markings (staccatos, accents, ties). These small marks shape the whole character of swing and blues styles.
• In ragtime pieces, keep the left hand steady and even. The syncopated right-hand melody will land more clearly when the bass foundation doesn't rush or drag.
• Experiment with the suggested tempos, but allow yourself to play slightly slower if it helps you maintain accurate rhythm and clean voicings. Speed follows accuracy.

Use individual pieces as supplementary recital material throughout the year, especially when a student needs a confidence boost or wants to branch beyond classical styles. These also work well as rewards for students who finish their technical studies early or as motivation for studio performances during milestone moments.

• Recognizing and performing swing rhythms and blues phrasing
• Reading jazz chord symbols and understanding basic jazz harmony
• Handling syncopated rhythms in the right hand while maintaining steady accompaniment patterns
• Interpreting stylistic articulation and dynamics specific to jazz and ragtime idioms
• Developing rhythmic independence between hands in swing and rag contexts