John W. Schaum Popular Piano Pieces, B: The Blue Book: Piano Book

These arrangements bridge the gap between method book exercises and real repertoire students actually want to play. The song selection spans decades of popular music, keeping early intermediate pianists engaged while the writing itself reinforces the technical concepts they're building in their Schaum studies.

This collection captures the warmth and accessibility of timeless popular music, arranged to feel singable at the keyboard. Whether playing a tender ballad like "(They Long to Be) Close to You" or a playful novelty like "The Syncopated Clock," each piece invites genuine musical expression rather than mechanical finger work.

Early intermediate pianists who are working through Schaum Grade 1 1/2 materials and ready to apply their technical skills to recognizable popular songs. Students benefit from the motivational boost of playing familiar melodies while reinforcing the harmonic and rhythmic concepts introduced in their method book studies.

• Work through the score on page 1 to identify the harmonic patterns and chord progressions before playing; many of these songs share similar underlying structures that become easier to memorize and perform fluently once you recognize them.
• Take tempo markings as starting points rather than fixed speeds; play each piece at a pace where you can execute the melodic phrasing clearly and let the rhythm breathe naturally.
• Practice the left hand independently first, especially in pieces with syncopated accompaniment patterns, then layer the right hand melody once the harmony feels secure.
• Listen to original recordings of these songs if available; understanding the characteristic tempo, articulation, and feel of the original arrangement will inform more convincing interpretations at the keyboard.

Feature individual selections as recital repertoire throughout the year, programming them alongside or between more formal classical pieces to showcase the breadth of musical styles your students are learning. These pieces also work well as supplementary sightreading material during lessons, since the writing style parallels the concurrent Schaum method book studies.

• Hand position maintenance across varied harmonic textures
• Reading chord progressions with Roman numeral understanding
• Balancing melody and accompaniment in both hands
• Interpreting tempo and dynamic markings for expressive performance
• Sight-reading melodic lines with consistent rhythmic accuracy