Mastering the Piano, Level 6: Piano Book & CD

The recorded performances here matter because they come from someone who understands the pedagogical arc alongside the music itself. Rather than showcase virtuosity, Lloyd-Watts models how a late intermediate or early advanced student should listen for phrasing, voice leading, and character within each piece. Students hear music played musically, not just correctly, which fundamentally changes what they internalize about interpretation.

Opening this book feels like being invited into a thoughtfully furnished studio where every piece was chosen for a reason. The diversity of style and era prevents fatigue; a Baroque invention sits beside a Romantic character piece sits beside something from an earlier century entirely. There's genuine accomplishment in mastering these selections, the kind that comes from playing real music, not exercises dressed as music.

Late intermediate and early advanced piano students ready to deepen their relationship with masterwork literature. This collection works equally well for students following Suzuki progression and those in traditional methods who need carefully curated repertoire that teaches while it pleases. Teachers seeking performance pieces that build technique and artistry without requiring student frustration will find reliable material here.

• Listen to the recording actively before practicing a piece, focusing on where Lloyd-Watts shapes phrases and where tempo or dynamics shift. This creates a mental map that your fingers can follow.
• Mark the score with your own interpretive questions as you practice: where does the melody need to sing out, and where should accompaniment patterns stay textural? The CD shows one answer; finding your own is how you move beyond imitation.
• Record yourself periodically and compare your interpretation to the CD. Differences reveal where you're finding your own musical voice rather than copying, which is exactly what should happen at this level.

This collection supports student recitals across multiple seasons, offering enough variety that siblings or cohorts can find distinct repertoire without competing. Select one or two pieces per student for a spring or fall performance, allowing the rest of the book to serve as exploration and technical development outside the recital calendar. The accessibility and musical substance also make individual selections suitable for community performances or ensemble partnerships where pianists accompany strings or other instruments.

• Interpreting performance decisions from recorded models while developing independent musical choices
• Recognizing and executing phrasing and voice leading across multiple historical styles
• Memorization through harmonic and melodic patterning rather than rote repetition
• Character and expression within a single-voice or two-hand texture
• Building performance confidence through literature chosen to reward sustained practice