Michael Aaron Piano Course: Performance, Grade 4: Piano Book

The Performance books honor what made Aaron's original lesson series so effective: they reinforce the technical and musical concepts students encounter in their primary materials without feeling like busy work. Grade 4 students get purposeful repertoire that builds confidence and deepens their understanding of what they're already learning.

Direct and purposeful. These pieces keep the focus on building reliable technique and musical independence without unnecessary complexity. Students encounter clear compositional structures that reward careful listening and disciplined practice.

Grade 4 piano students who are ready to consolidate their technique through carefully selected performance pieces. This book works equally well for students in private lessons or group piano classes who are following the Aaron method.

• Map out the hand positions and chord progressions before playing through at tempo; Aaron's pieces reward deliberate preparation.
• Pay attention to the dynamic markings, which guide phrasing and musicality rather than just technical execution.
• Use a metronome to establish steady tempo, then practice slightly below performance speed to ensure accuracy with the pedal.

Assign selections as supplementary material alongside the corresponding Grade 4 lesson book to reinforce new concepts. Use these pieces for student recitals, studio classes, or as part of a progressive practice routine that spans multiple weeks.

• Hand independence in both melody and accompaniment figures
• Reading and executing dynamic shadings and articulation markings
• Pedal control in pieces with changing harmonies
• Chord recognition and functional harmony
• Sight-reading fluency at Grade 4 level