Pathways to Artistry: Technique, Book 2: Piano Book

Rollin designed this book to function independently or alongside your chosen method, which means you control how and when to introduce technical concepts without feeling locked into a single sequence. The writing balances genuine musical ideas with the physical development students actually need at this level, so technique never becomes divorced from artistry.

The pieces strike a balance between purposeful technical work and genuine musicality. You'll find exercises that build specific physical skills, but they're framed within recognizable musical forms and styles so students experience technique as a tool for expression rather than an obstacle.

Late elementary and early intermediate piano students who are ready to move beyond foundational hand position and finger independence work. This book serves students who need structured technical development without abandoning musical context, and teachers who want repertoire and technique integrated rather than treated as separate subjects.

• Treat each exercise as a short musical phrase rather than a mechanical drill; shape the line, breathe musically, and listen for how dynamic and tempo choices can enhance the technical work.
• Encourage students to experiment with different tempos for the same exercise to build confidence and understand how tempo affects coordination and finger independence.
• Ask students to identify the style or form concept presented in each piece and make deliberate musical choices that reflect that understanding, not just play the notes correctly.

Assign selections from this book as supplementary material between repertoire pieces in weekly lessons, or use it as your primary technical resource if your method book feels incomplete in addressing a particular student's needs. The 40 pages allow you to pace exercises across a semester or full year without rushing, and the variety means you can choose pieces that match the style or technical demands of the repertoire your student is performing.

• Finger independence and control in scalar and arpeggio patterns
• Left hand technical facility and coordination with right hand
• Recognition of basic forms (binary, ternary, rondo) through playing
• Stylistic awareness and artistic interpretation at the keyboard
• Proper hand position and posture during increasingly complex technical passages
• Pedal technique and its application in different musical contexts