Piano Lessons, Book Two: Piano Book

The Waterman/Harewood series stands apart because it treats technical development as inseparable from musicality. Rather than drilling technique in isolation, Book Two weaves scales and exercises into the fabric of learning real repertoire, which keeps older beginners engaged and motivated throughout the curriculum.

A curated gallery of piano literature across centuries. Students move through Bach's clarity, Gurlitt's accessible charm, Mozart's elegant proportions, and touches of Romantic color with Gounod and Tchaikovsky. The progression feels purposeful rather than random.

Older beginners who come to piano with some musical maturity and a desire to sound musical from day one. This book serves students aged 10 and up who need to catch up quickly or prefer a method that doesn't underestimate their intelligence.

• Map the harmonic structure before diving into the pieces. Many selections here (Mozart, Gounod) reward understanding chord progressions early, which clarifies fingering choices and phrasing naturally.
• Use the appended scale and arpeggio material strategically, anchoring practice sessions to the keys and patterns students encounter in that week's repertoire.
• Slow the Bach selections down enough to hear the voice independence. These arrangements develop genuine contrapuntal awareness rather than just hand coordination.

Adopt Book Two as the spine of an older beginner curriculum, pairing it with supplemental technique work only when a specific student shows a particular weakness. The integrated approach means most students develop balanced skills without extra materials.

• Playing with both hands independently in different rhythmic patterns
• Baroque articulation and voice leading through Bach arrangements
• Recognizing and executing common harmonic progressions
• Interpreting dynamic and tempo markings across different musical periods
• Sight-reading fluency at the elementary/early intermediate boundary
• Major and minor scale facility across multiple keys