Pieces Are Fun, Book 3: Piano Book

Hirschberg assembled a collection that actually respects intermediate players' developing taste. Rather than relegating them to simplified arrangements, he pairs transcriptions of recognizable classics (Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin) alongside character pieces and original works, so students feel they're playing real music, not exercises dressed up as songs.

A guided tour through multiple musical landscapes in a single book. You move from the spiraling elegance of Chopin to the playful mischief of "Witches' Revels," from the formal grace of Mozart to the lush romanticism of Massenet. The collection invites discovery without overwhelming.

Intermediate to late intermediate piano students ready to expand beyond early method-book repertoire. This collection works well for students who have solid technique but need exposure to varied musical periods and styles before specializing in a single composer or genre.

• Record yourself playing through these pieces across multiple days. You'll notice which ones feel natural under your fingers and which need targeted work on hand position or voicing.
• Use the stylistic variety to practice shifting your tone production. The delicate music box quality required for "Music Box" demands a completely different touch than the drama in "Witches' Revels."
• Approach the classical transcriptions (Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin) as scores to study, not just play through. Look at the harmonic progressions and voice leading to understand why Hirschberg chose these particular works for this level.
• Isolate the opening phrase of each piece and play it repeatedly until it becomes idiomatic. First impressions matter, and clean entries set the tone for everything that follows.

Assign pieces from this collection as concert repertoire throughout the season, pairing them thematically (for example, program all the character pieces on one recital, or create a "journey through composers" recital). Individual pieces also work as shorter concert fillers between larger works, since the variety means something here will fit almost any program need.

• Reading across a range of key signatures and time signatures
• Stylistic interpretation in classical, romantic, and character pieces
• Hand independence and coordination through varied textures and accompaniment patterns
• Pedal technique appropriate to different musical periods
• Sight-reading fluency across multiple composers and musical periods
• Phrase shaping and dynamic control in melodic passages