Preludes for Piano, Volume 1: Piano Book

These preludes solve a real need: serious piano students who are ready to hear beyond diatonic harmony but aren't yet equipped for full jazz fakebook reading. Dobbins writes idiomatically for the instrument while keeping the classical prelude form intact, so the music feels thoughtful rather than shoehorned. Each piece stands alone as a complete musical statement.

These pieces occupy a lyrical middle ground between the predictable resolutions of classical harmony and the open territory of jazz. There's a contemplative quality throughout; even when chords shift unexpectedly, the writing maintains a sense of purpose rather than restlessness.

Advanced intermediate to early advanced pianists seeking repertoire that deepens their harmonic literacy without abandoning the prelude tradition. Teachers who want to introduce jazz harmonic concepts through composition rather than improvisation or chord charts will find a valuable entry point here.

• Treat the jazz voicings with the same voice-leading clarity you'd apply to Bach. The richness of these harmonies depends on clean execution, not blurred pedal.
• Listen closely to how classical gestures and jazz phrasing interact within each prelude. Let that tension breathe rather than resolving it too quickly.
• Pay attention to the relationship between melody and harmony; in pieces that blend these traditions, the accompaniment often contains counter-melodic material worth highlighting.

Ideal for solo recital programs where you want a contemporary voice without abandoning the classical tradition. A single prelude works beautifully as a palette cleanser between heavier romantic-era works, or group several together to showcase a student's emerging harmonic sophistication.

• Navigating extended jazz harmonies (seventh chords, alterations, substitutions) in a notated context
• Recognizing how classical form can accommodate non-traditional harmonic movement
• Balancing clarity of voice leading in dense harmonic textures
• Understanding the relationship between melodic phrasing and harmonic rhythm across genre boundaries
• Developing interpretive choices when performance practice isn't explicitly dictated