Premier Piano Course, Jazz, Rags & Blues 1B: Piano
All New Original Music
By Martha Mier
Level: 1B
Item: 00-PB-0000626
$9.99
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Description
Premier Piano Course, Jazz, Rags & Blues 1B includes original pieces that reinforce concepts introduced in the Lesson Book 1B. Popular composer Martha Mier has composed all new music in a variety of styles, including ragtime, boogie, and jazz. Each piece has a duet accompaniment that adds harmonic interest and rhythmic stability. The pieces in the book correlate page-by-page with the materials in Lesson Book 1B. A Federation Festivals 2020-2024 selection.
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Additional Details
Series:
Premier Piano Course
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
32
SKU:
00-PB-0000626
More about this title
About the Composer: Martha Mier
Martha Mier has shaped piano pedagogy for over three decades as a prolific composer and clinician affiliated with Alfred Music Publishing. Her catalog of more than 200 educational works spans all levels and reflects her deep understanding of what engages young pianists, from her signature Jazz, Rags & Blues series to the Romantic Impressions collection. Her music appears regularly on National Federation of Music Clubs festival lists, and her influence extends globally through workshops she has led in Australia, New Zealand, and across the United States.
Mier's authority in piano education comes from decades of hands-on studio teaching in Lake City, Florida, combined with active leadership in professional organizations including the Music Teachers National Association, the Florida State Music Teachers Association, and the National Guild of Piano Teachers. She holds state and national certification and co-authored the Premier Piano Course itself, ensuring her supplementary materials align perfectly with how students actually learn.
Why we love this
Mier understands the exact moment in a student's progress when repertoire becomes a tool rather than an obligation. These pieces reinforce technical concepts from the lesson book while sounding genuinely musical, so students hear themselves improving rather than practicing. The duet accompaniments shift the focus from survival mode to ensemble musicianship, building confidence through rhythmic support and harmonic color.
What to expect
Cool, accessible, and swinging. Ragtime bounces with playful syncopation; boogie grooves with persistent rhythmic momentum; jazz touches land with surprising harmonic color. These are pieces that make a practice room feel less like work and more like discovering something fun on the piano.
Who it's for
Students progressing through Premier Piano Course Level 1B who benefit from supplementary material that mirrors their lesson book while expanding their musical vocabulary. Teachers seeking motivated practice repertoire that students actually want to play and that feeds directly into festival preparation.
How to get the most out of it
- Listen through the duet accompaniment first to internalize the harmonic framework before tackling your own part.
- Experiment with light, buoyant touch in the ragtime pieces to let the syncopation breathe; don't rush the off-beat figures.
- Notice where the accompaniment anticipates or delays your melody line in the blues pieces and let that create conversational phrasing.
- Record yourself as the accompanist, then play the solo part over it to develop independence from a steady harmonic foundation.
How to use it
Pair these with traditional classical selections from the main lesson book to show the breadth of what early pianists can explore. Spring concert programming often benefits from the lighter energy these pieces bring, especially in a mixed recital with various student levels and styles.
Skills your students will build
- Syncopation in ragtime and jazz idioms
- Swing feel and triplet phrasing in blues contexts
- Reading and executing rests in syncopated rhythmic patterns
- Ensemble listening and meter security with duet accompaniment
- Harmonic awareness through implied chord changes in melodic lines
- Cross-hand coordination in boogie and blues left-hand patterns