Premier Piano Course, Jazz, Rags & Blues 6: Piano

Mier understands exactly what intermediate students need to sustain their engagement with jazz and blues idioms. Rather than writing down to her audience, she creates pieces with genuine style and personality that reward careful listening and serious practicing. The fact that multiple selections have earned Federation Festivals recognition speaks to the musicality and durability of these pieces.

These pieces swing with genuine personality. You'll find yourself drawn into the relaxed sophistication of the blues, the playful rhythmic snap of ragtime, and the conversational ease of the jazz selections. Each style has its own fingerprint, and Mier's writing makes the differences unmistakable and fun to explore.

Intermediate pianists working through Level 6 of the Premier Piano Course who are ready to apply newly learned concepts in stylistically rich contexts. This collection works equally well for students pursuing jazz and blues for enjoyment and those preparing pieces for festival adjudication.

• Lock in the specific rhythmic vocabulary of each style before worrying about tempo. The syncopation in the blues and ragtime pieces won't feel natural until you've internalized the accent patterns unique to each idiom.
• Use the recorded accompaniment to hear how your solo voice sits in the mix, especially in the boogie and jazz selections where the groove is doing interpretive work underneath your melody.
• Reference the page-by-page correlation with Lesson Book 6 to identify which technical concepts each piece reinforces, then highlight those moments in your practice sessions.
• Pay close attention to articulation and pedal markings in the ragtime pieces; they're doing as much work as the notes themselves to create authentic style.

Build a recital around these pieces when you want to showcase your students' range and their comfort with American vernacular styles. The Federation Festivals selections are ready to go for competition season, while the full collection pairs beautifully with classical or romantic repertoire on the same program, creating welcome contrast.

• Syncopation and jazz rhythms (eighth-note triplets, swing feels, syncopated accents)
• Blues harmonic movement and 12-bar blues form
• Ragtime stride patterns and cross-hand technique
• Stylistic articulation and touch specific to each genre
• Reading and interpreting lead sheets with rhythm section accompaniments
• Pedal control in jazz and blues contexts where subtle changes affect groove