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Progressive Class Piano: Piano Comb Bound Book

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Progressive Class Piano Cover Image

Progressive Class Piano: Piano Comb Bound Book

A Practical Approach for the Older Beginner

By Elmer Heerema

Item: 00-1599

$54.99
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Description
A successful keyboard text for both college non-music majors and majors with limited keyboard experience. Sight reading, playing by ear, repertoire pieces, harmonizing melodies, improvising, technical exercises and rhythm drills are all presented and reinforced in progressive order. The comb binding creates a lay-flat book that is perfect for study and performance.

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Additional Details
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 352
ISBN10: 0-88284-297-8
ISBN13: 978-0-88284-297-4
UPC: 038081014333
SKU: 00-1599

More about this title

About the Author: Elmer Heerema

Elmer Heerema spent his career developing keyboard curricula that bridge the gap between music majors and students encountering the piano for the first time. His approach prioritized practical musicianship over abstract theory, believing that students learn fastest when they play repertoire, improvise, and develop ear skills alongside technical fundamentals.

Why we love this

This textbook earns its reputation by treating every skill as interconnected rather than isolated. The progression builds confidence in non-majors while giving music majors with weak keyboard skills a legitimate path forward, and the lay-flat binding means students will actually want to open it at the piano instead of fighting the spine.

What to expect

Working through this book feels like building a practical toolkit rather than following a rigid method. Each new skill connects to something you already know, and you play real repertoire alongside technical work from the start.

Who it's for

College students with little or no keyboard background, whether pursuing music as a major or taking piano as a general education requirement. This book also serves teachers and private studio instructors who need a comprehensive, sequenced resource for adult beginners.

How to get the most out of it

  • Work through sight-reading exercises daily in short sessions rather than cramming longer passages. Consistent exposure trains recognition faster than marathon practice.
  • Return to the technical exercises regularly, even after moving forward in the book. They anchor the physical patterns that make everything else easier.
  • Use the rhythm drills as warm-up material before tackling repertoire pieces. They prime your hands for the coordination the repertoire demands.
  • Play the repertoire pieces for someone else as soon as they feel solid. The accountability shifts your focus from mechanics to musicality.

How to use it

Use this as a primary text in college non-major piano courses or as a supplementary resource for music majors remedying keyboard skills. The structure also works well for adult community music programs where mixed experience levels benefit from a single, coherent progression.

Skills your students will build

  • Sight-reading fluency in treble and bass clefs
  • Playing by ear from lead sheets and chord symbols
  • Harmonic accompaniment and melody harmonization
  • Rhythmic reading and execution across meters
  • Technical control through finger exercises and scales
  • Basic improvisation over harmonic progressions

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