Shapes Are Nice: Piano

Alexander understands that students engaging with newly acquired hand-crossing technique need repertoire that makes the awkward feel natural. This piece weaves that technical demand seamlessly into a melody structured around concrete visual content, keeping young players focused on the music rather than on the mechanics of their hands.

Bright and purposeful, with a melody that feels like it's being discovered one hand at a time. The piece carries a gentle pedagogical clarity that never condescends; instead, it gives students the satisfaction of playing something that sounds complete and intentional despite its elementary technical demands.

Elementary piano students who have developed basic facility with both hands separately and are ready to coordinate hand independence with more sophisticated melodic phrasing. The geometric-shapes text makes this especially appealing for younger students (roughly grades 1-3) who benefit from the pairing of music with concrete, age-appropriate content.

• Isolate the hand-crossing passage (measures 13-16) and practice it at a slow tempo with exaggerated arm movement to build spatial confidence before adding the melody line.
• Have students identify which hand holds the melody at each phrase boundary so they internalize the hand-switching pattern during initial practice.
• Shape the two-note slurs with a gentle lift at the end of each pair; avoid scooping or letting them lag behind the beat.
• The hands-together ending should feel like a natural conclusion to the piece, not an abrupt join. Practice counting aloud through the last four measures to establish clear timing.

Program this as part of a spring recital devoted to early elementary soloists, where it can anchor a set that showcases hand independence and coordination. It also works beautifully as a teaching showcase piece when demonstrating to parents how pianistic technique develops in stages.

• Hand-crossing technique with the left hand moving over the right hand
• Two-note slurs and shaping within a single hand
• Coordinating melody lines that alternate between hands
• Hands-together playing after extended separated passages
• Connecting technical facility to expressive musical phrasing