Simply Classic, Book 1: Piano Book

Goldston understood what keeps young pianists engaged: the chance to play pieces they recognize and love, but at a level where success is actually possible. These arrangements preserve the character and charm of masterworks while removing the technical barriers that frustrate beginners, making this collection invaluable for motivating students in their second year of study.

Opening this book feels like stepping into a gallery of musical masterpieces scaled to fit a young pianist's hands and comprehension. Each piece carries the elegance and emotional weight of its original, just distilled to its essence. There's a genuine beauty in playing Chopin or Mozart or Beethoven at this age, even in simplified form.

Second-year piano students who are ready to move beyond method book etudes and taste real classical repertoire. These simplified versions work equally well for students in a group class setting or private lessons, offering the immediate gratification that keeps young players motivated and invested in practicing.

• Pay attention to phrasing even in simplified passages. The melodies that made these pieces famous deserve singing, thoughtful interpretation, not just note-perfect accuracy.
• Use the page count strategically. At 24 pages, you can introduce a new piece every lesson or every other lesson, keeping the collection fresh throughout the semester.
• Listen to recordings of the original works with your students before they play the arrangements. Hearing the full context helps them understand why these melodies matter and gives them something to reach toward.

Use Book 1 as your primary source for solo repertoire assignments in levels 1B through early intermediate, where students need achievable concert pieces with real musical substance. You might also draw from it when constructing recital programs that mix student compositions with classic arrangements, creating a bridge between original and arranged music.

• Playing legato and staccato articulation distinctly
• Recognizing and interpreting simple dynamic markings and tempo indications
• Sustaining melodic phrasing across multi-measure phrases
• Transferring newly learned pieces from page to performance in a reasonable time frame
• Understanding stylistic traits of different composers through their melodies