Step It Up! Piano, Grade 2-3: Piano Book

Chamberlain refuses to let intermediate pianists get bored. By weaving jazz, blues, and contemporary grooves into recognizable titles and original compositions, she keeps students engaged while building genuine musical literacy across multiple idioms. The arrangements hit that sweet spot where they're playable without being simplistic.

Energetic and stylistically diverse, moving between the ragtime snap of The Entertainer and the atmospheric mystery of The Secret Garden. The overall tone is modern and upbeat without losing melodic clarity or emotional substance.

Intermediate pianists who need a jolt of musical variety and who thrive when they recognize the melodies they're learning. These arrangements also work well for students transitioning from classical study into jazz or contemporary styles, offering a structured entry point.

• Listen closely to the swing feel in pieces like King of the Swing; the rhythmic lilt won't come naturally to students trained only on straight classical interpretations.
• Let the blues changes breathe. Don't rush through them. Students often tense up when they encounter altered harmonies, so encourage a relaxed approach to the chord progressions.
• Use the recorded accompaniments to establish tempo and groove before students learn their parts independently. This builds confidence in unfamiliar styles.

Scatter these pieces across a recital to break up an otherwise formal program and demonstrate range. They also fit naturally into a unit on American musical styles or as repertoire for students preparing for jazz certification exams.

• swing rhythm and jazz articulation
• blues harmony and 12-bar form
• reading syncopated and contemporary rhythmic patterns
• hand independence across contrasting textures
• stylistic flexibility and genre recognition