Technic Is Fun, Book 2: Piano

This collection treats etudes as music first. Hirschberg writes pieces that students want to learn because they sound good and feel good under the hands, not because a teacher assigned them. That shift in motivation makes the technical work stick faster and deeper.

These pieces feel purposeful rather than formulaic. There's real musicianship happening alongside the technical demands. Playing through the book gives students a sense of accomplishment because they're learning repertoire that sounds polished, not merely correct.

Early intermediate pianists working through their second or third year of study fit perfectly here. These students have enough technical foundation to handle finger independence and basic hand position work but still need targeted etudes that make those skills automatic without boring them.

• Identify the specific technical problem each etude targets before diving into practice. Knowing what to listen for transforms mindless repetition into purposeful skill building.
• Record yourself playing these pieces. Early intermediate students benefit enormously from hearing their own progress across the series.
• Pay attention to the style markings and articulation patterns. Hirschberg writes these details to develop interpretive choices, not just finger velocity.

Use Book 2 as your primary technical resource for early intermediate students during regular lesson cycles. The 48 pages offer enough material to rotate etudes throughout the year alongside standard method books, keeping technique building fresh and varied without requiring multiple supplementary series.

• Hand independence and coordinated finger work
• Scale passages and broken chord patterns at moderate tempos
• Legato and staccato articulation control
• Dynamic shaping and expressive phrasing
• Sight reading fluency through consistent etude exposure
• Sustained focus and accuracy at rising technical demands