The Perfect Start for Solo Playing, Book 2: Piano Book

The unit-by-unit expansion keeps the learning curve honest while the variety in musical styles and textures prevents monotony. Students get genuine musicality from day one, not just finger exercises dressed up as pieces.

These pieces strike a balance between simplicity and musicality. Students encounter genuine phrasing decisions, textural variety, and the satisfying experience of pedal use and wider hand positions without overwhelming technical demands.

Beginning piano students who are ready to move beyond single-note exploration and tackle two-hand playing with real repertoire. The correlation with The Perfect Start for Note Reading makes it especially useful for transfer students or those needing reinforcement in sight reading alongside technique.

• Introduce pedal gradually in the later units; have students mark exactly where it begins and ends before playing through.
• Address staccato touch as a deliberate articulation choice, not a default. Listen for whether it's serving the musical character of each piece.
• When students encounter pieces with lyrics, let them sing the melody first to anchor phrasing before moving to the keys.
• Use the suggested alternate fingerings as teaching points about hand position and comfort, not as fixed rules.

Assign units sequentially as your primary repertoire during the first year of study, moving at the pace that suits each student's progress with note reading. The one-to-two-page length makes these ideal for recitals, studio classes, or informal performances where students need pieces they can learn thoroughly and perform with confidence.

• Reading across treble and bass clefs simultaneously
• Playing two-note intervals and chord progressions
• Pedal technique and its effect on tone
• Phrasing and staccato articulation as expressive tools
• Note recognition in C position and expanded ranges
• Hand position and finger independence