Very First Piano Solo Book: Piano Book

Small's decades in the commercial music world taught him how to write arrangements that sit comfortably under the hands while maintaining genuine musicality. The graduated approach here, no eighth notes in the first 30 pieces, shows a teacher's understanding of what students actually need at this stage, making this book exceptionally useful for the transition between method books without resorting to generic filler.

Comfortable and rewarding. The arrangements respect the melodies you already know while offering just enough texture to make playing feel complete rather than skeletal. Success comes frequently, which matters enormously at this stage.

Students who have just completed their first method book and need a bridge into real repertoire without overwhelming technical demands. Teachers seeking abundant, well-arranged material for sight-reading development and reinforcement of foundational skills.

• Start with the pieces containing no eighth notes to build confidence and fluency before the rhythmic vocabulary expands.
• Since these arrangements draw on familiar melodies, encourage students to sing through the line first to internalize phrasing before tackling the keyboard mechanics.
• Use this book as your primary sight-reading resource during the second half of lessons; the variety sustains student interest far better than workbook exercises.

Deploy this as your primary supplementary text throughout late elementary study, rotating pieces into lessons consistently for both technical work and sight-reading practice. The 78-piece collection gives you enough material to avoid repetition across an entire year or longer, making it a cost-effective foundation for student libraries.

• Sight-reading fluency across simple rhythmic patterns
• Understanding phrase shape and musical line in context
• Hand position and coordination in straightforward accompaniment patterns
• Reading and performing with consistent rhythmic precision
• Familiarity with simple harmonic progressions through arrangement analysis