Watch Out! and Other Solos: Intermediate Piano Book

This collection spans from mysterious and suspenseful moods to peaceful and introspective moments, then swings into uplifting, energetic passages. You move between emotional landscapes without leaving the intermediate repertoire, discovering that "intermediate" is far wider than you expected.

Intermediate pianists building confident musicianship beyond early technical development. Students preparing for recitals, competitions, or informal performances benefit from the stylistic variety and the fact that each piece stands alone as a complete musical statement.

• Establish the mood immediately. The opening measures in pieces like 'Watch Out!' set the emotional frame; commit fully to the character from your first note rather than waiting to find it.
• Explore the full dynamic range available to you. Pulju writes across the keyboard, and contrasting soft passages with energetic sections keeps listeners engaged.
• Pedal intentionally rather than habitually. These pieces benefit from careful pedal work that colors the sound without muddying the texture, especially in the gentler solos.
• Let rhythmic precision serve the style. In energetic pieces, clean articulation propels the momentum; in peaceful ones, evenness creates the calm.

Draw from this collection across a recital program to create dynamic shape and variety. A single piece works equally well as an opener that captures attention or as a between-pieces contrast that refreshes the audience's ear. Use the stylistic breadth to match repertoire to your students' different personalities and strengths.

• Tone color and mood depiction through dynamic and touch control
• Navigating contrasting sections and tempo transitions
• Pedal technique tailored to style and texture
• Rhythmic precision in varied contexts (energetic figures, gentle flowing lines)
• Shaping longer phrases across multiple melodic or harmonic ideas