Grade 1 Piano Solos by Chester Music is a great book if you’re looking for appropriately levelled popular tunes.
When the grind of early method books gets a little too much it’s always good to have some supplementary material. In fact, time and time again as a teacher I’ve seen students play music that is harder than what they get in the method books.
The reason for this is really because it’s tunes they like. Grade 1 Piano Solos gives you tunes you can enjoy or already know will bring you back to the keyboard more often which can only be a good thing.
There is a great mix of music in the book. It includes traditional music like Amazing Grace, music from the big screen in Do You Want to Build a Snowman along with a sprinkling of Tchaikovsky and Beethoven.
Technically the book fits very well into the grade 1 piano curriculum. Key signatures include 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4. The music is written in either C major, A minor, G major, E minor of F major. Also, it doesn’t demand a large area of the keyboard so you’re not moving your hands too much.
- 0:00 Intro
- 0:28 Why buy this book?
- 1:00 You could learn by ear but if that’s not an option…
- 1:27 Some pieces that are in this book
- 2:05 Playthrough of Amazing Grace
- 2:53 Key and Time signatures in the book
- 3:43 Where to go after this
If you’re trying to learn piano on your own but want a little help or you can’t find a teacher but you’re keen to get going then check out my Lighter Touch program.
