Whitton, Jeffrey: An Alphabet of Piano Pieces
£6.80
A title for each letter of the alphabet, these 26 pieces explore a wide variety of styles including jazz and blues; modes and the pentatonic scale are used in addition to major and minor keys with no more than two sharps of flats. ‘O’ for ‘Oriental Song’ has a key signature of six flats but it is a pentatonic piece all on the black keys. Grades 1-2. Delightfully illustrated by Michael Sheard.
REVIEW
Michael Sheard has cunningly illustrated Jeffrey Whitton’s An Alphabet of Piano Pieces – a collection of elementary standard, in which a wide variety of styles is explored including jazz and blues. Additionally to the major and minor keys with up to two flats or sharps, modes are used.
Each letter of the alphabet appears in the title. For example, H is represented by a Humoreske for Bassoons and one is encouraged to listen to orchestral instruments – not necessarily to try to emulate their sounds but to imagine the timbre and tone quality of each as you play. Metronome rates and essential fingerings are given.
Music Teacher Magazine