In measures 1-4 and 9-12, take note of where I have drawn arrows.

Phrases with descending eighth-note patterns should diminuendo as the notes get lower. Phrases with ascending eighth-note patterns should crescendo as the notes get higher. Practicing each hand alone will help in shaping the phrases. This piece is a wonderful tool for teaching phrase shaping and how to find the important note in each phrase. Students will notice that both the right hand and the left hand are equally important.

Aptly titled, each hand spins in and out of eighth-note patterns. The first Beyer example, The Spinning Wheel, is from Masterworks 3. Other composers in these two books include Cornelius Gurlitt, Anton Diabelli, Franz Schubert, Ludwig van Beethoven, Ludvig Schytte, Louis Köhler, Johann Christian Bach, and Béla Bartók. Compared with today’s piano methods, Beyer’s looks more like a technique book, however, it contains some wonderful teaching pieces, some of which we included in Masterworks 3 and 4. Since its publication, it has been used by piano students around the world and is especially popular in Korea and China. Today, he is known for his elementary piano method, Vorschule im Klavierspiel, Op. During his life, he was known for his light music and piano arrangements of orchestral works. Let’s take a look at two short pieces by Ferdinand Beyer (1803-1863). Think of them as repertoire that can be used to introduce and teach artistic playing. Don’t think of these books as just supplementary books to the series, however. Lancaster and I have recently compiled and edited Masterworks 3, 4, 5, and 6, collections of standard repertoire from the four stylistic periods that reinforce concepts in Lesson Books 3-6. To this end, classical music is introduced as early as Lesson Book 1A and continues through the final level, Level 6. One of the goals of Alfred’s Premier Piano Course is to prepare students to play standard piano repertoire. Basic concepts are introduced in the lesson books, and a variety of supplementary books that correlate with the lesson book can be used to focus on particular areas such as theory, technique, or specific styles of music.

Using a piano method such as Alfred’s Premier Piano Course, is one key to a successful sequence of musicianship and piano skills. Achieving this goal requires careful planning and sequencing of materials over many years. As piano teachers, one of our primary goals in teaching piano lessons is to give our students tools that enable them to enjoy music and play throughout their lifetime.

Beyer op 101 piano pdf notes