Award-winning biographer Elizabeth Rusch and two-time Caldecott Honor–recipient Marjorie Priceman team up to tell the inspiring story of the invention of the world’s most popular instrument: the piano. Bartolomeo Cristofori coaxes just the right sounds from the musical instruments he makes. Some of his keyboards can play piano, light and soft; others make forte notes ring out, strong and loud, but Cristofori longs to create an instrument that can be played both soft and loud. His talent has caught the attention of Prince Ferdinando de Medici, who wants his court to become the musical center of Italy. The prince brings Cristofori to the noisy city of Florence, where the goldsmiths’ tiny hammers whisper tink, tink and the blacksmiths’ big sledgehammers shout BANG, BANG! Could hammers be the key to the new instrument? At last Cristofori gets his creation just right. It is called the pianoforte, for what it can do. All around the world, people young and old can play the most intricate music of their lives, thanks to Bartolomeo Cristofori’s marvelous creation: the piano.

100 Different Ways to play the same song. Piano students learn 100 fun left hand patterns to take any music and change it up 100 different ways. Also included in the book is the FUN FAKEBOOK which includes 100 piano pieces in facebook format where the melody (Right Hand - treble clef) and the given chords for each measure are shown. The students can then fake or make up a left hand pattern to go along with the melody.

Explains how to learn to play the piano by mastering chords, and covers scales, tonality, triads, and improvisation.

Harmony and voice leading is a textbook in two volumes dealing with tonal organization in the music of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Creative Music Composition is designed to be an introductory textbook for music students. "Creative composition"-composing in your own style, rather than in the style of a composer of the past-is embraced by music educators not only for composition students, but for beginning performers and music educators, and is often offered to all music students and non-music majors who wish to enhance their musical creativity. With 25 years of experience teaching fledgling composers, the author tackles the key ingredients that make for successful composition, including: stimulus to the musical imagination; discussion of a variety of current musical languages; analysis of many examples from contemporary scores; technical exercises; suggestions as to how to start a composition; structures; and examinations of works from particular genres. Wilkins covers several musical languages, from folk and popular to serialism; analyses various rhythmic forms; suggests approaches for composing for a variety of instruments, from traditional to electronic ones, as well as for the human voice; addresses the nuts and bolts of score preparation; and offers career advice. For all composition students-and for music students in general-Creative Music Composition offers a clear and concise introduction that will enable them to reach their personal goals.

(Piano/Vocal/Guitar Artist Songbook). David Rosenthal has carefully arranged all the tracks from Joel's classic 1973 release to combine the piano parts and vocal melodies into playable arrangements while transcribing those classic piano parts that are integral to each song. This book features the iconic title track and nine others: Ain't No Crime * (The) Ballad of Billy the Kid * Captain Jack * If I Only Had the Words (To Tell You) * Somewhere Along the Line * Stop in Nevada * Travelin' Prayer * Worse Comes to Worst * You're My Home.

In The Musician's Way, veteran performer and educator Gerald Klickstein combines the latest research with his 30 years of professional experience to provide aspiring musicians with a roadmap to artistic excellence. Part I, Artful Practice, describes strategies to interpret and memorize compositions, fuel motivation, collaborate, and more. Part II, Fearless Performance, lifts the lid on the hidden causes of nervousness and shows how musicians can become confident performers. Part III, Lifelong Creativity, surveys tactics to prevent music-related injuries and equips musicians to tap their own innate creativity. Written in a conversational style, The Musician's Way presents an inclusive system for all instrumentalists and vocalists to advance their musical abilities and succeed as performing artists.

Ten progressively advanced sections, each with notations and keyboard diagrams, make up a new approach to learning how to play the piano quickly and pleasurably, with no scale exercises and a minimum of memorization

Written for early-level adult piano students of any age, this book enables students to play gratifying music while developing their skills. Maris discusses nearly every issue encountered by the beginner, from appropriate goals and good playing habits to how the piano works. For students who love to play as well as practice, this is the ideal guide.