My Friend the Piano 1

Product Description

FOREWORD

After many years of testing, researching and studying various primers and method books for piano instruction, and in response to Jaka’s constant encouragement and requests from certain colleagues and students, I have attempted to condense everything that currently seems important, and that has proved to be interesting, appealing and successful in my practical work with students, into one book. These are, of course, my own experiences. Pedagogical work involves a dynamic, constantly changing relationship, to which both the teacher and the student continuously bring their own experiences, feelings and energy. I would therefore be happy and honoured if, in this “method book”, teachers and students were to seek and find new ideas and suggestions (albeit systematically sequenced) for their own creative imagination, which could open paths to new compositions (especially for all important sight reading), new accompaniments, variations, ways of improvising, additional accompaniments to the songs, the discovery and exploration of dynamics (which is why certain of the compositions are presented without dynamic markings), etc.

The “method book” is based on a belief that children must live music before understanding it, that it is necessary to give priority to life before formal perfection, and therefore to awaken vital aural and rhythmic values, and then to harmonise knowledge, feelings and activity.
When we are caring and passionately creative, we are on the right path, as music supports the inner life of the individual and, with this, essential human qualities: love, willpower, sensuality, intelligence, creativity, etc.

Singing and playing songs by ear awakens musical qualities in the child in a natural way: a feeling for rhythm, tempo, time signatures, binary and ternary divisions, intervals, scales, chords and tonality (or modality), as well as for language and its poetic value. This is an excellent way to develop inner listening, which is the basis of authentic musicality. I therefore believe that singing and playing songs by ear should the part of the first lesson and should be present throughout all music education (and beyond), of course with a gradual increase in the level of difficulty (adding increasingly difficult accompaniments, transpositions, cadences, variations, etc.). Some songs are collected towards the end of the book, as reading them is aimed more at the teacher than the student. The same is true of the “Technical Corner”.
At least as important as playing by ear is improvisation. Of all of the elements mentioned thus far, improvisation embraces the most personal element of inner life – spiritual openness and inspiration – which is irreplaceable. Each chapter includes suggestions for improvisation, which relate to the topic being treated. Each and every suggestion can be repeated, adapted or modified (character, rhythm, tonality, etc.).

It is not possible to write everything, so I am therefore including my email address: ilonka.pucihar@gmail.com
I would be happy to receive your questions, opinions, suggestions, experiences, etc., so that we can together make the next edition even better.

Music enriches the individual with the power of sound and rhythm, with melody and harmony, and “raises” the cultural consciousness with the beauty that radiates from the artistic work (even the most simple work).

I wish you an abundance of these riches.

Ilonka Pucihar