intermediate piano student

Piano Songs at Melody Music Publishers

Easy Piano Songs
Easy Piano Songs

Hello fellow piano instructors! You may be wondering why you haven’t heard from me in a while. Well, I’ve put my “Tips for Teachers” videos and blogs on hold while making videos of all the piano compositions from my “Drill & Excel On the Piano” books. There is a video of each song individually as well as compilation videos. Here are the compilation videos per level for books 1-3. The videos show me playing along with the sheet music. They are now at Melody Music Publishers for viewing and for purchase. These songs in each level are useful if you need more repertoire for your student if you’re not using the “Drill & Excel on the Piano” series. Remember these are all original songs you can’t find anywhere else!

Late Beginning Level Piano Songs

Here is the video compilation for 16 late beginning songs. Each song stays within a five-note hand position in the keys of G and D. The rhythm includes quarter, half, dotted half, and whole notes and rests.

PianoSongsLateBeginner

Intermediate Level Piano Songs

For the intermediate student, here is the video compilation for 16 original piano songs from books 2 and 3. Songs are in the keys of G, D, and A, and some are slightly outside the five-note hand position. Rhythm includes eighth, quarter, half, dotted half, and whole notes and rests.

PianoSongsIntermediate
PianoSongsIntermediate

“Mood Swing” Series for the Late Intermediate Level Piano Songs

This series called “Mood Swings”, is a short song in the classical style in all the major and relative harmonic minor keys. This helps the intermediate student to be familiar with all the key signatures. The notes include all seven notes of the scale in a two octave range. Rhythm includes eighth, quarter, half, dotted half, and whole notes and rests.

PianoSongsMoodSwings

Late Intermediate Volume 1

For the late intermediate piano student, here is the first of three volumes of original songs you won’t find anywhere else! Key signatures include F, D minor, B flat, E Flat, and A, and including accidentals. There is no hand position. Rhythm includes sixteenth, eighth, quarter, dotted quarter, half, dotted half, and whole notes and rests. These songs are beautifully written to teach specific skills for the late intermediate piano student.

PianoSongsLateIntermediateVol1
PianoSongsLateIntermediateVol1

Late Intermediate Volume 2

PianoSongsLateIntermediateVol2
PianoSongsLateIntermediateVol2

Late Intermediate Volume 3

PianoSongsLateIntermediateVol3
PianoSongsLateIntermediateVol3

Our Youube Channel

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Early Advanced Level Piano Songs

The next blog will include all the songs from “Drill & Excel On the Piano Book 4” for the early advanced student. These original songs include accidentals and rhythms up to all triplets (quarter, eighth, and sixteenth).

Drill & Excel On the Piano Book 5

I’m excited to let you know that I’ll be writing book 5 to the “Drill & Excel On the Piano” series in 2022. This will be like no other book for the advanced to late advanced student. The theory will include up to an advanced theory course, and world music and theory. And once again, all songs will be original and will be written for each chapter’s skills and information taught.

Please let me know what you think! Leave your comment below so teachers can have a conversation.

Melody Music Publishers Owner Kathi Kerr
  • Kathi Kerr founded Melody Music Studios in 1989, a nationwide music instruction studio. In 2017, she founded an independent publishing company called Melody Music Publishers for piano and singing method books. The learning model is small steps using drills and repetition, how students think and learn.

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Intermediate Piano student

Piano Method Books for Intermediate Students?

Are piano method books needed for the intermediate students? Most intermediate-level piano method books are merely repertoire for the student to play. But is there more for the intermediate student? Tip #9 are the information and skills the intermediate student should learn.  

What do beginning piano method books teach?

Beginning-level piano method books primarily teach keyboard geography, note reading, a little rhythm, diatonic intervals up to a 5th, and the I, ii, IV, and V7 triads. After finishing levels 3 or 4, most students can read music reasonably well and identify the intervals and the triads. However, there is more for the intermediate student to learn beyond just playing songs.

Watch our video

More for the beginning student?

First, let’s start with the beginning-level books. Here’s what you’ll find in “Drill & Excel On the Piano Book 1” from Melody Music Publishers that you won’t find in most beginning-level method books:

Drill & Excel Book 1
Drill & Excel Book 1
  • Rhythm Drills for the whole, half, dotted half, quarter notes, and the rests with multiple rhythm drills 
    1. “Rhythm is the most neglected part of most method books, even at the beginning level. Most piano method books only show the note’s value. However, simply knowing the value doesn’t create a sight-reading skill. Playing rhythm drills where the student plays and counts aloud (using a metronome) on one note is needed to read rhythm fluently”.
  • Theory 
    1. notes in order on the staff with multiple note reading worksheets
    2. C scale hands separate, then hands together for one octave, then multiple octaves (I have found even beginners are capable of playing scales in multiple octaves)
  •  Exercises
    1. multiple 5-note patterns (most instructors will add a book like Hannon for exercises; however, it uses a 6-note pattern, which can be difficult for a beginner)
    2. Staccato exercise – I’ve never seen this unique exercise in any method books, but it is an important skill to learn
    3. Independence of hands playing different dynamic levels and staccato/legato in each hand simultaneously using motor movement skills  
    4. Multiple notes exercise learning to play 2, 3, and 4 notes together.
    5. Dynamic exercise for learning control in playing with different volumes and velocity (firmness) of the key – This is another unique drill that is critical to learning to play with dynamics.
  • 60 original songs in the C position to create a sight-reading skill in this position

Easy to follow steps

After book 1, the first chapter reviews the previous books so that the intermediate student can start with books 2, 3, or 4 without missing essential information needed.  

The late beginner/early Intermediate Student

Here is what you’ll find in book 2 for the early intermediate student not found in most method books:

Drill & Excel On the Piano Book 2
Drill & Excel On the Piano Book 2
  • Rhythm drills for the eighth note and rest, dotted quarter note (explaining the formula for the dot), the tie, and the 6/8 meter
  • Theory 
    1. G and D scales in multiple octaves
    2. remaining notes on the staff with multi worksheets
    3. diatonic intervals from 2nds through the octave with multiple worksheets for learning at sight (this helps in sight-reading)
    4. dynamic markings and musical symbols, including the pedal and a drill for how to use it
  • Exercises 
    1. intermediate level exercises played at a faster tempo 
    2. grace note exercise teaches how to play the grace notes with a quick and light touch
    3. diatonic interval drills using every finger combination – this unique drill teaches the student how to “feel” each interval with every possible fingering without looking and prepares the student to play songs outside the 5-note hand position
  •  60 original songs in the keys of the scales taught

The mid-intermediate Student

Here is what’s included for the mid intermediate student in “Drill & Excel On the Piano Book 3” not found in most method books:

Drill & Excel On the Piano Book 3
Drill & Excel On the Piano Book 3
  • Rhythm drills for the sixteenth note and rest, dotted eighth, and the eighth, sixteenth, and quarter triplets
  • Theory
    1. major scales A and F in mulitple octaves 
    2. minor scales Am, Em, Bm, F#m, and Dm
    3. explanation of relative minor scales and accidentals
    4. chromatic scale
    5. whole and half steps
    6. chromatic intervals and how to name them
    7. the four kinds of triads
    8. three kinds of minor scales
    9. Picardy 3rd
    10. dissonance and resolution
    11. phrases
  • Exercises
    1. finger pedaling to learn how to hold one note while playing other notes simultaneously
    2. embellishment exercise needed when playing Baroque and classical style music
    3. left-hand drills show the typical left-hand movement to play without looking
    4. chromatic intervals with every finger combination – this repeats the previous diatonic intervals, except for playing the chromatic intervals, which completes EVERY finger combination when moving from one note to another
    5. chromatic scale
    6. consecutive 3rds – this is a challenging drill that is essential for playing intermediate and advanced level repertoire
    7. arpeggios – which are great as a drill and to learn all the triads’ inversions
    8. repeated notes and held notes while changing fingers – this is an essential skill to fingering
    9. left-hand bass jumps without looking – this skill is needed when the left-hand moves from bass note to chord
  • 60 original songs in the keys of the scales taught

Repertoire

Choosing a repertoire for the intermediate student has its challenges, whether using a method book or not. You want to make sure it’s the right level, not too challenging or too easy, and interesting for the student. Using the “Drill & Excel On the Piano” series is easy because the songs are specifically written for the chapter’s level, skill, and information taught. No more wondering if the repertoire is the right fit for the intermediate student. And the songs are written in various styles, giving the student exposure to them, from classical, pop, ragtime, jazz, and folk styles. When the student plays songs using what they’ve just learned, it creates deeper learning and understanding.

Late Intermediate Student

And finally, for the late intermediate student in “Drill & Excel On the Piano Book 4”, here is what you’ll find:  

Drill & Excel On the Piano Book 4
Drill & Excel On the Piano Book 4
  •  Rhythm – odd meters and counting the 6/8, 9/8, and 12/8 in big beats, triplets with 2 against 3 and 3 against 4
  • Theory
    1. Scales B flat, E flat, G minor, and C minor
    2. triad numbers for major and minor keys
    3. improvisational tools
    4. music terminology
    5. circle of 5ths
    6. adding the 7th, 2nd, sus 4th, and 6th to triads
    7. blues scale
    8. 7th chords up the scale.
  • Exercises
    1. working on the 4th and 5th fingers, which are the weaker fingers
    2. playing multiple notes while holding a note (a great skill needed for intermediate and advanced repertoire)
    3. independence of fingers when you want one or more notes played louder than the others within one hand
    4. thumb exercise
    5. dominant 7th arpeggios, which is another arpeggio exercise for both skill and learning the dominant 7th chords around the circle of 5ths
  •  60 original songs in the keys of the scales taught

Go to the next level!

Everything is taught in an organized, step-by-step way that anyone can learn. Finally, there are piano method books for intermediate students that will help them excel to the next level!

I hope this tip makes you the BEST music teacher ever!

Kathi Kerr founded Melody Music Studios in 1989, a nationwide music instruction studio. In 2017, she founded an independent publishing company called Melody Music Publishers for piano and singing method books. The learning model is small steps using drills and repetition, how students think and learn.

Piano Method Books for Intermediate Students? Read More »

Intermediate Piano student

Are Piano Method Books Needed For Intermediate Students?

I recently read a piano teacher’s blog that stated the intermediate student no longer needed a method book. His point was there was nothing “new” after level 3 in the method books. He continued, saying the intermediate student only required repertoire to play and practice. But are piano method books needed for the intermediate student? Before six months ago, I would have totally agreed! Most piano method books offer nothing new after level 3 except songs to play. However, after writing Drill & Excel On the Piano book 3 and Drill & Excel On the Piano Book 4, I now realize there’s actually MORE skills and concepts for the intermediate student to learn than the beginning student. Here are some of the things I’ve included in books 3 and 4 for the intermediate student.

#1 Intervals

While intervals are mentioned in most of the early level piano method books, they don’t explain the KINDS of intervals. In Drill & Excel book 3, there are interval worksheets for the student to identify the intervals in various key signatures. Then in book 4, ALTERED intervals are introduced, with worksheets for the student to identify the kind of interval (major, minor, diminished, or augmented). Giving the student writing assignments helps the student to learn in a deeper way, rather than simply reading the information.

#2 Rhythm

In teaching rhythm, most method books only show how many counts a note is held. However, in Drill & Excel On the Piano series, there are multiple rhythm drill pages for the student to play on one note and count out loud. This gives the student a lot of repetition in reading the rhythm to create fluency. And in books 3 and 4, the rhythm goes beyond most method books, including sixteenth notes, triplets, and triplets against other notes (even or other triplets). Learning to read rhythm is much like driving a car. It can’t be taught be explanation, but in DOING.

#3 Exercises

Exercises are not included in most method books, even in levels 1 and 2. Piano instructors that want their students to play exercises use a separate book for that. However, the Drill & Excel On the Piano series includes exercises in all 4 books. Books 3 and 4 are especially important, because they offer specific exercises for the skills introduced. For example, book 3 has a chromatic scale exercise, finger pedaling exercises, and repeated notes using different fingers. Not only are these skills added in the chapter’s songs, but is common among other pieces. Another exercise in book 3 is changing fingers on a held note. Book 4 has ascending and descending 3rds, 4ths, 5ths, 6th, and 7ths. It also includes the “independence of fingers”, playing a triad and emphasizing each note of the triad. These are important skills for the intermediate student to acquire when playing difficult pieces.

#4 Theory

For the intermediate student, theory is especially important. A beginning student has difficulty in just playing and reading to even think about theory, while the intermediate student can understand concepts. And knowing theory helps in the student’s reading skill. It can also help in songwriting and improvisation. The Drill & Excel On the Piano books 3 & 4 include a lot of theory beyond the altered intervals mentioned earlier. It includes triads, triad numbers, and transposing songs to other keys by using the triad numbers. These are important skills and knowledge for the intermediate student to acquire, which may not be understood by simply playing various pieces.

#5 Songs

Since the songs in the Drill & Excel On the Piano series are written specifically with the information and skills taught in each chapter, they’re especially valuable in the learning progress for the intermediate student. Instead of playing random pieces, the songs are strategically planned to teach what is taught. Each song increases slowly in difficulty , giving the student a challenge incrementally as he or she plays them.

To Summarize

So are piano method books needed for the intermediate student? In short, yes, because the intermediate student needs to learn certain skills that may not be taught by simply playing various repertoire. The Drill & Excel On the Piano books 3 and 4 are the perfect books for their continued learning to bring the student to the next level. Check out our books at MelodyMusicPublishers.com. Teachers receive free shipping and 20% off all orders. Click here to register.

Kathi Kerr - owner Melody Music Publishers

Kathi Kerr is author and founder of Melody Music Publishers. She writes her book based on over 30 years’ teaching experience the way students think and learn.

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