John Thompson's Easiest Piano Course

Synopsis

(Willis). Book 2 of a classic, comprehensive step-by-step course specifically designed to suit the needs of children beginning the piano. Includes: colorful characters and illustrations * writing exercises * sight reading drills * review work * teacher/parent accompaniments * and more! Our latest edition (2019) features updated artwork by Sergio Sandoval.

Summary

Chapter 1: Introduction
In this chapter, John Thompson introduces himself as a music teacher and gives a brief overview of the Easiest Piano Course. He emphasizes the importance of learning the basics of piano playing before moving on to more advanced techniques. To illustrate this, let's take the example of a beginner student named Sarah. Sarah has never played the piano before and has just started her lessons with Mr. Thompson.

Chapter 2: The Staff
In this chapter, Mr. Thompson introduces Sarah to the musical staff and explains the concept of treble and bass clef. He teaches her the names of the notes and how to identify them on the keyboard. To help her understand better, he gives her a simple exercise of playing a C major scale on the piano. Sarah practices this scale repeatedly until she becomes comfortable with it.

Chapter 3: Time Signatures
In this chapter, Mr. Thompson teaches Sarah about time signatures and how they affect the rhythm of a piece of music. He uses a metronome to demonstrate how different time signatures sound and asks Sarah to tap along with the beat. He then introduces her to the basic rhythm patterns of quarter, half, and whole notes. Sarah practices these rhythms by playing a simple melody on the piano.

Chapter 4: Note Values
In this chapter, Mr. Thompson delves deeper into note values and introduces Sarah to the concept of rests. He teaches her how to count the beats correctly and shows her different exercises to improve her timing and coordination. For example, he asks her to play a short melody using only quarter notes while he plays a different pattern using half notes. This exercise helps Sarah understand note values better.

Chapter 5: Dynamics
In this chapter, Mr. Thompson introduces Sarah to dynamics and how they add expression to a piece of music. He explains the difference between playing loud (forte) and soft (piano) and asks her to practice a simple piece using different dynamics. Sarah's playing becomes more expressive as she becomes aware of the dynamics in the music.

Chapter 6: Articulation
In this chapter, Mr. Thompson teaches Sarah about articulation and how different notes are played with varying degrees of emphasis. He introduces her to legato (smooth) and staccato (short and crisp) playing styles and gives her some exercises to practice them. Sarah enjoys experimenting with different articulations and finds that it adds more flavor to her playing.

Chapter 7: Major Scales
In this chapter, Mr. Thompson teaches Sarah how to play major scales on the piano. He starts with the C major scale and explains the formula for constructing a major scale. He then teaches her the fingerings for the scale and asks her to practice it in different octaves. Sarah is able to play the scale confidently and is excited to learn more scales in the future.

Chapter 8: Minor Scales
In this chapter, Mr. Thompson introduces Sarah to minor scales and explains their differences from major scales. He teaches her the formula for constructing a minor scale and asks her to practice playing the A minor scale. Sarah is able to grasp the concept of minor scales easily and enjoys playing them on the piano.

Chapter 9: Chords and Arpeggios
In this chapter, Mr. Thompson teaches Sarah about chords and how they are formed by playing three or more notes together. He introduces her to different major and minor chords and shows her how to play them in different inversions. He also teaches her how to play arpeggios, which are broken chords played one note at a time. Sarah enjoys learning chords and arpeggios as it adds more depth to her playing.

Chapter 10: Playing with Both Hands
In this final chapter, Mr. Thompson teaches Sarah how to play with both hands together. He starts with simple exercises using the chords and arpeggios she has learned in the previous chapters. As Sarah gains more confidence in playing with both hands, Mr. Thompson introduces her to some simple songs that she can play using all the techniques she has learned throughout the book.

Conclusion:
At the end of the book, Sarah has progressed from being a complete beginner to a confident piano player. She has learned all the basic techniques and concepts of piano playing, which will serve as a strong foundation for her musical journey. Mr. Thompson's Easiest Piano Course has provided her with a well-rounded introduction to playing the piano and has sparked her love for music.