The Music Tree

The Music Tree series supports the development of complete musicianship by providing the beginner with delightful and varied repertoire. The pupil learns a variety of idioms encompassing folk, jazz, and pop. The creativity of the student is emphasized since they are given musical segments to rearrange, transpose, complete or to use as the basis for a new composition. Technical aspects are also addressed including greater facility, blocked intervals and chords, and more hands-together playing. Guided training steps are used to encourage intelligent practice skills.The CD and General MIDI Disk features electronic renditions of the music: the accompaniment alone, or the student and teacher parts together. The Teacher's Handbook is an invaluable tool and an essential guide to this unique and highly respected method. It contains essays regarding how students learn, technic, and how rhythm is presented. Aspects of teaching are explained and suggestions are offered for each unit of the book. Newly revised in 2000. Features new and exclusive music. Time to Begin, the cornerstone of The Music Tree series, is a unique and highly effective approach to beginning piano instruction. It offers a carefully crafted approach to reading, stressing an intervallic approach. Rhythm and musicality are given top priority. Time to Begin starts with off-staff notation. The child simply plays on either a group of 2 black keys or a group of 3, one finger and note per hand. This allows the student to make music and focus on early elementary concepts such as high and low, quarter and half notes, soft and loud, or repeated notes. Then, the student is gradually introduced to the five-line staff, first with notes on a single two-line staff, then a three line staff, then a four line staff, finally leading to the discovery of clefs and the five line staff. The grand staff is introduced towards the end of the book. Also included is a carefully designed program of rhythm, technic and creative work.