Piano Exercises For Dummies (eBook)

David Pearl is the author of The Art of Steely Dan and Color Your Chords. His other books include Burt Bacharach Piano Solos, jazz transcriptions of artists such as Grover Washington, Jr. and Dave Douglas, and arrangements of jazz tunes, classical pieces, and opera arias for piano. He has taught piano and performed jazz and classical music professionally for more than 30 years.

Introduction.

Part I: Waking Up Your Fingers.

Chapter 1: Getting Ready to Practice.

Chapter 2: Isolating and Exercising Your Fingers.

Chapter 3: Music for Five Fingers.

Part II: Developing a Strong, Supple, and Speedy Hand.

Chapter 4: Passing Under and Crossing Over.

Chapter 5: Playing Intervals.

Chapter 6: Playing Chords Without Tension.

Part III: Including Your Arms and Body.

Chapter 7: Extending Your Scales.

Chapter 8: Parallel and Contrary Motion.

Chapter 9: Footwork: Using the Damper Pedal.

Chapter 10: Jumping Across the Keyboard.

Part IV: Integration and Independence.

Chapter 11: Playing Arpeggios.

Chapter 12: Alternating Hands.

Chapter 13: Stretching Out with Octaves and Broken Octaves.

Chapter 14: Chord Progressions and Cadences.

Chapter 15: Trilling Thrills and Other Fancy Ornaments.

Chapter 16: Maximum Independence: Challenging Rhythms and Syncopations.

Part V: The Part of Tens.

Chapter 17: Ten Dances for Your Hands.

Chapter 18: Ten Great Composers and Their Daily Workouts.

Appendix: About the CD.