LEARNING RESOURCES
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Trumpet
Greg Spence is one of Australia's finest trumpeters, performing regularly on TV in shows such as Dancing with the Stars and touring with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. His teaching method Mystery to Mastery is highly recommended. The eBook version includes videos of Greg explaining each page of the book plus mp3 audio files of each exercise.
View the free introductory lessons.
The Essential Elements 2000 tutor books are inexpensive and quite excellent. The music is clearly structured and graded in a wide variety or rhythm patterns and music styles. The play-along CDs feature live performers rather than computer backing tracks and include all band charts and technical exercises.
Music books are sometimes expensive, but as they build into an important library of music for lifelong music playing then well bound editions on quality paper are actually very good value. The AMEB publishes core technical material and short solos for each grade. Higher levels will require separate solo items, usually extended pieces with piano accompaniment.
More importantly for the development of great brass playing are the books of technical exercises and short solos that are used by teachers all over the world. Some such as the Arban Cornet Method, the Concone Lyrical Studies and the Herring 40 Studies cover many years of musical development and should be considered fundamental to any trumpeter's personal library.
Piano
At Leatham Studios we use The Music Tree series of piano tutors. These are very carefully researched learning books that present new ideas clearly and address many different facets of piano technique in a short time. CDs containing each piece and backing tracks for more advanced levels are very well produced. We continue using these books as our basic teaching program for at least the first two years of tuition, supplemented by other material as required.
After a few months of lessons when students are gaining confidence in note reading and finger coordination we ask them to begin collecting the excellent series of repertoire books and CDs by Australian teacher Elissa Milne. These contain a wide range of piano styles from classical to modern, some written by Milne herself. Students wishing to sit for examinations will also find the technical work for each grade plus sample aural tests. In our view these books constitute a fundamental music library for all pianists in their first five years of tution. Highly recommended.
Download information about Elissa Milne's books.
Video inspirations!
Valentina Lisitsa
Beethoven - Fur Elise
Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata
Chopin - Op.10 No.1
Chopin - Op.10 No.12
Chopin - Polonaise Op.53
Grieg Piano Concerto
Liszt - La Campanella
Ravel - Ondine