About the Series

My four-book piano course, Play it again: PIANO has been written with the ‘returner’ in mind. Book 1 takes pianists back to Grade 1 level of the British music examination board standard.

The entire course consists of 97 piano pieces from the Prep Book through to Book 3. Most pieces are drawn from the standard repertoire and there is a strong emphasis on pedagogical works. The course begins at late-beginner level (pre-Grade 1) and progresses to advanced (associate diploma level). Books 1 and 2 have a comprehensive ‘technique’ section at the beginning and a ‘theory’ section at the end. These provide plenty of technical reminders and practice recommendations. Book 3 also contains warm-up exercises. Every piece is accompanied by at least two or three pages of practice ideas and tips. It runs to five or six pages in Book 3 and there are also many musical examples, diagrams, and photographs. This is a progressive course, so, it’s possible to ‘return’ to a level to suit your current standard. Some may want to start at the beginning, and I suggest this, as it can be highly beneficial. This is true even if your playing is at a much higher level. Others may prefer to ‘drop in’ at Book 1, Book 2 or at an even later stage.

In Book 1, the technique section focuses on flexibility, posture, and relaxation during practice. It includes a few warm-up exercises and posture suggestions. You will also find tips on practising scales, arpeggios, and sight-reading. The theory section offers note reading reminders and exercises. It explains how to keep time and how to understand time signatures. All the information needed to play the music within the book is provided.

Book 1 and 2 is divided into four parts, the Prep Book contains three parts, and the Book 3, two parts. Book 1 looks like this: Elementary, Late Elementary, Early Intermediate, and Intermediate. Although this course is not necessarily exam based, it’s helpful to know the approximate grades for each level. Elementary is roughly Grade 1 – 2 level (ABRSM exam standard). Late Elementary is Grade 2 – 3. Early Intermediate is Grade 3 – 4. Intermediate is Grade 4 – 5.

Each level contains seven pieces. Therefore, there are 28 in Book 1. The books include a technical study, an arrangement, and a selection of standard repertoire. My brief was to feature a wide variety of styles and genres. There’s plenty for those who enjoy Rock, Latin, Jazz, and Blues. There is even a piece for those who want to try their hand at improvisation. I have added a number of favourite original works throughout both volumes and I’ve also balanced these with some terrific lesser-known gems.

The Elementary section includes works by Purcell, Petzold, Bertini, Tchaikovsky, and Elgar. It features an arrangement of’ Salut d’Amour’. There’s a Latin number by John Kember and Elena Cobb’s improvisation piece, ‘Super Duck’. Whilst the Late Elementary portion features Clarke, W. A. Mozart, Schumann, Gurlitt,  a study by Schytte, a Scott Joplin arrangement and a rock piece by Tim Richards. In the Early Intermediate section you can expect to find works by J. S. Bach, as well as compositions by Gounod and Chopin. There is a study by Lemoine, an arrangement of ‘The Sailor’s Hornpipe’, a ragtime piece by John Kember, and a blues number by Mike Readdy. The final collection, Intermediate, offers Clementi, Burgmüller, and Satie, a study by Czerny, and an arrangement of Mozart’s ‘A Little Night Music’. You will also find a rock piece by Jurgen Moser and a minimalist inspired contemporary piece (‘Karma’ from Digressions) by myself.

I’ve added the scale and arpeggio of each key where appropriate, and warm-up exercises, tailored to certain pieces. There are many practice ideas and you can use different methods to break pieces down and reassemble them. Every piece has added fingering, dynamic suggestions and, where necessary, some pedalling.

All the information provided for every piece can be transferred to countless piano works. This builds solid practical methods for tackling different styles and genres.

This book could be used by a wide variety of students. It’s ideal for adults returning to this pursuit but could be useful for study on your own or while learning with a teacher. Anyone of any age who fancies a progressive course with a variety of music will find it helpful. Piano teachers may also find it a beneficial selection of repertoire to use with adult students in particular.

The pages are well laid out (see above), and they are designed with ‘tips’ and ‘technique’ box-outs. Published by one of the world’s leading music publishing houses, Schott Music, I hope it’s an ‘easy to use’ course, inspiring pianists to rekindle their love for the piano.

Watch my taster videos by clicking on the links at the end of this article, and hear all the pieces in this book by clicking on the link below:

Play it again: PIANO Book 1 – 28 pieces

Order your copy of Play it again: PIANO Book 1 from many online shops and websites worldwide including Musicroom.com, prestomusic.com and Amazon. Click on the link below to order from Schott Music’s website:

Find out more about the Play it again: PIANO Prep Book, here.

Find out more about Play it again: PIANO Book 2, here

Find out more about Play it again: PIANO Book 3, here

Play it again: PIANO Tutorials

Reviews

‘These books are well-presented and contain plenty of sound and helpful advice for restarters.’

Pianist Magazine

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‘The repertoire throughout the series is varied and touches upon all important pianistic skills, providing a complete reintroduction to the keyboard. Play it again: PIANO is a great way to get back into music’

‘The Ultimate Guide to the Best Piano Methods’ – Toronto Arts Academy

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‘What I really like, and as a teacher am grateful for, are the practical and straightforward tips at the start of the books and then preceding each piece. This enables the pianist to be independent and steers the teacher in the right direction. Highly Recommended!‘

Music Teacher Magazine

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‘The content is insightful and engaging for adults who are independent learners. Teachers could use this collection as a model for how to systematically guide learners to independently apply appropriate practice techniques. Spanswick’s approachable and methodical tone is appealing and emphasizes musicianship.’

The American Music Teacher Journal

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‘I’m a massive fan of these books and use them with students. BRAVO Melanie Spanswick! The new one (Book 3) too is fantastic!’

Karen Marshall, leading UK music educationalist

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‘These new method books will be particularly useful for some of my adult students.‘

The Collaborative Piano Blog

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‘Taken as a whole, one might regard Spanswick trilogy as as a ‘fast track’ progressive course for those who have had past experiences of the piano but want to get back to it, but for whom time might be an issue. I can immediately think of dozens of adult amateurs who will welcome Book 3 – players who have reached a certain stage in their lives and want to return to the piano without pedantically segmenting their practice into separate areas of study for scales, exercises, repertoire and so on.

The strength of Spanswick’s approach is her ability to unify many of the different elements that must be mastered to play with authority. Book 3 begins with excellent concentrated tips on posture, flexibility and alignment. There are reassuringly specific photographs and non-intimidating exercises. Repertoire is diversely contrasted, but always attractive, and is presented with excellent historical background notes, helpful technical tips, and other useful practice suggestions.  A superb resource: strongly recommended.’

International Piano Magazine

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‘From retracing the earliest steps in learning, right through to preparation for a professional diploma, Play it Again: Piano furnishes the adult pianist with a wealth of insight, information and inspiration. It is a genuinely useful, ground breaking and to the best of my knowledge unique course, certainly deserving of a place in every pianist and teacher’s library.

It is abundantly clear that a huge amount of thought, work and expertise has gone into each and every element of these superb books, and it’s all paid off handsomely: Play it Again: Piano is simply one of the most brilliantly conceived and stunningly produced sheet music publications of recent years.

Writing reviews can at times necessitate an element of speculation, but this inspiring series has already passed the ultimate test: my own adult students love and are truly inspired by the first two books; the arrival of the third is welcome news indeed!  Outstanding.’

Pianodao blog