My First Pieces - Piano & String Accompaniment Book by Stephen Chin
Everything String is delighted to publish My First Pieces, a beginning method for all bowed stringed instruments. It has over 100 carefully sequenced pieces in a diverse range of styles, colour images, notes to help students and mp3’s of piano backing tracks.
Teachers are already loving the piano and string accompaniments designed to create an enjoyable musical experience right from the start.
My First Pieces has been designed to provide a rich and meaningful experience for both teacher and student. One very important feature is that the teacher is able to accompany the student for each piece on their instrument of choice right from the start as students pluck their open strings. I personally find this musical and personal connection to be crucial to each student’s interest, progress, and enjoyment of playing music. The instructions on how to hold the instrument are there to assist both the student and teacher. However, this is by no means the definitive way of holding and playing the instrument. In fact, there are many different and valid playing styles. Each instrument’s book is produced with clear and large musical notes. The note names and fingerings are indicated in the music for the first group of pieces. After that, students are encouraged to work out the fingering for themselves. The pages are uncluttered so that information can be absorbed more readily. The string pedagogy has been carefully sequenced so that both musical and technical concepts build in a logical yet fun manner. Renaissance, Baroque, Folk, Bluegrass, Romantic are just a few of the musical styles that are presented. The wide array of keys and modes used may provide each beginning player with a greater aural sphere. A small yet significant point is that the bass strings are initially presented to the student from the top to the bottom strings. Often when the other string instruments are playing open strings, bassists hear their notes in the opposite direction. It is less confusing once they know that this is the case. Above all, I trust that you find the material in My First Pieces useful and musically satisfying.
