This book belongs to
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Music engraving: John Rogers
Icons (glasses, parachutes, stars, etc.) designed by Freepik from Flaticon.
Copyright © 2010–2022 Freepik Company S.L.
Cover portrait of Penelope Roskell by kind permission of John Batten
© 2023 by Peters Edition Ltd, London
All rights reserved.
Any unauthorized reproduction is prohibited by law.
ISBN 978-0-57159-294-4
Author acknowledgements
These books would not have been possible without the support of many friends and colleagues.
In particular I would like to thank:
Edition Peters and Andrew Hanley for commissioning and supporting this project.
Phil Croydon, editor, for his valuable advice and meticulous attention to detail.
Aaron Burrows for his inspiring music.
Ryan Morison and Informance for production of videos.
Beate Toyka, Jenny Macmillan, Louissa Galenski, Emma Griffiths, Oliver Griffiths, Monika Walo,
Paul Weeren, Bethan Scolding, Gemma Hitchen, Richard Dinsmore, Lewis Kesterton, Serena
Sheane, Henrietta Nguyen, Huei Flowers and members of the Roskell Academy for generously
sharing their experience and insightful comments on the drafts.
4
Introduction
To the teacher
The
Essential Piano Technique
series will help young
students establish the strong technical foundations
that support confident playing and ensure quick
progress in the years to come. The series introduces
young pianists to all the techniques described in my
book
The Complete Pianist: from healthy technique to
natural artistry
(Edition Peters, 2020).
The first three books (Primer A, Primer B, Level 1)
follow a natural technical progression that will support
a student’s development throughout the first two or
three years of study. These are technique books,
not method books, which can be used sequentially
alongside most method, repertoire or theory books.
Individual exercises can also provide valuable revision
material for students transferring from other teachers.
The third book, builds on techniques learnt in Primer A
and Primer B while introducing new challenges: playing
hands together, chords and broken chords, leaps, slurs,
chromatic and two-octave scales, fingering, rotation
and much more!
For the student, each chapter features original warm-
ups, exercises and engaging pieces. For the teacher,
there are detailed notes providing learning objectives,
teaching tips, and access to video demonstrations
via QR codes. These Teaching Notes also list some
recommended pieces for developing each technical
skill further as well as page references to sections
in
The Complete Pianist
where topics are covered in
greater detail.
I suggest adopting a flexible teaching approach which
will allow each student to study at their own pace
in the learning style which suits them best. You may
prefer to teach some pieces by rote, or you may feel
the need to delve into chapters in a different order as
and when specific technical needs arise.
Some students may benefit from exploring specific
techniques further, using creative activities of your own
devising or the optional extension activities, marked
. Sections can also be supplemented with exercises
of your own, or with related work on theory, such as
recognizing and naming notes, chords, key signatures,
time signatures, rhythms and intervals.
Every exercise and piece aims to develop the right-
and left-hand equally, and should be studied hands
separately initially so that the student can focus on
the movement and sound. It is left to you to decide
when the student is ready to play hands together and
when to increase tempo.
The Teaching Notes can be supplemented by accessing
the Roskell Academy at www.roskellacademy.com.
This website offers teachers supporting material and
access to training and accreditation in the Roskell
approach. The online video course ‘Teaching healthy,
expressive piano technique’ covers all aspects of
techniques discussed in this series.
To the parent or carer
You can support your child’s progress by encouraging
them to:
• adopt a comfortable sitting position
• establish a regular practice routine
• follow the teacher’s practice instructions
• perform pieces to family or friends.
