PENELOPE ROSKELL’S COMPLETE PIANIST SERIES
Essential Piano Technique
LEVEL 2
Late elementary
by
Penelope Roskell
Original music by Aaron Burrows
Author acknowledgements
These books would not have been possible without the support of many friends and colleagues.
In particular I would like to thank:
Huei Flowers, Clare Spencer, Panos Messis, Inês Costa, Louissa Galenski, Monika Walo, Richard Dinsmore,
Hannah O’Toole, Anuvrat Choudhary, Dr Oliver Griffiths and members of the Roskell Academy.
This edition © 2025 by Faber Music Ltd
Brownlow Yard, 12 Roger Street, London WC1N 2JU
Cover portrait of Penelope Roskell by kind permission of John Batten
Page design by Liz Ogden
Illustrations by Eilidh Muldoon and Liz Ogden
Music setting by John Rogers
Video production by Informance
Printed in England by Caligraving Ltd
All rights reserved
ISMN 978-0-57159-322-4
Contents
Hello!
4
Getting started
Introduction
5
Circle warm-ups
6
Sitting posture
7
Hand positions
Hand positions old and new
Patchwork Polka
8
Rounded movements
Circular movements
Orbit
12
Hand gym
15
Strengthening
exercises
Strengthening the weaker fingers
16
Playing with 4 and 5
Study in A minor
(Gurlitt)
17
Rounded movements
More rounded movements
Gigue
(Arnold)
19
Black notes
Thumb on a black note
Whimsy
22
Tone control
Sound explorer
23
Matching hands
Sliding on the Ice
(Beach)
24
Legato-staccato
Fr
è
re Jacques
27
Chasing the Sloth
(Gurlitt)
29
Calypso
30
Left-hand melodies
In the Garden
(Gurlitt)
31
Scales
New major scales
33
Expressive scales
Mini-Mozart
35
Daydream
37
Rotation
Alberti bass
Sonatine
(Attwood)
38
Broken thirds
Thirdly
40
Scales
Harmonic minor scales
Waltz
41
Arpeggios
The elbow spa
43
One-octave arpeggios
As the Wind Cries
44
Leaps
Crossing hands
Loading Screen
47
Pedalling
Pedal explorer
48
Legato pedalling
Pachelbel
’
s Canon
49
The Lonely Gondolier
51
Combining techniques
Sonatina
(Clementi)
52
Broadway
54
Teaching notes
60
4
How to play expressively with rounded movements
New warm-ups
Legato
pedalling
Arpeggios and harmonic minor scales in lots of new keys
How to create a wide range of sound
through sound explorer activities
Left-hand melodies and
Alberti bass
Coordinating the hands with mixed articulation
Hello!
Welcome to Level 2 in the
Essential Piano Technique
series. Here you will learn:
There is also a wonderful selection of new pieces for you to play. When practising, remind yourself of the
Practice Pointers and Technique Tips. If you would like to explore some of the techniques further, check out
the extension activites
and also some of the specially selected related pieces.
If you are new to this series, you may find it helpful to revise some of the fundamental techniques from the
previous books, especially the Parachute touch, Down-ups and the Skipping-rope technique (from Primer B);
and Jellyfish jumps, Rotation and Legato pedalling (from Level 1).
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You can access the video demonstrations via the QR code,
or by visiting www.fabermusic.com/ep/essential-piano-technique.
5
Introduction
To the teacher
This is the fourth book in the
Essential Piano Technique
series. It develops many of the techniques studied in the
previous books, as well as introducing new techniques.
On completing the book, students will have learnt
the techniques they need to play pieces at the late
elementary level (around Grade 2) confidently and
with ease.
Much of the focus of Level 2 is on awareness of piano
sound and playing expressively. Students are encouraged
to listen carefully, develop sensitivity of touch and play
with gestures that bring out the expressive quality of
each exercise or piece.
Students who are new to this series will benefit from
looking at some of the fundamental techniques from
previous books in the
Essential Piano Technique
series,
especially Rainbows, the Parachute touch, Down-ups,
Jellyfish jumps, the Skipping-rope technique, Rotation
and Legato pedalling.
Each technique is put into practice in simple exercises,
followed by studies and pieces. Each technique can be
explored further, using creative activities of your own
devising, or the optional extension activities.
Some pieces are short or have been arranged so the
student can learn the notes quickly while focusing
almost exclusively on the techniques being studied.
The longer pieces may be seen as performance pieces
which will be studied over a longer period of time.
The progression has been planned very carefully
to guide your student successfully through all the
challenges encountered at this level. However, at times
you may feel the need to adopt a flexible approach and
dip in and out of chapters as and when the need arises.
Tempo markings have been intentionally omitted. Students
should start each example at a steady speed and only
increase the tempo once the technique feels secure.
Explanations of the learning objectives, more detailed
teaching tips and further suggestions for related pieces are
available in the Teaching Notes at the back of the book.
These Teaching Notes can be supplemented by accessing
the Roskell Academy website (www.roskellacademy.com)
which offers teachers supporting material and access to
training and certification in the Roskell method. You can
also find more information about each aspect of technique
in
The Complete Pianist: from healthy technique to natural
artistry
(Edition Peters, 2020).
6
Circle warm-ups
Here’s a warm-up sequence you can do every day before you sit down to play. These exercises will help
you relax your shoulders and arms and get your blood flowing.You’ll also be able to play more quickly
and easily when your arms are warm and relaxed.
Circling
the thumbs
Draw a circle with
your thumbs in one
direction, then
the other.
Windmills
Draw huge
windmills from
your shoulders!
Shoulder rolls
Place your right hand lightly on
your right shoulder and your
left hand on your left shoulder.
Bring your elbows together
then up and back in a circular
motion. Breathe in as your
elbows float up – breathe out
as they float down.
Wiping the table
Imagine you are wiping a
big table in front of you
or swimming breaststroke.
Make BIG arm circles,
then small ones.
Empty sleeves
Twist your body from
side to side, letting your
arms swing loosely
around your body.
Elbows
Draw a big
circle from
your elbows.
Wrist circles
Draw a circle with
your hands, circling
from your wrists in
both directions.
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