I’ve been doing a ton of repertoire brainstorming and searching over the summer to find engaging music written in every key (which may or may not have something to do with our upcoming practice incentive theme…). It’s been exciting to play through lots of wonderful music, and I’ve found some gems along the way. Here are some of the specific books or resources I’ve found that are well-suited for piano students and that include music in a variety of keys:
Piano Notebook 1 by Juan Cabeza – This fabulous collection of Miniatures includes “24 eight-measure five-finger position pieces in all keys.” You can read my previous review of it here. I’m so thrilled to try it out with several students this fall!
Scales, Patterns, and Improvs Book 1 by Barbara Kreader, Fred Kern, Phillip Keveren, and Mona Rejino – I dug this gem out of my archives (having used it years ago and forgotten about it!) and really appreciate the focus on learning each key well and then using it for improvisation. There is also a piece of music written in either the major or minor key (or sometimes incorporating both) for the student to learn and play with an accompaniment track. The accompaniment is also written out and can be played by the teacher or another student. I think this will be perfect for a couple of my students!
Scales, Patterns, and Improvs Book 2 by Barbara Kreader, Fred Kern, Phillip Keveren, and Mona Rejino – I was delighted to discover that there is a second book in this series! The online audio link takes you to a page with an audio player that also allows for transposition and tempo changes, which is super cool! The pieces in each key are simple to learn for an elementary student, and some of them are even lead sheets so that they get the opportunity to use the chords they are learning to create their own accompaniment. I have a student in mind that I think will be in piano paradise with this book!
Keys at Play by Joy Morin – I won a copy of this book several years ago when Joy introduced it via a webinar and I love that she utilizes such a wide variety of tonalities (Major, minor, and various modes!) in her simple, yet enjoyable compositions. The short selections with easy-to-comprehend patterns will be such a good approach for one of my students who has such musical potential, but really struggles to read music. I won’t be surprised if he takes it on himself to learn more of these pieces than the ones I’m specifically assigning him for each key!
Duet Miniatures in 12 Keys by Mack Wilburg – This is another oldie-but-goodie that I’ve had in my files for years. One of my students adores playing duets, so we are going to make good use of these 1-2 page 5-finger compositions written in every major key. These are lovely musical selections that fit well in the hand and will be enjoyable to play and listen to. I wish there was a similar piano duet collection in all the minor keys because minor keys are her favorite!
In All Keys Book 1: Sharp Keys by Melody Bober – Without question one of my favorite composers, I love almost anything that Melody Bober writes. This book is no exception! I had so much fun just playing through the variety of pieces myself – from Classical to Jazzy to Ragtime to Boogie to Romantic and more, this is a treasure trove of delightful music in every sharp key, major and minor. They are classified Intermediate to Late Intermediate, but the patterns and musicality could make them accessible as a challenge piece of an elementary student as well.
In All Keys Book 2: Flat Keys by Melody Bober – The obvious companion to the above book, this one explores all the major and minor flat keys. Every bit as enjoyable to play as the sharp keys book, working through both of these will give any piano student experience playing in every musical key with a major or minor tonality! Lots of dramatic music makes its way into this collection with pieces that would be a huge hit on any recital program. I know I have several students who will be begging to learn these once they hear them!
Lyric Preludes in Romantic Style by William Gillock – This classic collection of pieces in every key is always a favorite. Gillock was a master at writing short character pieces that are a delight to learn and play. They fit well in the hand and have a sophisticated quality to them. I have an intermediate student who I think will thoroughly enjoy them! This particular edition includes performance notes for each piece that are interesting and helpful. Such a variety of excellent music!
In addition to these collections I’ve been scouring all kinds of sources to find individual pieces in various keys. Interestingly, one of the hardest to find at any level has been B-flat major. Who knew?! I’m so looking forward to introducing my students to this wealth of new music with our particular focus this year. Do you have any favorite collections or resources for piano music in different keys? If so, I’d love to know about it!
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