The
Contemporary Piano Method is recommended reference material
for the AMEB's Contemporary Popular Syllabus
The
overall objective in this book is the development of the octave
span as a point of reference, and the increase of
harmonic knowledge to include all major and
minor keys and scales,
as well as augmented, diminished, and
suspended fourth chords and all standard four-note
chords. Throughout there is also a progressive introduction
of signs, ornaments and musical features.
STAGE
1:
Review
- All major scales and chords
- Primary triads in major keys and the 'chord table'
- Counting and colouring with proportional diagram
STAGE
2:
Minor scales - introduction
- Study of natural and harmonic minor forms
first
- Later study of melodic minor forms
- Full major key 'chord table' including minor chords and
then the diminished chord
- Diminished and augmented chords
- Naming of intervals as Perfect, Major and Minor, Diminished,
Augmented
(N.B. Throughout the book various methods of changing position
are introduced. (a) Chord Climbing, (b) Helping Hand exercises
(c) Finger Swaps (d) Skimming over Keys and so on.)
STAGE
3:
Minor Chord Table
- Octave spanning exercises
- Pedalling
- Dominant Seventh Chords and Suspended Fourth Chords
STAGE
4:
Blues Scale; Boogie Patterns; Swing Timing; Shuffle Patterns
- Chord progressions; improvising on a chord pattern
- Cadences
- Diminished Seventh Chords
Apart
from the original tunes that have been written for the book,
there is music by such composers as Beethoven, Bach, Handel,
Purcell.