Piano - The perfect way to rediscover the piano - PREP BOOK - Melanie Spanswick

Sep 27, 2026

A progressive piano course designed for returning players, presenting 37 carefully selected pieces divided into Late Beginner, Preparatory, and early elementary repertoire sections. The program reinforces note reading, rhythmic grasp, and fundamental “piano geography,” blending approachable musical choices with elemental musicianship. The author supports technique development through photographs, diagrams, musical examples, posture and hand-position guidance, practice suggestions for rhythm and pulse, and methods for breaking down pieces. Completion enables confident selection, analysis, practice, and performance.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

From the Author

Course structure and repertoire sections

Teaching approach: technique, notation, rhythm, and practice

Piano The perfect way to rediscover the piano PREP BOOK Melanie Spanswick ED 23864 PreP Book Melanie Spanswick ED 23864 [www.schott-music.com](www.schott-music.com)[ ](www.schott-music.com)[info@schott-music.com](info@schott-music.com) Mainz · London · Madrid · Paris · New York · Tokyo · Beijing © 2025 Schott Music GmbH & Co. KG · Weihergarten 5, 55116 Mainz · Printed in Germany Musical terMs Note values are given in the order American-British on their first mention within each section, then American terms alone thereafter. whole note (semibreve) half note (minim) quarter note (crotchet) eighth note (quaver) sixteenth note (semiquaver) Other terms follow British usage, for example: bar (Br) = measure (Am) whole tone (Br) = whole step (Am) semitone (Br) = half step (Am) ED 23864 BSS 60 524 © 2025 Schott Music GmbH & Co. KG, Mainz All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from Schott Music GmbH & Co. KG, Mainz Cover design by Gary Baker Photos by Edwin James Back cover photo by Sarah Barnes Layout by Barbara Brümmer Schott Music GmbH & Co. KG, Weihergarten 5, 55116 Mainz, Germany [info@schott-music.com](info@schott-music.com) [www.schott-music.com](www.schott-music.com) Contents introduction From the Author How to use Play it again: PIANO Posture, Hand and Finger Positions Music Notation and Keyboard Layout Rhythm and Pulse Musical Symbols late Beginner Ave, Generosa by Hildegard of Bingen, arr. Melanie Spanswick Study in C from Kinder-Klavierschule by Heinrich Wohlfahrt Can Can by Jacques Offenbach, arr. Melanie Spanswick Little Melodic Studies for Beginners Op. 187 No. 13 and 14 by Cornelius Gurlitt Cradle Song Op. 49 No. 4 by Johannes Brahms, arr. Melanie Spanswick Song and Ukrainian Folk Song by Leonid Vladimirovich Nikolayev Cherries and Little Mazurka by Milada Borová and Zdena Janzurová Sparkle by Melanie Spanswick ripples by Rosa Conrad Scarborough Fair Trad. arr. Melanie Spanswick PreParatory old German Dance by Michael Praetorius Andante and Allegro moderato from 120 Pieces for Aspiring Beginners by Daniel Gottlob Türk Little Invention by Jakub Jan Ryba ode to Joy (Symphony No. 9) by Ludwig van Beethoven, arr. Melanie Spanswick Melody No. 12 (Theme and Variations) from L’ABC du Piano by Félix Le Couppey 4 5 5 8 11 16 17 20 23 26 29 32 36 40 42 45 48 51 54 57 60 Little Invention from First Term at the Piano , Sz. 53, No. 3 by Béla Bartók Canon by Henk Badings Little Waltz by Gunter Kretschmer rock Fever by Hans-Günter Heumann Sunday Afternoon etude by Melanie Spanswick The Peacock Princess by Sharon Choi Molly Malone Trad. arr. Melanie Spanswick early eleMentary Minuetto from Harpsichord Suite No. 6 by Anna Bon Minuet in C (k. 6) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Dance No. 1 by Sophie Auguste de Weyrauch Waltz (Swan Lake) by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, arr. Hans-Günter Heumann on Tip-Toe by Arnoldo Sartorio Le petit mendiant from Op. 103, Album for the Very Young by Mélanie Bonis Noёl! by Marguerite Balutet Little Dance by Alice Tegnér Secret by Barbara Heller Louisiana Blues: Swing etude by Melanie Spanswick Amazing Grace Trad. arr. Melanie Spanswick theory Piano Practice Rhythmic Exercises 64 67 70 73 76 78 81 84 87 91 94 98 101 104 107 110 113 116 119 121 INTroDUCTIoN From the Author Play it again: PIANO is a progressive piano course consisting of graded piano pieces for anyone who has played the piano before and wishes to rediscover this fulfilling pastime. The Prep Book might be considered a reminder of piano basics in preparation for the more advance

FAQs

Who is the Prep Book intended for?

It is designed for anyone who has played the piano before and wants to rediscover the instrument. It particularly suits learners whose note reading and rhythmic understanding are still at an early stage.

How is the book organized?

The repertoire is divided into three sections: Late Beginner, Preparatory, and early elementary. Within each section, pieces generally follow a chronological order.

What materials are included to support technique?

The book includes photographs, diagrams, and many musical examples. It covers posture and hand positions, and offers practice suggestions for effective note reading, rhythm, and pulse.

Sep 27, 2026

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