Where's My Boogie Book?
Are your piano students stuck in the “5-finger position” comfort zone? This 3rd and final book of the My Boogie Books series will gently coax beginning students further afield while keeping them smiling and entertained.
Seven of the ten songs move the left hand through the I-IV-V blues progression using both classic boogie-woogie patterns and easy, repetitive rock beats. Joey O! opens the book with a simple RH melody, allowing the LH to concentrate on opening the interval of a 5th to a 6th and back. Hey, Hey, Hey! throws in RH triplets, which further exemplifies the swing rhythm going on in the LH’s familiar boogie pattern. Night Drive shifts gears to a single repeated note in the left hand; it “walks” up or down to the next chord root, while the right hand plays thirds in a minor key.
Singing the Blues, In New Orleans, and Take Me Home Blues all have lyrics, while the remaining four songs – We’re Going Down, I’m So Tired, Vagabond Blue, and Strollin’ Down Third Avenue – have melodies that lyrically imply their titles…possibly providing the beginnings of a bit of creative poetry!
As your students become more comfortable playing outside of preset positions, they will also pick up a variety of musical skills – like fingering consecutive thirds, understanding 8va signs, and bringing out melody notes. More than a teaching tool, though, Where’s My Boogie Book? is an engaging collection of tunes that advancing beginners of any age will be pleased to get under their fingers.