☃️ About “Christmas for Two”
The holiday season can be long and arduous for us piano teachers. Beginners are limited in the number of holiday tunes they’re able to learn so we end up hearing “Jingle Bells” and “Jolly Old Saint Nicholas” on endless repeat from November forward. I used to get really burnt out on Christmas music, so much so, that I wasn’t really enjoying the holidays anymore. Sad, right?
I wrote “Christmas for Two” during an especially tough year when I wanted to have some solace and relaxation at the piano while also doing collaborative work with my beginning level students. It features ten songs and is a mix of sacred and secular melodies.
The duets in this book are meant to bring peace and calm into your studio and your teaching practice. The duet parts sit easily under the hands (you can sightread them) and are full of modern, lush harmonies that brighten up traditionally basic holiday melodies. The student parts also work as stand-alone pieces so students can practice them during the week without you and there won’t be chunks of the piece missing.
😱 WOW! $6 Hardcopy Deal:
This book is on special for just $6 for the hardcopy version. Why is it so inexpensive? This is an older print run with an old cover design. I really want to get a reprint done with my new cover design, but I need to sell out my current inventory first. Simple as that!
Hear the music:
Why should I play duets with my students?
It’s probably the best way for students to work on playing with correct rhythms and a steady beat. As a teacher, I encourage you to be an unforgiving metronome!
There’s a huge aural payoff playing duets because everything sounds big and impressive. This is great for student motivation
Collaborative work with beginners is a great way to teach phrasing without saying a word. Students can learn to shape phrases by following your lead. They will naturally learn how to round off the end of a phrase and take breaths while playing alongside you.
Similar to the phrasing benefits, students will also take note of technical aspects of playing like hand positioning, wrist rotation and movement, and posture at the piano. They will naturally emulate your technique (so make sure yours is tight!)
The harmonies in this book are lush and modern and will help students get used to hearing chord progressions that utilize mild dissonance. In other words these duets offer more than your standard V-I “oom-pa-pa” soundscape.
🧐 A look inside “Christmas for Two”
You can see samples of the entire book on the Piano Pronto website. Here’s a quick look at a couple of my favorites from “Christmas for Two” to give you an idea of the level:
🎅🏻 Not your average “Jolly Old Saint Nicholas”
🌟 Bold & Beautiful — “O Come, All Ye Faithful”
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