easy etudes and exercises

[mla]

My son is 9 years old and plays piano 2 years +
Last year I "work" with him every day 40 min. +
He's doing well.
He plays now "Fur Elise" in full and "Entertainer Rag" all 3 parts with a good feeling(just to show his technical capabilities) and also scales and arpedgios.
We passed few exercise books for beginners (he did it nice and clean).

I want to ask some links for free sheet music for  etudes and exercises for advanced beginner  or intermediate level.

thanks,
Michael.

[Kassaa]

I don't think there are melodical (chopin/liszt etc) etudes for advanced beginner. But what etudes does your son want to play?

I don't think Czerny is really fun to play for a 9 year old.

[mla]

I found Pozzoli 15 studi facile. We'll try.
May be some execrcises for his level?
Thanks.

[bernhard]

There are many melodic etudes at the beginner-intermediate level. If you will be able to get them for free is a different question.

Anyway, try those – covering only the “romantic” style (google them and see what turns up):

1.   Burgmuller: 25 studies op. 100 (you may also try op. 105 and op. 109, but they are more difficult).

2.   Stephan Heller – Several opus (45, 46 & 47 are the most well known, but there are several more). Heller’s explicit aim was to prepare the student for the playing of the more advanced romantic repertory (Chopin, Schumann. Liszt, etc), so you will find many of their figurations in a simpler context in these studies. Moreover they do not sound like studies at all, but are beautiful miniatures in their own right.

3.   Benjamin Godard  - Etudes Enfantines op. 149 (“Studies for children). Slightly more difficult than the Burgmuller op. 100, these pieces are a real gem. The influence of Schumann is apparent throughout. Superior music from a neglected composer (he was very famous in his day though).

4.   Cornelius Gurlitt – Several collections of melodic studies covering all levels from early beginner to early advanced. Again the style follows Schumann closely. Here are a few: Six short pieces op. 48, Album leaves for the young, op. 101, Buds and blossoms op. 107, The first lessons op. 117, Album for the young op. 140, Little flowers, op. 205, 24 easy melodious studies op. 50, 24 melodious studies op. 131, and Novelettes op. 148.

5.   Adolf Jensen – Unjustly neglected romantic composer with some beautiful lyrical melodies. Try Scenes of travel op. 17, 25 etudes op. 32 and Songs and dances op. 33.

6.   Genari Karganov – Karganov died at 32 and most of his compositions are pedagogical pieces of superior quality. Try his Seven miniatures op. 10 and the Album for the young op. 25.

7.   Theodor Kirchner – Completely obscure today, Kirchner was very famous in his day. He was a protégé of both Schuman and Mendelssohn, and there are rumours that after the death of Schumann he was Clara’s lover. He wrote several pieces for children/beginners similar to Schumann’s. Here are a few: Albumblatter op. 7, Skizzen op. 11, Spielsachen op. 35, New scenes of childhood op. 55, Miniatures op. 62

8.   Theodor Kullak – A very well known pedagogue in his day (and famous pianist), Kullak had very progressive ideas about piano learning, which he believed shoud be geared towards expressivity rather than mechanical technique. There are some real gems amongst his Scenes from childhood op. 62 and op. 81.

9.   Konrad Max Kunz – 200 short 2-part canons. This is a very interesting collection for exercises to work on hand independence and co-ordination. All of the canons are in five finger position, but the complexity of rhythm increases as one goes through the canons.

10.   Theodore Lack – Etudes Elegantes op. 30 – Again, despite the name “studies” these are all expressive lyrical miniatures that stand well on their own as repertory pieces.

11.   Edward MacDowell – 12 etudes op. 39. Excellent pieces of music (and excellent studies), they are far more difficult than the ones in this list so far, but still easier than Chopin or Liszt.

12.   Moritz Moskowski – 20 Little etudes for piano op. 91. Similar to Cramer, but not as difficult. I don’t find them as musical as some of the others in the list, but they do prepare for Chopin, Liszt and Schumann.

13.   Theodor Oesten – Mayflowers op. 61. Very easy yet beautiful miniatures (most are less than a page long).

14.   Robert Schumann – Album for the young op. 68 – This needs no introduction.

15.   Robert Fuchs – Children’s pieces op. 32 & op. 47 – Wonderful little pieces, similar to Schumann’s Album for the young.

Just the tip of the iceberg.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[mla]

Bernard,
thank you very much for the valuable list.

Michael.

[bernhard]

You are welcome

[thalbergmad]

I see no mention of Clementi's Gradus Ad Parnassum. Had to play it in my day

[anda]

i read the original post and was about to write about half of bernhard's list - i suppose that would be the tip of the tip of the iceberg 

[bernhard]

I see no mention of Clementi's Gradus Ad Parnassum. Had to play it in my day

There may be several reasons for the omission.

1.   So that other people could mention it.

2.   The list I provided was geared towards the romantic style, while Clementi is geared towards the classical style.

3.   There is no real music in it. On the same vein you will not see Berens, Bertini, Biehl, Duvernoy, Kohler, Schmidt, Stamaty or Streabbog in my lists since the mediocrity and dullness of the pieces make them inappropriate for repertory, and hence a waste of time.

Here are a few more omissions (still on the romantic style):

1.   Tchaikovsky – Album for the young op. 39

2.   Ludvig Schytte – 25 modern etudes for the pianoforte op. 68, and 25 melodious studies op. 108. Schyte, a Danish composer, wrote several other teaching pieces that may be worthy investigating.

3.   Xavier Scharwenka – Album for the young Op. 62

4.   Isaac Albeniz – Seven studies op. 65.

5.   Max Reger – Reger who wrote pieces of formidable difficulty, also wrote a number of beginner/intermediate pieces in the vein of Brahms/Grieg/Schumann. See for instance Album for the young people Op. 17, 10 little instructional pieces op. 44, 10 pieces for piano op. 79a and Dreaming at the fireside op. 143.

6.   Albert Loeschorn – Melodious studies op. 52, Studies for piano op. 65 (beginners) and op. 66 (intermediate). Melodious studies op. 38

7.   Henry Lemoine – Etude enfantines op. 37.

8.   Alexander Dorn – 24 studies in all major and minor keys op. 100.

9.   Giueppe Conconne – 25 melodic studies op. 24.

10.   Anton Arensky - 12 etudes for piano op. 72, 4 etudes for piano op. 61.

You may find some (not all) of the scores for these (free) here:

https://www.abrahamespinosa.com/partituras2.htm

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[thalbergmad]

Clementi a waste of time. I must have spent too long away from the piano scene.