A Dozen A Day: Pre-Practice Technical Exercises For The Piano [Book 1 Primary]

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By using the Web site, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by the Terms and Conditions. In addition to including the complete content of the six books in one, All Year Round includes some additional features, of which the Thematic Index is a particular bonus which teachers will find incredibly useful. I was struggling with the main pieces and especially with finger strength, flexibility and familiarity with common shapes and notes. When the first dozen exercises, Group I, have been mastered and perfected, Group II may be introduced in the the same manner, and so on for the other Groups. The aim is to learn two or three exercises at a time, which should be played each day before practising.

A Dozen a Day: Technical Exercises for the Piano to Be Done A Dozen a Day: Technical Exercises for the Piano to Be Done

A Dozen A Day: All Year Round offers additional attractions for teachers, which I will outline, but I would still steer students towards the individual books, appropriate for each level. All the exercises are named after physical exercises or activities, suitably (and quirkily) illustrated.I hope that the suggestions in this review will help teachers and learners alike to find fresh engagement with these little marvels.

A Dozen A Day • All Year Round – Pianodao A Dozen A Day • All Year Round – Pianodao

Linking the stick character illustration to the written notation before trying to play it can sometimes be a great way to help learners recognise patterns in the music, as well as the character with which they might be played. It is tempting to assume that a piano study book from the 1950’s won’t have aged well, that the material will be terribly dated. When I come across pieces that require certain coordination, dexterity of fingers or good geography knowledge of where both of your hands are landing (using the full keyboard) it paid off and made it easier for me. Encouraging a fresh look, publishers Willis Music brought out a bumper edition back in 2017, which I am going to be focusing on in this review. The combination of simple joy and pedagogic value embedded in this classic material has not only stood the test of time, but remains as accessible, worthwhile and engaging as ever, seemingly transcending the fads of fashion.

Paul Harris’s superb Piece A Week series ( reviewed here) is of course an ideal resource for this, but before it appeared, A Dozen A Day was my go-to, and proved very effective.

A Dozen A Day: Book 1: Primary by Edna Mae Burnam - Goodreads A Dozen A Day: Book 1: Primary by Edna Mae Burnam - Goodreads

There is much to enjoy in A Dozen A Day, including the exercises’ creative use of the whole instrument from the earliest stages, their adaptability, and the way that their good-natured, humorous characterisations stimulate the player’s imagination. A Dozen A Day: All Year Around brings together the full material from all six of the original volumes in a single 248-page bumper book. compound), writing in different octaves, key signatures and clefs can all be explored as they relevantly relate to the learner’s ongoing music tuition.

However you choose to introduce and use exercises from A Dozen A Day, remember that like any cycle of technical exercises, using them inappropriately won’t just potentially mitigate against any benefits, but could cause fresh problems for players. It is also worth noting at this point that Burnam herself suggested learning a couple of exercises at a time, playing them slowly and softly at first, then introducing a range of dynamics and speeding up the tempi. It tests and improves different aspects of your piano practice and should be done daily to achieve the best results.