Piano Addict

Sound Sketches Books 1 & 3: Graham Lynch

Graham writes the following about his Sound Sketches:

The inspirations behind the series were in part the ordres of Couperin …and the Debussy Preludes. These were both close to what I wanted to do in terms of writing short character pieces that had a lot of poetry and atmosphere in them, as well as a sense of fun and drama at the keyboard. I’d felt from my own teaching that pupils at the early grade levels in particular didn’t have access to much serious music that used a rich harmonic language, and in a way these pieces are a kind of ‘harmony manual’ in which pupils can subconsciously pick up and learn to interpret exactly how harmony speaks to a musician …Above all, I wanted students to be enchanted by the sound world and the possibilities of what a piano can do, even at a basic level.

What immediately struck me about both of these volumes was the enormous variety of patterns. The harmonies in these pieces are broken in inventive and colorful ways. A pianist will master accompaniments and gestures in LH, in RH, as well as multiple voices in either hand without even realizing it. The titles and descriptions appeal to a wide variety of interests and experience and truly help the pianist to paint musical pictures. I loved the markings in measure 23 of Clouds (Bk 1), perhaps a little louder… (so polite!) and in Lago di Como (Bk 3) like the stillness of a lake untroubled by the wind. I am going to have to add some new musical adjectives to The Musical Adjectives Project after playing through these pieces.

My favorite pieces are the very atmospheric ones in each volume: Sleeping Cat, Paris Valse, Silk Road, Dangerous Mountain Ascent, Clouds, Once and Again, and Cavern (with Dragon) from Bk 1, and Kite Surfing, Delfi, Marin, Lago di Coma, Storm Scene with Mountains, and Goodbye Ullapool from Bk 3. All the pieces (23 in Bk 1 and 17 in Bk 3) have a sense of drama and movement that draws you in and keeps you playing and wanting more. An enchanted world indeed!

The pieces range from 1-3 pages in length and are cleanly printed and clear of distractions. Pedaling is left mostly up to the pianist however there are suggestions throughout for using both the damper and una corda pedals. Tempo and expressive markings are a mix of Italian and English. These pieces are not beginner pieces. Volume 1 is appropriate for later elementary/early intermediate players. With so many pieces and variety in each volume, there is absolutely room for growth within them. A student would not progress out of them overly quickly, which can be a problem with large collections.

Check them out! You can find them at the Sound Sketches link above and Graham assures me that he has kept the postage to the USA exactly the same as in the UK to keep them easy and inexpensive (9.99£) to obtain.

Supersonics, Soundwaves, & Soundscapes: Daniel McFarlane

The pieces in these books have a very popular, sometimes hard edged urban vibe. They range in level from elementary to late intermediate and are filled with syncopations and interesting rhythms. Be warned! There are loads of 16ths in complex combinations (even in the level 1 books). Players who love television and movie scores will love these pieces.

Styles include rock, jazz, pattern based new age, pop song, boogie, funk, salsa, and more. Soundscapes One includes pieces with the titles, Hacked, Urban Beat, Nitro, and Behind Enemy Lines–examples of the aforementioned hard edged urban vibe. I especially was struck by the Soundwaves volume which includes a longer piece entitled Monsoon and two suites (for want of a better word). The first is entitled The Lake and includes Mist, Reflections, and Undercurrent. The second, Lost, includes Lost, Round and Round, SOS, and The End. I love that these pieces tell entire stories and spark the imagination in the process.

You can purchase digital and print editions of these books at Daniel McFarlane’s link above. I used my iPad to view and play through them and it worked just fine in my music reader. Sound files are available for each piece by way of the link. Just click on the cover of each book see a list of the pieces. If you purchase the digital copies, be sure and keep your receipt as proof of purchase. Apparently, Daniel’s first volume was illegally distributed in Hong Kong and even arranged for Harp without permission! He says to look out for periodic promotions on the site and hopes you enjoy the pieces.