Levels One-Four. Boogies and Blues is a collection of light pieces that progress in difficulty and can be used from the first year through the fourth year of study.

Students learn to hear, perform, compose, and improvise with the tonic, subdominant, and dominant chord changes of the traditional blues chord progression.

Duet parts provide models for improvisation.

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Levels One-Three. Music Moves for Two - Book 1 is a collection of two sets of pieces for ensemble playing and improvisation. 

In the first set of pieces, the second player imitates the first player.

In the second set of pieces one player plays an ostinato pattern while the second player plays the solo, then improvises over the ostinato pattern

A CD with all of the music for Boogies and Blues and Music Moves for Two - Books 1 & 2 is included with this book.

ERRATA:
Page 8, "Spooky Footsteps:" Primo RH, S1 should be over ring finger (4).
Page 10, "Gray Day Pow Wow:" Primo LH, S2 should be over the ring finger (4).

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Levels Three -Five (and beyond). Music Moves for Two - Book 2 is a collection of two sets of more difficult pieces for ensemble playing and improvisation.

In the first set of pieces, the second player improvises an answer to the first player.

In the second set of pieces one player plays an ostinato pattern while the second player plays the piece, then improvises. Tonalities include Mixolydian, Phrygian, and Lydian. "Mix It Up" is in 5/4.

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Levels One - Three. Christmas music is  a wonderful way to learn more difficult melodies and to learn more complicated chord changes.

Students apply audiation skills as they learn the songs. The learning process transfers to other music that students hear and want to play.

Here are the steps for learning the tunes: First, sing the melody accurately. Next, learn tonal patterns and rhythm patterns that are characteristic of each melody. Play the melody and identify where the characteristic patterns belong in the melody. Finally, when the melody is secure, transpose it to several keyalities to ensure solid memory of the tune..

Harmonization of the melodies is in the simplest form:  a single-tone, root-harmony. Students can hear chord changes best when the bass  is the root.of the chord. Identify the chord changes using Roman Numerals and their names (tonic, dominant, and so forth).

When students are secure with the melody and root-harmony, they can play both the melody and bass line in octaves, make arrangements of the accompaniment, change harmonizations, make melodic and rhythmic variations of the melody, and so forth.

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Level Four and beyond. This book has more difficult songs. While learning new songs, students are encouraged to review all of the songs from Christmas Music, Book 1 so that they will maintain a permanent repertoire. Students can make arrangements and medleys of the songs they know.

If students add two Christmas carols a year to their repertoire, they will know enough music to be able to entertain, play for group singing, and play for parties during their high school years.

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