FERDINAND BEYER. Foreword ABOUT THIS EDITION BEYER S ORIGINAL PREFACE. Elementary Method for the Piano (Vorschule
2
FERDINAND BEYER Elementary Method for the Piano (Vorschule Foreword Im K lavierspiel ), Op. 101, by Ferdinand Beyer (1803–1863), was published in 1...
FERDINAND BEYER Elementary Method for the Piano (Vorschule Foreword Im K lavierspiel ), Op. 101, by Ferdinand Beyer (1803–1863), was published in 1860. Since that time it has been used by piano students throughout the world. When compared with piano methods written in the 20th and 21st centuries, it looks more like a technique book than a piano method. This edition has been edited to be useful for today’s piano students either as a method (with of teacher guidance) or as a supplementary book.
• Beyer first introduces dynamics in No. 53. Editoral dynamics have been added to pieces prior to Beyer’s introduction. The first time that a dynamic is added, its definition is included on the page. In addition, dynamics that make sense musically have been added to examples 1–106.
ABOUT THIS EDITION
• Fingerings have been updated. Some fingerings that are not needed have been taken away. Additional helpful fingerings have been added. Beyer does change fingers on repeated notes and these fingerings have been retained.
Since its initial publication, there have been numerous editions of Beyer. Most of the editions simply reprint the music in its original layout and translate the text from German. In creating this edition, the editors have made adjustments to be more useful to today’s students: • While the order of the music has not changed, the layout has been expanded to be easier to read. • Notation has been modernized. Some examples that were originally written on two treble staves have been notated in treble and bass clefs to promote reading skills. • For several pieces in the book, Beyer showed hand positions on the staff. This edition adds hand positions and keyboard charts to supplement those shown by Beyer. • Beyer pointed out several new concepts as they are introduced in the text with minimal or no explanation. Additional text has been added to further explain the concepts. • Beyer included some technical tips and practice suggestions. The language has been modernized.
• Beyer used c for common time in many exam4 ples. These have been changed to 4 since it is used more frequently today. • Editorial tempo markings have been added where Beyer omitted them. • Phrasing and articulation have been clarified and made consistent between sections.
BEYER’S ORIGINAL PREFACE The purpose of this work is to provide beginners with as easy an introduction as possible to the art of playing the piano. It is designed for children, even of the youngest age, and the progression has been made as gradual as possible within the limits of the work. An exhaustive treatment of all the difficulties such as ornaments does not lie within the scope of this school. It is not intended to be more than an elementary instruction guide to provide students with material for practice during the first and perhaps the second years of study. There is a need for this kind of work for use by musical parents to prepare their children for a professional teacher.
6
ELEMENTS OF MUSIC Staff
Lines
Spaces 2
1
5
4
3
Ledger Lines
1
4
3
2
w w w w w w w w w w w w w & w ww ww ww ww w w w
Treble or G Clef
w w w w w w ? w ww w w w w w w w
Bass or F Clef
w w w w w w
• Memorize the musical alphabet: C D E F G A B • Say the musical alphabet forward and backward. • Memorize the musical alphabet in thirds: C–E, G–B, D–F, A–C • Say the musical alphabet in thirds forward and backward.
w w w w w w w w w w w & w4 wœ œwœ wœ œ œ œwœ w œwœ œ œ œ œw œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w w w w w w & 4 w Notes on the Five Lines
Notes on the Four Spaces
E
?
G
B
D
F
F
A
C
E
G
D
A
w w w w w w w w w w w B
D
Intervals Notes on the
w & w Five Lines
2nd
F
A
A
w w
C
E
Notes on the Four Spaces
3rd
G
B
w w
F
C
E
w w
Notes Above and Below the Staff
4th
C
E
w w w
1 2 3 2
G
Notes on the Ledger Lines
Notes Above and Below the Ledger Lines
5
4
1
Notes Above and Below the Staff
G
Notes on the Ledger Lines
5th
G
C
A
w w w
F
B
w w w w E
w
C
A
w 6th
F
D
w
D
F
w
F
A
A
B
E
w w w D
w
Notes Above and Below the Ledger Lines
7th
G
B
w
8th (octave)
G
7
VALUES OF NOTES AND RESTS
w
∑
Whole Note and Whole Rest
2 Half Notes and Half Rest
˙
4 Quarter Notes and Quarter Rest
œ
˙ œ
œ
œ J
œ J
œ
œ
8 Eighth Notes and Eighth Rest
œ
4 Triplets
œ R
œ
œ
3
œ R
œ
œ œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
œ œ
3
Ó
œ
16 Sixteenth Notes and Sixteenth Rest
œ
œ œ
œ
œ
œ
œ œ
3
œ
Œ œ
œ œ
œ
œ
œ
3
œ
‰
œ
œ
≈
32 Thirty-second Notes and Thirty-second Rest
œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ RÔ RÔ
® ®‰
64 Sixty-fourth Notes and Sixty-fourth Rest
œ œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ RÔÔ ÔÔR r œ. œ œ R RÔ
Kr œ. œ œ RÔ RÔÔ
. Ó . Œ . ‰ . ≈ . ®. ∑ & Ó Ó Œ Œ ‰ ‰ ≈ ≈ ® ®Ù ∑
Dot after a Rest
˙ .. œ .. & ˙ œ Jœ œ œJ œ R
Two Dots after a Note
Ó .. Œ .. & Ó Œ ‰ Œ ‰≈
Two Dots after a Rest
Measures
Brace
j ww . ˙ ˙˙ . œ œœ . œ œœ . œ & J J R
Dot after a Note
Bar Line
Bar Line
Bar Line
8
TIME SIGNATURES
c 4 4 2 4
3 4 3 8
4 common time (same as 4 )
Simple Time
4 beats per measure quarter note gets one count 2 beats per measure quarter note gets one count
& œ
C
3 beats per measure eighth note gets one count
b
Sharp
#œ
C
3 beats per measure quarter note gets one count
#
ACCIDENTALS
Flat
nœ
#
C
n
#
D
#
E
#
F
#
G
#
A
#
B
#
C
#
C
? œ #œ œ #œ œ œ #œ œ #œ œ #œ œ œ #
D D
#
E
F F
#
G G
#
& œ
A A
#
B
bœ
nœ
D
D
b
9 beats per measure eighth note gets one count
n
bœ bœ b œ b œ b œ b œ bœ bœ
Chromatic
C C
Natural
6 beats per measure eighth note gets one count
Notes with Flats
#œ #œ # œ # œ # œ # œ #œ #œ C
n
D
Notes with Sharps
&
6 8 9 8
Compound Time
Triple Time
C
b
D
b
E
b
F
b
G
b
A
b
B
b
C
b
œ bœ œ bœ œ bœ œ œ bœ œ bœ œ B
B
b
A
A
b
G G
b
F
E
E
b
D
D
b
C
Enharmonic
&
bœ b œ œ # œ b œ œ # œ b œ œ # œ b œ œ # œ œ #œ bœ œ #œ bœ œ bœ œ #œ #œ
C# Db
M I D D L E
C
D# Eb
D
F# Gb
E F b F E#
G# Ab
G
A# Bb
A
C# Db
B Cb C B#
10
RIGHT HAND EXERCISES (for Touch) • • • •
Raise each finger exactly at the moment the next finger touches the keys. First practice slowly with the fingers moving equally and firmly, but not too strong. Avoid tension in the hand and arm, which can produce an unpleasant sound. Repeat each example as directed by the teacher.
Memorize the exercises on pages 10–17 and pages 168–182.
4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w 1. & 4
œ 3 œ œ 2. & 4
œ œ œ 3 3. & 4
˙.
44 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w & 4.
4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w 5. & 4
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w 4 6. & 4
1
2
3
1
2
œ œ œ 3
1
4
3
2
œ œ œ
3 œ œ œ 7. & 4 1
œœ w 4 œ œ 8. & 4 1
3
2
œ œ œ
4
3
2
1
œœœœ w
5
4
1
1
1
œ œ œ
1
˙.
3
2
4
œ œ œ
3
2
3
2
4
1
˙.
4 œœœœ w 9. & 4 5
4
3
2
1
œœœœ w 5
œœ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ w 4 œ œ 10. & 4 1
œ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ w 4 œ œ œ 11. & 4 1
2
1
3
3 œ œ œ 12. & 4 1
5
3
4
1
1
5
œ œ œ 1
1
˙.
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w 4 14. & 4 5
4
3
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w 4 13. & 4 5
4
84 Beyer shows these block chords without any explanation.
No. 46 uses broken chords in the LH. First practice the notes in each measure as a block chord.
& œœœ
1st and 2nd Endings 1.
Play 1st time only, then play again from the repeat sign.
..
1 LH 3 5
2.
Play 2nd time only, skipping 1st ending.
œœœœœœ œœœœ˙ 4 œ œ & 4 F 4 & 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 1
5
LH legato
œœœœœœ œœœœ˙ œ œ & œ
œ
œ
œœœœœ œ . . & P & .. œ œ œ œ 9
5
œ
œ
5
œ
œœœœœœ œœœœ˙ œ œ & F & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
13
œ œ
œœœœœ œ œ
œœœœœ œ œ
œ 5
œœœœ˙
œ œ
œ
œ
3
5
œœœœœœœœ ˙
5
& œ
1 3 5
Beyer uses first and second endings here, but does not formally introduce the concept until No 51.
Comodo
46.
œœ œ
œ œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
œ œ œœœœ
j‰ Œ œ œ œ œ œ
œœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœ œ 5
œ
œ 5
œœœœœœœœ ˙ 1.
œ œ œ œ
œ
w œ œ œ œ .. w 2.
.. ‰ Œ j œ œ œœ œœ œœ œ˙
97
œ œ
Accent Sign To accent a note means to play the note louder than those before or after. Accent signs appear over or under a note.
œ œ & 38 J F 3 & 8 œ œ œ 3
59.
œ œ œ
5
LH legato
7
œ.
œ.
œ
&
œ œ œ
œ œ œ
13
œ œ œ
œ œ œ
œ
&
&
2
1
>œ œ œ & œ ? œ œ
19
26
&
œ
œ J
& œ œ œ
œ
œ
1
œ J
œ œ œ
œ œ œ
5
œ
œ
œ œ œ
œ œ œ
œ œ œ
œ œ œ
>œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ
œ J
œ J
œ œ œ
œ J
œ œ œ
œ J œ œ œ
œ œ œ
œ J
œ J
œ
œ J
œ
œ J
œ œ œ œ
>œ
œ
œ
œ J
œ œ œ
œ J œ œ œ 2
œ J
œ œ œ
2
œ.
& œ œ œ
œ
œ J
œ
Allegretto
‰
œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
?
5
œ œ œ œ.
œ œ œ 1
œ.
œ œ œ œ.
œ
œ J
œ J œ œ œ 2
œ
œ J
&
œ œ œ
œ J
œ.
œ œ œ
5
œ.
99 Allegro moderato means moderately fast. Dolce means sweetly. Allegro moderato
61.
& 44
œ ˙ J
œ. 3
F dolce œ œ œ ? 4 œ 4 5
œ.
œ œ
œ.
œ ˙ J
œ œ
œ œ
œ ˙ J
œ.
œ œ
œ œ
œ ˙ J
œ œ
LH legato
5
&
œ.
œ œ. J
œ J œ.
œ œ. J
œ œ. J
œ . J œ
œ J w
œ.
œ œ. J
œ œ. J
œ œ. J
œ œ. J
œ œ. J
œ œ. J
œ œ. J
œ œ. J
œ ? œ
9
&
2
p œ ? œ
œ œ
œ œ
5
13
&
œ.
F œ ? œ
œ œ. J
œ œ
œ œ
œ œ
œ J œ.
œ œ
œ œ
œ œ
œ œ
œ œ
œ œ
œ œ
œ œ
œ œ
œ œ. J
œ œ
œ œ œ œ
œ œ
œ J ˙
œ ˙ J
œ œ
œ
Œ
œ œ œ Œ
100 In the original edition, Beyer did not use the term staccato on these pages. He simply described the dot and what it means.
œ œ œ œJ ‰ œ &
Staccato Staccato means to play the notes short and detached.
œ œ œ &
A dot over or under a note means to play staccato.
is played
œ≈ œ œ & R
is played
The finger that plays the note must be raised immediately after striking the key.
