- Level: Mid Elementary
- Pages: 4 pages, 2 pages of music, cover included!
- Style: Delicately Intense
- Bonus: mp3 performance track
- Format:PDF instant download
- Series: Sophisticated Rote and Reading®
Emerald presents students with interesting harmonies that are deceptively simple to play, making it seem more advanced than it is. Delicate playing allows the emerald color to be added in layer by layer, and gives the student a chance to be really intentional with their thinking and playing. Older teens and young adults especially will love the nuanced harmonies and sounds of this piece!
Many students enjoy talking about the ideas behind music at an early level. This piece is an open door for those conversations – what do they think the color emerald should sound like dynamically? What feelings does that color evoke, and how do they translate them to the keys?
What level is Emerald?
Emerald is a mid elementary piece in triple meter. It begins on the black keys that are very familiar to beginning pianists. Accidentals are included throughout. The piece can be learned by rote, reading or Rote and Reading®.
The smallest note value is a quarter note, and the damper pedal is held throughout. Fingerings are included in helpful places, and the entire piece takes place on the treble staff.
Bonus recording included!
Emerald comes with a bonus mp3 recording performed by Wendy Stevens. You are permitted to send this example performance track to your students to help them learn the piece.
More About the Sophisticated Rote and Reading® Music Series:
This series of early to late elementary pieces helps you strengthen both the eyes and ears of students who want a more sophisticated sound in their music. Emerald and this entire series will be appealing to teens, adults, and anyone who doesn’t want to sound like they are playing “kiddy” elementary music.
These special Rote and Reading® solos were composed because we believe that even the simplest music can sound sophisticated. And we especially believe that teens and adults deserve beautiful, mature music that helps them express what they are feeling in musical ways.
Dusty Blue is also included in this discounted Color Music Rote and Reading® Bundle 1 bundle that includes three early to mid elementary Rote and Reading® solos:
- Marigold
- Dusty Blue (that’s this piece)
- Emerald
What is the Studio License?
Emerald is delivered digitally (through your email receipt) and is studio licensed. This means that you can print and use this for any student that you directly teach for your entire lifetime of teaching.
Mary –
Today I a student Marigold and last week Emerald. She’s so thrilled to learn something so quickly that looks complicated on the page and sounds sophisticated. Her mom even sent me a note saying how beautiful it was and what an amazing teacher I was that she could learn a whole song in one lesson!
Valerie –
These color pieces truly have a sophisticated sound with simple changes. I love watching my students’ eyes light up when I model it–they can’t believe that they can play something that sounds that hard, and then we dive in, and they are so proud of themselves! The color pieces are real confidence boosters!
jennie.flicker –
Finally a piece that my “fast-pieces-only” student approved!!! The “busy” look on the page did it for her! I’m excited that this piece finally met her approval for a “nice” song! We can work on her lyrical musicianship with this piece. She can be delicate and fast at the same time.
Joyce Janzen –
This week a parent stopped in to thank me for the repertoire that I had been choosing for her two kids – Emerald, Evening Rain, Summer Sky etc. (They are working their way through method books and I am adding supplemental material.) She commented that listening to practice was enjoyable for the parents and that her daughter loved the sound of her pieces SO much that she didn’t need to be reminded to practice! It was such wonderful feedback for me as a teacher to hear that both students and parents were enjoying the process! I have given Evening Rain to young students, intermediate students as well as to beginning adults. They ALL love the sound – it transfers so well! So thank you for composing these inspirational pieces!
Ginny –
Most of my students participate in the National Federation of Music Clubs Festival here in February. Two of my students still need to learn mostly by rote, but their pieces need to sound more substantial as they move up a level. These two are playing Emerald and Dusty Blues and are both so happy with these pieces. I can tell they are excited to play something that sounds impressive and beautiful! The accessible patterns and the sophisticated sounds are wonderful!
Jenny Focht –
This piece was a hit with one of my new adult students who was disappointed that he hadn’t learned to play “real songs” yet in his method book. He learned the patterns over a couple of lessons and really enjoyed practicing this at home!
Brooke –
I’ve used this piece for multiple students and they’re in shock that a piece like this could be attainable at their level! =) And then they just BEAM as they learn it so quickly and I get to tell them how proud I am of their hard work! 😉
There’s a depth and richness to this piece that draws students to it. The mature intensity of the half-step changes really hones in on the need for crescendo & diminuendo naturally which is absolutely wonderful. When the STUDENTS can hear the need for dynamics with so many repeated notes — that ends up becoming a game changer for SO many other pieces. I highly recommend it! =)
Keera –
I’ve used this piece with some of my adult students and they have loved it. Very beautiful 😍
Rebecca –
This one sounds complicated, but my students who appreciate mature sounding music are surprised by how easy it actually is to play!
Hailey Rumbles –
I just LOVE the Color Music series, and this is one of my favorites in it!! So simple and easy for students to master, but sounds so mature and can be so sensitive.