Dozen Times 4

This is the last in the Dozen A Day exercise series.  This follows in a line of great technical books: the Mini, Preparatory, Book 1, Book 2 and Book 3.

It continues the process started in the other books, with 5 groups of a dozen exercises to play before practice.

This book starts out focusing on the a minor scale and starts with practice with cadenzas using the scale pattern, arpeggios both in contrary and parallel motion.  There are many exercises practicing large leaps, both in the relatively close proximity (such as octaves) or larger leaps (like the same chord two octaves higher).  There are also many exercises using chord inversions, both with blocked chords and broken.  Four note chords are also emphasized.  Several of these exercises are supposed to be played fast.

In Group II there is instruction about major, minor, diminished, and augmented triads.  The following exercises use the symbols to notate them in both broken and blocked form.

Several concepts introduced in earlier books are reinforced, like grace notes, hand movements, chord inversions, quintuplets, chromatic scale,   Many of these concepts are introduced in a new key, like a minor, F major, or D major.

There are a few Hannon-esque exercises like the Spider Walk in Group III that continue the same pattern in sequence both up and down with steady eighth notes.

Group V works with enharmonic scales B Major and C Flat Major.  It also includes bitonal and whole tone exercises, changing meters, and cluster chords.

This books is available at Sheet Music Plus.  Book only is $5.99.  Book and CD is $10.99