Additional information
by Melinda Bateman (Editor), Brendan Cohen-Sheehy (Contribution by), Gaili Schoen (Author)
Upper Hands Piano series is a fun, easy-to-follow introduction to classical, jazz and popular piano that exercises your brain! This is truly an All-in-One Piano Method, which includes Lessons, Music Theory, Note Reading, Chord Symbols and Brain Training. In Book 4 the student will learn how to use the damper pedal, and play 7th chord inversions and diminished 7ths. New rhythm skills include time signatures 6/8, 9/8 and 12/8, as well as the addition of triplets, as presented in Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. As always in Upper Hands Piano books, we strive to present new musical skills within melodic songs and pieces to make learning to play the piano approachable and enjoyable. The lessons in Upper Hands Piano are presented clearly and concisely, with online video support to further explain the more complicated concepts. Upper Hands Piano gives you a whole-brain workout that will stimulate your mind, touch your heart, and feed your soul.
Author Biography
A veteran piano teacher of 30 years, Gaili Schoen fell in love with teaching older adults in 2002, when she obtained her first student over 90! She coined the term Piano Geragogy to distinguish her pioneering study of how piano teachers can best support older adults in learning and retaining new musical concepts and piano skills. Gaili created the UPPER HANDS PIANO Method Books because none of the existing adult methods addressed the particular needs and desires of her older adult students; Many of her students over 50 expressed the desire to learn the art of piano playing while increasing their brain power. Since then, Gaili has carried 12 years of passionate research into ways that piano lessons can advance neuroplasticity (the brain's capacity to generate new neural cells and pathways), improve memory, alleviate stress, and bring joy into the hearts and souls of piano students 50+. In 2014 Gaili created the companion UPPER HANDS PIANO: SONGS OF THE SEASONS series which is a collection of fun, easy arrangements of favorite seasonal songs and pieces. In addition to teaching, Gaili is also a professional jazz pianist, and composes and orchestrates music for film and documentaries. She is best known for her scores for the director Henry Jaglom's art films, Festival in Cannes and Déjà Vu, and for the PBS documentary Annie Leibovitz: A Life Through a Lens.
