Hi,

I'm hoping to buy some piano music for my mum for christmas, to encourage her to keep playing piano (her teacher is soon to retire I believe). She's never had enough time to get to a very high standard and I think she is about Grade 4. She likes playing a variety of music, at the moment she's playing from an Alan Haughton book of rhythm and rag and I think she likes playing from this. She never seems to have time to get anything to a performance standard but enjoys just sitting at the piano and playing/having some time to herself. We also enjoy doing duets together.

Does anybody have any suggestions of books that are good for around this standard for someone in her fifties? When I was at Grade 4 I just covered the exam material probably with a few musicals thrown in, but she's had quite a few musicals books aswell (same teacher). I'm thinking of getting her one of the romantic sketchbooks ABRSM perhaps book 2, so I'd like something else that's either a mix of music genres/periods or something more modern. I'd just like something to motivate her to keep playing off her own back when her lessons stop as she's done so well to fit playing into her life for so long.

Any suggestions are much appreciated!

Have a look at the "Library of" series; they contain a very wide range of music. This is one example but there are quite a few other "easy" books in the series which are probably up to grade 3-4. (There's a list of pieces in the link, so you can see whether your mom might fancy them.)

PS> Welcome to the forum!

If she likes jazz/swing then she might like a go at this:
http://www.musicroom.com/se/ID_No/096155/details.html

I quite like it as a break from what I normally play. You can play along to your own jazz band!

She might enjoy Martha Mier's Jazz Rags and Blues.

there are four books - probably book 3, but if possible have a look and see what you think.

Pam Wedgewood's After Hours could be worth a try. I think book 1 is meant to be grade 4/5, book 2 is 4/5/6 and book 3 is 5/6 or something like that, but I found them all pretty easy when I was around grade 6, so they're probably around the right sort of standard for her.

The ABRSM Romantic Sketchbook is a great idea - my daughter bought me the grade 6 one about 10 years ago and it was a great incentive for me to practise! (I think I must be a similar age to your Mum.)

Another series I really like is "Hours with the masters", but there's nothing very modern in that.

These are great ideas, thanks everyone.

I'd like to endorse the Martha Miers books - I discovered them a while ago and they are very popular with my pupils. Do you play the piano too? If so there are some duet books in the Martha Miers series of books, and Pam Wedgwood has an After Hours duet book as well as the solo books. I like the After Hours solo books too. Anything with an accompanying CD would be huge fun. I've got a duet book called Fun Club. It's only about grade 2 and my music shop thinks there aren't any higher level ones. But that comes with a Cd so you can play duets with yourself.

I've just got back from a trip to my local friendly music shop and picked up a little piano book called Music through Time, grade 3 to 4. They look pretty good - a combination of, well, music through time really! right through to modern. Might be worth a look.

Hi pianomonkey

I saw from another thread that you're in Leeds which is where I am. I don't know if your mum is here as well, but if she is and she wants to continue lessons after her teacher retires, I can recommend my teacher to her. I've been having lessons for around 4 months and I'm very happy with my teacher. PM me if you want more info!