Big Note Piano Standards, 2nd Ed.

Big Note Piano Standards, 2nd Edition. Hal Leonard Co. (7777 W. Bluemound Rd., P.O. Box 13819, Milwaukee, WI 53213). 56 pp. $7.95. Intermediate.

Big Note Piano Standards, 2nd Edition, features 15 familiar standards in a big-note format that is easy to read and not too difficult to play. Adults in particular, and younger students as well, will enjoy playing from this collection that includes such popular titles as "Edelweiss," "Georgia On My Mind," "Moon River," "People," "Strangers In The Night," "My Way" and "Time After Time."

Each song includes lyrics, chord symbols and fingering suggestions. Melodic notes occasionally shift to the left hand but these are clearly marked in the score. A nice sense of flow and diverse array of colorful harmonies produce appealing arrangements that never sound "cheesy."

Some songs are a bit easier to play than others but the difficulty level is basically consistent throughout. Four-note textures seldom occur, but students will need to be comfortable managing frequent hand and position shifts and intervals up to sevenths (octaves never appear). Syncopations and quarter-note triplets may also challenge some students, but rhythms have otherwise been kept as simple as possible, while still maintaining the integrity of the originals.

A few minor flaws in no way detract from the otherwise nice features of this collection. More extensive background information on the songs would have been nice. Additional fingering suggestions also would have been helpful in some tricky spots where none are provided. The treatment of pedaling is somewhat odd--a "with pedal" indication appears in some songs and not others, but the inconsistency is not significant.

Despite these minor flaws, this collection is appealing. Teachers may also use it to drill a wide variety of chord types. And more advanced students may use the numerous chord symbols provided to improvise their own arrangements. Reviewed by Tom Pearsall, NCTM, Statesboro, Georgia.