Pianistic hurdles groovily packaged

Boredom is known to be the mortal enemy of learning, while our brain is dependent on constant repetition. Carl Czerny's solution to this conflict of objectives is the trick of incessant repackaging. In his 160 short (8-bar) exercises, for example, we find the dominant fourth sixth chord with rule-compliant resolution over and over again. The harmonic cliché is sometimes so well packaged that we no longer even notice the cliché.

Mike Cornick, the successful prolific author of pianistic teaching literature, seems to have internalized the recipe of his predecessor. Both in the collection In the Groove and More as well as in the three volumes published in 2014/15 of his Style CollectionJazz, Afro-Caribbean and evergreens, he constantly repackages pianistic challenges in new and sophisticated ways.

In the volume Jazz we find eleven standards and two original compositions based on traditional jazz. Mainly swing in its variants and a ragtime to be phrased in binary serve to train the insidious shifting of the bar's center of gravity to beats 2 and 4 and the bringing forward of individual style-typical bar parts by a ternary eighth note. Unfortunately, the chord ciphers, which must always be included in jazz, have slipped graphically far below the bass system. Following the lead sheet notation, it would make more sense to print them directly above the melody. In contrast to the basso continuo, in jazz we harmonize "songs", i.e. the melodies. In addition, the precise notation in the arrangement should be internalized as quickly as possible in jazz lessons as one of many variants of how the chord symbol can be implemented, but by no means has to be. For example, no jazz pianist will play the repeated A section of a piece the same way twice. The student should always be aware that in jazz practice, improvisation is the result of what is printed here as binding. Unfortunately, he is not explicitly asked to improvise in the volume itself.

In the Afro-Caribbean pieces and their arrangements, it is astonishing in the above context how often Cornick allows himself to be tempted by the frowned-upon copy-paste. The typical key changes alone do not make the style. Printing the same thing again in green may at best serve as transposition training, but otherwise merely increases the number of pages in the publication. A dramaturgically condensed movement following the course of the key, partially reharmonized or extended by octaves, would be more pianistically challenging.

Those who have become accustomed to Cornick's writing will find in the volume Evergreens the hits that come after working with the school Piano Coach 1 and 2 (also by Cornick) will complement and expand his repertoire. However, whether we will have to wait for another simplified version of the Entertainersthe Maple Leaf Rags, from La Cucaracha or Summertime the writer dares to doubt that they have waited.

Cornick's strength remains the didactically solidly written original compositions. Here, the obviously experienced pedagogue can draw from the full without having to measure himself against previous arrangers. The 14 pieces from In the Groove and More are a great all-around hit for the intermediate level, especially for classically trained students. As they should also be confronted with the chord symbols, especially the seventh chords typical of jazz at all harmonic levels, from this level at the latest, it is inexplicable, almost annoying, that not a single symbol denotes the characteristic voicings and has found its way into print. Equally annoying are the gimmick CDs that are so common today. The chosen synthetic sounds are so cheap and poorly mixed that the recordings can hardly be said to be of any use. The good old metronome is almost the more solid play-along.

Cornick Mike, In the Groove and More, 14 entertaining pieces of medium difficulty for piano, UE 21669, € 13,95, Universal Edition, Vienna 2014

Mike Cornick, Style Collection - Jazz, Popular jazz standards, blues and spirituals in intermediate arrangements for piano, UE 21650each with CD, € 17.95

id., Afro-Caribbean Style Collection, UE 21651

id., Style Collection - Evergreens, UE 21652