Books published by JazzEM Music

This set of five tuneful pieces incorporate the sounds of the seven standard four-note chords (7ths and 6ths) . They also demonstrate how modal scales can be used together with these chords. Each piece also explores skills in piano technique.

Harmony Comes Together is designed to equip the student with the necessary skills to write both four-part and three-part classical harmony and to cross the divide betweencontemporary popular, jazz and contemporary classical writing styles with ease and understanding, all the while giving experience in skills required for both classicaland contemporary examination syllabi. This harmony method is the part of an integrated course devised by Margaret Brandman which provides materials for ear-training (audio and workbooks), theory,improvisation, technique and repertoire. Harmony Comes Together Book 1 is best by those who have completed both Margaret Brandman's Contemporary Theory Workbook- Book 2 and the first sectionof Margaret Brandman's Contemporary Chord Workbook- Book One. Key features of this book are: 1) The Gestalt approach - using the gestalt (whole view) of the topic of harmony, students are equipped to see, hear and understand the chords in context.2) An emphasis on the understanding of the cycle of fifths and chord tables 3) The understanding of root progressions which helps the student of harmony make connections between various progressions and the movement of the parts. This also imparts the knowledge of the effect of the progressions: static, weak or strong 4) The use of colour coding and graphics to impart concepts and illustrate ideas5) The use of various types of labelling from both the British System and the American system, so that information in this book can be used with multiple examination syllabi 6) The use of both traditional system of figuring for chords and modern chord symbols to make the link between old and new systems of music notation and harmonicunderstanding. 7) The awareness of sounds in both classical and popular music8) The encouragement for the student to play and listen to the progressionsand to interpret them with modern rhythms ·

Margaret Brandman's 'Contemporary Piano Method' is designed to equip the student with the necessary skills to play both Classical and Modern music with ease and understanding. The methodology incorporates a variety of progressive learning modalities, including the interval approach, harmonic understanding and multi-key performance. Book 4 is the most advanced level of the method. The material in this book expand students' musical knowledge and playing skills into the realm of extended chord structures, chord voicings and jazz progressions, plus chord figuring and how to realise a figured bass at the keyboard. This level of the Contemporary Piano Method continues the study of polyphonic music including a three-part invention and a Prelude and Fugue by J.S.Bach. The book explores the various compositional resources of Western music of the Twentieth Century and beyond. The scope of the book covers the structure of music along with the topic of Root Progressions, tools for improvisation and much more. Throughout the book these tools are applied to help students successfully learn advanced pieces in a variety of both classical and contemporary styles, plus understand and perform jazz chord progressions and learn about music outside of the western music tradition, for instance the sound of Indonesian or Japanese music. It also features original compositions by the author who is also an established contemporary composer of works for orchestra, chamber ensembles, choir and solo voice, and piano.

Margaret Brandman's 'Contemporary Piano Method' is designed to equip the student with the necessary skills to play both Classical and Modern music with ease and understanding. The methodology incorporates a variety of progressive learning modalities, including the interval approach, harmonic understanding and multi-key performance. In this tertiary level of the method, students will expand their musical knowledge and playing skills into the realm of extended chord structures and jazz, polyphonic music from canon through to the two-part inventions of J.S.Bach, modal music and the realisation of figured bass. Applying the interval approach learned in the earlier levels of this series students learn to perform music in all clefs including C clef. The scope of the book covers the structure of music along with the topic of Root Progressions, tools for improvisation and much more. Throughout the book these tools are applied to help students successfully learn advanced pieces in a variety of styles.

Twelve imaginative and tuneful pieces by composer Margaret Brandman, exploring time signatures ranging from 2/4 to 7/4. Beginning with tunes in easy keys,  the set of pieces gradually extends the musical skills required up to the final pieces in grade 6. The collection presents a piece in each major and relative minor key up to two sharps and two flats. Many of the compositions are included as examination set pieces in various Australian examination syllabuses.Each tune is catchy and melodic, using such devices as the fun sound of parallel fifths, the unusual qualities of modes and modal harmonies and some intriguing rhythmic twists. Some pieces are vigorously rhythmic while others are quite ambient in nature, incorporating modern jazz oriented chord sounds such as major sevenths or chords which incorporate the extension degrees of 9th, 11th or 13th.The tunes lay well in hand position and area changes are indicated by 'key fingering', making them not only easy to read, but also facilitating the technical aspects required to play them. The pieces provide supplementary material and consolidation of the areas covered in Books 1A, 1B, 2A and 2B of Brandman’s Contemporary Piano Method.Recordings of the pieces are available on the CD IMAGES. For a detailed description of each piece go to the IMAGES page on www.margaretbrandman.comContents and keys:Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy,  (C Major) Mongolian Knights  ( A Natural Minor - Aeolian Mode) Charlie’s Cheerful Chune (C Major) Sammy’s Sad Soul (A Minor) Celtic Country Dance ( G Major) The Lonesome Bat  (E minor) No.5 is Alive ( F Major) Spider on the Mirror ( D minor) Minnamurra Rainforest Dreaming ( D Major) Sleepy Creepy Ghost Story (B minor) Code B ( Morse Code) (Bb Major) Snow Gums in the Moonlight  ( G minor) 

Daily Dexter-Flexers provides a series of graded technical exercises for beginning keyboard students using music educator Margaret Brandman''s simplified interval approach combined with scale topography. Novice pianists will be able to develop both speed music reading concepts and solid technical foundations in one book! Illustrated with lively pictures of Dexter (for dexterity) the Koala, this is an enjoyable way for piano and keyboard students to gain finger dexterity and hand co-ordination. In addition, the materials develop speed music-reading skills, including the location of keyboard signpost notes, awareness of the combined direction of music for both hands and the art of transposition.