Copyright 2017, Guan-Jen Huang

New Arrangements of Selected Taiwanese Popular Songs for the Early-Elementary Piano Student

By

Guan-Jen Huang, BFA, MM

A Document In

Piano Pedagogy

Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Texas Tech University in

Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for

the Degree of

DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS Piano Pedagogy

Approved

Carla Davis Cash

Chairperson of the Committee

Lora Deahl

David Forrest

Accepted

Mark Sheridan Dean of the Graduate School

December 2017

Copyright 2017, Guan-Jen Huang

Texas Tech University, Guan-Jen Huang, December 2017

ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .iv

List of Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .v

List of Figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vi Chapter

I. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

History of Taiwan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Overview of the Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Review of Related Literature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Other Arrangements of Popular Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

II. Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Organization and Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Sequencing of Concepts in Early-Level Piano Method Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Teacher Accompaniments in Early-Level Piano Method Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

How New Arrangements Can Supplement Existing Piano Method Books . . . . . 18

III. Presentation and Pedagogical Analysis of New Arrangements . . . . . . . . . . . 20

The Tar (點仔膠) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Whispering Hope (望春風) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

An Old Train (丟丟銅仔) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Tricycle Runs Fast (三輪車跑得快) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Dark Sky (天黑黑) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Northwest Monsoon Rain (西北雨直直落) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36


iii

Grasshopper Playing Tricks on a Rooster (草螟弄雞公) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Jasmine (茉莉花) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Peach Blossom Takes the Ferry (桃花過渡) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Love in Four Seasons (四季紅) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

IV. Discussion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Implications for Future Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52


iv

ABSTRACT

This project documents the creation of new arrangements of existing music,

intended to supplement existing piano methods for early elementary piano students. It

presents ten personal arrangements of Taiwanese popular song melodies for solo piano

with teacher accompaniment parts. Should teachers wish to create music they believe

their own students would enjoy, this project can also be used as a guide to the

compositional process. This collection of pieces was not arranged to be a method book,

but instead to provide a fun and educational way of inserting Taiwanese music and

culture into the pedagogical repertoire.

Chapter 1 is an introduction that provides a brief history of Taiwan, an overview

of the project, and a review of related literature and other arrangements of popular music.

Chapter 2 includes the methodology and an outline of the organization of the project. It

discusses popular sequencing concepts in early-level piano method books and teacher

accompaniments in early-level books and includes some ideas for how these new

arrangements can supplement existing piano method books. Chapter 3 contains the new

arrangements and a discussion of pedagogical concepts presented in each of the ten

arrangements. Scores for each solo arrangement and teacher accompaniment are included

in this chapter. Chapter 4 offers a summary of the project and lists implications for future

research.


v

LIST OF TABLES

1. The Tar (點仔膠) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

2. Whispering Hope (望春風) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

3. An Old Train (丟丟銅仔) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

4. Tricycle Runs Fast (三輪車跑得快) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

5. Dark Sky (天黑黑) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

6. Northwest Monsoon Rain (西北雨直直落) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

7. Grasshopper Playing Tricks on a Rooster (草螟弄雞公) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

8. Jasmine (茉莉花) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

9. Peach Blossom Takes the Ferry (桃花過渡) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

10. Love in Four Seasons (四季紅) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47


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LIST OF FIGURES

1-1 Dark Sky, Yi-Chih Lu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

1-2 Grasshopper Playing Tricks on a Rooster, Yi-Chih Lu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

2-1 Middle C Position Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

2-2 Different Position Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

2-3 Different Position Example 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

2-4 C Position Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

2-5 C Position Example 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

2-6 Teacher’s Accompaniment Part Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

2-7 Teacher’s Accompaniment Part Example 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

3-1 The Tar (點仔膠) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

3-2 Whispering Hope (望春風) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

3-3 An Old Train (丟丟銅仔) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

3-4 Tricycle Runs Fast (三輪車跑得快) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

3-5 Dark Sky (天黑黑) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

3-6 Northwest Monsoon Rain (西北雨直直落) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

3-7 Grasshopper Playing Tricks on a Rooster (草螟弄雞公) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

3-8 Jasmine (茉莉花) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

3-9 Peach Blossom Takes the Ferry (桃花過渡) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

3-10 Love in Four Seasons (四季紅) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49


1

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Culturally unique songs are enjoyed by people across the globe and deserve to be

studied and passed on to future generations. These songs grow from unique traditions and

one-of-a-kind cultures that only exist in certain areas of the world. They help define the

identity of a specific people and geographical area. Through advancements in recording

technology and the sharing of information through the Internet, culturally specific music

from different areas is now more widely available across the globe than ever before.

History of Taiwan

The small island country of Taiwan has its own unique culture, developed across

centuries and influenced by numerous cultural and political events. Taiwan has aboriginal

origins going back many thousands of years. It was subsequently settled and controlled

most notably by the Chinese, the Dutch from 1624-1662, and the Chinese again from

1662-1895. China controlled Taiwan until Japan won the First Sino-Japanese War in

1895, ending with China surrendering many of its territories to Japan.1

During the Japanese occupation of Taiwan, which lasted from 1895 to 1945,

Japan suppressed the heritage of the Taiwanese people and forced them to adopt the

Japanese culture, way of life, and language. During this occupation came the start of

1Wai-Chung Ho, “A Historical Review of Popular Music and Social Change in Taiwan,” Asian

Journal of Social Science 34, no.1 (2006): 120.


2

modern Taiwanese popular song, beginning around 1932.2 Lyrics to many popular songs

that emerged during this time in Taiwan were in reaction to the suppressive Japanese

government and the political and social reforms they enforced. An important event for the

music development of Taiwan was the Japanese establishment of Taiwan’s music

industry through the Japanese/UK company, Columbia Records. Because the record

company saw a market for traditional Taiwanese music, they published and recorded

many Taiwanese popular songs. At times, Taiwanese popular song melodies were given

Japanese propaganda lyrics. Later in the Japanese occupation, Japan banned any native

Taiwanese languages from being spoken, including a ban of vernacular Taiwanese

music.3

After Japan surrendered to the Allied powers at the end of World War II, Taiwan

was given back to China. In China, a civil war between the communist and democratic

parties erupted, with the communists winning and the democratic party fleeing to Taiwan.

Political instability continued over the decades as China claimed to own Taiwan, and

even from 1949 to 1987, martial law was imposed in Taiwan, with thousands of arrests

and executions of Taiwanese people who spoke against the party in power, the

Kuomintang Party (KMT). The Chinese government forced the suppression of native

Taiwanese and past Japanese cultures, and required that only Mandarin be spoken. From

the 1950s to 1980s, Taiwanese popular music was heavily influenced by war and

2Ibid, 122.

3Ibid, 124-127.


3

expression of feelings about more socio-political changes.4 Towards the end of the

martial law period, public broadcasting in Taiwan allowed for a few hours of Western

language programing each day. This especially helped introduce American pop music to

Taiwan. The recording industry became successful and music was now influenced by a

mix of Western and Asian sounds and instrumentations.5

Martial law ended in 1987 giving rise to more democratic party views. Taiwan’s

music industry continued to develop with the rest of world as well. In 2000, the first

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate won the presidential election, which

ended the KMT party’s previously uncontested control of power. Political instability with

China drastically increased from 2000 to 2008, until the KMT party won the presidential

election of 2008. From 2008 to 2016 relations with China were sought by the Taiwanese

president, easing tensions between the two countries, but angering many pro-

independence supporters. In 2016, the DPP’s female candidate, Tsai Ing-Wen (蔡英文),

won the presidential election.6 Democratic ideas are continuing to be adopted, as

exemplified in May 2017 when Taiwan became the first Asian country to rule in favor of

legal same-sex marriage.7

For now, Taiwan maintains a relationship with China despite having different

governments and being separate countries. China still claims to own Taiwan, but through

4Ibid, 128. 5Ibid, 132-133.6“Taiwan profile–Timeline,” BBC News, date accessed June 1, 2017,

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-16178545. 7Bill Chappell, “Taiwan’s High Court Rules Same-Sex Marriage is Legal, in a First for Asia,”

NPR, accessed June 1, 2017, http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/05/24/529841027/taiwans-high-court-rules-same-sex-marriage-is-legal-in-a-first-for-asia.


4

Taiwan’s uniqueness and varied history, all aspects of the island’s culture and music

continue to be developed and influenced by old and new generations of Taiwanese people.

Overview of the Project

Taiwanese popular songs containing their own special stories, lessons, sounds,

and styles have contributed to the country’s uniqueness over time. The Taiwanese pieces

I have selected vary, with some coming from anonymous sources and others having

named composers and lyricists. Some fall directly into the definition of folk music from

Oxford Dictionary of Music:, “songs of unknown authorship passed orally from

generation to generation, sung without accompaniment, and often found in variants in

different parts of a country.”8 Oxford also includes a statement about modern popular

songs becoming folk songs: “It may well be that the popular songs of the 20th century by

named composers may become (indeed already have become) the folk songs of a new

age.”9 For the purpose of this project I have organized all the music into one category—

Taiwanese popular songs.

I propose that these arrangements can be used as new material to teach anyone

unfamiliar with Taiwanese popular songs, as well as Taiwanese students in their home

country or abroad, who might already be familiar with them. As a number of beginning

method books contain popular cultural songs to present important pedagogical concepts,

these Taiwanese songs can also be used by teachers to review various important concepts

8Oxford Dictionary of Music, 2nd ed., s.v. “folk music,” accessed October 17, 2017,

http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.lib-e2.lib.ttu.edu/subscriber/article/opr/t237/e3871?q=folk+music&search=quick&pos=4&_start=1#firsthit.

9Ibid.


5

for the young developing pianist. My belief is that learning these arrangements also

provides young students the opportunity to discuss and think about art forms from

different countries, which may help to promote tolerance by crossing important racial,

social, and cultural barriers.

Review of Related Literature

This project provides piano teachers the opportunity to use new, supplemental

material for teaching early-elementary piano students. Current published repertoire on

this subject is mostly in traditional Chinese making it almost impossible for non-speakers

to use. However, there are some existing arrangements that are worth briefly discussing.

The review presented here takes an in-depth look at the currently available piano

arrangements of Taiwanese popular songs. There are many arrangements of Taiwanese

songs published in the capital city of Taipei, covering different genres. They include

pieces for voice with accompaniment, piano solo, piano duet, chorus, small chamber

ensemble, and full orchestra. It is fair to say that most of the piano repertoire is too

difficult for the early-level student.

Chen-Chen Ho (何真真), a Taiwanese pianist and composer, has written multiple

books on Taiwanese music. Her The Love of Formosa Our Homeland (咱的鄉土台灣情

鋼琴曲集) is divided into two volumes. The first volume has twenty-five pieces, and is

for students to play sometime after they have completed the elementary level of piano

study. The second volume has fifteen pieces and is for intermediate-level students. The

composer also released New Century 30 Taiwanese Folk Songs for Piano (新世紀鋼琴台


6

灣民謠 30 選), which has two audio CDs of the scores included. Every arrangement is

introduced with a brief statement describing the political and social events that were

happening in Taiwan during each folk song’s origin. Also included is a theoretical

analysis of each piece.

Kenneth J. Lee (李奎然), who taught at Taiwan Theological College and

Seminary, Tainan University of Technology, and Taipei First Girls’ High School has

arranged and published many Taiwanese folk songs for piano solo and mixed voices.

There are twenty-nine pieces in his book The Essence of Taiwanese Folk Music for Piano

(台灣民謠鋼琴精華). Eighteen of them are folk songs with anonymous composers,

while the remaining eleven are popular songs. This book is appropriate for intermediate-

level piano students, based on the difficulty criteria established by Jane Magrath in her

text The Pianist’s Guide to Standard Teaching and Performance Literature. The pieces

in Lee’s collection are fit for those with bigger hands, as there are intervals larger than

octaves, thick chords, difficult rhythms, and many accidental notes.

The Dawn Publishing House (晨曦出版社) has published two volumes of Let’s

Play Piano - Piano Four Hand- Taiwanese Children’s Tone (大家都來彈鋼琴-童謠系列

-鋼琴四手聯彈). There are a total of twenty-five arrangements for piano duet, in addition

to five new compositions by the author, Ching-Ju Shin (石青如). They are appropriate

for intermediate-level piano students and ordered from easiest to most difficult. The

books include CDs of Ms. Shin’s pieces, which were crafted as concert repertoire.

Yi-Chih Lu (盧易之), a Taiwanese pianist and visiting assistant professor at

National Taiwan University of the Arts, arranged many famous Taiwanese folk songs for


7

piano solo. His first arrangement of Taiwanese folk songs was published in 2014. In 2016,

his book Taiwanese Folk Songs: Dark Sky/Grasshopper Playing Tricks on a Rooster (台

灣民謠改編曲: 天黑黑/草螟弄雞公) included two of the most popular Taiwanese songs

(Figures 1-1 and 1-2). The music contains many difficult piano techniques, tempo

changes, octaves, and challenging embellishments. The composer suggests they are for

intermediate students.

Figure 1-1. Dark Sky, Yi-Chih Lu.


8

Figure 1-2. Grasshopper Playing Tricks on a Rooster, Yi-Chih Lu.

Other Arrangements of Popular Music

There have been many piano composers who are renowned arrangers of popular

songs or folk music. One of the most important of these is Béla Bartók, who composed

the six-volume collection Mikrokosmos, which contains a combination of folk

arrangements and original compositions. In the early 1900s, Bartók heard a woman

singing local folk songs. Afterward, it is thought that he developed an infatuation with

finding original, local folk tunes throughout Hungary and Romania. He wrote down,


9

recorded, and collected hundreds of songs with an Edison phonograph, and these events

helped develop Bartók’s compositional style.10

Besides Mikrokosmos, other piano collections that contain folk-song

arrangements are Villa Lobos’s Guia Pratico and Witold Lutoslawski’s Album for the

Young. Ernst Widmer composed his Kosmos Latinoamericano: A Progressive Piano

Method, modeled after Bartók’s Mikrokosmos, with its use of sequencing of various

musical skills.11 Other works include Dmitry Kabalevsky’s Easy Variations on Folk

Themes, Op. 51, Edvard Grieg’s 25 Norwegian Folk Songs and Dances, Pyotr

Tchaikovsky’s 50 Russian Folk-Songs, Bohuslav Martinu’s Little Pieces for Children,

and Enrique Granados’s Album for the Young.

In addition, there are many contemporary and current piano methods that also

have supplementary books of popular music and folk song arrangements for young

pianists. Victor Galindo’s A World of Folk Songs, published by FJH, contains twelve easy

arrangements of different folk songs from various countries for early elementary students.

Keith Snell and Diane Hidy’s Piano Town series has two books for primer level

students—the Performance book and the Christmas book—which contain popular music

and folk-song arrangements. The Celebrate Piano! series, published by Frederick Harris

Music and written by Albergo, Kolar, and Mrozinski, has a level 1 book of popular

Christmas song arrangements. Nancy and Randall Faber, in their Piano Adventures series,

have books of popular repertoire and Christmas arrangements for every level of student.

10Scott Simon, “Bela Bartok: Finding a Voice Through Folk Music,” NPR Music, September 15,

2007, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14416746. 11Leobardo Guerrero Ramirez, “A Rediscovery of Ernst Widmer’s Kosmos Latinoamerico: An

Analysis of its Cross-Cultural Influences, Pedagogical Purpose, and Performance Approaches,” (PhD diss., Texas Tech University, 2014), 1-2.


10

Pedagogue Helen Marlais has published many books for young beginners. Her In Recital

with Little Pieces for Little Fingers series has books with arrangements of Children’s

Songs and Holiday Songs for preparatory level. Her In Recital series also has the books In

Recital with Popular Music and In Recital with All-Time Favorites, targeted for early

elementary students. June Edison’s books from the popular Peanuts Piano Course

contains many easy arrangements for Peanuts fans, and her Snoopy’s Very First

Christmas is a supplemental book of popular Christmas songs to play with Book Two of

the Peanuts series. From the FJH Piano Teaching Library, Renee and David Karp’s

Jewish Festival and Folk Songs Book One has arrangements of popular Jewish songs for

early elementary students. Faber and Faber, in their PreTime Piano and Playtime series,

have multiple books that contain popular songs for children. They contain Christmas, jazz,

hymns, children songs, and others. Carol Matz has arranged a book, published by

Alfred’s, called Piano 101, Pop Book One. It has arrangements from popular movies, TV

shows, radio, and staged productions. Alfred also has collection called Pop Series,

containing multiple books with arrangements of a variety of popular songs that can be

used by children and adults alike. Alfred’s Basic Piano Library Top Hits solo book, level

1A published by Hal Leonard, contains arrangements of popular songs from Broadway,

movies, TV, and recordings. Robert Schultz and Tina Faigen’s series Five Finger Piano

Books, contains the book Folk Songs. It has arrangements of popular American folk

songs targeted for elementary-level pianists.

It is obvious that arrangements of popular songs have been commonplace in

pedagogical piano literature for quite some time. Many well-known piano composers and

pedagogues use this to their advantage when writing music. This way they can target


11

younger students and keep their interest. Studies have shown that children perform better

when they rate the topic they are learning as interesting.12 This finding may point to the

success the music publishing industry has experienced with collections of arrangements

for learners of all levels.

12Suzanne Hidi, “Interest and its Contribution as a Mental Resource for Learning,” Review of

Educational Research 60, no.4 (1990): 553.


12

CHAPTER 2

METHODOLOGY

Organization and Process

My project includes ten selected Taiwanese popular songs. I chose these ten

pieces because most native Taiwanese are familiar with these songs, learning them as

children and throughout life. The selected songs also provide enough variety to be

interesting from both entertainment and pedagogical standpoints. The arrangements are

listed from easiest to hardest based on the difficulty of technique, rhythm, key, and tempo,

as well as by the length of each piece.

All songs were arranged as student solos with teacher accompaniments. In most

cases, I isolated the melody for the piano student. In some of the more difficult

arrangements, students play an accompaniment role as well. Some of the songs’ melodies

were slightly changed by simplifying rhythms and pitches to make them easier and more

appropriate for the targeted level of students. The integrity of the sounds and melodies

are still present however, and easy to identify for someone familiar with the tunes.

One major difference contributing to the uniqueness of my project is that many of

the melodies contain, what one might consider, Eastern sounds. They avoid strong V to I

chord progressions, not emphasizing one single pitch as being tonic. Many are also

composed with pentatonic scales. Some arrangements also contain irregular phrasing,

which can sound incomplete or awkward to Western listeners. When writing

accompaniments, I made changes to establish more of a Western harmonic structure by

ending them on half or strong full cadences. I also composed a harmony to follow


13

common chord progressions like I-IV-V-I. The more Western sounding harmonies give

the songs a more organized and familiar feel to a Western listener.

The presentation of each piece in the next chapter will contain information about

the composer(s), if available, and each song will be discussed in terms of its musical and

pedagogical characteristics. To help teachers easily identify what concepts are contained

in each of the pieces, I include tables showing key signatures, hand position, and other

important information pertaining to the student solos.

Sequencing of Concepts in Early-Level Piano Method Books

I based the creation and ordering of my arrangements on current popular early-

level piano methods. Most method collections seem to have similar sequencing, gradually

increasing the overall difficulty from primary to late intermediate levels across a series of

books. Early preparatory or primer-level methods focus on starting students out in

middle-C hand position, with simple dynamics, easy rhythms, intervals of steps and skips,

no key signatures, and limited meter options. Late primer to level one books include new

hand positions, playing two notes in the same hand at one time, more articulations, and

the introduction of playing hands together. Level one books even include hand crossings,

an expanded playing range on the keyboard, accidentals, and simple two- or three-note

chords.

Figure 2-1 is an example of a piece from the All In-One Preparatory Book A by

Helen Marlais. It has students playing in the middle-C position. Notice students put both

thumbs on middle C, in essence sharing it. As you can see, the piece is composed with

the key signature of C major, in common time, and only contains simple rhythms, simple


14

dynamics, and a limited number of note values. My easiest arrangements discussed in the

next chapter fit within this level.

Figure 2-1. Middle C Position Example.

Preparatory Book B from the same series, shown in figures 2-2 and 2-3, introduce

a new hand position. The thumbs are next to each other, not sharing middle C, with the

right-hand thumb on middle C and left-hand thumb on B. As compared to the piece in

figure 2-1, these pieces are more difficult, requiring students to play more notes within

melody lines that often change direction. Most of my pieces will look similar to this piece

but will vary in terms of starting hand positions and concepts presented.


15

Figure 2-2. Different Position Example.

Figure 2-3. Different Position Example 2.

Figures 2-4 and 2-5 are from the same Preparatory Book B, but much further into

the lessons. The right-hand thumb is still on middle C, but the left-hand pinky is on bass-

C position, extending the piano’s range from one octave to one and a half. Students learn

to read bass-clef notes from C to G, using fingerings five to one in the left hand. The

piece contains larger intervals, incorporates the use of all fingers of both hands, and is


16

generally more difficult from the previous pieces described here. My last arrangements

fall in line with this piece, with the most difficult piece being just above this skill level.

Figure 2-4. C Position Example.

Figure 2-5. C Position Example 2.


17

Teacher Accompaniments in Early-Level Piano Method Books

Teacher accompaniments are included, along with student solos, in many of the

existing early-level method books. They provide harmonic structure and support for the

student melodies, which can be simple and sparse on their own. Accompaniments also

provide musical enhancement for pieces, helping create a unique atmosphere that

corresponds to each piece’s title and lyrics. I composed my accompaniment parts to be

like those seen in figures 2-6 and 2-7 from Succeeding at the Piano series books by Helen

Marlais. I chose Marlais as an example because her accompaniments are clear, simple,

stylistic, and most often sight-readable for the teacher.

Figure 2-6. Teacher’s Accompaniment Part Example.


18

Figure 2-7. Teacher’s Accompaniment Part Example 2.

How New Arrangements Can Supplement Existing Piano Method Books

To provide teachers a more complete picture of where my new arrangements

might fit within the current early piano method curricula, I provide some guidelines here.

The first few pieces from this project are appropriate for students playing out of the

preparatory books from The All-In-One Approach to Succeeding at the Piano by Helen

Marlais, both A and B lesson books of My First Piano Adventure: For the Young

Beginner by Faber, or music lesson books 1 and 2 of Alfred’s Music for Little Mozarts.

At the more difficult end, I have pieces similar in level to those of Lesson Book C

of My First Piano Adventure: For the Young Beginner by Faber or Music Lesson Book 3

of Alfred’s Music for Little Mozarts.


19

Students who perform all of the new arrangements discussed in the next chapter

should be able to move into Book 4 of Alfred’s Music for Little Mozarts and Level 2 of

Piano Adventure: A Basic Piano Method by Faber and Faber.


20

CHAPTER 3

PRESENTATION AND PEDAGOGICAL ANALYSIS OF

NEW ARRANGEMENTS

In this chapter I will present and discuss each of the ten Taiwanese popular songs

I have arranged. They are in order of difficulty, from easiest to hardest. I will briefly

describe each of the songs’ original lyrics, provide information about the composer

and/or lyricist, and discuss the steps taken to arrange each melody and supporting

accompaniment. I will also include pedagogical analyses, that bring to teachers’ attention

concepts and skills that are important in learning and performing of the pieces.

The Tar (點仔膠)

Table 1. The Tar (點仔膠) Tempo Key Signature Position Pedagogical Concepts Slow and Sticky C major Middle-C Position

-RH only -Repeat -mf -4th finger strength -Quarter notes, half notes, and whole notes

The music and lyrics of The Tar are by Fu-Zhen Shi (施福珍). Lyrics are in the

Taiwanese language. Born in Changhua, Taiwan in 1935, Shi was a high school music

teacher. Throughout his life he composed over 400 Taiwanese popular songs for


21

children.13 He is also considered by some to be the father of the Taiwanese children’s

song.14 His most popular and famous Taiwanese songs include The Tar (點仔膠), Big

Nostril (大鼻孔), and Big Fatty (大箍呆). He taught these Taiwanese songs to his own

music classes at school, going against the government’s Mandarin only policy during the

martial law period in Taiwan. He saw the importance of Taiwanese culture and continued

to support it, creating his own children’s choir outside of school time to be within the law

and to advocate important Taiwanese culture and heritage.15

The Tar (點仔膠) was composed in 1964. Mr. Shi says it only took him five

minutes to compose it and that, after writing this song, he decided he wanted to write

songs for the rest of his life.16 The lyrics are translated as follows: “The tar, stuck on feet;

yell to daddy, buy pig feet; pig feet cooked tender, hungry children are drooling.” This

song describes a child’s daily life in old Taiwan when roads were mainly dirt or gravel.

Children who would walk the few roads topped with asphalt would get tar stuck on their

feet during hot summer days. It was considered bad luck to get the tar stuck to one’s feet,

and there was a custom at the time that eating noodles with pig feet would help bad luck

go away.

13Xiao-Yun Lin, The Tar Passed Down for Half a Century Shi Fu-Zhen Receives Taiwanese

Achievement, “Liberty Times Net,” date accessed May 29, 2017, http://news.ltn.com.tw/news/life/paper/655737.

14“Introduction of Teacher Shi Fu-Zhen,” Father of Taiwanese Children Songs Teacher Shi Fu-

Zhen, date accessed May 25, 2017, http://library.taiwanschoolnet.org/cyberfair2014/WINNER/introduction.html.

15Xiang-Lin Chen, “Shi Fu-Zhen The Tar Children Song Passed Down to Sing for a Half Century,”

Mandarin Daily News, date accessed May 22, 2017, https://www.mdnkids.com/news/?Serial_NO=82688. 16Ibid.


22

I arranged this piece with no accidental notes, to let beginner students play in

middle-C position, with fingerings 1 to 5 on C to G, and with the right hand only. The

piece starts and ends on D. There are four short irregular phrases (2+2+2+3) and only one

dynamic marking, mezzo-forte. While keeping the integrity of the melody, I simplified

the rhythm from the original song to only include quarter notes, half notes, and whole

notes. I also rearranged a few pitches so beginner students could play with one hand. Still,

the character of the piece is intact. A few questions for a teacher to ask students while

introducing this piece could be: how slow can you play? How sticky can you play? I

suggest this piece be played with a slow tempo and that students be encouraged to use

their imagination, that tar is sticking to their fingers. The practice of mm. 5-7 (figure 3-1)

will help beginner students develop strong and independent 4th fingers.

The accompaniment part was written in the low register of the piano, as slow

arpeggios with pedal represent the character of the song. This gives the piece a sticky and

heavy style, like someone walking on tar. It should be played quietly but with a very

steady tempo. The accompaniment part is written in D minor, but no accidentals have

been indicated in the student part since the B-flat does not appear in the melody.


23

Figure 3-1. The Tar (點仔膠).


24

Whispering Hope (望春風)

Table 2. Whispering Hope (望春風) Tempo Key Signature Position Pedagogical Concepts Calm and Slow C major Middle-C position

-Legato playing -f and mf -Ritardando -Diminuendo

Whispering Hope (望春風) was written in 1933. The music is by Yu-Hsien Teng

(鄧雨賢 1906-1944), and the Taiwanese lyrics are by Lin-Chiu Lee (李臨秋 1909-1979).

Lee was born in Taipei and wrote lyrics for many songs and movies. During the early 20th

century, rights of women were restricted and their social statuses were considered low,

like in many parts of the world at the time. Lee wanted to write this song for women so

they might have an expressive song to sing, since women of this time were expected to

hide their emotions.17 This song is about a woman who sees a handsome, young man she

likes, but she does not know who he is or what family he is from. She thinks she hears

someone outside knock on her front door that night, and she hopes that he is coming to

visit her. It turns out to just be the wind blowing, and she becomes very disappointed and

sad, sighing at the moon.

I arranged this piece in a calm, slow tempo. Both hands are in middle-C position.

Students can focus on playing phrases in a smooth, lyrical, and legato way in this

arrangement by connecting the notes as much as possible. Teachers may sing the melody

with the student to help them play with a beautiful, continuous full tone. There are four

17“Lee Lin-Chiu 1909.4.22~1979.2.12,” Home of Music, date accessed May 28, 2017,

http://www2.ouk.edu.tw/wester/composer/Chinese/LeeLinChiu.htm###.


25

short phrases of two measures each and the dynamics contain forte, mezzo-forte, and

diminuendo markings. Young students have the opportunity to practice playing a

ritardando and diminuendo at the same time in mm. 7-8 (figure 3-2).

I arranged the accompaniment with the student part in mind. The student can

match the teacher’s legato playing, as the parts are played in unison during the opening

melody of mm. 1-2. Afterward, the accompaniment provides harmonic support for the

rest of the song, letting the student continue with the legato melody on his/her own. An

important note to make is that the student plays one octave higher when the

accompaniment is also played.


26

Figure 3-2. Whispering Hope (望春風).


27

An Old Train (丟丟銅仔)

Table 3. An Old Train (丟丟銅仔) Tempo Key Signature Position Pedagogical Concepts Chugging Along -Option for any tempo

C major Middle-C position -Dotted half note -Steadiness of tempo

An Old Train (丟丟銅仔) has a few different versions of the song. In the most

popular version, this music is arrangement by Quan-Sheng Lu (呂泉生 1916-2008). The

Taiwanese lyrics are translated as, “The train entered the tunnel. Water from the top of

the tunnel drips down.” Bing-Ding Hsu (許丙丁 1899-1977) wrote some other lyrics for

this song as well.

During the occupation of Taiwan by the empire of Japan, the Japanese

government suppressed Taiwanese nationalistic culture, as they wanted to continue the

Japanization of their territories and eliminate heritage of inhabited regions. In 1943, the

father of Taiwanese music, professor Quan-Sheng Lu (呂泉生) arranged and performed

this song publicly. The song is said to communicate that the Yilan, a group of people

from North-East Taiwan, are simple, dependable, optimistic, and have strong native

personalities. Japan put a stop to the performance, but it was too late, and the people of

Taiwan adopted it as one of their favorite songs of the time.18 Many of the lyrics contain

nonsense syllables, used to bring life to dripping water in the tunnel.

18Zhi-Gang Gan, “Voice of Asia 28th Anniversary Spring Concert, Discussing From ‘An Old Train’

to the Father of Taiwanese Music - Quan-Sheng Lu,” Dallas Chinese News, date accessed May 27, 2017, http://dallaschinesenews.com/detail.php?id=1274.


28

I arranged this piece with a “chugging along” tempo marking. Hands are set up in

middle-C position and students get the chance to learn a new note value, the dotted-half

note.

With guidance from the teacher, students can play this piece using different

articulations—staccato, detached or legato—to represent different types of trains. They

can also change the tempo of the song, representing slow or fast trains. The teacher can

help to count one beat per measure when students play a fast tempo, two beats per

measure when students play a moderate tempo, or four beats per measure at a slow tempo.

Whatever the tempo, however, performance of the piece should be stable. There are two

irregular phrases and the piece ends on a half cadence.

I composed the accompaniment part in a staccato style with an alternating bass

line to add energy. On the second ending, I included a fortissimo major 7th chord to

represent the powerful train whistle.


29

Figure 3-3. An Old Train (丟丟銅仔).


30

Tricycle Runs Fast (三輪車跑得快)

Table 4. Tricycle Runs Fast (三輪車跑得快)

Tempo Key Signature Position Pedagogical Concepts Wheeling Along C major

-F# accidental -RH thumb on C -LH thumb on B

-Accidental -Frequent alternation of RH and LH

Tricycle Runs Fast (三輪車跑得快) was composed by Shi-Song Chen (陳石松)

(b. 1927). The Chinese Mandarin lyrics state, “Tricycle runs fast, an old lady sits on the

top. Charged fifty cents, but she gives one dollar. Do you think it is strange or not strange?

Little monkey is chirping, belly is hungry, cannot chirp. Give him a banana, but he

doesn’t want it. Do you think it is funny or not funny?”

I arranged this piece with a “wheeling along” tempo indication. Thumbs are next

to each other, with the right-hand thumb on C and left-hand thumb on B. Although the

tonal center of the piece is G, it is indicated with the C major key signature for the

student part, as are many pieces at this level for ease of reading. In measure 3, the F-sharp

is indicated in the score and students can practice playing 4th finger on this black key.

For students having trouble playing the F-sharp, teachers can direct them to place

their fingertip of finger 4 on the edge of the black key, to play it more easily and without

stretching too far. To match the title and character of the piece, the tempo should be

upbeat, although early slow performances are encouraged to strengthen finger placement

and accuracy. There are three phrases (2+2+4) made up of a melody which alternates

between both hands.


31

The accompaniment part was composed in the low register of the piano with

repeated wide-interval, soft legato arpeggios. They provide harmonic support, while also

stressing the continuous movement of a running tricycle. Although the part is notated for

two hands, teachers with large enough hands may opt to play it with just their left hand.


32

Figure 3-4. Tricycle Runs Fast (三輪車跑得快).


33

Dark Sky (天黑黑)

Table 5. Dark Sky (天黑黑) Tempo Key Signature Position Pedagogical Concepts Moving along C major -RH thumb on A

-LH thumb on G -Ties -Syncopation

Dark Sky (天黑黑) is a one of the most famous songs in all of Taiwan. While the

composer of the music is unknown, the lyrics are in Taiwanese and were written in the

1960s by Fu-Yu Lin (林福裕) (1931-2004). Lin was a music educator, conducting many

choirs during his lifetime, as well as a composer, with some of his TV commercial jingles

still being played today.19

The lyrics of this piece read, “Dark sky, it’s going to rain. Grandpa holds a hoe to

dig taro. Keep hoeing; keep hoeing. Hoe a pond loach; it’s so fun. Grandpa wants to cook

salty, but grandma wants to cook lightly. The two are fighting and broke the pot; sounds

of the pot breaking on the floor; ha-ha-ha.”

I arranged this piece for the thumbs to be next to each other—with the right-hand

thumb on A and left-hand thumb on G. I intentionally have students start in different

positions across these ten popular songs as a way of slowly introducing new pitches and

getting students used to playing in different parts of the keyboard.

The tempo of the solo part is “moving along” and the song presents a simple

syncopated feel in m. 12 (figure 3-5). Students should feel a strong pulse to perform it

without rushing and to stay in time. Students can review the idea of tied notes, like in mm.

19“Lin Fu-Yu/Composer, Music Educator,” The Online Database of Taiwanese Musicians, date

accessed May 28, 2017, http://musiciantw.ncfta.gov.tw/list.aspx?p=M074&c=&t=1.


34

5-6 and mm. 13-14. The teacher should help students count during these measures,

making sure students hold eight beats for two measures. When the piece is played with

accompaniment, the student should make sure to listen intently to feel the teacher’s pulse

as well.

The accompaniment in this arrangement mainly provides rhythmic support, with

the same rhythm happening throughout the entire piece, acting as a metronome in the

background to help students play in time. This can especially help during the ties in the

solo part so that students can feel all of the beats and not rush into the next phrase. It also

helps with feeling and counting the syncopation in m. 12.


35

Figure 3-5. Dark Sky (天黑黑).


36

Northwest Monsoon Rain (西北雨直直落)

Table 6. Northwest Monsoon Rain (西北雨直直落) Tempo Key Signature Position Pedagogical Concepts Steady like rainfall

C major -RH thumb on C -LH thumb on A

-Skip notes -Fingering extension

The music and lyrics of Northwest Monsoon Rain (西北雨直直落) are both of

anonymous origins. In Taiwanese traditional culture, the boy usually goes to the girl’s

home first to pick her up to get married. The lyrics, directed towards children in a cute

story using fish as characters, state that dark clouds, falling rain, or a monsoon cannot

stop a boy fish in love from going to pick up his bride.

The pulse of this piece should be steady like the rainfall. This is the first

arrangement I include in which the thumbs are not sharing a note or placed next to each

other on the keyboard. The right-hand thumb is on C and the left-hand thumb is on A, a

minor third below. This leaves a one-note gap between the hand positions (figure 3-6).

For this arrangement, students can learn or review skip-note fingerings: by placing the

right-hand thumb on B and the right-hand index finger on D. The fingers play a melodic

minor third interval instead of the expected second. I indicated this with the word

“extend,” just as the reminder term used in the Piano Adventure series books.

The teacher accompaniment was placed above the student solo this time in a high

register. The writing contains falling, scale-like and arpeggio passages to represent the

rainfall. The steady eighth notes also rhythmically support the tempo of the student’s

melody. Teachers can play this part with just the right hand, which provides students

even more space on the keyboard when parts are played together.


37

Figure 3-6. Northwest Monsoon Rain (西北雨直直落).


38

Grasshopper Playing Tricks on a Rooster (草螟弄雞公)

Table 7. Grasshopper Playing Tricks on a Rooster (草螟弄雞公) Tempo Key Signature Position Pedagogical Concepts Poking fun and laughing

C major Middle-C Position -Eighth notes -Mix of articulations -Crescendo -More difficult combinations between hands

Grasshopper Playing Tricks on a Rooster (草螟弄雞公) contains lyrics written by

Yong-Ming Chuang (莊永明) (b. 1942). This old song from south Taiwan describes an

older man and a young girl flirting in a sung duet—the grasshopper symbolizes the young

girl and the rooster symbolizes the old man. The girl is overestimating her own limits by

playing where she should not be. Although the grasshopper moves fast and is very alert,

the rooster is still its natural enemy. If the grasshopper keeps bothering the rooster, the

rooster will eat it very easily.

I arranged the piece in middle-C position. The uplifting, fun character should be

reflected in the tempo. The piece is playful and the melody goes back and forth between

the hands quickly. Melodic phrases are made up of quarter and eighth notes, with a mix

of articulations like those seen in mm. 5-6 (figure 3-7). If students have not learned to

read eighth notes but are ready for an energetic piece, teachers might consider teaching

this piece by rote. Students can listen to a recording first and then learn it with all of its

articulations, phrase by phrase.

The accompaniment was written to help characterize the energy of the piece and

to give harmonic support to students’ varying articulated melody. It is noted for just the


39

left hand to be played with a short, staccato articulation like a rooster pecking around

looking for the grasshopper.


40

Figure 3-7. Grasshopper Playing Tricks on a Rooster (草螟弄雞公).


41

Jasmine (茉莉花)

Table 8. Jasmine (茉莉花) Tempo Key Signature Position Pedagogical Concepts Peacefully -Cantabile

C major -RH thumb on B with extension -LH thumb on B

-Eighth notes -Legato -Shaping phrases -Clear tone -Skip notes -Fingering extension

The lyrics of Jasmine (茉莉花) are in Chinese Mandarin and written by

anonymous. They state, “How beautiful the jasmine is! How beautiful the jasmine is!

Fragrant beautiful full branches. They smell good, are so white, people praise. Let me

pick you off; give it to someone. Jasmine, oh, jasmine.”

The tempo should be calm and peaceful in the performance of this piece and

expressing a singing melody is important. Students can work on playing very legato with

a clear, beautiful tone to shape the phrases.

Once again, with students who need help with reading rhythms, teachers should

feel free to play audio or video the original song, which can easily be found on YouTube.

Students can then practice rhythms using a syllabic approach, which connects spoken or

sung text to the rhythm.

In my opinion, it is important at this point that teachers stress with students the

goal of performing music with expression. To get students thinking more musically,

teachers might suggest that as the notes go up, so does the volume. As the notes come

down, one should hear a diminuendo. Starting from m. 1 (figure 3-8), students can be


42

guided to play softer on the first beat and then making a crescendo to the G, later in the

measure. Notes leading into the next measure should be played with a slight decrescendo.

For the teacher accompaniment part of this piece, I composed a consistent, calmly

moving eighth-note pattern throughout. It is to be played with just the left hand. This

keeps the accompaniment in the bass so that the student melody can project. Pedal can be

added to create resonance but should be changed every two beats for clarity.


43

Figure 3-8. Jasmine (茉莉花).


44

Peach Blossom Takes the Ferry (桃花過渡)

Table 9. Peach Blossom Takes the Ferry (桃花過渡) Tempo Key Signature Position Pedagogical Concepts Light and Delicate

C major -Alternation of middle-C position and C position

-LH shifts -Two notes played simultaneously -Balance -Simple homophonic texture

Peach Blossom Takes the Ferry (桃花過渡) comprises a popular melody that is

often used in different Taiwanese and Hakka musicals and operas. The author of the

lyrics is anonymous. This is a very old story about two people, Lady Blossom and Mr.

Boat Rower. The two are singing a very funny and lighthearted song. Lady Blossom is

about to cross the river and sees the man who rows the boat. They are going to have a

singing competition and if she wins, she will get to cross the river for free. If he wins, he

gets to marry her. Smart Lady Blossom and the boat rower sing about the months of the

year, taking turns for each month. The man goes first and she knows she will then sing

last and win. The lady wins and takes the ferry for free.20

The style of this arrangement is light and delicate. At the beginning, both thumbs

share middle C, but the left hand shifts down to bass clef, in C position, as seen in m. 9

(figure 3-9). This is the first piece in the set in which students play two notes together.

The student part is divided into three sections, each a little more difficult than the

last. In mm. 1-8, the student plays only the melody. In mm. 9-12, the student acts as

20“Peach Blossom Takes the Ferry,” Folk Songs of Taiwan, date accessed Jun, 1, 2017,

http://library.taiwanschoolnet.org/cyberfair2001/C0118800001/f10.htm.


45

accompanist to the teacher solo part for the first time. Also during this section, the

student plays multiple notes in each hand at the same time. In mm. 13 to the end,

the student plays melody in the right hand and chordal accompaniment in their left hand,

a very simple homophonic texture. Students’ attention should be brought to the

importance of balance when teachers have the melodic role. This is a good time to

discuss keeping the student accompaniment part quieter so that the melody can be heard

clearly.

The accompaniment was composed with the solo part in mind, to help the student

learn about balance, as discussed above. It is written above the student part, in the upper

register of the piano, to create a lighter mood. To make it easier for teachers to read, I

have indicated that the part be played one octave higher than notated. Overall, its gentle

and delicate style, like a peach blossom, helps support the character of the piece.


46

Figure 3-9. Peach Blossom Takes the Ferry (桃花過渡).


47

Love in Four Seasons (四季紅)

Table 10. Love in Four Seasons (四季紅) Tempo Key Signature Position Pedagogical Concepts Happily -Legato

C major - RH thumb on C; later shifts one step higher -LH thumb on B

-Dotted quarter note -RH upward shift

The last popular song is called Love in Four Seasons (四季紅), composed in 1938.

The lyrics were written by Taiwanese lyricist Lin-Chiu Lee (李臨秋) and the music was

written by Yu-Hsien Teng (鄧雨賢). This song is about the progression of falling in love,

described through the four seasons: In springtime, two people start to feel something but

they do not know each other well just yet. In summertime, they spend a lot of time

together realizing they have much in common. In the fall, they have become very close

and like each other even more. Finally in winter, they have fallen in love and are not

scared of the cold because they have each other.

In the solo arrangement, thumbs are next to each other and the execution of the

song should be with an upbeat tempo and legato articulation. A new note value, the

dotted quarter note, can be learned in this piece. In m. 13, students can practice hand

shifting the right hand quickly to another position (figure 3-10).

The teacher’s part was composed to enhance the love story. The accompaniment

is in four sections, like the four seasons. It begins with imitation, representing a boy that

is chasing the girl but is one measure behind. As the boy catches up, the two melodic

voices between student and teacher playing in harmony represent the couple’s courtship


48

and innocent flirting. Following another phrase of imitation and harmony, the final

measures are played in unison, representing one heart, as the two have fallen in love.


49

Figure 3-10. Love in Four Seasons (四季紅).


50

CHAPTER 4

DISCUSSION

Taiwan’s unique history has contributed to the development of its popular songs,

representing the everyday lives of its people throughout many years of diverse cultural

influence and change. The importance of popular songs to any given culture should not

ever be overlooked. Many of these songs help to preserve the past, giving us reminders of

old ways of life, important cultural events, and the unique history of particular regions.

As demonstrated in this document, popular song melodies can be used as teaching tools

for not only the stories they tell, but also for the musical lessons they can offer.

My hope is that teachers will use these particular pieces in creative ways in their

studio. A fun way to present these pieces would be to have themed recitals. A

popular/folk song themed recital, including pieces from around the world, for instance,

would provide a way for students to learn about new cultures and open their ears to new

sounds from areas across the globe.

Implications for Future Research

Possibilities to expand on this project could include publishing the collection as is,

with added artwork. This might prove an enjoyable collaboration between a young visual

artist, interested in bringing more visibility to his/her work, and myself. Another option

would be to find even more songs to expand the project even further, creating a larger

collection of Taiwanese songs for beginner to elementary pianists. A children’s version


51

would probably be full of vivid pictures, accompanying music formatted similarly to that

seen in the early method books discussed here, in which the size of type and notation is

large. An adult version for beginning amateur pianists could include more background

information about the history, story, lyrics, and music of each piece. Recording the

arrangements for an accompanying CD would be another extension of this project.

Digital recordings could include the solo part, as well as just the accompaniment for

students to play along with at home.

Composing piano solos and duets for all levels from these same popular

Taiwanese songs is yet another possibility. Easy arrangements for piano trios, with

strings or other instruments, could also offer additional repertoire for the chamber music

genre available for younger students who wish to collaborate with friends.

Conclusion

I hope that these arrangements can offer teachers both encouragement and

concrete ideas to be used, should they wish to create their own pieces of music they feel

their students will enjoy. Although the act of writing these arrangements was time

consuming, involving a lot of trial and error, the creative process of selecting songs and

crafting a new creation from each was both incredibly educational and quite fulfilling,

adding an unexpected positive dimension to my pedagogical training to date.


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BIBLIOGRAPHY

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