This tutor book was first published in 1917, although judging by the cover of the copy that I possess, it would have been published at a later date. Mathilde Bilbro’s unique methods were said to have revolutionised children’s piano literature. In the late 19C, Mathilde Bilbro began teaching piano in Gadsden, Alabama.
The following are from Ancestry.com. It is interesting to note that in the 1912 Gadsden Directory she is a music teacher however in the 1916 Gadsden Directory is an author.
She composed in many forms: piano stories, piano studies, song stories, early instruction collections and musical plays. Over 600 works of hers were published in her lifetime. Mathilde Bilbro also wrote verse, short stories and a novel. And, she conducted masterclasses throughout the United States.
The introduction to this tutor states that this is a collection of short and melodious studies and pieces for the very young beginner using both clefs at once. Certainly expectations of what a beginning piano student would cover in the first months of tuition one hundred years ago is vastly different to the present. The material covered in this tutor book is well-thought out progression wise, however it covers a considerable number of concepts. At the start of the book, a number of notes have fingering provided, however as the book progresses, the amount of finger provided decreases.
The following shows the progression of the introduction of the concepts in the book. There is virtually no consolidation of any kind. And, there is no explanation of the concepts introduced in the book.
firstly it starts with simple tunes using the notes A to E around middle C.
introduces rests.
in the first pages the student is reminded to count.
legato touch is discussed. Here, in some of the exercises, the LH or RH play all of the notes from A to E around middle C.
thirds are used as well as seconds.
staccato is introduced.
this is followed by the use of the dotted notes.
by exercise 23 in the book, hands together playing is introduced as well as a new note, F in the treble clef. Following this exercise, G in the bass clef is required to be played.
at this stage in the book, some of the pieces have descriptive titles. These pieces are centred around middle C.
in exercise 34, F sharp as an accidental is introduced and following this exercise, the F sharp is in the key signature.
by exercise 37, the hands are moving out of the middle C position as A in the treble clef is required to be played.
in exercise 38, chords in thirds are required to be played.
in exercise 44, scales and broken chords are introduced.
two exercises later has the student playing tunes with sets of quavers.
following this a range of accidentals, B flat and 6/8 are encountered.
the last exercises in the book contain some complex pieces which contain large hand stretches (which seems a little unrealistic for a young beginner), the presence of the dotted crotchet/quaver pattern, the use of semiquavers and the use of the thumb on a black note.