Norton, Chris: Microballads (Book + CD)

  
Microballads is the latest piano titles from the hugely successful Chris Norton and features twenty new works with an accompanying CD containing backing tracks and reference performances. Many popular songs are ballads - sentimental songs from the 1930s and 40s, 'doo-wop' songs from the 1950s, Beatles songs like Yesterday and Here, there and everywhere and Bryan Adams' Everything I do. Ballads often emphasise love and its inevitable dissapointments and shine a spotlight on the emotional state of the writer.

Chris Norton's Microballads starts very easy (pre-Grade 1) and gradually becomes more challenging, without ever going much beyond grade 3 in difficulty. It covers many classic ballad styles - including the ones listed above, but also a gentle bossa nova, a Scottish ballad, a country ballad and some big heart-on-sleeve rock ballads. The backings on the CD provide warm, sympathetic support. Play your heart out!