Introduction: The Importance of Brazilian Repertoire

In piano teaching, Western classical music often dominates repertoire choices, often neglecting the diversity and richness of other musical traditions. This research advocates for including Brazilian piano works as pedagogical resources to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion. Showcasing piano pieces from the Instituto Piano Brasileiro (Brazilian Piano Institute), this approach offers a repertoire compilation suited to different levels of student expertise.

Expanding global connections and an increased appreciation for cultural uniqueness make it essential for us, as piano teachers, to diversify our pedagogical materials. This approach nurtures students’ sense of belonging, a core value in educational psychology. Maslow’s
Hierarchy of Needs underscores this: fostering belonging and self-expression enriches motivation and learning. Brazilian music, with its deep roots in Indigenous, African, and European influences, provides an excellent tool for celebrating diversity in music teaching.

Applying Brazilian Piano Repertoire as a Teaching Tool

In this project, Brazilian works from the Instituto Piano Brasileiro were analyzed for their potential to enhance piano lessons at the beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels.

Alongside a thorough review of the literature in Educational Psychology, Piano Technique, and Piano Pedagogy, resources such as the Celebration Series, Piano Adventures, and Bastien Piano Basics provided a basis for the present pedagogical analysis.

This study concluded that pedagogical pieces appropriate for the elementary level typically feature elements such as:

• Melodies restricted initially by one or two five-finger patterns
• Accompaniment being either non-existent, an emphasis on the downbeat of each measure, or the melody is doubled in contrary or parallel motion using the note ratio 1:1
• Time signatures initially limited to 4/4 and 3/4
• Articulations limited to non-legato, legato, and staccato and their mix within one piece is less frequent
• Key signatures initially limited to C major, F major, G major, and their relative minor keys

Among the numerous pieces from the Brazilian piano repertoire that present these elements, it is possible to mention Chorinho Contente (Happy Chorinho) by Elvira Drummond. In this piece, the student has the opportunity to explore a melody that is built mainly using one five-finger pattern except for a short passage of 4 measures in which the student is required to also play a C4.

This piece illustrates common elements present in elementary level pieces. In addition, it also presents an inspiring duet that introduces the student to the Brazilian genre Choro and to the presence of syncopations in music, although reserved only for teachers’ execution at this point.

Example 1: Simple melody with each hand playing alternately while complementing each other illustrated with purple arrows. Chorinho Contente (Happy Chorinho), mm. 11-14, Elvira
Drummond.

This piece was recorded by Elvira Drummond and Beatriz Drummond and posted online through the Instituto Piano Brasileiro YouTube channel.

Elvira Drummond: Chorinho contente

This project also identified characteristics of intermediate-level pieces including:

• Longer melodies that expand five-finger patterns
• Rhythms with more variety
• Accompaniments of more complexity including the Alberti Bass and the Waltz Bass
• Independence between hands and within a hand becomes more important with the gradual introduction of counterpoint
• Musical textures of more complexity, demanding proper voicing within sound layers
• More prominent and detailed use of the pedal

Several pieces from the Brazilian piano repertoire that embody these characteristics would work be effective for intermediate-level students, including A Dansarina – Suíte Caixa de Brinquedos (The Dancer – Toys Box Suite) by João Octaviano Gonçalves.

Here, students can recall and solidify previously learned concepts. Besides, this composition starts to incorporate elementary-level elements in a more varied and integrated way, raising the works’ performance difficulty. Additionally, students are gradually introduced to two new techniques: the arpeggio and the larger skip. Notably, these techniques are presented in a straightforward manner – the arpeggio is limited to a five-finger pattern, while the skip happens after a rest and is facilitated by the pedal, allowing extra time for the hand to shift between positions, thus making the passage easier to execute.

Example 2: Introduction of arpeggios illustrated with a purple arrow. Familiar rhythmic figures illustrated with a red arrow. Presence of skips illustrated with a green arrow. A Dansarina (The Dancer), mm. 1-6, João Octaviano Gonçalves.

This piece was recorded by Carla Reis and posted online through the Instituto Piano Brasileiro YouTube channel.

João Octaviano – Caixa de brinquedos (Carla Reis, piano)

Lastly, this project categorised repertoire suitable for advanced-level students having:

• Melodies that are not restricted to five-finger patterns
• Rhythms that are used with freedom for expressive purposes
• Articulations that are used with freedom for expressive purposes
• Accompaniments that are of more complexity exploring virtuosity
• Independence between hands and within one hand is more complex with the introduction of polyphony and polyrhythm

One example from the Instituto Piano Brasileiro that can be applied in this case is Teimoso

– Choro Típico Brasileiro (Stubborn, Typical Brazilian Choro) by Odmar Amaral Gurgel. This piece presents complex elements written for the right hand. Moreover, this composition can act as an introductory step for students who wish to explore virtuosic works in the piano repertoire.

It features double notes, requiring students to revisit the concepts of relaxation and voicing that were addressed in earlier suggested pieces. Importantly, these double-note intervals are consistently smaller than an octave. As a result, while the sequence of double notes may present a challenge, the smaller intervals help maintain hand and arm mobility, facilitating the precise execution of the piece.

Additionally, this work presents a left hand that is comparatively simpler. Therefore, students can concentrate their efforts on refining their right-hand technique. These elements are illustrated in the following example:

Example 3: Simpler left-hand passages illustrated with a purple arrow. Complex double notes passage illustrated with a red arrow. Passage that requires voicing technique illustrated with a
green arrow. Teimoso – Choro Típico Brasileiro (Stubborn, Typical Brazilian Choro), mm. 1-6, Odmar Amaral Gurgel.

This piece was recorded by the composer himself and published by the Instituto Piano Brasileiro.

Maestro Gaó – Teimoso (Maestro Gaó, piano)

Conclusion

This study aimed to present a glimpse of the Instituto Piano Brasileiro’s database as an alternative pedagogical resource to enrich piano lessons, regardless of students’ backgrounds, goals, or needs. Naturally, due to the limitations of this article’s scope, readers are encouraged to explore the vast database of the Instituto Piano Brasileiro, as well as the author’s dissertation of the same title.

Dr. Helber Fernandes Ribeiro is a concert pianist and piano pedagogue known for promoting Brazilian classical music. He uses his expertise to promote diversity and inclusion in music to inspire students of all levels and audiences of all backgrounds. A multilingual performer and award-winning artist, Helber celebrates music’s transformative power through teaching, research, and collaborative projects.

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