Zez Confrey's Modern Course in Novelty Piano Playing

In the 1920s, novelty piano playing was all the rage, made popular by Victor Records and the Q.R.S. player-piano rolls that people enjoyed all across America. The prime composer of this music was piano genius Zez Confrey, who wrote his Modern Course in Novelty Piano Playing for musicians who wanted to play in this new, jazzy style. The course was in print for decades, and thousands of copies were sold. Unfortunately, the course was printed on cheap paper that would soon become damaged and then discarded. Today, the course is almost impossible to find. For that reason, Waking Lion Press has republished this classic work that will keep your toes tapping and your fingers flying across the keys.

Confrey wrote, "The object of this book is to assist pianists in their embellishment of popular songs and music. The author's idea of its accomplishment is to familiarize the pianist with a systematic series of figures, arpeggios, etc., that harmonize with the various chords most commonly used in popular music. Most of these figures are identical with those used by the author in recording Q.R.S. Player Rolls and Victor Records and are demonstrated in all keys in which popular music is generally written. This volume contains a special appeal to pianists engaged in orchestra work who should find its contents and practice of direct benefit to them. It is to his fellow pianists that the author dedicates this volume, feeling that in so doing he places it in appreciative and sympathetic hands."