(Keyboard Instruction). Written by Kansas City's first-call keyboardist Wayne Hawkins, Piano Aerobics is a multi-style, 40-week workout program for building real-world technique. Often when students decide to play in contemporary styles, they lack the chops for the job. The exercises in Piano Aerobics will introduce students to styles such as jazz, salsa, swing, rock, blues, new age, gospel, stride and bossa nova, and help them play with more musical flair. Concepts covered include: keeping time; hand independence; articulations; building a better touch; strengthening weak fingers; accompanying; using the thumb; ear training; and more. The accessible online audio features professional musicians performing accompaniment tracks in each style.

Exercises designed to develop strength, flexibility and agility, and coordinated page-by-page with Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Course. These exercises make a great warm-up and conditioner for the hands during practice time.

(Guitar Educational). From the former editor of Guitar One magazine, here is a daily dose of vitamins to keep your chops fine tuned! Musical styles include rock, blues, jazz, metal, country, and funk. Techniques taught include alternate picking, arpeggios, sweep picking, string skipping, legato, string bending, and rhythm guitar. These exercises will increase speed, and improve dexterity and pick- and fret-hand accuracy. The accompanying CD includes all 365 workout licks plus play-along grooves in every style at eight different metronome settings.

This comprehensive approach to functional musicianship at the keyboard includes varied repertoire, theory, technique, sight-reading, harmonization from lead sheets, ear training and ensembles. Great for college non-music majors, continuing education classes, music dealer in-store programs and group piano classes at the middle and high school levels. Book 1 contains 15 units each with a variety of repertoire, exercises, unit review worksheets and an assignment page.

(Amadeus). This holistic approach to the keyboard, based on a sound understanding of the relationship between physical function and musical purpose, is an invaluable resource for pianists and teachers. Professor Fink explains his ideas and demonstrates his innovative developmental exercises that set the pianist free to express the most profound musical ideas. HARDCOVER.

(Bass Builders). Perfect for beginning to advanced players, this book with audio by world-renowned bassist and educator Jon Liebman provides a 52-week, one-exercise-per-week workout program for developing, improving and maintaining bass guitar technique. Liebman teaches: chromatics; scales & arpeggios; string-crossing and advanced patterns; slapping & popping; and more -- all in styles ranging from rock, funk and R&B to jazz, disco, reggae and more. Bassists using "Bass Aerobics" will benefit from increased speed, improved dexterity, better accuracy and heightened coordination not to mention an awesome new groove vocabulary! The accompanying audio contains all 52 workout grooves for both demonstration and play-along.