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Is there a republication of James Francis Cooke's "Mastering the Scales and Arpeggios", Published in 1913 by Theodore Presser Company that:

1. Mr. Cooke's content has not been materially edited or changed other than formatting.

2. Most importantly, the font point size has been increased for readability.

I downloaded several chapters in pdf format to determine its instructional value for myself. I'm finding his methods intriguing and worthy of a serious attempt. However, whether the tiny point size is a function of how this pdf acquired the content or the size is that which was originally published, it's way too small for (my) use on the piano.

Using search, I cannot determine the answer.

I'm hoping someone here has had a similar experience and found an acceptable result.

Thanks,

Mark

Hi Mark
Gyan Books is selling a print on demand copy which is described as being resized per current standards. You might want to contact them to get the specifics

Listing link

The other option you have is to use a pdf application that will allow you to edit. You can enlarge the font and save/print

Thanks, I did a quick look following your link on my phone and it appears the company is using good materials, knows what they're doing and the price is reasonable.

Converting the pdf w/OCR and/or converting to Word will not work. The text is so crammed on the page you need a bigger sheet to increase sizes and that is what this outfit presumably does.

I'm not sure how much checking I can do w/them in India and me in CO ;-).

I have a question. The company uses a sewn binding which is very good. The problem with a manuscript that's almost 100 pages is trying to lay open/flat to a page w/o breaking the binding. Other then having a local print shop cut the binding off and replace with a spiral binding have you all come up with a decent technique?

My backup, if posting here didn't help, would be for the print shop to copy a full pdf hardcopy while magnifying to whatever higher degree will fit to the next larger size paper and use a heavier stock of that paper. But I'm afraid the magnification process of even a good commercial copier will cause the type to blur to some degree.

I'll let you all know whatever I do and how it turns out.

Thanks again,

Mark

Watch out for what he says for physical playing, especially the thumb. It did bad things to my hands when I first got a piano again but had no teacher. I diligently practised in the way he wrote, and it took a long time to undo the damage (wrong habits). If you go just by fingering and intellectual knowledge it's not bad from what I remember.

Hi Mark
You could email the publisher and ask what size font they used , and if they increased the size of the font when they printed

Maybe somebody else can answer your binding question

PAUSE--

I do not want to go off half-cocked based based upon incomplete knowledge. A quick 'how I got to this point'.

I haven't played in ~3 years due to back and shoulder problems. Two of many +'s during this 'Stay Home' period: 1) (and counter intuitively) it took a different physical therapy group working remotely w/Tele-Ortho_PT to *significantly reduce symptoms, 2) I've re-read a number of books in our home library. In particular, 'Playing the Piano for Pleasure' by Charles (no relation to the other) Cooke published 1941. And to say he spoke glowingly of and spent page upon page describing with an almost fanatical respect the referenced scale/arpeggio tutorial.

And I need a formal structure of scale and arpeggio practice/help/tutorial since I absolutely must start from day one, C Major and plow through along with compositions.

I really do not need to go off to India in pursuit of said tutorial 'IF' a comparable, equally thorough and respected tutorial is more readily available and of more recent vintage.

So, now you have it! ;-)

Mark

I have no opinion on whether this is a good book.

I downloaded a copy from IMSLP, it is public domain in the US.

It is readable on my large computer monitor. If you are able to use a computer screen at your piano you might be okay. But I'm looking at it 14 inches wide. That double column format is a pain to work with.

It is copyable, whatever the digital term for that is. I can cut and paste the text. If I drop the text into Word it shows up as Calibri 11. I tried making it Arial 14 and it is easily readable.

However the same is not true for the illustrations. And they are mixed in with the text. I tried using the Snipping Tool to move them into the Word document and I can make them whatever size I want. However it would take a fair amount of effort to have them line up with resized text. If you didn't mind going back and forth between text and illustration this would work.

With the Snipping Tool, I can cut about half of one column including text and illustration, and it appears as a full page in Word. That will increase the book from 89 pages to 360 I guess. However then I'm stuck with the Calibri font, though it is plenty big. I printed one page and it is perfectly readable. It didn't get blurry.

I'm not a millennial or comfortable with technology, there may be a better way. But it seems to me with a small amount of effort you could make this work yourself.

I am reading this now from IMSLP PDF. Thank you for making me aware of this book. The font is fine on my laptop but I can see it is a bit small for use on the piano as is.

You could scale the PDF up and print on A3 paper, then trim the excess; not sure if A3 is available in Colorado. But your local print shop should have some alternative.

Don't start with C major scales:

. . . Start with Db major or B major.

They are easier to play.

Balancing cost, (my) time/effort vs. still questioning teaching value of the referenced--

I handed over 10 pages to the local copy/print shop. They will magnify the existing 8 1/2 x 11 to whatever width = Tabloid size, print on 70# paper and trim the length excess for $0.27/page. Then spiral bind with a hard front and back for an additional $10.00.

Depending upon compatibility, I'll proceed w/the entire pdf or pass.

Btw, thanks for the tip on the C major scales but don't forget that I'm coming back to after an Rx layoff and that the rudiments of scales and arpeggios are still resident, to varying degrees, in the little grey cells ;-). It was a pleasant surprise to find that although my mind was intimidated by the first set of scales I started a few weeks ago, it seems my fingers were not.

I intend taking this opportunity to approach scales and arpeggios differently than when I started in my mid-forties as an adult student. Now, I am interested in the holistic approach that Dr. Cooke takes with regard.

Mark

I brought an etude book to the local copy shop.

I had a legal PDF, could have printed it, But sometimes you lose quality copying. I brought them the PDF on a thumb drive, after I did some cropping and cleaning of smudges, etc. Then had them print it on heavy paper front and back.

Like you said, about 27 cents a page and a better job than I could have done, and cheaper than buying a ream of the good paper. I would never print music on 20 pound copy paper.

I have access to a comb binder so I did that part myself.

Each to his own Mark, but I am surprised you want to use this book.

Piano pedagogy has moved along in the last 100+ years and I’m sure a teacher could suggest better ways of learning.

I had no trouble reading the imslp version on my iPad (10 1|2 “ screen) but no doubt it’s easier with a printed book, flipping backwards and forwards.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

I've had many years in years the past with two excellent piano teachers--each with the highest academic credentials and concert performance credentials. And vastly exceeding my abilities and technical aspirations.

During this COVID period, I've had time to look at any number of existential experiences and regard them in different, intriguing and (I'm pleased to say) enhancing ways. Taking the time to read about the piano, choice of compositions and different technical learning P'sOV has been an *interesting experience.

I think I'm more centered on going through a lesson or three simply out of curiosity vs. expectation.

Nonetheless, I keep an open mind.

Thanks,

Mark

Markg: There are two original 1913 copies on Abebooks along with 2017 reprints ...