A Dozen a Day Mini Book – Piano Technique Exercises – Edna Mae Burnam – Willis Music
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A Dozen a Day Mini Book – Piano Technique Exercises – Edna Mae Burnam
The entry point to one of the most beloved piano technique series ever written — sixty short, progressive exercises that turn the first minutes of every practice session into purposeful skill-building.
Who This Book Is For
The A Dozen a Day Mini Book is written for the earliest-stage piano student — the child or adult who has just begun lessons and needs a structured, manageable way to build finger control, hand coordination, and good technique habits before those habits have a chance to go wrong. Created by Edna Mae Burnam and published through Willis Music, this Mini book sits at the very beginning of the Dozen a Day series, which is one of the most widely used and enduring piano technique progressions in music education. The exercises are short by design — meant to be played as a warm-up at the start of each practice session rather than as the entire lesson itself. That structure makes the book feel achievable rather than overwhelming, which matters enormously for young students still building the patience and focus that piano study eventually develops. Parents looking for a strong supplemental technique resource to pair with a lesson method book, and teachers stocking their studio libraries, will find this Mini book an essential and affordable first step in the series.
Key Highlights
- 60 short piano exercises organized into progressive groups — students work through groups of two or three before advancing
- Designed as a daily warm-up resource to be played at the start of each practice session
- Early-elementary difficulty level — the ideal first book in the Dozen a Day series before moving to Preparatory and beyond
- Exercises can be transposed to different keys, adding challenge and broadening key awareness as students progress
- Builds finger strength, hand independence, rhythm awareness, and proper hand positioning from the very first exercise
- 24 pages in a large 9 x 12-inch format — clear, easy-to-read notation that sits comfortably on a music stand
- Written by Edna Mae Burnam and published by Willis Music — a trusted name in piano education for generations
Why You'll Love It
Features
Sixty graded exercises arranged in sequential groups, designed to be worked through a few at a time rather than all at once. Each exercise is brief and focused, targeting a specific aspect of early technique — finger independence, hand position, smooth motion, and basic coordination between the hands.
Advantages
Because the exercises are short and grouped progressively, students experience a genuine sense of accomplishment as they move through each set. The warm-up format integrates naturally into any lesson structure without replacing the student's primary method book — it complements it. Teachers can assign and track progress clearly, and students know exactly where they stand.
Benefits
Students who practice technique consistently from the earliest stages build cleaner habits, stronger fingers, and better control that carries forward into every piece they learn. The Mini book delivers that foundation in a format that feels approachable and rewarding rather than like a chore — which keeps young students engaged through the most critical phase of their development.
Great Fit For
- Early-elementary piano students in their first months of lessons
- Young beginners, typically ages 5 and up, just starting structured piano study
- Parents looking for a trusted, teacher-recommended technique supplement to use at home
- Piano teachers stocking studio libraries with reliable warm-up resources for new students
- Adult beginners who want a gentle, structured entry point to daily technique practice
- Students completing the Mini book and preparing to move into the Preparatory and Book 1 levels of the series
How This Book Is Used
The Mini book is intended to open each practice session — not to fill it. A student sits down at the piano, plays through their current group of two or three exercises as a warm-up, and then transitions into their lesson material. That routine, repeated daily, builds the physical and musical awareness that makes everything else in a lesson easier. The exercises are not songs; they are intentional physical training for the fingers and hands, similar in purpose to stretching before an athletic activity.
Once a group of exercises is mastered, it can be transposed to a new key before moving on — a simple way to extend the challenge and deepen a student's understanding of the keyboard. Teachers frequently use the Mini book alongside beginner method books from any publisher, as it fills a technique gap that pure repertoire books do not address on their own.
Specifications
There is something quietly wonderful about the Dozen a Day books — they have been sitting on piano benches and music stands in teaching studios and living rooms for generations, and they keep showing up because they simply work. The Mini book is where that journey begins. Sixty small exercises. A few minutes at the start of practice. Done consistently, they make a real difference in how quickly a young student's fingers learn to cooperate with their brain.
If you're outfitting a new student, adding to a studio library, or just making sure a young player has the right tools alongside their lesson book — this one is worth adding to the cart. And if you have questions about how the Dozen a Day series fits into a student's overall progression, we're always happy to talk through it. Call or text us at 814-371-5666 — Spotts Music Center, 377 Midway Drive, DuBois, PA. We love helping you make music.