Armen Donelian

Whole Notes

Concerned with how as well as what to play, Whole Notes is both a piano method book per se and, more importantly, a guidebook to accompany the reader's personal journey into music.


Posture, practicing, mental and physical health, using weight and force, economy of movement and expression are some of the topics addressed. These themes are amply explored through detailed piano arrangements of Armen Donelian's compositions, and they are clearly connected to principles of physics, anatomy and holistic development as well as music theory, rhythm, analysis and composition.


These themes and principles are of universal interest to all musicians. As a practical inquiry, Whole Notes offers many options for creatively applying and integrating them for individual use. For this reason, the needs of non-pianists are also discussed.


Armen Donelian is a pianist, composer, recording artist, educator and author living in Hudson, NY (USA).