How to Play Piano

How to Play Popular Piano in 10 Easy Lessons

April 2, 2006 on 11:00 pm | In Piano Course Reviews | No Comments

How to Play Popular Piano in 10 Easy Lessons
Author: Norman Monath

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A step in the right direction
I started the book already having a small amount of knowledge of the piano and music. I wanted to take up the piano seriously with no human instruction, therefore I bought this to see what playing the piano properly was like. It starts off very basic, explaining everthing as it is, with a small amount of justification. It then progresses into melodies and accompanying them with simplistic chords. As you go further, you learn about the sharp keys, sharp chords etc. It’s easy, but it’s not simple. The book generates the idea of ANYONE being able to play, but you have to have knowledge of the songs and have to be competent with the keys. It moves very quick therefore you have to literally MASTER a chapter before moving on to the next one, and this means being able to play every tune perfectly without the music, otherwise you struggle. Overall though it’s a step in the right direction and the easiest piano book you’ll ever find, so if you’re taking up the instrument and don’t know what book to buy, this is the one.

Good book but one small request to the publisher/author
This book is very good for the person who knows the songs. Now I am a foreign student who wants to learn to play the piano/keyboard, because of interest in Western music. All the songs in the book are totally unfamiliar to me. I know I am in the minority, but I will certainly appreciate it if the publishers include a audio cassette/CD which has the songs in it. Like those programming books which have the source on the CD-ROM. My keyboard has some songs in-built but I don’t know how “Silent night…” should sound, so I am stuck at the very first song. Otherwise the approach in the book is good.

Excellent, concise course on how to play the piano
It’s one of the few books that delivers what it promises. In 10 really easy lessons you can be playing the piano with confidence. He writes in a very down to earth style with explanations that let you intelligently play the piano. It’s great.

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How to Play the Piano Despite Years of Lessons: What Music Is and How to Make It at Home. Rev. Ed.

April 2, 2006 on 11:00 pm | In Piano Course Reviews | No Comments

How to Play the Piano Despite Years of Lessons: What Music Is and How to Make It at Home. Rev. Ed.
Author: Ward Cannel

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Superb
I am a professional pianist, more or less self-taught, and I first found this book in the Miami public library in 1984 or thereabouts when I was playing piano on cruise ships. I have bought two copies since, one of which went to a girlfriend. It teaches you the structure of music, the real stuff you need to know. And it’s written with great charm and humour. Don’t be misled, it’ll teach you far more about piano playing than many music teachers. And at about quarter the price of one lesson. I love this book.

fantastic
This is a great book for learning to play the piano. It teaches about how music works and uses that as the driving force. The pace of the book is fast, you need to practice at each page otherwise you’ll be floundering. So why 4 stars only? The problem that I had with this book is that it lacks enough complete pieces of music to allow you to practice effectively. You will need to a buy a book with easy piano scores in it to play. This books is best thought of as your teacher.

Just what the title says!
Except for the error about the origins of the musical scale in the opening chapter, this book keeps the promise made in the title. It is a genuinely practical book that can help you get into the music.

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