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Piano books

unaveragejaneunaveragejane member
in Cloth Diapering
So, my dad bought me a piano when I was 8, but he never put me in lessons. I can play some simple things by ear, and I can read music at a very basic level. I'd like to expand my skills a little. Can anyone recommend a good (fun) beginner's book?
             

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Re: Piano books

  • freezorburnfreezorburn member
    I don't know of any one book that would be fun from a self-teaching standpoint, but maybe you could borrow a hymnal from church? Playing chords of familiar songs might help with the reading skills.

    I'm terrible at reading music. I have to commit it to memory if I'm going to play anything decently.

    Another one that might be fun is "Ah vous dirai-je, Maman" by Mozart -- variations of a well-known tune (also known as Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, Baa baa black sheep and the alphabet song). The first few are easy and they get progressively harder. It's a fun book to play around in. I have no illusions of mastering it, but it is fun.
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  • Critter015Critter015 member
    I took lessons for a few years when I was a kid and our lesson books were from Harmony Road. It looks like they offer lots of choices and have books tailored to kids and adults. It has been years since I played but I was given a piano to put in our house we are moving into soon, and I plan to review all my old books and go from there.
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  • violajackviolajack member
    Harmony Road is a fantastic method. I plan on doing it with my kids when they're old enough. But it's designed to be taught in a group to young children with parents as partners. 

    As a music major at conservatory, we all had to take secondary piano and pass a certain level of piano proficiency. We used the Alfred adult beginner series. 
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  • flummadiddle85flummadiddle85 member
    I like the bastien method for the younger kids. I like the paint and sequencing. Plus, I like how it just starts off with just rhythmic notation with just letter names below the notes, then introduces the staff one hand at a time. They do have an adult beginner method available, but I've never used it before. Here is the apt serieshttps://www.kjos.com/sub_section.php?division=5&series=29 I know Alfred is a popular sites too.
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  • flummadiddle85flummadiddle85 member
    I like the bastien method for the younger kids. I like the paint and sequencing. Plus, I like how it just starts off with just rhythmic notation with just letter names below the notes, then introduces the staff one hand at a time. They do have an adult beginner method available, but I've never used it before. Here is the apt serieshttps://www.kjos.com/sub_section.php?division=5&series=29 I know Alfred is a popular sites too.
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  • flummadiddle85flummadiddle85 member
    I like the bastien method for the younger kids. I like the paint and sequencing. Plus, I like how it just starts off with just rhythmic notation with just letter names below the notes, then introduces the staff one hand at a time. They do have an adult beginner method available, but I've never used it before. Here is the apt serieshttps://www.kjos.com/sub_section.php?division=5&series=29 I know Alfred is a popular series too.
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  • JNU76JNU76 member

    There's a nice solo series called Masterwork Classics, I think. It's not a method book, but a collection of solos by famous composers in their original form. There are at least five levels, and the first few are pretty easy. Another solo collection is the Beginning Piano Solos from the "Everybody's Favorites" series. The method books others recommended are good too- a nice solo collection would supplement that.

    Also, the IMSLP website has a ton of stuff that's old enough to be public domain, so if you're looking for Bach minuets or Mozart or anything like that, you might be able to download it for free.

    Have fun!

     

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  • knitfastdiewarmknitfastdiewarm member
    Hi, new here but a FTM who is interested in CDing. I second the Alfred books for the Late Beginner. That's the series my teacher used for me when I started and I feel like the books may be helpful to an adult not taking actual lessons.
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  • flummadiddle85flummadiddle85 member
    JNU76 said:

    There's a nice solo series called Masterwork Classics, I think. It's not a method book, but a collection of solos by famous composers in their original form. There are at least five levels, and the first few are pretty easy. Another solo collection is the Beginning Piano Solos from the "Everybody's Favorites" series. The method books others recommended are good too- a nice solo collection would supplement that.

    Also, the IMSLP website has a ton of stuff that's old enough to be public domain, so if you're looking for Bach minuets or Mozart or anything like that, you might be able to download it for free.

    Have fun!

    Oh yea, I have the some of the Masterworks books. It does a nice job of selecting varying repertoire of the appropriate difficulty level. I think I played through the level 3 and 4 books, started the level 5 book, but then stopped playing much of anything...
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