Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Course: Lesson Book, Level One Author: Visit Amazon's Willard A. Palmer Page | Language: English | ISBN:
0882846167 | Format: EPUB
Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Course: Lesson Book, Level One Description
- Series: Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Course
- Paperback: 95 pages
- Publisher: Alfred Music (December 1983)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0882846167
- ISBN-13: 978-0882846163
- Product Dimensions: 11.9 x 9 x 0.3 inches
- Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Having studied piano minimally as a child (six months?), I decided at the age of 49, while at my daughter's recital, that I'd like to learn, but perhaps without the cost (at least at first) of lessons. So after looking through several books at the local music store, I bought this one, with CD (very important, but seems not to be the version sold on Amazon). It was just the ticket.
In four months I have completed the book, and now can play moderately complex beginning pieces (for variety, I've supplemented it with a few pieces from getsheetmusic.com, and can play level 3 and occasional level 4 pieces from there). Each page teaches just the a little bit more, and gives you the practice pieces to master it before going on. A very steady, satisfying rate of progress. You also learn notation, musical terms, intervals, and a smattering of music theory, such as keys, although this is not real strong. I found it useful near the end of the book to go back and review just the theory pages in one sitting; they then came together much better for me than when I ran across them one by one through the course.
The musical selections are uneven, but most are fine. They are all public domain, in a wide range of styles from jazz to folk to spiritual, and some are quite beautiful (a haunting arrangement of "Scarborough Fair," the rousing gospel "Standing in the Need of Prayer" -- and I'm Jewish <g>). You end with the first part of Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer" (somewhat simplified arrangement, although they don't say that, but still quite nice) and "Amazing Grace."
I think it's very important to get the book with CD.
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