Product Description
"A rare and exquisite story...Transports you out of time, out of place, into a world you can feel on your very skin." -Elizabeth Gilbert

In the sweeping tradition of The English Patient, Janice Y.K. Lee's debut novel is a tale of love and betrayal set in war-torn Hong Kong. In 1942, Englishman Will Truesdale falls headlong into a passionate relationship with Trudy Liang, a beautiful Eurasian socialite. But their affair is soon threatened by the invasion of the Japanese as World War II overwhelms their part of the world. Ten years later, Claire Pendleton comes to Hong Kong to work as a piano teacher and also begins a fateful affair. As the threads of this spellbinding novel intertwine, impossible choices emerge-between love and safety, courage and survival, the present, and above all, the past.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (144)

beautifully told
i read this novel over and over again. it grabs hold of you at the beginning and does not let you go. and you will be engrossed and enchanted and transported into the world of the piano teacher.

Haunting Look at the Chinese Occupation....
The Piano Teacher with its startling cover, comparison to Ondaatje and caption that "Sometimes the End of a Love Affair is really just the beginning" gives the impression of an exotic, perhaps tortured love story set in the orient, with colour and lovemaking and regret and loss.


It brought to mind the Painted Veil ( that gorgeously-spun book by W. Somerset Maugham) on first contact.


Reading it, however, left me with quite a different impression.


This is not a mysterious beach read. This is not the enigmatic Memoirs of A Geisha: what with its romanticized world of the mystic orient and its slowly unfurling love-story.

Instead, it is a troubled, troubled story about lust, greed, power and corruption: set against the canvas of Japanese occupied Hong Kong in the early 1940s.

Flipping to and fro from 1950s Hong Kong and the viewpoint of the English Piano Teacher Claire to the wartime experiences of her love, Will Truesdale: a Britishmen helplessly in love with a Eurasian goddess, the socialite Trudy Liaing.


Will and Trudy's wartime experience vibrates well into the next decade and, readers surmise, into generations thereafter.

This is a wonderfully written book with sparse, taught prose and a real "feel" for the time and place.Lee has done her research and her words just breathe the essence and place she is writing about.


A sometimes-problematic approach, Lee's descent into war-time Hong Kong and back to the early 1950s runs very smoothly.

A mystery involving the famed and fictional "Crown Collection" ( an abundance of wealth the Japanese long to capture from British occupants) is the centre of many different, tragic lives.


The story's thesis is not so much about love experienced and lost rather the lengths people will go to sustain propensity, status and wealth.Lee's descriptions of the foreign English internment camps erected by the Japanese invaders were harrowing and sad. Indeed, I knew very little about this slice of the war before reading about it in the book.


The main problem ( and its hard to say problem because this may well be Lee's intention ) is how unlikeable all of the characters are.I had trouble identifying with the exotic and sexualized Trudy, the proud and stiflingly honourable Will, and especially the social-climbing Claire: who pilfers trinkets and scarves from her employers when she arrives to teach daily piano lessons.
Perhaps I had trouble identifying with the characters because I refused to see what drastic measures and actions the took in relation to myself.It is hard to imagine how one would act and what lengths they would go to in order to survive during a war-occupied regime.Lee's character often cross the line between mere survival and survival-with-something-to-gain and it was this dark and deeply upsetting perimeter that mostly affected me.


There is a wealth of discussion strewn through the book and it will make a fabulous book club pick for any group! The edition I have comes complete with a book club guide but anyone reading the book will find points popping up straight of the page.


Readers of Wayson Choy, Lisa See and Ondaantje will not be disappointed!

Major disappointment
I chose to read this because the setting of Hong Kong during WWII was intriguing and I love a good love story.I almost stopped reading it in the middle, though, because I was incredibly BORED.The love story was a ridiculous extramarital affair and I really could not figure out why these two liked each other.Claire says over and over that Will acted like he never really loved her.She is attracted to him anyway Lord knows why.That Claire was a kleptomaniac was interesting, but she just quits one day so that story line never went anywhere.The setting was absolutely fascinating and I wanted to know more -- but the characters were so flat that I never cared much about them.The hurry-up get this book wrapped up ending was a cop-out and I felt rather cheated.

This piano is flat.
The story never truly gripped me, I couldn't get interested in the characters and Ms. Lee's narration was very flat.The "secrets" revealed at the end of the book were easy to figure out beforehand and wholly uninteresting, anyway.Even if the "Crown Collection" story were NOT entirely fabricated, I wouldn't have cared 2 hoots about it.Was this book published because people found a few grisly details about the war (starvation, severed limbs, rape and the like) so titillating?I tend to think so, because that's really all that stood out (and not in a good way).All in all, a boring and disappointing read.

An intricately woven tale with a purpose
First, I have to say I'm disappointed by reviewers who give this book a dismal rating without having finished reading the book. Why bother if you only stopped at page 100, etc? Whether you like the story or not, I think the author deserves acclaim her compelling use of subtle devices that lend this story a certain charm. More than anything else, I think this book is really a window into colonial relations in the British Empire, with Hong Kong as its focus. Lee speaks quite clearly and it should be obvious to the reader that she lends a voice to many stories untold during the turbulent years of HK's history. Indeed, some readers may be disappointed by the plot, pace or denouement but therein lies the author's power. Lee decides which story is the most important of all the stories woven into this piece. It is left to reader to determine what that is (the author's agenda) and decide whether they like it. Not everyone can write a book this good. ... Read more

Product Description
A beginning course for adults who prefer a chord approach. It teaches chords for both hands so that the student can play more than single note melodies. It contains outstanding songs such as "The Entertainer," "Scarborough Fair," "Greensleeves" and "Amazing Grace." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (62)

Good for beginners
I took for a short while a piano class and the teacher told me to study on my own from this book. It is good, but some lessons are not explained too clear so it leaves room for confusion.

Adult Piano Student
This is an excellent book for the adult piano student!I am very pleased with the progress my adult students make using this book.

Great for Self-Teaching
This book is fantastic for teaching yourself piano, especially if you have a little musical knowledge (from lessons as a child or from playing another instrument). This book is well structured and very easy to work through.

Prefect starter to teach someone how to play.
This is a perfect book to start your friends/girlfriend on learning piano. It's by far not the most well-rounded material for it needs a few supplemental info in my humble opinion, but you will be able to teach anyone a few nice short pleasant pieces within a few hours.

Many well heeded in-depth reviews have been given, so I will just give a short pros-cons list of my own.

PROS:
- It concentrates quickly on useful scale/notes progression (C/G to G7, etc) and explains it in reasonable depth, enabling an absolute beginner to grasps the importance of those natural progression, backed up by a few exercises pieces to drill the concepts in.

- Many of the exercise pieces have strategically included sub notes in reminding correct fingerings, while progressively weeding out these notes and nudging the learner toward speedy scales reading.

-First beginner book I have run into that includes a detailed section on the importance of Hanon's fingering exercises! This section alone is worth the price of this 160 pages publishing. The 12 page Hanon exercise parchment I have cost more!

-Taken from the pages of grey's anatomy, many detailed illustrations are given that reminds the learner in the shortcoming of the human hands, with proven (but often HARD work) solutions of how to overcome them.


CONS:
-Some sections get skipped too quickly. For instance, G cord was introduced in great detail, but its natural progression in G7 was but one page with but a few sub notes thereafter. All three of my beginner students were stumped when they got to those pages, and I had to device my own mini lessons on supplementing that shortcoming in how to use the left hand picky and how to stretch the right thumb correctly for those cords (all three of my friends/students are left handed).

- This is in my books a big one - It fails to include some CRITICALLY IMPORTANT smart-tips for scales reading which should really be the emphasis on all beginners' book. For instance, F-A-C-E, All Cow Eat Grass, or Every Good Boy Deserves Football mnemonics should be included but was not.


Overall: I am extremely satisfied with this book! It is a great book for self learning, and an indispensable one to teaching off of.

Excellent do it yourself piano course
Although this series of books won't replace a talented teacher, if you have a hankering to finally be able to play that piano (or keyboard) that's been hanging around your house forever, this series will do the trick. You won't wind up playing something that threatens the position of the great piano maestros of our day, but you'll be able to pick up chords and a melody and make a song sound like you wish it to.

This series relies on baby steps to teach you a key, or a technique, or a set of chords. You play some simple exercises, then a song or two that emphasizes what you've just learned in the exercises. From time to time you reach a level where you are ready to take on a small song book. I recommend that you get the song books too and play thru them each time you reach one of those levels.

If you really want to learn to play the piano, make sure you can allot at least a half hour a day to practice, and an hour is better. At that rate in a very few weeks time you'll be able to impress family and friends, and maybe play the music for singing carols at a Christmas get together. :-)Comment | Permalink ... Read more

Product Description
Level 1 introduces all the notes of the grand staff, elementary chord playing, and the concept of tonic and dominant notes. Students play in varied positions, reinforcing reading skills and recognizing intervals through the 5th. Musicianship is built with the introduction of legato and staccato touches. This level continues the interval orientation to reading across the full range of the Grand Staff. The 5-finger approach is presented here in a fresh, musically appealing way. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Best Method books Currently Available
I absolutely LOVE the Faber Piano Adventures curriculum. My pedagogy teacher in college said, "Never believe anything until you hear how it sounds." Now that I have taken a few students through this curriculum from beginning to end, I would say it sounds nothing less than beautiful. My students are extremely well equipped for intermediate classical literature upon graduating and they extremely independent learners. It's almost like they teach themselves at times.
I typically alter the teaching order of the primer level to get them reading on the staff a bit faster. But all in all this is a fantastic curriculum! You will not find a better reading approach than the Intervallic reading Faber introduces... while still having songs that sound familiar to the ears.
A few tips:
Synchronize the books... make sure you at least use the technique, lesson, and theory... they are not complete without each other... and do not go ahead to a new unit until you are ready to move in all books. The only exception is just using the lesson book if you have a very gifted student that can move through more quickly, but even then, practice never hurt anyone.

Supplement with basic technique scale skills that you teach by rote:
Primer: white key five finger patterns
Level 1: black keyand minor five finger patterns and hand over hand arpeggios
Level 2a: white key one octave scales and Cadences (this is extremely important as this concept is a huge challenge in level 2b if they haven't already played it)
Level 2b: black key and minor one octave scales and cadences
Level 3a: 2 octave arpeggios and 1st and 2nd chord inversions
Level 3b-5: they are ready for any popular scale skills book such as Hannon

Also sometimes it is like a magic trick to have a student play through one or two of the supplemental series of the level they just graduated before they move on to new books. It cements the old concepts and gives them a sense of mastery because they will learn fast.

PIano Adventures is great for confusing young students.
I'm resigned to the fact that I'm going to be a minority of one here.But you should know that Piano Adventures has serious deficiencies as a method.I will grant that the tunes are good, and I realize that is very important.But the concepts presented and the method of their presentation are not suitable for young kids (unless they have an uncommonly good teacher to put it in context).New concepts are neither prepared nor reviewed effectively.For my money, the "Celebrate Piano!" method is the only one out there that does that.That way, kids get to play fun songs AND develop deep musical understanding.In my opinion Piano Adventures is best used as supplementary repertoire with another method.

A great piano book
This is a great book if you are planning on doing piano lessons for someone. But I would probably add memory cards and get sheet music paper, because one of the lessons said to compose a piece of music and they don't include it.

Piano Teacher Loves these Books
I've been teaching for over 12 years and I use the Faber Piano Adventure series, starting with Primer level for young students, usually 5-7 years old.For younger students, (preK/K), see Music for Little Mozarts by Alfred.For more information see piano and voice teacher drives 2 you web site.

The primer level starts slowly, but shows overall good use of the keyboard, even before the student starts learning the note names.Working on the black keys for a few weeks gives young fingers the opportunity to play sooner, and gain coordination.These books come in a system that you can self select, definitely start with the Lesson book.I always recommend the recital book for extra songs (no one wants to play or hear the same four to eight measure song over and over again for a week between lessons, too much repetition leads to boredom).I love the Popular Repertoire series in all the levels of the books.Just look at the covers for names of the songs.They are all well known tunes the students love.These have come and gone out of print, but have recently come back into print.

I use the Faber books as a bridge with another series called Alfred Basic Piano library.If students find Alfred's pace challenging, Faber helps fill in the gaps.It also teaches "Middle C position" where both thumbs are on middle C (the singing range of most young children), on the staff earlier in the primer level.This allows use of the fabulous set of Faber books in the Pre-time (primer), Playtime (level 1 five finger melodies), Showtime (level 2A-just outside the comfort zone), Chordtime (2B-wait for fingers to mature to play 3 note chord progressions-but are really the best in the series), Funtime (3-more challenging) and Big Time (usually used around level 4-5).These come in a variety of genres like Classical, Popular, Jazz, Ragtime, Rock, Children's Favorites, Hymns, (Hebrew Favorites only in Chordtime),I like to use as many as possible in the early years and then focus in on what student shows an interest in for later study.

Later versions of the Faber books teach higher notes on the treble staff that Alfred misses.But the Alfred books are very good at teaching intervals sight reading.My feeling about these books is that you want more books that keep the pace nice and even, if there are a few songs that seem too similar, and the student is ready to move on, move on, but more often than not, the extra songs give a student many opportunities for sight reading, which is really what I try to teach.Try starting 5 min per year old for the lesson and 1 song per year old per week, and see how it goes.A five year old can sit and play for 1/2 hour on about 5 short pieces, with some singing, clapping, and other activities.Whereas a nine year old can sit for about 45 minutes, and has no problem with 9-10 songs a week.

Give your child the gift of reading music as you would reading books.

Faber Music Series
I've been teaching piano for several decades, using various lesson series over the years.I really like the Faber Piano Adventure series.While I supplement with pieces from other publishers occasionally, Faber is the best overall.They really have some nice compositions for beginners, pieces that students enjoy and those they share the house with like too.The pace of the lessons is very nice also, allowing the student to play plenty of pieces well in a reasonable length of time.Overall, the Faber series has plenty of really fun and intriguing pieces of music for teaching the student to play piano, hold the students interest, and foster the appreciation of good music. ... Read more

Product Description
The theory book is designed to be used in conjunction with the other books in Level 1. It provides instruction, reinforcement, and creative applications of basic theory concepts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Plan to order more!
The Faber books just can't be beat for thoughtful, tuneful teaching pieces and theory books.

Piano music book review
As piano books go, this is a good series.The theory book is a fine one and helps the beginning student to progress. ... Read more

Product Description
This easy step-by-step method emphasizes correct playing habits and note reading through interval recognition. Lesson Book Level 1A begins by teaching basic keyboard topography and fluent recognition of white key names in relation to black keys. It focuses on simple rhythms and prepares students for intervallic reading with entertaining songs that focus on "same," "stepping up" and "stepping down." It then introduces lines and space notes in treble and bass clefs, melodic and harmonic intervals of 2nds, 3rds, 4ths and 5ths, and graduates to reading on the grand staff. It also introduces the flat and sharp signs. This course is most effective when used under the direction of a piano teacher or experienced musician. Songs Include: Balloons * Batter Up! * The Donkey * A Friend Like You * Hand-Bells * A Happy Song * Horse Sense * Indian Song * It’s Halloween! * Jingle Bells! * Jolly Old Saint Nicholas * July the Fourth! * Just a Second! * Love Somebody * Merrily We Roll Along O’er the Deep Blue Sea * Mexican Hat Dance * My Clever Pup * My Fifth * My Robot * Old MacDonald * Old Uncle Bill * Play a Fourth * Raindrops * Rain, Rain! * Rockets * Rockin’ Tune * Rock Song * Sailing * Sea Divers * See-Saws * Skating * Who’s on Third? * Willie and Tillie * Wishing Well * The Zoo ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Alfred's Basic Piano Book
The seller says it's good condition,
but it was an old edition and not good condition.
I don't want to buy an used book from them.

great product
Book arrived in the like new condition it was described with no markings and not one tear.The book also arrived earlier than expected.Great product!

Alfred's Basic Piano Library Level 1A - great book for beginners
I was really pleased with this purchase.This book is teaching my 6 year old to play the piano.I originally planned to teach her the basics using this book and then I would pay for professional lessons.She has completed half of the book and is currently learning how to read music notes.I do wish they had more familiar songs that she knows versus songs that we have never heard of.She does however enjoy playing the piano and has a love for it.She plays the piano on a daily basis and always wants to have recitals for her stuffed toys.I plan on purchasing the next level books since they really work.

Alfred's Basic Piano
This lesson book is very appropriate for a beginner.My granddaughter, age 6, has enjoyed learning the basics and the little songs included in this book.I'm glad I purchased it.

The best beginner book I've found
I'm a general music teacher and I've been teaching piano lessons to beginners for two years now.I've looked through a bunch of beginner piano books to try to find what I think is the best.This book and whole series works very well for all of my students and their different learning styles.I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to buy a beginner piano book for a child. ... Read more

Product Description
The "All-in-One Course for Children" takes all of the pages from "Alfred's Basic Piano Library," Lesson Books 1A and 1B, plus selected pages from Theory, Recital and Fun Solo Books and combines them into part of a sequential five-book series. At the completion of Book 5, the student will be ready to continue into Level 3 of "Alfred's Basic Piano Library" or "Alfred's Premier Piano Course." This course is most effective when used under the direction of a piano teacher or experienced musician. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Very good
I bought it for my daughter and I find it very helpful who is just started piano lesson, her piano teacher also find it as very perfect book.

Great1st piano starter all-in-one book!
My son who is 5 years old started playing piano using the Alfred All-In-One Course: Book 1 in January.He takes one hour of piano lessons every week, and practices at least 1 hour every day or every other day. After 5 months using the Alfred book and music flash cards, he is able to read basic piano notes, and rest without any problems. Overall, he is advance for his age...in addition to piano, he can READ 1st grade level,DO DOUBLE DIGIT MATH,and play GOLF. I don't expect him to be Mozart, or a pianist...I just want him to love music and learn the classics!

New piano teacher
I am an elementary music teacher and I have just started teaching piano after school. I really like this series because it has music and theory in one book. The parents like that they only have to buy one book at a time. It's very easy to use and I think that the children enjoy it.

Beginning piano for children
This is a very good beginning theory book, but there is very little actual piano for beginning students.Nearly half of the beginning of the book teaches tunes using only the black keys.The student is not exposed to the full keyboard until halfway through the book.It would have been more rewarding for the beginner if he or she could play a recognizeable melody using all the keys sooner.

great for beginners
great book to get for a beginning student who isn't sure about continuing with piano. it includes the theory lessons and pieces to play right away so that children feel successful. ... Read more

Product Description
Endorsed by Kenny Barron, Jamey Aebersold, Richie Beirach, and more, this book presents all the information a student of jazz piano needs in an easy-to-understand, yet thorough, manner. For intermediate to advanced pianists, written by one of the acknowledged masters of jazz piano playing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (38)

Tells you where to go, no always how to get there.
This is a great book. You'll need to couple it with a few other resources to really get it.For example, he tells you to learn all the ii-V-I sequences in every key, but doesn't write them out for you.It's so much easier to have them in a practicable form (try JAZZ CHORD HANON).The book gives a basic overview of theory in the first chapter, but you will NEED to study something beforehand, or you will be lost.Also, THE NEW REAL BOOK contains a lot of the songs that are used in this book.Overall, though, the stuff is all in the book.It just takes some digging to understand it all.I hired a piano teacher to help me with it.

Clear Practical Concise
Music theory can be a confusing subject, especially for improvising musicians. This book clears that confusion and is perhaps the most practical tome on the subject I have ever seen.

Although it is primarily for pianists, the melodic examples apply to all instruments.

As a guitarist, I benefited greatly from Ted Green's books; even more from personal lessons with him. Ted's works are wonderful, but are mostly "instrument specific" books. This book is really about "harmony" ( the useful part of "music theory") so it applies to ALL instruments. Even if you are a guitarist, or play any monophonic instrument, you will get MANY ideas from this book.

Mark Levine ( the author) is obviously a person of experience and this work demonstrates his practical understanding of music theory as it is really used by professional musicians. He provides many examples from Jazz-Standards that illustrate each idea. He wastes no time justifying statements or elaborating esoteric BS. Every page uncovers a world of practice possibilities, yet, the organization of the book's chapters makes progress seem smooth; almost effortless.

You must be able to read music ( at least a little ) to get the most from this volume. However, even some of my students who do not read at all have benefitted from reading it.

Practice is the key. Knowledge is nothing without practice. If for no other reason than Mark's practical advice on HOW to practice, this book is worth the money.

I recently purchased another copy of this book for a student who had to quit taking lessons because she had a baby. The service I got from Amazon was fast. The book arrived in perfect condition.

After re-reading the book, I am almost shocked at how much of my theory-teaching style is borrowed from this book. Even after twenty years of using the information here, I still get something useful every time I open it.

This is a truly GREAT work on the subject. This will be the fifth copy I have purchased and gifted to others. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Great book
One of the jazz bibles for pianists. You could use it if you're beginner or if you have a moderate/advanced level. In any case, it's a very good reference for the jazz piano theory as well as the songs suggested by the author in order to strengthen the theory. You won't never regret purchasing it!

Superior book but be aware The Jazz Theory Book is essentially an updated version of The Jazz Piano Book.
I am writing this review to point out that Mark Levine's TWO Jazz theory books " The Jazz Theory Book" (1995) and "The Jazz Piano Book" (1989) are very much the same book. (Amazon shows incorrect publication dates for these books.) I purchased both here on Amazon. To my suprise, the two books are virtually the same with frequent identical paragraphs of text, illustrations, chapters, etc.

Jazz Theory Book is essentially an update version of the earlier Jazz Piano Book. Both are superior, well written music theory works but be advised of this similarity. Either one of them is a must have for any aspiring Jazz pianist or theory hound.I feel that Amazon or someone should have pointed out this 'duplication'. I purchased my books from Amazon.

Levine's book has become an essential even for non-pianists
Play a (fill in the blank) instrument? You will likely find Levine's Jazz Piano book, based on usable chord structures, harmony, and voicings to be an original source of ideas no matter what you play.

This book is less about black dots and more about ideas. Insights you'd only get after hanging out with people who play real music. Inside stuff.

I have had my copy for many years and buy them for others. The response is always the same: What a fantastic book!

... Read more

Product Description
Level 2A includes C, G, D and A major and minor 5- finger positions. Introduces eighth notes. Transposition and functional harmony skills are presented in highly musical settings. The Level 2A Lesson Book follows Level 1 and continues an intervalic orientation to reading through a musically appealing multi-key approach. Includes C, G, D, and A major and minor 5-finger positions. Transposition and functional harmony skills are introduced. Contents include: Aardvark Boogie * Andante * Band on the Field! * The Bell Tower * Changing Moods * Double Decker Bus * The Elf's Silver Hammer * Famous People * George Washington's Party * Hot Cross Thumbs * I Am the King * Ice Cream * Jazz Blast * Leftover Popcorn. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

piano adventures
My son's piano teacher has been going thru this series with him and he is making good progress and seems to enjoy the books. ... Read more

Product Description
A comprehensive step-by-step course specifically designed to suit the needs of all children beginning the piano. Includes: characters and illustrations * writing exercises * sight reading drills * review work * accompaniments * and more. Contains worksheets, reading-aloud exercises and accompaniments for teacher or parent. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

I learned alot from this book
I've been taking Piano lessons since the beginning of this year. This was the the book my Piano Teacher started me on. I'm an adult who knew nothing and I mean ABSOLUTELY nothing about the Piano.

I knew nothing about where the Middle C is on the Piano or how many notes there are on the Piano. This book taught me how to read the all the notes and how to play them and very quickly too!!!

Did I feel silly learning from this book??? No way... I wanted to learn how to play the Piano and this book got me started.

It's been 7 months and I'm playing pretty good.

Granted I'm no Liberace... but hey I don't mind. I'm having a BLAST!!! :[]

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn how to play the piano for the very first time.

Love This Book
I love these books. I am teaching my 6 year old granddaughter to play, and I am amazed at her progress.We are also using the flash cards by Alfred Publishing.She also loves the book and wants to practice all the time. It is the best gift I can give her.

Great Beginner's Book
My 6 year old daughter, who is just starting to read, loves this book. It is simple enough that she can read the instructions, but still interesting. She loved being able to move forward through the book on her own.

GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am teaching myself and my sons!!! This is very thorough and easy to follow!!! Awesome, I'm saving a lot of money on introductary piano lessons.Will enroll the boys when we finish this program and they still show interest.

Highly recommend the whole series.
Simple and easy to understand.Great for beginners.Love John Thompsons books.Highly recommend the whole series. ... Read more

Product Description
A series for the early beginner combining rote and note approach. The melodies are written with careful thought and are kept as simple as possible, yet they are refreshingly delightful. All the music lies within the grasp of the child's small hands. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (31)

Teaching Little Fingers to Play: A Book for the Earliest Beginner (John Thompsons)
Pros:
A very good lesson book for beginner's piano.

Cons:
None.

teaching little fingers to play
very happy with music shared in book.Keeps my two young girls interested.greatprice and delivery.

Piano Made Easy
As a child I was taught piano with this same lesson series.The new edition has the same easy to learn lesson approach with the added attraction of colorful cartoon figures to make it more interesting to youngsters.
The key to the success of this series is making the lessons progressive in challenge so that even from the first lesson the student is rewarded by a sense of satisfaction of accomplishment.This sense of accomplishment and learning keeps the student interest level high.

Excellent book!Complete and easy to understand!
Great buy!Love the contents.Its a wonderful book, everything and more than we expected.My daughter loves it!
She is learning so fast!I have never learned music, and we are able to learn together.So simple, and easy to understand.Also, covers all a new beginner needs... complete.Highly recommend the whole series.

Wishing for more...
I bought this book a few months ago based on the Amazon reviews, so I felt compelled to review it myself.This book, while full of wonderful pictures, isn't the best book for a child younger than six or seven.It doesn't teach how to read music, and instead creates its own alternative method for reading music, which has not held my younger students' attention.Unfurtunately, it doesn't provide enough instruction geared towards that age group.I will keep this book on the shelf and try again with older beginning students. ... Read more

Product Description
This book provides a collection of effective pieces in a variety of styles. They are designed to be used in conjunction with the Lesson and Theory Books, reinforcing concepts and skills introduced to the student. ... Read more

Product Description
Scale, chord, arpeggio and cadence studies in all major and minor keys presented in a convenient two-page format. Includes an in-depth 12 page explanation that leads to complete understanding of the fundamentals of major and minor scales, chords, arpeggios and cadences plus a clear explanation of scale degrees and a two-page guide to fingering the scales and arpeggios. In addition, several "enrichment options" are provided with exercises such as harmonizing scales, accelerating scales expanding scales and much more!

These excellent all-inclusive books teach scales, chords, arpeggios, and cadences at three different levels. The FIRST book (#11761) accommodates the learning pace of younger students such as those in Alfred's Basic, Level 2. The BASIC book (#5754) is slightly more in-depth, presenting scales, chords, arpeggios, and cadence studies in all the major and minor keys. The COMPLETE book (#5743)features everything in the BASIC book, plus extra features like a 12-page explanation that leads to complete understanding of the fundamentals of major and minor scales, chords, arpeggios, and cadences; a clear explanation of scale degrees; and a two-page guide to fingering the scales and arpeggios ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Everything you need to get started
Great book, well laid out, very thorough.
Will be practicing them all to metronome and writing my scores next to each exercise.

Plenty of info... so I'd better get to work!

not satisfied w/the description, it is a copy not original book and was so disappointing!! coz the price is same as original !!
very disappointing, in fact i would like it to dispute the charge however i dont have time to return the book, but i am not happy the seller didnt mention this is a copy of the original book, i used to have the original, i can say right away this one i bought is COPY !! very disappointing....!!

Bought for daughter
Bought this for my daughter who now lives in another state.She was asked to become the church pianist and needed some refresher information.She was excited to get it.

The Piano's Rosetta Stone
Beautifully done, this book will keep me busy for the duration.Easy to read and very nicely laid out.

A must have item for learning the piano
I just started playing the piano 4 weeks ago and purchased several books on music theory and the like. After reading many of the books, I was left with several questions relative to major and minor scales etc.This book answered all of the quesitons I had in the first 10 pages.As I make progess with my playing, I'msure this book will be an invalueable tool as well as an excellent reference.I highly recommend it... ... Read more

Product Description
The Recital Books congratulate students for a job well done by providing correlated repertoire to their Lesson Books that are based on concepts they've already learned. As a result, the pieces are quickly mastered. Recital Book Complete Level 2 & 3 is for older beginners, and contains the best selections from Recital Books 2 and 3. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Great program
I was really hesitant about this piano teaching series because it starts out numbering the fingers instead of teaching notes.However, I am now a believer.My six year old moved quickly through the material and didn't lose interest mostly because she started with the numbered fingers and progressed from there.I highly recommend these books as an effective system for teaching piano.

Where is Mary?
This book seems like it teaches good, but, hardly any of the songs are songs you would recognize.
Child lost interest very quickly (about 5 minutes), and switched to another book with popular nursery rymmes like Mary had a little lamb, etc.

Perfect delivery and item!
I ordered 4 books from the Alfred collection for my daughter and I have no complaints!

Easy to teach
I did a lot of looking for piano instruction books, and the Alfred Series is fabulous! This book was referenced from the Basic Course and corresponds to the level the student is at ~ and it makes teaching so simple. One of the things I like best is the great variety of songs - that are actually fun to learn -I highly recommend this book for the younger beginner student.

EXCELLENT BEGGINNER PIANO SONGS!
Even for the most basic beginner, cute, thoughtful songs that could easily be performed for a beginning pianist recita. ... Read more

Product Description
Contents include: Almost Like a Dream * Amarylis * America * Auld Lang Syne * Beach Party * Boom Boom! * Boxcar Rumble * Camptown Races Duet * Canoeing in the Moonlight * Carefree Waltz * Cathedral Chimes * Chord Jumps * Cross-Hand Arpeggios * Down by the Bay * and more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Not that helpful.
I purchased this so I could hear what the songs I'm practicing are supposed to sound like. However, it's hard for me to clearly discern which sounds I'm supposed to be making because the cd barely contains actual piano sounds! I'm getting a vauge idea but I purchased this cd hoping I'd hear an actual piano playing the tunes from the lesson book. Perhaps children would be more able to find the sounds they need for help but as an adult maybe my ear for music is just too out of practice. I hope this is of help to anyone else who was thinking of purchasing it for the same reason I did.

As an aside: the Piano Adventures series books themselves are the best I've seen for a piano teaching method that takes one through in gradual steps.

I love this series!!
The Piano Adventures series is great. The pieces are fun to play, and the theory and progression is sound. They are the best out there!

Piano books
Got these piano adventure books for my niece.She has been using them for about a month.She says they have challenged, inspired, and are worth every penny. ... Read more

Product Description
Everything you need to know to start playing now! Whether you're a beginner with no prior musical training, or you ""used to play"" and are need of a refresher course, Alfred's Teach Yourself to Play Piano is the perfect resource to teach yourself piano, even though you have never taken a lesson. Complete with on-screen scrolling music, MP3 play-along tracks for every example, and iPod
*-compatible video files, you will master how to make rhythms made simple, how to form the most important chords, techniques for playing with feeling and expression, and so much more. Upon completing Teach Yourself to Play Piano, you will be able to play in pop, blues, classical, folk, hymns, spirituals, and ragtime styles. The DVD includes exciting arrangements of The Entertainer and Amazing Grace, and sets the stage for a life-long relationship with music and playing the piano. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Playing the Piano
I hadn't played the piano since I was in high school.Now in my senior years I was unable to read or play music.With this book, I am now playing music for my own enjoyment. You should buy this book if you want to learn or re-learn the paino.

Is working GREAT for us!!
I purchased this kit to help teach us how to play the piano.We just purchased a Casio Privia PX-330 keyboard and wanted to start lessons as soon as possible.I work part time with the Air National Guard and I am a fulltime student. I don't really have time for lessons so I wanted something I can do myself.This kit is amazing and really does help.I have never played any instrument before and I can't read music.This book teaches you both.Learning to play the piano is a very daunting task but it is much easier with this book.My wife and oldest son are still going to take lessons because they have the time, but I am very satisfied with learning from this book.It does a GREAT job and I would recommend it to everyone trying to learn the piano!!!Would buy again for sure!

Wow! Wow! Wow!
This book with DVD is absolutely fantastic! I never thought I would be able to learn the piano but this set makes it so much easier! The DVD follows everything in the book, page by page, with the benefit of the piano teacher providing a little more detailed information than the book provides. It's been a pleasure going from lesson to lesson always thinking that there's no way I can play what she just played. With a little time, I'm able to complete each lesson successfully and move on to the next one. The lessons are set out perfectly, growing your skills little by little. A+ in my book!! Not one regret with this purchase!!! The cost of this DVD far out weighs the cost of piano lessons. This is a steal!!!!!!!!

Great book for the adult learner
I bought this book to see if I could teach myself the basics of playing the piano. It works great for me. I am a visual learner. Yes, I like pictures. The book has drawings of correct finger position and placement. There are basic scales, songs, and lots of skill building exercises. I am very pleased with my purchase. I would buy this book again. It works for the adult who has never played the piano. It teaches you to read music! ... Read more

Product Description
This book begins with an extensive review of the chords and keys previously studied, using fresh and interesting material that will provide enjoyment as well as reinforcement. Particularly noteworthy is the systematic presentation of chords in all positions in both hands. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

I strongly recommend this book
I am a piano teacher. I recommend this book to adults who had learned how to play the piano but haven't played for a while.
My students catch up quickly and easily with this book and they like it. This book covers theory, piano techniques and musical terms enough
and reminds you those skills and musical language as pages go by.
This book may not be easy to follow for those whom never played the piano before.

Beware!You need to buy additional books
While this is a long-standing instructional series, something of which the novice should be aware:When you purchase this book, you should also be aware that you will have to purchase several other books/instructional materials to correlate with this book. For example, I have covered the first 7 pages of the book and am now told that I am ready for two additional books in the series. These books need to be purchased separately and are not, as of this writing, available on Amazon. So, I need to purchase these books from another site. Even though I live in a major city (Chicago), these companion volumes are not readily available.

Alfred's Adult Piano Course, Book II
This is the 2nd book in a wonderful series for adult level piano lessons.The piano selections were carefully chosen to promote regular practice.Do not hesitate to purchase this book.

Seemed good
Seemed like a great book. I bought it around the same time as a motorcycle. Unfortunately, I was moving along nicely in the book and getting the hang of things when later that month I lost control of my motorcycle, drove into a drainage ditch, flew over a driveway, and hit a retaining wall. Then with a broken arm, amongst some memory loss, I didn't pick it back up.

GOOD SELF-TEACHING AID
I took piano lessions years ago {now 64} i wished to start back so i bought a keyboard. Looking at Amazon for some lession books I came across these three volumes by Alfreds and decided to buy.Very glad I did. If you stick with it and practice, you will do well and teach yourself how to play some good music. My wife got interested and now she is playing. You will love the progress of the lessions and will learn much. One more thing these lessions are for real, not the right-hand, one-hand like some, these books {three} are for the serious person who wants to learn music and play well. You won't go wrong and you CAN do it all by yourself. Michael Beckflorence, Alabama. ... Read more

Product Description
The Modern Course series provides a clear and complete foundation in the study of the piano that enables the student to think and feel musically. It may be preceded by the Teaching Little Fingers to Play series. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

My little one likes the music
Our piano teacher recommended this book. The songs are simple and beautiful. My little one likes to play these songs.

Excellent!
This book is my daughter's second since beginning piano lessons a few months ago.The first was also a John Thompson book - 'For Little Fingers' - both chosen by her piano teacher.Since the teacher spoke so highly of the series I expected the books to be very good, and they are.This book also comes with a CD which is a great help between lessons to refresh my daughter's mind on how the song should sound when played correctly - ie loud, soft, slower at the end, etc., as she learns the different terms.I expect we will continue in this series for quite some time.

Brings back memories
This is a fun little book.I used it during lessons as a kid over 30 years ago.Bought a new copy recently along with some beginning piano/voice books and it's fun to go back in time.Haven't touched a piano in over 30 years so this was a great refresher for me.Pieces aren't so hard that a beginner would get discouraged.I only give 4 stars because I bought the newer edition that comes with a companion CD, and the CD really wasn't relevent to the pieces in the book in any way that'd be helpful in learning the songs themselves -- more like a music history lesson than a piano lesson.

Perfect starter for a self starter!
When I was six, I wanted to play the piano just like my mom.I tried to take lessons but hated the weekly "recital" and slow slow pace of my teacher so my mother, being the saint she is, bought me John Thompson's Modern Course.I learned not only to play with confidence, but 23 years later I accompany choirs and am teaching my own son to play out of the same books I used as a child.These courses are the perfect first books for any self-motivated student, are easy to read and comprehend, and most importantly actually teach the hows and whys of playing.The songs are interesting and are progressively more challenging, not to mention that the arrangements are some of the best I've ever seen for beginners.I highly recommend the whole series to anyone who is trying to learn to play the piano.It has given me years of enjoyment and I now have a skill that no one can take away.

Good book, songs
I used this as a kid and learned many valuable lessons. Good music and somewhat good explanations. I think this is a good start for older kids. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
Easy arrangements of 120 Beatles hits. A truly remarkable collection including: All My Loving * And I Love Her * Come Together * Eleanor Rigby * Get Back * Help! * Hey Jude * I Want to Hold Your Hand * Let It Be * Michelle * many, many more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

beatles
I wish I could've known what songs were in this volume, I didn't get the exact ones I was looking for

WTF
How is this the best? I have the advanced version of the best and it has a better song selection. You'd think they could fit more songs on the easy piano version but, no... It's cool to have some broken down versions of the "majority of the best" though.

It has some questionable lyrics as well. Like in "For No One", there is a line that goes "And in her eyes, you see nothing" which is correct in the Best advanced version; in this arrangement it's labeled as "And in her eyes, you are nothing".

It's not bad though because it's a beginners book.

So, maybe just listen to the song you want to play before hand, and if you spot another bad lyric, punch your book and scratch it out with a pen very heavily in a frustrated manner and then call upon your inner peace to play the song beautifully.

The Long and Winding Road
This is the book I have been seeking for over 20 years. A Beatles Song Book just for piano - and with easy to follow chords!! Anyone above beginner will be able to play the songs in here - it is brilliant!! Every Beatles song you can think of - they're all here!!
Highly recommended - and what a great price!!

Great song collection and easy to play
This is a great collection to add to my library as a voice teacher.They are easy to play which is great for me because I am usually site reading as I teach and I want to be concentrating on the voices of my students rather than the difficulty of a piano score. Voice Lessons To Go's -Vocalize!

Nice for beginners
Both of my sons take piano and are fairly good for their age.They like the Beatles and their Piano teacher recommended that we purchase this book. The boys are excited and have been playing 10 songs now. ... Read more

Product Description
Over 50 Disney delights, including: The Ballad of Davy Crockett * The Bare Necessities * Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo * Candle on the Water * Chim Chim Cher-ee * A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes * Heigh-Ho (The Dwarfs' Marching Song) * It's a Small World * Kiss the Girl * The Siamese Cat Song * Someday My Prince Will Come * Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious * Under the Sea * When You Wish Upon a Star * Winnie the Pooh * Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah * and more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

I've used this with all my younger students
This is a great Disney Collection of classic Disney songs. It stops at Little Mermaid, so keep that in mind.But all the pieces are great Disney songs from past films.I've actually gone through a couple of them I have used them so much.Voice Lessons To Go's -Vocalize!- I always warm up with that first though!

Disney-Easy Piano
I bought this for my 6 year old daughter who is in her second year of piano lessons.It is a book she will be able to use for many years to come.She can play some songs now and work up to the harder ones.

I'm very pleased
My order came within a reasonable amount of time and the item was in perfect condition. I'm very happy with my order!

Nice arrangements!
I have been studying piano for like 8 months now and I've been searching for different music books since I want to try something challenging and interesting at the same time. This book has it all: most songs are simplified but still challenging enough for beginners and come on, those are DISNEY songs. If you love to play songs from Disney movie, you should totally consider this book!

great piano book
My daughter loves the book. The songs are easy to play. It was a great book for intermediate piano player. ... Read more

Product Description
This easy step-by-step method emphasizes correct playing habits and note reading through interval recognition. Lesson Book 2 continues where Level 1B finishes. This book introduces dotted half notes and dotted quarter notes, plus intervals of 6ths, 7ths and octaves. Teaches greater movement of the hands, including crossing two over one and scalework. Students will also learn more about triads, primary chords, and blocked and broken chords. Songs Include: 18th Century Dance * Alouette * Blue Scales * Calypso Carnival * The Can-Can * Cockles and Mussels * The Galway Piper * Get Away! * Got Lotsa Rhythm * Kum-ba-yah! * Lavender’s Blue * London Bridge * Lone Star Waltz * Malaguena * Nick Nack Paddy Wack * Ode to Joy * Oh! Susanna! * On the Bridge at Avignon * Our Special Waltz * Prelude * Red River Valley * Sarasponda * Square Dance * When You Grow Up * Why Am I Blue? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Alfred's Basic Piano Library Level 2
The book came with a lot more marks and scribbles in it than had been indicated by the seller.It took well over two weeks to arrive.Neither of these are reasonable.

Alfred's Piano Book 2
I think this is an excellent series for beginners.It includes a song people will actually know about every three songs. The only draw back to the series is the difficulty in getting them.Thank you Amazon for making them available online.All the local music stores have stopped carrying them.

A great piano book
The Alfred Basic Piano Library is a wonderful series of books for beginning students.I have taught piano for 11 years, and this series has been very successful with many students!Some favorites of students in Level 2: Alouette, Kumbayah, Ode to Joy, Oh Susannah. ... Read more