The Contemporary Keyboardist and Expanded (Instructional) [Plastic Comb] Review

John Novello is an amazing musician.Having a book that gives insite into his approach would be quite valuable all by itself, but he has put together a very comprehensive work that is a must have for any musician looking to expand his/her knowledge and abilities.In this modern age where the electronic keyboard provides the easiest access to the world of instrumentation, as a songwriter/arranger I find John's Contemporary Keyboardist to be an essential reference, especially as my main instrument is the guitar.

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Product Description:
This comprehensive, 562-page method, called "Solid, readable and relevant" by Keyboard magazine and "The major work for today's pianists" by International Musician, is divided into four sections. The first, "A Philosophy of Music," deals with communication, cause-effect principles and practice disciplines. The second section, "Mechanics," covers all the basics of keyboard music and playing (notation, harmony, improv, sight reading, etc.), as well as their applications. The third section, "The Business Scene," contains guidelines and industry advice for contemporary keyboardists. Section four, "Interviews," provides insights into the artistry and technique of famous players such as Herbie Hancock, Henry Mancini, Edgar Winter, Keith Emerson, Paul Shaffer and many more. Includes an index.

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Pianist's Guide to Standard Teaching and Performance Literature [Paperback] Review

This book would be particularly useful for piano teachers or for adult students of piano who are trying to expand their repertoire.It would be less useful for an advanced pianist (which I am not), as the rating scale is too simplistic and many well-known, but very difficult, works are not included.
There is a great selection of pieces from both well-known and very obscure composers, and includes virtually every significant teaching piece that one might think of.Each piece is graded in difficulty from 1-10.The grading is not as detailed as that used by Wolters, where each piece is given a separate grade for both technical and musical difficulty, but the grading is quite accurate and helpful in selecting pieces that you can actually play, if you're not a top-notch pianist.The biggest advantage of this book over other piano repertoire books is the very extensive coverage of twentieth-century music, including even some pieces for prepared piano, so it's a good place to look for some new stuff to play to annoy your friends and neighbors.
A minor weakness of the book is the lack of headings at the top of each page, which makes it sometimes irritating to use as a reference, since you may have to page forward or backwards several pages to figure out where you are in the alphabetical listing of composers.The typesetting and page layout make it look a bit amateurish, although it is carefully edited and doesn't contain a lot of typographical errors.

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Product Description:
This reference book is an invaluable resource for teachers, students and performers for evaluating and selecting piano solo literature. Concise and thoroughly researched, thousands of works, from the Baroque through the Contemporary periods, have been graded and evaluated in detail. Includes an alphabetical list of composers, explanations of works and much more.

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PIANO MADE EASY: "It's Piano Lessons in a Box!" Review

bought PIANO MADE EASY for my kids and they LOVE it!!!teaches how to REALLY play the piano.very user friendly and easy for kids to set up and play themselves.(don't know why that other reivewer complained about the game not being midi, the instructions say that its not midi).5 stars.

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WIt's Piano Lessons in a Box! Winner of Creative Child Magazine Top Toy of the Year Award; Family Review Center Platinum Award; iParenting Media Award; National Parenting Center Seal of Approval; The Toy Man Award of Excellence; and National Parenting Publications Honors Award - visit their sites for independent reviews of PIANO MADE EASY. Learn how to play the piano with PIANO MADE EASY! This computer adventure for beginners teaches how to count rhythm and the keys on the piano. With the help of zany Bill the zookeeper and his dog you'll learn how to play music on your own PIANO MADE EASY piano. Up to 4 people ages 7 to adult will make your way through a beautiful zoo learning a new piano concept at each stop. Hidden in the zoo are 57 pieces of orchestrated music plus 10 rhythm and keyboard games. Kids and adults will have a great time learning to play the piano with PIANO MADE EASY's fun piano lessons. PIANO MADE EASY is a 49-key piano keyboard with power adaptor and instructional CD-ROM game for use on a PC computer with Windows 98 2nd Edition, XP, or Vista.

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Melodica Piano 27 (Alto) Review

This is a sturdy instrument with a lovely sound.

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Product Description:
This melodica is made by Hohner. It has 27 piano keys covering over 2 chromatic octaves starting at the F below middle C. Includes a comfortable strap for the left hand, instructions, and deluxe carrying case.

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Popular Hits Book 1 - Book/GM Disk Pack: Hal Leonard Student Piano Library Adult Piano Method (Educational Piano Library) [Paperback] Review

This book follows book 1 of the Hal Leonard Adult Piano Method but can be used as a supplementary book for any piano method.The authors have picked 12 pop hits - both old and new - and arranged them for solo piano.The CD or MIDI disk also has fun accompaniments for each piece.Songs include 'My Heart Will Go On,' 'Y.M.C.A.,' 'Fun, Fun, Fun,' and 'Strangers in the Night.'The arrangements are basic enough to improve/add on to if you wish.The authors also offer a suggested order for learning the songs.

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Product Description:
Exciting supplementary material featuring brand-new arrangements of standard favorites. Includes: American Pie * Circle of Life * Fun, Fun, Fun * La Vie En Rose * Let It Be Me * Murder, She Wrote * My Heart Will Go On * Sing * Strangers in the Night * Y.M.C.A. * The Way You Look Tonight.Exciting supplementary material featuring brand-new arrangements of standard favorites. Includes: American Pie * Circle of Life * Fun, Fun, Fun * La Vie En Rose * Let It Be Me * Murder, She Wrote * My Heart Will Go On * Sing * Strangers in the Night * Y.M.C.A. * The Way You Look Tonight.

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Rare Finds for Piano (Steinway Library of Piano Music; Book and CD) [Paperback] Review

Joseph Smith's thesis is that "On the one hand, I certainly believe undeserving works do not last in the active repertoire--acknowledge pieces are generally masterpieces. On the other, I protest the seeming inverse--the assumption that a piece's absence from the repertoire is proof per se of its inferiority."

This collection proves his point. These "rare finds" are not just "rare," they're _finds_.

They're all charming, and some are more than charming. (My personal favorites are "The Castle's Half and Half," an attempt by Vernon and Irene Castle to launch a popular dance based on 5/4 time; and Percy Grainger's "The Sussex Mummers' Christmas Carol," which sounds as if it should be a light seasonal confection, but which I found deeply moving).

Each piece is accompanied by a one-or-two-page interesting, readable essay.

The CD is not just a learning aid; the pieces are beautifully played and the CD is a pleasure to listen to.

The pieces included are:

Adagio From Concerto In D Minor (Johann Sebastian Bach)
In Dream (Alfredo Catalini)
The Peal Of Laughter (Ignacio Cervantes)
Hommage To Haydn (Claude Debussy)
The Castles' Half And Half (James Reese Europe And Ford Dabney)
Barcarolle (Mikhail Glinka)
The Sussex Mummers' Christmas Carol (Percy Grainger)
Memories Of Infancy (Enrique Granados)
Entr'acte (Erich Wolfgang Korngold)
In Deep Woods (Edward MacDowell)
Malgre` Tout - Despite All (Manuel Ponce)
Fugue No. 12 (Antonin Reicha)
Canon (Ottorino Respighi)
A Caress For My Wife (Gioacchino Rossini)
Hungarian Melody (Franz Schubert)
Polka Poetique (Bedrich Smetana)
Valse (Billy Strayhorn)
Andantino Con Moto (Carl Maria Von Weber)

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Product Description:
Includes CD. Arranged by Joseph Smith.A valuable collection of little-known masterpieces by famous composers that have never been recognized as 'standard repertoire.' These works differ in their degree of rarity - some have long been out of print, some are available only in expensive editions, others are obtainable but known only to aficionados of a certain composer or national genre. Joseph Smith has compiled a wonderful collection of 18 rare masterpieces, each with introductory notes about the composer and the piece. Smith has also eloquently recorded them on the enclosed CD.

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Simply Elegant Piano, Vol. 1 (The Steinway Library of Piano Music) [Paperback] Review

The book is delightful, easy enough to sit down and immediatly enjoy.The chords are beautiful.

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Product Description:
Arranged for Piano. It takes a special talent to write piano arrangements that are easy to play, yet sound elegant and sophisticated. For this new series in the Steinway Library of Piano Music, we have tapped the abilities of two outstanding arrangers, Preston Keys and Noreen Lienhard, to create beautiful, unique and playable settings of some of our favorite songs!
Sound Elegant... Sound Professional
This is a collection players of all levels can love, with gorgeous (and painless) piano renditions of such perennials as: Misty, Star Dust,The Shadow Of Your Smile, On A Clear Day, Somebody Loves Me, Sweet Lorraine,At Last,What A Wonderful World, Memories Of You, Bewitched, I Can't Get Started, On Green Dolphin Street, I'm Always Chasing Rainbows, Shenandoah, and How Sensitive (based on a Chopin melody).You'll be thrilled at how these 15 arrangements make you sound... how much fun they are to play... and how quickly you'll get them under your fingers!

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Chord Approach to Pop Piano Playing (Complete): Piano Technique (Piano Method) [Paperback] Review

This is a wonderful book, it walks you through step by step. You are able to use this book as a self teaching method. Albert DeVito really did a wonderful job putting all this great information in one book (The Complete Edition).With each technique given, you have songs to practice with, you will then be able to incorporate these techniques in other songs you may wish to play. He shows you how to play Arpeggios, Boogie Woogie Bass,Walking bass Lines, Chord Substitution, Intervals, Theory of Chord Construction, Embellishments, and much more.

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Product Description:
A modern method of playing popular and classic music that leads to improvisation and professional styles. Students will learn about adding chords to lead lines, arranging pieces by adding endings and fillers, modulation, and transposition. Over 65 popular songs let students practice and demonstrate their skills while they learn.

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Professional Piano Teaching: A Comprehensive Piano Pedagogy Textbook for Teaching Elementary-Level Students [Paperback] Review

Dr. Jacobson explains the art of piano pedagogy in the most comprehensive text available. New and experienced teachers alike will benefit from her expertise in the field of piano teaching.She is very dedicated to making us the best teachers we can be!This book is essential for every music teachers library as a reference and inspiration!!!

Sincerely,
L.Cook
piano teacher for over 20 years

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Product Description:
Professional Piano Teaching, is designed to serve as a basic text for a first-semester piano pedagogy course.It provides an introduction to the profession, an overview of learning principles, a thorough approach to all aspects of teaching beginners and elementary students, and a detailed analysis of the business aspects of independent teaching.Special topics related to group teaching, teaching preschool students and evaluation of teaching also are included.Its thorough treatment of subject matter makes it useful for pedagogy students, new teachers, university graduates with little or no pedagogy coursework, and teachers who have had limited opportunity for advanced training.Due to its comprehensive approach, experienced teachers will also find it filled with helpful hints to enhance their skills.
The book deals not only with what to teach, but with how to teach and solve problems in teaching.Teachers will be able to apply the principles that are discussed to real situations that they encounter on a daily basis.Actual teaching problems are discussed and workable solutions are offered for them.Numerous musical examples are used to illustrate the discussions.For copyright reasons, most musical examples were chosen from materials published or distributed by Alfred Publishing Company.Because bibliographies quickly become outdated and new teaching materials appear with regularity, specific lists of materials are limited.In addition, computer and keyboard technology has not been treated as a separate chapter in the book.Because of the rapidly changing technology, general applications are suggested throughout the text as appropriate.
For the beginning pedagogy class, it is recommended that students study Chapters 1-8 in order.By following this order, they explore the field in a systematic way, learning:
‚ what it means to become a professional piano teacher (Chapter 1)
‚ principles of learning applied to piano teaching (Chapter 2)
‚ how to choose a beginning piano method (Chapter 3)
‚ elementary teaching concepts and common problems of beginners (Chapter 4)
‚ specifics of teaching rhythm and reading (Chapter 5)
‚ specifics of teaching technique and musical sound development (Chapter 6)
‚ how to choose repertoire and present it (Chapter 7)
‚ how to develop musicality in students (Chapter 8)
The special topics in the book can be integrated into the class according to the preference of the teacher, the length of the term and the needs of the student.These topics include:
‚ an exploration of group teaching (Chapter 9)
‚ a philosophical and practical discussion about teaching preschoolers (Chapter 10)
‚ the business aspects of teaching piano (Chapter 11)
‚ suggestions for observing and evaluating lessons (Chapter 12)
In Chapter 11 (Business Aspects of Teaching), samples of professional forms, studio policies, brochures, business cards and ads are given.The publisher hereby grants the purchaser of this book permission to use and adapt these forms for personal and professional purposes.
Chapter 12 (Evaluation of Teaching) should be studied as soon as pedagogy students start to observe experienced teachers and begin their own student teaching.
Important points covered in each chapter are summarized at the end of the chapter.These summary points can be used in the pedagogy classroom for starting classroom discussions of key topics.In addition, projects that build on the teaching principles introduced in the chapter are suggested for both new teachers and experienced teachers.Pedagogy teachers can assign or adapt those projects that are appropriate for students in their classes.
The quest for improvement of piano teaching skills never ends.Whether you are beginning the journey as a new teacher with this book or whether you are an experienced teacher refining your skills, the author wishes you continued success as you pursue your career in professional piano teaching.

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How to Play Popular Piano in 10 Easy Lessons: The Fastest, Easiest Way to Learn to Play from Sheet Music or by Ear [Paperback] Review

For the beginner, this book is excellent. I have looked at many piano books when I first began playing, and most of them were usually too complicated, or too simplistic. This book, however, was one that fell right in the middle and helped me understand all kinds of important ideas in music, such as harmony and melody, building chords and scales (and understanding HOW), reading music, how to understand progressions, and how to play by ear and improvise. It is certainly geared toward getting you "up and playing" in the simplest, fastest way, at a moderate pace, with a good depth of information that does not get overwhelming. Because of this, this book is probably suited much more for the person who has no music experience and wants to learn the basics of how to play out of fake books and begin improvising. It is probably not good for those who want in-depth and more advanced theory of music, but it is an excellent book to use as a stepping stone toward more adva! nced piano study. This is a must have book for any beginnger.

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"Anyone who can dial a telephone can learn to play popular piano quickly and easily."
So says Norman Monath, author of How to Play Popular Piano in 10 Easy Lessons. His no-frills, no-drills method will have you playing simple tunes within 30 minutes -- even if you don't know one note from another.
The secret? Learning the basic chords and how to adapt them. With lots of clearly illustrated chord examples, keyboard diagrams and practice pieces ranging from "Silent Night" to "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," Monath teaches you:
* the basic structure of music
* how to alter the basic chords for creative accompaniment
* how to read tunes from sheet music
* how to improvise
* how to play by ear
* how to create your own playing style -- whether you lean toward pop, blues, jazz or rock
For everyone from rank beginner to experienced virtuoso, this step-by-step, uncomplicated guidebook makes learning to play popular piano the easy and enjoyable experience it should be.

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