Piano for Kids (Jewel Case) Review

This is a first-stage beginner's program with an excellent presentation.The cute characters provide a very good education about piano basics and how to play the piano.For the software version, screen animations provide a level of interest for kids.Recommended for age 6+, but I believe it could start younger for those that can read a little.The software version features printable sheet music, tempo adjustments, puzzles, games, and an option to download other free MIDI songs (but on Windows Vista with a broadband (cable internet) connection, this option did not work).SelectSoft/ArcMedia's website also did not produce a listing for free MIDI music downloads.If the download MIDI songs function works for you, this would be an excellent choice for long-term teaching.Piano for Kids (Jewel Case)Piano for Kids

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Product Description:
Meet Professor Rhythm and his staff: five cheeky characters who will open up the world of music and make playing the piano as easy as pie-ano. Children learn to readand play music with the help of an amazing magic piano that shows which notes to hit and when.
Features:

Adjust the tempo bar to match learning speed.
Left and right hand movements taught separately and together.
Watch the ladybug follow the notes as the tune is played back.
Look up musical terms in the glossary.
Well-known, recognizable tunes plus printable sheet music with finger positions and notes that kids can color.
Introduction to the basics of general music theory.
Puzzles, games and drag & drop exercises with fun sounds and animations to support the lessons.
The unique touch & click piano helps kids learn where the notes are onthe piano keyboard and the staff.

System Requirements for Windows

Windows 98, Me, XP
Pentium PC or faster
32 MB RAM (48 MB recommended)
100 MB free hard disk space
800x600monitor, 16-bit color
Windows-compatible sound card & speakers
2X CD-ROM drive (4X recommended)

System Requirements for Macintosh

Mac OS 7.5-9.2, OS X Classic mode
PowerMac or faster
32 MB RAM (48 MB recommended)
100 MB free hard disk space
800x600 monitor, thousands of colors
2X CD-ROM drive (4X recommended)

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Alicia's Keys - VIRTUAL Piano Sample Library Review

This is a fantastic plugin. It works standalone and in your favorit DAW, such as ProTools. It sounds like if you were sitting at a real (good) piano. The light tones sounds like a real piano where the string almost have no sound, and the deep tones are really nice and deep.
My girl wouldnt play any other pianos cause they didnt sound real. Even ProTools piano (that is quit allright), werent good enough.
The folks from Native Instruments have done a fantastic job. Thumps Up.

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Product Description:
Together with Danish sample specialist Thomas Skarbye (better known by his company name Scarbee) and impulse response expert Ernest Cholakis, Alicia Keys has created a virtual piano that meets her professional standards and embodies the soulful sound that has become her trademark as a superstar. This is the piano sound that has helped Miss Keys win multiple Grammys and reach the top of the charts. ALICIA'S KEYS was sampled from her own playing, recorded in the artist's own studio under the supervision of her trusted engineer, Ann Mincieli. The instrument samples come from Alicia Keys' very own Yamaha­TM C3 Neo grand piano. This unique and highly-sought after instrument was built to celebrate Yamaha's 100th anniversary in 2002 and represents the very top of the Conservatory Collection line. The exquisite and unique sound of the C3 Neo were painstakingly captured by Thomas Skarbye, Kontakt script wizard Nils Liberg, and Grammy-award winning engineer Ann Mincieli - making this exclusive instrument available to everyone. Using vintage microphones and preamps and through detailed analysis of Alicia's playing, the team succeeded in capturing the warm, soulful and inspiring sound of the C3 Neo all the way down to the finest nuances. Alicia herself says, "I feel confident that we came up with the best virtual piano you've ever heard and I am excited to introduce it to you! Ann, Thomas and Nils are a brilliant team!" Great effort was put into making ALICIA'S KEYS as authentic as possible. Designed with incredible precision, and incorporating subtle details such as mechanical release noises, a specially developed sympathetic resonance and release system, and even the sound of fingers hitting keys (optional), this unique instrument delivers plenty of lively realism. So much in fact, that Alicia Keys herself used it exclusively on her latest album The Element of Freedom.

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Soft Way to Mozart piano teaching software Review

Four years old child learning piano. She has been using the software for two weeks (two or three times a week).

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Product Description:
Soft Way to Mozart software is a set of seven computer games designed to teach beginners from 3-year-old and up how to read and play music, and support practice of beginners and advanced students. Some of the games use the MIDI connection to an electric piano keyboard or digital piano for interactive support and control of student's playing. This teaching software may be used for home practice and self-teaching, or in music studios or at schools.This software package differs from other software1) It really teaches how to read and play music compared to many musical toys designed for entertainment rather than for education.2) Supported by innovative teaching approach, it succeeds in teaching very beginners and children where many teaching software programs rely on the already existing skills of advanced students.Soft Mozart teaching method focuses on the most important part of music education - learning to read music. The method introduces revolutionary music score representations and special key stickers to allow any beginner, small children as well as adults, to read and play songs from the first piano lesson. The interactive learning software guides the student during piano playing, and the gradual transition to a normal music score provides the most effective and painless method of learning to read music notes. A student can choose from 52 (may be updated to 300) popular classical and folk songs that are included in the song library, listen to them, play with the right, left or both hands, and memorize them.Different learning exercises improve essential skills needed for fluent music reading and playing.All exercises are implemented in the form of colorful computer games, attractive to adults as well as toddlers. Total interactivity and visual hints provide a comfortable environment during music activities, playing songs as well as exercises.

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Instant Play Piano Review

If you want to learn to play the piano, this product is a great way to start.You can go at your own pace, and review as often as you need.The instruction is easy to understand, and within the first few lessons, you'll already be making noticable music.

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Product Description:
Instant Play Piano

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Piano Wizard Premier with Silver M-Audio Keyboard - Standard Version Review

I've had this Piano Wizard premier version for a year and a half now. My son has been practicing the piano 90 minutes a day with it. He is 8 years old, mentally retarded, and for the longest time I've had trouble finding something he could do. He could hardly even understand enough to appreciate toddler TV programs. The Piano Wizard is my son's first project of his life. It is an intuitive piano teaching system. You see the color dot on the screen, you press the corresponded colored key on the musical keyboard. The music's speed can be controlled so much that you can have it coming literally at a snail's speed such that even people with the worst reflexes have the time to find the right key to push.

That's how my son got started with Twinkle Twinkle, pushing one key at a time. There is no need to know how to read music at that point. However, music notation is still taught in the system. My video here shows my son playing the first level of a song, where the eggs go straight up exactly in the order of the layout of a piano's keys. This makes it possible even for him to figure out readily when to push which key. Once he's familiar with that, level two has the eggs going sideways, so it is a little less intuitive. Once my son gets the fingering down in level one, he doesn't have much trouble adjusting to level 2. Level 3 shows normal musical notes but still in the color system to indicate the keys. Then Level 4, which I show my son play here in the second half of the video, has just the normal musical notes. As you can see, my son adjusts to that rather well too.

The Piano Wizard premier version is extremely well designed with convenient features. You can set it so that it repeats any part of the song such that you play the difficult part again and again. You can stop the song anywhere and scroll it back to any other part and start right there. I use those two features all the time. It keeps count of how many keys my son missed and gives a score at the end, so I can just let my son practice while I do housework, then check the score to gauge his performance.

The easy level has 100 songs divided by difficulty into 10 levels. This video shows my son play a song in level 6. These songs have the fingerings already keyed in, which is another help for beginners. One can also input or edit any figuring easily for any song. It is also an easy matter to input ANY midi song into the Piano Wizard. I have downloaded free Disney and Star War songs and watch the notes go up inside the Piano Wizard. Learning to play them, however, is still a lot of work!

I use two keyboards with Piano Wizard: the one that came with the program, and a cheap Yamaha keyboard I bought around 6 years ago. Both keyboards work flawlessly with the Wizard in my XP desktop, but with my XP laptops sometimes the drivers fail, and out of the blue the Piano Wizard loses contact with the keyboard and I have to restart the computer to make things go again. But it is not a big problem for me.

The Piano Wizard with keyboard isn't cheap, but it's a lot cheaper than piano lessons. It is enough to get somebody going in learn to play at least up to medium level. I don't even know how to play the piano myself, and yet, by using the program, I have great fun teaching my son to play and watch him improve. I start him slow and gradually increase the speed until he can play at full speed. Who'd ever imagine that he could do this? And it takes me little time because once I get him going, he just practice until he gets good at it; I only have to supervise on occasion. Once you choose a speed, it will play again at the same speed until you change it, so it is really convenient.

In the end, this is easier than driving him to piano lessons even if you don't count the cost. When my relatives and friends watch my son play, they always exclaim, "Wow, you are doing so good with him!"

During the time my son's been playing the piano, his speech and understanding has also improved greatly. I don't know if the piano playing helped? But there is some evidence that music improves a child's intelligence. It's worth a try.

The Piano Wizard is an ingeniously designed system for somebody who wants to teach himself how to play. If even my son can do it, who can't? ( As long as one possesses basic motor skills and hand eye coordination.)

I highly recommend it to anyone.

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Alfred's Basic Adult All-in-One Course: Christmas Piano Book (Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Course) [Paperback] Review

I'm thrilled with the results I am achieving with Alfred's Basic Adult All-In-One Course.
Before starting this course I simply knew what a piano looked and sounded like let alone where Middle "C" was.

Be sure to buy the books with their CD's where provided. It's helpful to hear the pieces played giving one an idea of the appropriate tempo to achieve. Having mastered level one I'm now deep into level two including Broadway Hits, Christmas Song and Alfred's Basic Adult Jazz/Rock Course. I also use Alfred's Basic Adult Finger Aerobics. I've been going it alone now for 15 months.

If you are hiring a piano teacher to help you with this course he/she can guide you with regard to tempo along with much more I presume.

Remember this is the All-In-One Course.There are other and older Alfred's Basic Adult courses be careful to look for this specific course.

[...]

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Product Description:
These collections by one of our most popular composers are full of easy solo arrangements of favorite Christmas carols for adults who are studying Alfred's Adult All-in-One Course, Books 1 and 2.Each selection will bring enjoyment and inspiration to lift holiday spirits!

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Piano For Dummies Review

I am having a blast learning how to pay my keyboard with this software.You can see your progress and that makes me want to practice more and set goals.I wish I had this software years ago.

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Product Description:
The eMedia Piano For Dummies CD-ROM offers everything you need to learn how to play. Learn from over 160 step-by-step lessons with full-motion video demonstrations. Piano teacher Irma Justicia has taught at the renowned Juilliard School of Music. Learn from either the music notation or an animated keyboard. Songs include recorded audio, variable-speed MIDI and MIDI accompaniments. When used with a MIDI keyboard, you can get specific feedback on playing mistakes. Also includes a digital metronome and recorder.

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Piano and Keyboard Method v3 Review

I think this is a great product. It walks you through the basics through more advanced techniques and songs. It also does a great job of teaching you to read music.

It includes short videos of a person playing piano so you can see proper posture and such. Each song comes with (optional) accompaniment, which can make it funner to play (especially with the simple songs). You can also slow the songs down while learning them. The software grades your playing with a percentage score, and gives you details on your errors (if you want them).

This is a great program if youreally want to learn to play on your own.

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Product Description:

This new version of eMedia Piano & Keyboard Method offers everything you need to learn how to play! Piano instructor, Irma Irene Justicia, M.A., who has taught at the renowned Juilliard School of Music, guides you through over 300 step-by-step full-screen lessons. New Instant Feedback works with both electronic keyboards and acoustic pianos! It listens as you play melodies and shows whether you're playing correctly!


The lessons start with the basics, such as hand position, rhythm, and playing on black keys, and move on to reading music notation, sight reading, scales, and much more. Techniques are demonstrated with over 70 videos viewable in full-screen mode.


Learn songs and exercises from music notation as an animated keyboard guides you through fingerings. Songs and exercises are provided as both live-recorded audio and variable-speed MIDI tracks which let you slow the music down as needed. Colorful MIDI accompaniments help make practicing fun! You will learn over 100 popular classical, blues, pop, and rock songs, including hit songs from artists such as Billy Joel, Bob Dylan, and Elton John!


Interactive review and ear training quizzes help reinforce new concepts and develop your ear. When used with an electronic MIDI keyboard, you get Interactive Evaluation Feedback with detailed specifics on your playing, including which notes and rhythms were wrong and how to correct them. In addition, the new Note Tracker shows you what note you're playing and makes learning music notation easy. This latest version also offers fully scalable lesson screens and an option for full-screen video. Other accessories include a built-in digital metronome and a recorder. eMedia Piano & Keyboard Method is the ultimate way to learn how to play piano or keyboard!

eMedia Piano & Keyboard Method Features

Accessories include a built-in digital metronome and a recorder. Click here for a larger image

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Piano and Keyboard Method V2.0 Review

I'm a piano instructor who teaches a once a week high school keyboard class. I've started recommending Emedia to my students as a great at home piano program. As an instructor, I really like the step by step approach to the lessons. The video are very helpful in demonstrating techniques between lessons. Kids that are using the program progress a lot faster than those that don't. This is a fine program either for those that want to learn on their own or that are also taking lessons.

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Product Description:
Over 300 lessons from a former Juilliard instructor. Learn to read music and play songs. Gives specific interactive feedback on your playing.

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Adult All-In-One Course: Lesson-Theory-Technic: Level 1 [Plastic Comb] Review

I used to play the clarinet in middle school. Now I'm 18 and it's been quite some time since I've read sheet music. Playing guitar for six years literally ruined my ability to read the stuff, because I would always use tabs instead. But eventually I grew jaded with the guitar, and I decided to choose a new and fresh direction -- the piano!

This book is very well-written, and leaves no gaps. Within just a few days I found myself relearning all that I had forgotten from band class years before, and I've now reached the point where I know more than I did! And I haven't even finished the book yet!

Plus, it tests you on theory and technique. You get to fill in parts of the book, which really helps you get involved with what your learning.

One reviewer downrated this book because of the song choices, and its accompanying CD. I feel that this is in err. I believe the song choices are just as good as any. If the tunes were familiar, then they wouldn't be as challenging to learn. And as for the CD...I did notice that the piano parts are rather quiet, but I always thought this was because it was a play-along CD (which is what I use it as). It's as good as it needs to be.

Besides, the pieces get more interesting as you progress, some of the final pieces being "Greensleeves", "Scarborough Fair", "The Entertainer" and "Amazing Grace" (and written in a way so that each hand will be dually occupied). And by the end of the third book in the series, you'll be playing some of Beethoven's most popular pieces, like "Fur Elise" and "Moonlight Sonata"!

Also -- something that concerned me when I bought this book: do you need a full-fledged piano? The answer is...no!! A sizable keyboard will do you just fine. But, you just might find yourself looking to buy a real piano once you delve deeper into these lessons...because this series really does inspire and nurture a great love for this amazing instrument.

If you're looking to learn the piano and can't afford a teacher, don't have time for one, or you just learn better on your own -- this is a must-have aid to your learning.

Good luck, and I wish you well in your learning!! :)

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Product Description:
Alfred's Basic Adult All-in-One Course is designed for the beginner looking for a truly complete piano course that includes lesson, theory, technic and popular repertoire in one convenient, all-in-one book. This course has a number of features that make it particularly successful in achieving this goal, among them are smooth progression between concepts, the thorough explanation of chords and outstanding song material. At the completion of this course, the student will have learned to play some of the most popular music ever written and will have gained a thorough understanding of the basic concepts of music.

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