Any suggestions for good beginning piano books?
I’m in my thirties and I play guitar. I just got a 61 key electronic keyboard for the holidays. I need suggestions for good beginning piano books appropriate for my age. The book stores and Amazon have nothing. I guess that I need to go to a community college bookstore or something.
What kind of music do you like? There are two routes you can take: Classical or Contemporary.
Classical although more complex and sophisticated is in my opinion easier to learn ( at first) becase it is more detailed and self explanatory. Once you learn how to read, sheet music. You can pick up a work by chopin and little by little start playing (poor technique though, but audible).
Contemporary styles are very very difficult to teach yourself (I speak from experience). You have to decipher chord symbols, study rhythms, harmonize melodies, memorize chord progressions, hand inversions, all instantaneously if you want it too sound good.
Honestly, a teacher is your best bet. Believe me you’ll knock yrs off your quest.
But if your like me, who wants to be self taught: Let me recommend:
Piano for dummies (good introductory stuff)
Contemporary music theory (lv 1,2)
" " " " ear training
Pop piano book
all by mark harrison (awesome books!)
Jamie aebersold books (there are alot, but its play along, his methods have been proven, and you can start IMPROVISING the standards and classic jazz tunes.
For classical music:
I don’t know any good books honestly, ther are so many methods out there. Personally once I learned how to read music (youd be surprise how quickly you can pick it up) all you have to do is get the sheet music for whatever it is you want to play (bach, beethoven, mozart, chopin, whatever)
let them be your teachers, everything is in the sheet music.
Anyway good luck!
BTW, you got a good headstart, since you already play the guitar. You have a good grasp of chords and progressions. This will aid you in piano. That 61 keyboard you got is good for the beginning but you should consider after awhile, if your still into it to at least getting a 76 keyboard one. That way you’ll avoid frustrations when you see that there aren’t enough keys to play a piece that you started (like moonlight sonata).
umm… theres a series called the advanced beginnner blah blah blah, and theres something else called alfreds basic piano and thats a series of books with easy but known music.
References :
What kind of music do you like? There are two routes you can take: Classical or Contemporary.
Classical although more complex and sophisticated is in my opinion easier to learn ( at first) becase it is more detailed and self explanatory. Once you learn how to read, sheet music. You can pick up a work by chopin and little by little start playing (poor technique though, but audible).
Contemporary styles are very very difficult to teach yourself (I speak from experience). You have to decipher chord symbols, study rhythms, harmonize melodies, memorize chord progressions, hand inversions, all instantaneously if you want it too sound good.
Honestly, a teacher is your best bet. Believe me you’ll knock yrs off your quest.
But if your like me, who wants to be self taught: Let me recommend:
Piano for dummies (good introductory stuff)
Contemporary music theory (lv 1,2)
" " " " ear training
Pop piano book
all by mark harrison (awesome books!)
Jamie aebersold books (there are alot, but its play along, his methods have been proven, and you can start IMPROVISING the standards and classic jazz tunes.
For classical music:
I don’t know any good books honestly, ther are so many methods out there. Personally once I learned how to read music (youd be surprise how quickly you can pick it up) all you have to do is get the sheet music for whatever it is you want to play (bach, beethoven, mozart, chopin, whatever)
let them be your teachers, everything is in the sheet music.
Anyway good luck!
BTW, you got a good headstart, since you already play the guitar. You have a good grasp of chords and progressions. This will aid you in piano. That 61 keyboard you got is good for the beginning but you should consider after awhile, if your still into it to at least getting a 76 keyboard one. That way you’ll avoid frustrations when you see that there aren’t enough keys to play a piece that you started (like moonlight sonata).
References :
I always think the John Thompson books are always good. But if you are wanting to just learn melodies and chord progressions, get a book of pop stuff and learn as you go. That is a great way to learn piano.
References :