Product Description
Level 3A introduces 3/8 and 6/8 time signatures and the triplet. Students learn the chromatic scale, the 7th, one-octave arpeggios, and explore the key of D major. Contents include: Amazing Grace * Campbells are Coming * Cool Walkin' Bass * Cossak Ride * Echoes of the Harp * Eine Kleine Nachtmusik * Ice Dancing * Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho * Land of the Silver Birch * Looking-Glass River * Lunar Eclipse * March Slav * and more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great Series
My daughter has used this series since she started piano lessons several years ago and has made great progress

Piano Teacher loves this series for her students
As a piano teacher, I enjoy this series for my students. It is well organized and interesting. Level 3A book also follows this format. ... Read more

Product Description
This easy step-by-step method emphasizes correct playing habits and note reading through interval recognition. Lesson Book 1B begins by reviewing the concepts taught in Lesson Book 1A, then introduces new concepts such as incomplete measures, tempo markings, eighth notes and rests, using the damper pedal, half steps and whole steps. It also introduces the major scale through the concept of tetrachords. Songs Include: Brother John * Carol in G Major * The Carousel * The Clown * Concert Time * A Cowboy’s Song * The Cuckoo * French Lullaby * Good King Wenceslas * Good Morning to You! * Good Sounds * Grandpa’s Clock * The Greatest Show on Earth! * G’s in the “BAG” * Hail to Thee, America! * Harp Song * Happy Birthday to You! * Indians * Join the Fun * The Magic Man * Money Can’t Buy Everything * Music Box Rock * Oom-Pa-Pa! * Ping Pong * The Planets * The Rainbow * Sonatina * Step Right Up! * Waltz Time * When Our Band Goes Marching By! * When the Saints Go Marching In * The Whirlwind * The Windmill * Yankee Doodle ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Good quality book.
We bought this book for our daughter. The book is high quality and delivery is reasonably fast. We are very satisfied with the purchase.

Books are great for beginners
My Mom is currently teaching my daughter how to play the piano with this series of books.She said that the books are sequential and easy to follow for all levels.

loved the music
My daughter (now 9) has been using the Alfred's basic books for 3 years now, and the music from the Lesson books is almost always wonderful. The Recital book pieces tend to be a little harder; the lesson pieces are almost always fun and sound great.

My son and I like the book
My son (5 yr old) finished prep course level A and B.Instead of go into C, I decide switch him to regular course.This 1B is continuation from prep B. So far both I and my son like the material in 1B.
There are lots of piano teaching methods out there: Alfred, Piano Adventure,Hal Leonard, John Thompson, Music Tree, Piano Town, just to name a few.There are also lots of debates on which method is better.One of the major criticism of Alfred basic piano library is that it's fixing student's hand position.We only onto 1B, so we don't know if it'll be a problem later on.
But the music in these Alfred books are good. My son likes them and like to play them, that's all it matters.I also bought both Piano Adventure and Hal Leonard and I like the music in Alfred better.

Alfred's Basic Piano Library: Lesson Book Level 1B
I purchased both 1 A and 1 B for a friend who knows nothing about music but wanted to be able to teach her seven year old daughter basic keyboard playing.The books are excellent for this purpose. They are clear, well-paced and make learning fun from the beginning. ... Read more

Product Description
Contents include: Stuffing the Stockings (interval review) * Angels We Have Heard on High * Deck the Halls * Jingle Bells * O Come, All Ye Faithful * O Come Little Children * Up on the Housestep * We Three Kings of Orient Are. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

excellent addition to her repertoire
My daughter loves these little tunes.They are great for her to play for herself and her friends. ... Read more

Product Description
Designed to coordinate page-by-page with the Lesson Books.Contains enjoyable games and quizzes that reinforce the principles presented in the Lesson Books. Students can increase their musical understanding while they are away from the keyboard. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

As Expected.And Liked it.
Nice easy, clear and simple for a 7 year old boy learning to play the piano.

Alfred's Basic Piano Theory 1A
I use this theory book with my piano students. It is very well laid out. The students actually request more theory because they enjoy the worksheets so much. Excellent with young students!

Excellent book
I'm glad I made this purchase. It's a great book with pretty pictures and clear instructions. My 4-yr-old loves it! His teacher loves it too :) ... Read more

Product Description
This book provides instruction, reinforcement, and creative applications of basic theory concepts through writing, sightreading, and ear-training activities - a strong foundation in reading and theory. ... Read more

Product Description
This book provides instruction, reinforcement and creative application of theory concepts through writing, sightreading, and eartraining activities - all within a fun-filled context. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

We love this series
It is great the way the different books in each level work together.They even list the corresponding pages for each lesson (the theory book will list the appropriate Lesson book pages). It makes it easy for our teacher and us.The pages are colorful and the exercises are fun. ... Read more

Product Description
A time-honored tradition just got better! The JOHN W. SCHAUM PIANO COURSE has been revised with 100 percent new engravings and typesetting, color highlighting for concept emphasis, updated song titles and lyrics, and full-color illustrations. Other products available from the best-selling John W. Schaum collection: * John W. Schaum Piano Course (level Pre-A or Green through H or Grey) * Schaum Pop Favorites (level Pre-A or Green through C Purple) * After the H Book (Volume I & II) * Adult Piano Course (Book I-III) * Pop Piano Course (Book I-IV) * Popular Piano Pieces (level Pre-A or Green through D or Orange) * Schaum Christmas (level Green through Orange) * John W. Schaum Solo Piano Albums (For the Young Student) * additional supplementary books ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

just what i was hoping
This is just how I remembered this series when I used it many years ago when takinglessons.It arrived quickly and in perfect shape too.It offers a great progression from initial finger positioning, letter names and then introduces the notes on the staff.I was looking for this in a series and glad to find it.I also like the technical information that it gives the student and I was happy to see the fun, kid-friendly song selection.That makes it fun for the child to play! I can't wait to start teaching my child!

Piano instruction book
The book came in a reasonable amount of time and we are enjoying it so far. Good condition, Thank you

John W. Schaum Piano Course: Pre-A, the Green Book
This old favorite course is the best in my opinion.I use it for all my beginning piano students because it is the one I was taught as a child, so I'm most familiar with it.Kids today are different than they were when I was young, so it takes quite a lot of explaining and patience with them, but I think this beginner book does very well in attempting to teach the young student how to begin to read notes.

Great starter for beginners!
We got an electronic key board last Christmas and got this book to teach at home...it's Fantastic! Easy to use.Have fun!

I can follow it and am teaching myself to play the piano
You can follow right along with the books and it is easy to understand.

Don't expect to learn over night. It has to sink in little by little.

Just keep practicing as muchas you can while enjoying it.

You can do one or two lessons a day and repeat as much as the old lessons as you want to do. You will be amazed how you improve.What was hard becomes easy.

... Read more

Product Description
The use of connected pedal and variety of styles in this collection keep the students musically engaged as they explore the I, IV, and V7 chords. An ideal supplement with other piano methods. Contents include: The Time Machine * The Dragon Hunt * Pagoda Tree * A Day at the Carnival * Sunburst Waltz * Theme by Haydn * Minuet * Music Box Waltz * Everybody Loves Saturday Night * Fur Elise * Kum Ba Yah * Tingalayo * The Milky Way * The British Grenadiers * and more. ... Read more

Product Description
Vonnegut's first novel spins the chilling tale of engineer Paul Proteus, who must find a way to live in a world dominated by a super computer and run completely by machines. His rebellion is a wildly funny, darkly satirical look at modern society. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (84)

"Out On The Edge You See All Kinds Of Things You Can't See From The Center."
Player Piano was the late Kurt Vonnegut's first novel.Published in 1952, the novel is set in an industrial dystopia where the engineers are the top rung of the ladder.In the name of progress, the engineers create machines that can do the work of men.Only the best and brightest are allowed to attend the colleges necessary to secure doctorates.The rest of the population is consigned either to the Army or the Reconstruction and Reclamation Corps (Reeks and Wrecks).The main character is Dr. Paul Proteus, the head of the Ilium Works in Ilium, New York.Proteus is the son of one of the men who led the mechanization of America, thus he is well-respected and expected to rise to the top.But Proteus is decidedly unhappy with the system, particularly the way the common working man has been disenfranchised.The main thread of the novel follows Paul as he attempts to sort out his loyalties, while a side story follows the Shah of Bratpuhr, who's being given a tour of America.

While the technology in the book is quite dated, the story itself still resonates strongly, especially in this age of computers and outsourcing jobs to foreign countries.The people in the story have become enslaved by technology.The people at the top need to be able to create and control the machines in order to maintain their elite status and the people of the bottom have been excluded from making a meaningful contribution to society by being replaced by machines.The people at the bottom are either in the Army, the Reeks and Wrecks, who do very menial tasks, or they just do nothing.They are segregated from the elite managers and engineers.The elite don't seem to have it much better as they spend the majority of the book spouting useless propaganda and jockeying for position.This is the America that causes Proteus to question every value he once held dear.

Despite the somewhat bleak circumstances of the story, Vonnegut tells it with a wry humor and a sharp sense of satire.Player Piano is perhaps the most conventional of his novels and written linearly as opposed to the nonlinear jumping around he would use in later books.This was the first of his novels I ever read, given as a high school assignment back in 1994.I enjoyed it then and I still love it today.I've read some reviews that have said that Player Piano doesn't hold up when compared with his later work.I couldn't disagree more.The story is still relevant to modern times and it's told beautifully.

Player Piano
The book was pretty good.I can see how Vonnegut was just forming his style in the book, just becoming comic, "sci-fi" and all.As far as the "great condition"/like new, I have had books in better condition from this category.But it was still very cheap and readable, so that is all I needed!

We're all working for the reeks and wrecks now
As social commentary I love this book, I'd give it 4 stars.It's spot on in it's description of a "meritocratic" society in which people are entirely sorted by fairly arbitrary and yet seemly worthy and entirely quantifiable (of course!) criteria.

This sorting becomes necessary because there is not enough relevant work for people to do and people must be sifted into the few good jobs remaining somehow.And after all what is a more "rational/mathematical" way of sorting people than turning human beings into nothing more than numbers?And all this sifting by numbers is only to determine who can even qualify for the obscene levels of over education (PhDs) needed to actually do anything.The competition for relevant work is just that stiff.Everyone who doesn't make the cut (the overwhelming majority of the people) gets sent to the universally despised government make work of the "reeks and wrecks" or to the army.

Think that's not the case today?Well to a large extent it is the case today, but it probably would be even more so if this reality weren't hidden under one absurd bubble after another.

As a novel though, this book leaves much to be desired, and that's why I only give it 3 stars.The plot becomes weak halfway through.The technology in the book is also totally outdated but that's irrelevant.

A stellar debut for Vonnegut
The great Kurt Vonnegut's first novel is, well, great.

This was nothing short of excellent; a strong cast of characters and a vividly imagined world, yes, but where Player Piano really shines is in its rich social commentary. In this world, America has established a sort of minor utopia of ease within which regular, everyday people don't have to do much of anything. Everything is done for them.

And boy does that make people miserable.

At times funny, at times heavy with satire, and at times straight and serious, Vonnegut manages to keep all the plates spinning at once. Dr. Paul Proteus is a near perfect protagonist, even though he doesn't DO much of anything really. He's just along for the ride, observing the modern world in which he lives and realizing that a life of ease and convenience has a down side. And what an ending!

Player Piano makes it clear that Vonnegut was mining gold from the very start.

Convential debut - not Vonnegut's best, but still worth reading
Vonnegut's debut novel, published in 1952, is a little constrained.There are hints of Vonnegut's sardonic wit, wild imagination, and unconventional writing style, but only hints.Unlike virtually all of Vonnegut's other novels, Player Piano tells its story in a linier fashion.It starts at the beginning and ends at the end.There's nothing really wrong with that, but for fans of the author, accustomed to Vonnegut's eccentric voice, it feels a little too conventional.

Vonnegut is a humanitarian and the message of Player Piano is that people need to have a sense of purpose, and that if you take that away from them - their lives will be empty.Throughout the novel, a leader from another country tours the cities of the United States and having no similar word in his own language, confuses `civilians' for `slaves'.The message of course, is that the civilians, in this machine dominated world, are in-fact slaves.

Similarities between this novel and Brave New World are inevitable, as both novels explore the relationship between technology and happiness, and the role class structure plays in our society.In both Player Piano and Brave New World, the protagonist is unfulfilled by the trappings of the privileged class and longs for something `real'.Player Piano is arguably more hopeful than Brave New World (and certainly 1984) suggesting that people will band together to fight for their freedom, however futile, even if it means that they are doomed to repeat the same mistakes again.

Player Piano is admittedly dated.It is evident from this novel, and others of the era, that people were wary of the advent of computers and the proliferation of machines and technology.As for predicting the future, neither Brave New World nor Player Piano (nor 1984 for that matter) proved to be a reliable crystal ball.These novels are far more reflective of the times they were written and the author's commentary on those times, than of any actual or likely future.

Player Piano is far from Vonnegut's best.Cat's Cradle and Slaughter House Five are two of the best novels ever written and there are close to a half dozen other Vonnegut novels (he wrote 14) I would recommend before Player Piano, but it's still worth reading.

3 ½ stars (almost four). ... Read more

Product Description
Written for ages 5 and 6, My First Piano Adventurecaptures the child's playful spirit. Fun-filled songs, rhythm games and technique activities develop beginning keyboard skills. Three distinguishing features of the Lesson Book A make it unique and effective for the young 5-6 year old beginner. 1. A strong focus on technique embedded in the book through playful technique games, chants, and carefully-composed pieces that gently lead the child into pianistic motions. 2. An outstanding CD for the young student to listen, sing, tap, and play along with at the piano. The orchestrated songs on the CD feature children singing the lyrics, which has great appeal to the 5-6 year old beginner. The CD becomes a ready-made practice partner that guides the student and parent for all the pieces and activities in the books. 3. The fanciful art features five multi-cultural children who are also learning to play. These friends at the piano introduce basic rhythms, white key names, and a variety of white and black-key songs that span classical, folk, and blues. Young students will listen, sing, create, and play more musically with Nancy and Randall Faber s My First Piano Adventure, Lesson Book A. The Lesson Book introduces directional pre-reading, elementary music theory and technique with engaging songs, games, and creative discovery at the keyboard. Young students will enjoy the multi-cultural "friends at the piano" who introduce white-key names, basic rhythms, and a variety of songs which span classical, folk, and blues. Ear-training and eye-training are also part of the curriculum. The Fabers' instructional theory "ACE" - Analysis, Creativity, and Expression, guides the pedagogy of My First Piano Adventure. Analysis leads to understanding, creativity leads to self-discovery, and expression develops personal artistry. The CD for this book offers a unique listening experience with outstanding orchestrations and vocals. The recordings demonstrate a key principle of the course: when children listen, sing, tap, and move to their piano music, they play more musically. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Easy, fun and very helpful
I bought this book for my 4 yr old and thought I would give teaching her myself a try. I'm so glad I did. Betweenthe books, the cd and a little bit oh knowledge about music I've had great success with teaching her the basics of piano playing and music. Frankly, I'm still kind of shocked that she's getting it so well and the coordination part is coming. I doubt it will make a baby Bach, but if you're thinking about piano lessons for your young child this is a great book to start with.

meet expectation
all is fine, as always of my experience with Amazon, either direct buy or its associates. I do stick with higher star sellers, not just the price. so never get a problem.

Loved it!
This book is great for teaching a beginner. Some of the songs are geared towards very young children, like around the age of five or so. However, I am teaching a nine year old and she still seems to enjoy the songs and activities!

Great for young beginners
This is a great book to itroduce young kids to playing the piano. My daughter is 3, and she loves to look at the pictures and go through the activities with me.

Terrific
The book is terrific.This book can be used be non readers. We love the 3 book set. ... Read more

Product Description
For adult beginners, use Adult Piano Adventures. This comprehensive, "All-In-One" book includes lessons, solos, technique, and theory in a single volume for ease of use. Book 1 presents the fundamentals of music notation, chord playing, and musical form. Songs include: Amazing Grace * I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing * Merrily We Roll Along * Ode to Joy * Yankee Doodle * Row, Row, Row, Your Boat * Clock Tower Bells * Catch a Falling Star * Russian Sailor Dance * Lean on Me * and more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Adult Piano Adventures for Classroom use
I've been using the Fabers' Adult Piano Adventures as the text book for a college non-majors beginner piano class. I also use it for certain individual lessons.The students seem to like it and, for the most part, get it. One complaint - we all miss the Sonatina in C that was in the older editions.

Great Beginner's Book
I took a piano course at my University and we used this book.There are a lot of fun songs to play in it, and they scale well in terms of difficulty and complexity as the book progresses.I can pretty much play anything in the book now.I'll definitely try out the second book as well.

Really good adult piano course
This is an great adult piano course.It doesn't make an adult feel like they are playing pieces for a young child. ... Read more

Product Description
Begins with a review of the concepts presented in Level 2, then introduces new pieces and lessons in new keys to prepare the student for more advanced studies. Includes a "Just for Fun" section and an "Ambitious" section for the student who will devote a little extra effort toward learning some of the great masterworks that require additional practice. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

just a note
Hey, everybody.If you're looking for what you assume is a supplementary volume to this, Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Course Level Three All-Time Favorites, it doesn't exist.It's never been published.

They have all-time favorites collections for volumes 1 and 2, but they never came out with one for number three.I've been looking for it off and on again for about twenty years, and I finally got to the bottom of why I could never find it.

The Tool To Teach Yourself.
I decided to teach myself to play piano as a retirement project. This combination CD and book are the third in the series.They are all well done and very clearly presented. For anyone who is self teaching they are great tools.

Piano Lesson Beginners
I would not reccomend any Begginer Piano Lesson that start one hand at a time

Great book!
I'd order the set of 3 of these books and they are my favorite. You won't be disappointed with them!

Love this book!
This was great to refresh my memory on piano lessons from years ago. It has been helpful and is well laid out. Loved the lessons and the music. ... Read more

Product Description
This easy-to-understand book will get you playing right away and at your own pace in the comfort of your home! Teach Yourself to Play Piano covers everything from the basics of hand position and good posture to playing melodies and songs. By the end of the book you will be able to play hands together, using a combination of whole, half, quarter and eighth notes and their respective rests. You will also be able to read a selection of notes from both the bass and treble clefs, and you will be able to play some simple chords in the left hand. Don't wait any longer - there's never been an easier way to teach yourself piano! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Very helpful
I decided to try to get back to playing the piano after many many years. I was actually very afraid of it -feeling totally illiterate and as if I had forgotten everything. This book has helped me to relearn the keyboard and even to play a few pieces. Thanks.

Good book for Beginners
I am a beginner and I can understand this book very well. I do wish it had more songs in it though.It's good for getting the basics.

Piano book
Terrific and easy to use. You need to read it ahead of time and then play and probably read it again. ... Read more

Product Description
This book offers a collection of effective pieces in a variety of styles, designed to be used in conjunction with the Lesson and Theory books. Contents include: The Juggler * Rhino in the Mud * Home on the Range * Theme and Variation * Green Frog Hop * Road Runner * Mr. McGill * The Loch Ness Monster * March of the English Guard * Coconut Shuffle * Rocky Mountain Train * Italian Children's Game * Weeping Wi. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Piano music book review
This is the series our Britsh-based piano teacher recommended.Our three children have used it and continue to progress with it.I'd like to see more theory practices and minuets for finger fluidity. However, this is not a book to be used for self-teaching.
The series is divided into 1) theory and practice, 2) performance for songs.

Good piano book
This is the right level for my two children who have been playing for about 3 years.It challenges them but with material they have seen before. ... 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. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Love John Thompsons books!They are the best!
Love John Thompsons books!They are the best! I cant believe how fast my daughter is learning to play piano.Highly recommend this series!

piano books
The books came from Amazon faster than than my local music store was able to provide them for my students.

great book
I love this series and it really has taught my little kids how to play.

JT series
I have used JT books for a long time and I really like this method of instruction. It proceeds slowly and steadily and gives an opportunity to understand concepts. The books have a very nice way of instructing you on how to play - words are simple, diagrams are used when necessary, small examples are given for you to practice and learn. I am looking forward to completing the series. One other important thing is I think this is a great book for self-teaching piano students. I have used this book to teach myself some piano and I think I have succeeded so far... I highly recommend all the JT easiest course books.

not too bad of a book
I would have liked to have been able to view a bit of the inside of the book before I purchased it.I didn't realize how basic it was.I was looking for something that a little more indepth that had more practicing of each concept before moving on.I bought this book for my 6yr old and it goes a little too quickly over the topics for her to grasp each concept. ... Read more

Product Description
"Top Hits" Christmas includes new music favorites that have become a permanent part of the holiday season. This book may be used by students in Complete Level 1 of Alfred's Basic Piano Library or in the first or second book of any method. Titles: A Holly Jolly Christmas * Do You Hear What I Hear * Frosty the Snow Man * Happy Holiday * Home for the Holidays * I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus * I'll Be Home for Christmas * Jingle-Bell Rock * Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! * Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer * Shake Me I Rattle * Silver Bells * Suzy Snowflake * The Christmas Song * We Need a Little Christmas. ... Read more

Product Description

"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. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (43)

Great Book if you never played piano before
I have played Bass guitar for many years but also wanted to learn to play keyboards.I purchased a electronic keyboard and found this great book.This book really breaks it down so you can understand the concept.I am only on chapter 3 and I am already playing basic songs with left and right hands.I purchased this book because of the feedback from other owners of it.For the price you cant go wrong it is very well written.

Rewarding
At age 57 I started to teach myself to play the piano, something I had wanted to do for 30 years, using only this book. Now 3 years later I play daily and the joy and plain mental exercise I get from the activity is rewarding beyond measure. I pretty much stopped at lesson 8 and taught myself to modify what I had learned, using songbooks that have melody line and chords (check out "Real Book Standards"). I don't think this book will work for people who had early training in the traditional methods of playing piano. They can't seem to unglue their minds from the hand-eye relationship. I plan on getting back to lesson 9 & 10 to try and master playing by ear. I'm confident it will happen.To some degree, this book was life changing for me.

A Great Book
I am so glad I purchased this book. I'm not even through halfway yet and I'm actually playing real songs, and with both hands, things I never thought I could do.This book is clear, to the point, and very easy to understand. But of course, the book will not do the learning for you.You need to reread and practice a lot to actually get good. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn to play popular piano.

wow... get it.
I have to say, I was really struggling to find a good book to learn the piano.After searching all through amazon, I found this book.I am only on chapter four and I can name all the keys on the piano, name and read all the notes on the staff, and I can play with two hands!!?!
for beginners...?Get this book!

Great piano starter book.
I just started trying to teach myself piano a few months ago using a few books and stuff off the web.I knew nothing about piano or notes.This book gives a lot of tips for someone just starting out and it is interesting and easy to read.I read it once, and now I am going through it again.I am really glad I bought this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Popular Christmas carols are arranged in graded order with optional duet parts to provide pleasure and satisfaction during the Christmas season for students using Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Course. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Soild piano instruction
This Christmas song book is an "add on" to the Alfred Adult Piano Courses.

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. This is one of those books.

I recommend that you get this song book along with the others 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. :-)

Very easy, maybe too easy but still worth buying
I was about 1/3 of the way through Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Course Level One book when I purchased this book to have some Christmas songs I could play for this current season. I was somewhat disappointed in the book because I found a lot of the songs to be too easy, using the Middle C position and only one note at a time.I admit I wanted to impress my friends and family at a Christmas party by playing songs with some chords and using both hands at the same time.There are songs in the book that are a little more challenging so I think the book is definitely still worth buying.

I really like the fact that if the Alfred Course book says you are ready to play it, you are.I have looked at the other courses and I think Alfreds is the best and easiest to follow.Also, if you are an adult, you need to buy the adult books because Alfreds knows what songs you will want to play and they put them in there.This is something as a beginning adult student I didn't know, so I foolishly bought some regular piano course books not knowing they were structured for children.Make sure it says adult on it.Take it from me, you don't want to be playing the songs that are in the kid's books.

Good selection; not hard
Great selection of music, and not hard! I bought it particularly for "Oh Come All Ye Faithful", which is my favorite tune ever. I've also learned "We Wish You a Merry Christmas", and now am trying "Silent Night".

It is really motivating me to practice piano more now that I have music I like. I stopped on page 57 of "Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Course, Level One", because I listened to the songs ahead of me and didn't like any... Now I'll probably keep going with this book of Christmas songs.

Note that it does not have a CD, but I think the tunes are familiar enough that you'll be able to tell if you play something wrong. ... Read more

Product Description
A compendium of the world's most loved music. True to the spirit of the great composers, this volume fills the needs of students and teachers. Over 100 works including SchubertÂ’s Moment Musicale, ChopinÂ’s Minute Waltz, and BeethovenÂ’s Rondo a Cappriccio. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Piano Classics
You didn't say anything about the fact that the music doesn't follow itself in a page by page order in this book.There are several songs where you have to skip a page in order to find the rest of the song!!! Hmmmm.!! Am glad it is usually only one page!J. Vinson

Great value in classical music
I played through this book as a pre-teen/teen.Intermediate to Advanced difficulty.Great value, great music.Plenty of Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy, Mozart and all my favorites as well as some selections from lesser known composers.I was able as a teen to play with reasonable accuracy many of the songs by sightreading; there are some more virtuoso pieces- Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu and a few Bach Fugues (I've always found fugues difficult).Very enjoyable selection.

Great selection, Great value
You can't argue with the selection of this book. It has a variety of levels, from pretty simple (like Peter and the Wolf) to Rachmaninov, Lyszt, and Chopin. It focuses on some of the best know pieces originally for piano. A great start to a music library!

Highly Recommended
I recommend this with volume 2 as a starter book for all my Grade 2 and up piano students. This contains pieces from Baroque through Modern composers, in most levels of difficulty, from what I would consider advanced beginner through advanced pianist. The composers are selected from France, England, Germany, Italy, Russia, the USA and other countries so there is plenty of variety and always something new to explore. The printing is large and clear and the pieces are well-chosen and representative of the composers' works. The paper is heavy enough to withstand extensive note-taking and there's enough space on the page to be able to write notes. The students who bought this book in 2001 are still playing from it, a recommendation in itself.

This is money well-spent.

(This was supposed to be 5 stars but for some reason Amazon isn't letting me do it.)

A must for your collection
I've had this book for probably 6 years and still play it everyday. I love these pieces. I was a piano minor in college and I used these as recital pieces many times. I would call them moderate difficulty. A great variety of songs from Rag to classical. I really have enjoyed this book through the years. ... Read more

Product Description
Contents: The First Noel * Go, Tell It on the Mountain * Jingle Bells * O Christmas Tree * Pat-a-Pan * Silent Night * We Wish You a Merry Christmas * Christmas Music Calendar. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Service is Great
I found all of the information about the book that I needed.I ordered it and recieved it in great time.The book was packaged properly and well protected. I have nothing but great things to say about the merchant and the service that I have recieved. ... Read more