Suggestions from Piano Teachers
It is always challenging to start to learn the piano from scratch. But with the help of right tools, the piano beginners can quickly become proficient in basic piano techniques.
Apart from an excellent piano teacher who can guide you along, high-quality piano books are also necessary for you to make progress. If you are new to piano, the following piano books can be wonderful options. Also, the piano sheet music contained in more than half of the recommended piano books can be found in Violy App.
Piano Adventures
Written by Nancy & Randall Faber, the set of books titled “Piano Adventures” take a different approach to teaching piano beginners to learn the instrument.
Piano Adventures is the teaching method of choice at leading university programs and music studios around the world. The student-centered approach of this method uses analysis, creativity, and expression to develop a “musical mind and heart”. The delightful, pianistic pieces and creative theory pages, combined with an outstanding technical approach, encourage piano beginners of different ages to practice and make progress.
A comprehensive introduction to piano techniques and music theory is provided in Piano Adventures books. Piano beginners at all levels can find what they need in the books and gradually master piano playing.
For young learners, they can develop basic piano skills with the help of fun-filled songs, rhythm games, and technique activities. For adult beginners, they can lay a solid foundation by using the lesson book, the theory book, the technique & artistry book, and the performance book together, and afterwards, understand piano music better.
The Virtuoso Pianist
The Virtuoso Pianist written by Charles-Louis Hanon is a compilation of 60 exercises meant to train piano players in speed, precision, agility, and strength of all fingers and flexibility in the wrists. The book is one of the most widely used piano books.
The piano exercises contained in the book are intended to address common problems which could hamper the performance abilities of a piano student. The exercises are divided into 3 parts:
(1) Exercises 1–20: These are the most famous exercises, and are used to develop finger strength and independence. Each exercise contains a sequence of 8 semiquavers, beginning on C, which is then repeated starting on D, and so on across 2 octaves. The exercise is then repeated in reverse down 2 octaves to the starting C.
(2) Exercises 21–43: This more difficult section is meant to be played after the piano beginner has fully mastered Part (1). Scales and arpeggios are included in this part.
(3) Exercises 44–60: Hanon recommends the piano players to work on this part after mastering the previous 2 parts. This part includes repeated notes, repeated double notes, scales in thirds and octaves, tremolos, etc..
John Thompson’s Easiest Piano Course
Almost every piano learner is familiar with this set of method books named John Thompson’s Easiest Piano Course. The books have been preferred by more than 12 million piano students since 1955.
John Thompson’s Easiest Piano Course is a comprehensive step-by-step course specifically designed to suit the needs of all young piano beginners. The books feature an amusing family of characters and illustrations to help emphasize the information being taught. The clear and straightforward layout makes learning more fun and ideal for parent participation. Besides, the books contain work sheet pages which encourage the review of new information and concepts.
The melodies in the books are composed to fit a beginning child’s small hands. In addition to exciting tunes, sight-reading exercises, written exercises, and read-aloud exercises are also included.
24 Piano Studies for the Left Hand
It is not easy for most piano beginners to train their left hand since about 90% of people are right-handed. But complicated and asymmetrical motions of both hands are required for the mastery of piano playing. For piano students who are eager to improve left hand skills, Carl Czerny’s 24 Piano Studies for the Left Hand can be the best choice.
The book is not a collection of left-hand solo studies, though it focuses on the dexterity of the left hand. The book contains multiple types of exercises, such as scales, double thirds, full chords, arpeggios, skips, melody and accompaniment in the left-hand part, turns, passing of the second finger over the first, fast repeated notes with changing fingers, exercises to strengthen the fourth and fifth fingers, grace notes and octaves, etc..
Hal Leonard Student Piano Library
The Hal Leonard Student Piano Library series is compelling for piano students. With the help of the books, even the most inexperienced piano beginners can create music right from the very start of their studies.
The set of books are chock-full of simple instructions, illustrations, and CDs that the piano beginners can follow along with. The abundant content makes it easy for piano students to learn how to play right in the comfort of their own home.
For piano teachers, the variety of styles and moods, the natural rhythmic flow, the singable melodies and lyrics, the accompaniments, and the improvisations integrated throughout the books make the series of Hal Leonard Student Piano Library perfect for private or group instruction.
Bastien Piano Basics
The Bastien Piano Basics method is comprised of 5 completely correlated course books - Piano, Theory, Performance, Technic, and A Line A Day Sight Reading.
The course of Bastien Piano Basics uses a gradual multi-key approach. 5 levels of carefully graded lesson materials provide constant opportunities for reinforcing basic musical concepts. Piano is the main lesson book in the course. The carefully graded, logical learning sequence assures steady and continual progress. Also, the original music written by the author includes a stimulating mixture of pop, folk, classical, and contemporary styles.
Through a dynamic way, the Bastien Piano Basics books introduce young piano learners to the marvelous world of music, and make piano learning more enjoyable.
Suzuki Piano School
The Suzuki method is an internationally known music curriculum and teaching philosophy. The core Suzuki literature is published on audio recordings and in sheet music books for each instrument, and Suzuki teachers supplement the repertoire common to each instrument as needed.
The Suzuki Piano School series is composed of 7 volumes. The piano beginners can start from the first volume, and gradually move forward to the next volumes.
The first book begins with variations on Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, and continues with many folk songs and contemporary songs. As the piano students progress to the other books, they can find more famous pieces written by romantic, classical and baroque composers, such as Schumann, Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Handel, etc..
Alfred’s Basic Adult Piano Course: Adult All-in-One Course
If you are an adult piano beginner and learn the instrument with a piano instructor, you should not miss this piano book named Alfred’s Basic Adult Piano Course: Adult All-in-One Course.
The book is designed for the beginning piano students who are looking for a truly complete piano course. This comprehensive course adds such features as isometric hand exercises, finger strengthening drills, and written assignments that reinforce each lesson’s concepts. The piano beginners can find a smooth and logical progression between each lesson, a thorough explanation of chord theory and playing styles, and outstanding extra piano songs, including folk, classical, and contemporary selections.
At the completion of this course, the piano students will have learned to play some of the most popular piano music ever written, and will have gained a good understanding of basic musical concepts and styles.
Piano Book for Adult Beginners
Damon Ferrante’s lesson book called Piano Book for Adult Beginners and the accompanying streaming videos are all that adult piano beginners will ever need for getting started to play the most famous and cherished piano classics.
The lessons begin with basic finger patterns and piano key recognition, and gradually build on skills as the course progresses. Besides, the lessons will greatly expand the piano students’ repertoire of beloved piano songs, and improve their piano techniques, creativity, and understanding of music.
Whether you are teaching yourself piano or learning with a piano teacher, this book and the streaming videos will take your piano playing to a whole new level.
The Joy of First Year Piano
The book belongs to a constantly expanding series named “Joy of…”. The series has been chosen by musicians all over the world. They love it for the imaginative choice of materials.
In The Joy of First Year Piano, the author guides the piano beginners through piano works to help them improve piano skills.
A diverse range of music is covered in this book.The book also comes with audio. Each piece is accompanied by a track boasting a skilled pianist playing the piece. What’s more, as a method book, The Joy of First Year Piano allows piano teachers to vary the approach according to the needs of each piano student.
No matter what piano books you choose, it is always significant to keep in mind that working with a professional piano teacher will help you advance your skills faster. In the meanwhile, constant practicing can make it possible for you to take full advantage of the useful piano books.
Ref:
- https://pianoadventures.com/browse/libraries/piano-adventures/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Virtuoso_Pianist_in_60_Exercises
- http://www.methodbooks.com/store/john-thompson/john-thompson-easiest-piano-course.htm
- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005LTHMFQ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i5
- https://www.merriammusic.com/school-of-music/piano-lessons/piano-books/
- https://www.amazon.com/WP200-Bastien-Piano-Basics-Primer/dp/0849752655
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzuki_method#Piano
- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/848520.Adult_All_in_One_Course
- https://www.amazon.com/Piano-Book-Adult-Beginners-Technique-ebook/dp/B0746L9LH8
- https://www.merriammusic.com/school-of-music/piano-lessons/piano-books/
- https://kjos.com/piano/methods/bastien-piano-basics.html#tab-description
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