I use "A Dozen A Day" as technique snippets at the moment. I focus on a particular exercise and work with a variation that help me get over a particular block or negative habit. There seem to so many ways to go astray or aspects of the piano to overlook that those books help in remedy-ing.
Came back to give an update!!! I am in love with the Bartok book!! It's structured so well, and I love how it specifies what each piece focuses on!! The 200 canons book is still shipping, but I'm so excited!! My sight reading is already getting the workout it needed with the Bartok book!! I'm so happy!!
I have been learning with Faber Piano Adventures for Adults, beginning from absolutely nothing. My teacher always gives me additional pieces each week, but they have been a good start for the first 18 months. Thanks for the recommendations of other study books.
It's funny hearing such a young person say "I don't have a CD-player anymore" as if it's ancient technology, but then behind you there's a record player, which really is ancient technology.
I have some of those like mikrokosmo, Kabalesvky, RCM, Anne Crosby Piano Adventures, Canons and they are all absolutely amazing. If you ever stay forever in this early développement piano playing it's still possible to play very beautiful music.
Thank you for these recommendations. I admire your energy and enthusiasm. I am brand new at piano and have fallen in love with the instrument. (I have been playing drum set for 25 years).
Thank you for the jazz recommendations. I’ve tried so hard but I just don’t enjoy classical music. I’m not about to sit as a 35-year-old woman learning row row row your boat so I’ll definitely be looking into that jazz book appreciate it.
Thank you, Allysia, for this update! Looking forward to a similar update for other grades. For me, the Faber Piano Adventures for Adults books worked really well. And I found their Scale & Chord Book 1 to be a very good addition. Aside from learning 5-finger scales, I gained better insights into how the keyboard actually works: theory, scales, chords, arpeggios, and improv.. it all came together.
Hi! I recently discovered the composer Wynn-Anne Rossi, who has a huge collection of music, specially the series Música latina and One of a kind piano solos book 1 and 2, for elementary players. Beginner friendly but sound deep and sofisticated.
you should make a podcast answering music questions and having musical discussions with your friends (especially piano and classical). keep up the great work!!!
The problem I find and you briefly mentioned it is the music, if the beginner doesn’t like a piece of music there will be little or no motivation to learn. I done a quick count on the the music in Adult Piano All In One Piano Course 2 and found there were 23 likes and 18 dislikes or couldn’t be bothered. However the music theory and chord inversions etc together with 3 minute techniques are very good. Good to see you’re enthusiasm and inspiration on the screen again.
Is that Piano TV playing piano at the end? I feel like we don't see that enough on this channel lol I still love the channel, I love the topics. But I'd like to see you demonstrate the pieces you talk about like this more often, it was awesome
The most successful initial books imo (for young beginners) have a consistent style and musical language. Those that skip about introducing too much too soon result in a confused and dejected pupil. For a talented beginner 'Joy of First Year Piano' by Denis Agay is good. I haven't used his 'Learning to play the Piano' though suspect worth checking out. For most age 8-ish pupils I have found 'Ministeps to Music' really effective. Children enjoy mastering the pieces quickly and it moves in understandable 'Mini-steps'. The pieces reduce in complexity every time a new element is introduced, and are deceptively organised in their progression. I couple with 'Dozen a Day' - both by Edna Mae Burnham. I usually follow M-steps 1&2 with Walter Carroll. Although the hand position changes piece to piece, that consistent musical language provides something to latch on to. Of course Kabalevsky/Bartok/Norton are brilliant. Another nice little gd0-1 book is ABRSM Swinstead/Dunhill '1st Year Pieces & Work&Play' (2 in 1). Lets not forget Pam Wedgewood's 'Upgrade' Series too.
I agree with others. We missed you. As an adult I started playing a couple of years ago. The only book I disagree on is Faber. In my small experience, a scale and chord book would be more useful to learn the big picture. I feel I wasted money on Faber, I used it just once. I didn't enjoy the selected pieces. I found it disorganized and disjointed. It is intended to be used more as a book for teachers (it has minimum instructions) and the book says so. I preferred starting with the best teachers, ex First lessons in Bach and Kunz canons absolutely for equal and independent development of both hands. I have really enjoyed Kabalevsky (more modern) but also Cornelius Gurlitt which has beautiful sounds (Album for the young). Also, Schumann and Tchaikovsky (albums for the young). Same with Bartok (album for the young). I have really enjoyed the East European folk sounds (often short songs) that made me progress faster with challenging rhythms, exercises hand independence and mixed chords (for late beginners). I grew to appreciate Hanon for mechanical training for the left hand lagging behind in dexterity being practiced less, and I love Burgmueller and Heller studies. Both are very melodic. Finally, for good sounds and different style, blues pianist and teacher, Oscar Petersen (book for beginners). Doable in early stages of learning. Beginning ragtime is great, too (the famous American composers, ex. Joplin and other well known songs) Hope this isn't too long ... I'm very passionate about music.
Interesting! I’ve been going through Faber Piano Adventures for Adults and struggling to understand what it’s trying to teach me. Agree with the lack of explanation. I’ll have a look at the other books on the list. Did you replace it by any other method book?
Classics to Moderns and Keyboard Anthology series. Clementi, Kuhlau, Burgmuller, Schumann Album for Young, Grieg lyric pieces/poetic tone pictures, later Microkosmos books. ABRSM's 'Easier piano pieces' series.
Thank you for this, have saved up the link for future use :) Was also wondering - have you heard of a book called The Piano Handbook by Carl Humphries and do you have any views on it. It seems like what one would call a method book. Thanks!
"Music in the Galant Style" 2007. How Alma Deutscher learned keyboard. This landmark work has revived the methods used by Mozart et al to teach music, so very very different to 20th century pedagogy....and so much more fun :)
At this point my shortages are more in the time department, but having said that I did order the RCM grade 1 package, in August, basically on your enthusiasm for the RCM publications...thought I might as well see what they are about. There has developed a delivery problem, and still waiting to get my hands on them. Hopefully I'll see them while I can still get some use out of them. Thanks for the video, know that time as a Mom gets to be precious at times.
Also, try Carolyn Miller's collections. The pieces she writes are both sophisticated and beautiful. "Morning Dew" for instance is a really beautiful piece. It was in her mid to late elementary collection.
Personally I greatly prefer Piano Safari. Looking into PianoWorks by Bullard as well, on recommendation from Andrew Eales. After teaching the adult beginner series from Alfred and from Faber for many years, I honestly find the pieces a bit uninspired, and I get feedback from students that they’re a bit boring. I also prefer other more modern approaches like Piano Safari due to the intervallic reading approach, and importantly, the far greater focus on technique.
I was able to find Legends and Lore when I searched by the correct spelling of the Composer's name, Christine Donkin. The chapter subtitles are incorrect.
Hi Alicia!!!!! I am such a fan of your very informative videos. I was wondering if you ever do fan requests. If so there are three separate piano method courses that I would LOVE for you to review. The first being the Suzuki Method (the method that me and my teacher currently use), the KEITH SNELL SERIES which looks terrific but a little lengthy because there are too many damn books for JUST ONE GRADE LEVEL making it very grueling for a student to make it through that grade. (I kind of reviewed it myself just now 😆) And lastly, please review a method that is sadly seldom used anymore: the John Thompson series. The red books. I just LOVE John Thompson! I'm going to keep working on The Suzuki Method but my teacher and I are both considering adding some John Thompson studies into my regimen. Would love to hear your insight and expertise on these piano methods. Thanks Alicia! David from Virginia
im at thanksgiving dinner so i won’t be able to finish the video til after but i wanted to ask if there’s any books you recommend for someone who is less interested in playing and reading sheet music but more so interested in writing, creating, improvising , jamming etc. i personally find it to be better to learn scales and chords and PROGRESSIONS as opposed to “songs”. but that’s mainly because i just don’t enjoy covering songs my ADHD makes me always want to toy with the notes and change things and mess around. if i do cover a song, im usually rewriting the chords and feel etc, like taking a song that’s in a major progression and turning it into minor or a whole different genre. ok the food is ready time to eat, thanks for making this video!
I'm going to try and learn from a book I've tried piano subscriptions but I just can't stick to it. I want to learn how to read sheet music and notes I know the middle c scale haha! later on, I plan on getting in-person lessons since the covid 19 hit it's been hard to find an in-person teacher.
Please, please, hold the book steady for awhile so we can actually read the title. Thank you. This request is from a 70s grandmother who is interested in your selections but the pace of your video is hard for me to catch the titles. Thank you!!
Greetings from Bogotá. I have a question. I live in Colombia and for an adult begginer its difficult to found those books. Can someone tell me where i search those? Thanks!
What book would you recommend when learning piano notes and where they're located? I've played the violin before and can read notes/music, I'm just transitioning to the piano and don't know where the notes lie on the piano especially since we're dealing with the bass clef as well and I don't know anything about bass clef notes.
The RCM books are not a method, so that depends on your situation/ level and prior experience. The beginner levels are meant to be taught with a method book or books of the teacher's choosing, using the RCM materials as a supplement i.e. technical requirements per level, sight reading, ear training, repertoire and/or etudes. But the repertoire books are nice to give you more of a grade leveled challenge!
I love your videos but can you hold the books longer in front of the camera. Sometimes you talk so fast and only hold the book up for a quick moment that I don't have time to catch the name of it.
Classics to Moderns and Keyboard Anthology series. Clementi, Kuhlau, Burgmuller, Schumann Album for Young, Grieg lyric pieces/poetic tone pictures, later Microkosmos books. ABRSM's 'Easier piano pieces' series.
YESSSSSS!!!! Thank you. I've been missing these videos so much.
Anybody else remember 'A Dozen A Day'? 😅 But these books sound waaay more interesting to play.
I use "A Dozen A Day" as technique snippets at the moment. I focus on a particular exercise and work with a variation that help me get over a particular block or negative habit. There seem to so many ways to go astray or aspects of the piano to overlook that those books help in remedy-ing.
Came back to give an update!!! I am in love with the Bartok book!! It's structured so well, and I love how it specifies what each piece focuses on!! The 200 canons book is still shipping, but I'm so excited!! My sight reading is already getting the workout it needed with the Bartok book!! I'm so happy!!
I have been learning with Faber Piano Adventures for Adults, beginning from absolutely nothing. My teacher always gives me additional pieces each week, but they have been a good start for the first 18 months. Thanks for the recommendations of other study books.
It's funny hearing such a young person say "I don't have a CD-player anymore" as if it's ancient technology, but then behind you there's a record player, which really is ancient technology.
I don't have a left thumb anymore
@@dacodakaczmarek7222 that's nice. I hope to hear from you again when you walk upright. I always do when I'm sober.😊
@@dacodakaczmarek7222 what a shame. You could use that for playing piano
CD is outclassed in every way if you have an internet connection, vinyl is the best way to produce its unique sound
I have some of those like mikrokosmo, Kabalesvky, RCM, Anne Crosby Piano Adventures, Canons and they are all absolutely amazing. If you ever stay forever in this early développement piano playing it's still possible to play very beautiful music.
Thank you for these recommendations. I admire your energy and enthusiasm.
I am brand new at piano and have fallen in love with the instrument. (I have been playing drum set for 25 years).
Ah, fun to see "Freddy the Frog" in your library too. It's a great one!
Thank you for the jazz recommendations. I’ve tried so hard but I just don’t enjoy classical music. I’m not about to sit as a 35-year-old woman learning row row row your boat so I’ll definitely be looking into that jazz book appreciate it.
How’s the book so far?
Awesome!! Got a 76 Key Keyboard from Our Theatre Director yesterday. I'm wanting to learn at the age of 46. Better late than never 🎶
How’s it going?
I love videos about music books, they're my favorites on your channel. I cannot wait for the updated version of the grade 2 books 😊
Thank you, Allysia, for this update! Looking forward to a similar update for other grades. For me, the Faber Piano Adventures for Adults books worked really well. And I found their Scale & Chord Book 1 to be a very good addition. Aside from learning 5-finger scales, I gained better insights into how the keyboard actually works: theory, scales, chords, arpeggios, and improv.. it all came together.
Looked up 3 books, all out of print or around 50 USD as limited prints. Public domain books were accessible.
Hi! I recently discovered the composer Wynn-Anne Rossi, who has a huge collection of music, specially the series Música latina and One of a kind piano solos book 1 and 2, for elementary players. Beginner friendly but sound deep and sofisticated.
you should make a podcast answering music questions and having musical discussions with your friends (especially piano and classical). keep up the great work!!!
It’s interesting ❤
Looking forward to more books-related videos! Please make more :) love your videos per RCM grade!
I’m glad you made this video. Appreciate it!!
The problem I find and you briefly mentioned it is the music, if the beginner doesn’t like a piece of music there will be little or no motivation to learn. I done a quick count on the the music in Adult Piano All In One Piano Course 2 and found there were 23 likes and 18 dislikes or couldn’t be bothered. However the music theory and chord inversions etc together with 3 minute techniques are very good.
Good to see you’re enthusiasm and inspiration on the screen again.
Gaaahh!!! Thank you for showing us these, especially the lesser-known ones! I'm so excited for some of them now that I know they exist.
Is that Piano TV playing piano at the end? I feel like we don't see that enough on this channel lol I still love the channel, I love the topics. But I'd like to see you demonstrate the pieces you talk about like this more often, it was awesome
Thanks!
The most successful initial books imo (for young beginners) have a consistent style and musical language. Those that skip about introducing too much too soon result in a confused and dejected pupil. For a talented beginner 'Joy of First Year Piano' by Denis Agay is good. I haven't used his 'Learning to play the Piano' though suspect worth checking out. For most age 8-ish pupils I have found 'Ministeps to Music' really effective. Children enjoy mastering the pieces quickly and it moves in understandable 'Mini-steps'. The pieces reduce in complexity every time a new element is introduced, and are deceptively organised in their progression. I couple with 'Dozen a Day' - both by Edna Mae Burnham. I usually follow M-steps 1&2 with Walter Carroll. Although the hand position changes piece to piece, that consistent musical language provides something to latch on to. Of course Kabalevsky/Bartok/Norton are brilliant. Another nice little gd0-1 book is ABRSM Swinstead/Dunhill '1st Year Pieces & Work&Play' (2 in 1). Lets not forget Pam Wedgewood's 'Upgrade' Series too.
Thanks awfully. That's a huge help.
I agree with others. We missed you. As an adult I started playing a couple of years ago. The only book I disagree on is Faber. In my small experience, a scale and chord book would be more useful to learn the big picture. I feel I wasted money on Faber, I used it just once. I didn't enjoy the selected pieces. I found it disorganized and disjointed. It is intended to be used more as a book for teachers (it has minimum instructions) and the book says so. I preferred starting with the best teachers, ex First lessons in Bach and Kunz canons absolutely for equal and independent development of both hands. I have really enjoyed Kabalevsky (more modern) but also Cornelius Gurlitt which has beautiful sounds (Album for the young). Also, Schumann and Tchaikovsky (albums for the young). Same with Bartok (album for the young). I have really enjoyed the East European folk sounds (often short songs) that made me progress faster with challenging rhythms, exercises hand independence and mixed chords (for late beginners). I grew to appreciate Hanon for mechanical training for the left hand lagging behind in dexterity being practiced less, and I love Burgmueller and Heller studies. Both are very melodic. Finally, for good sounds and different style, blues pianist and teacher, Oscar Petersen (book for beginners). Doable in early stages of learning. Beginning ragtime is great, too (the famous American composers, ex. Joplin and other well known songs) Hope this isn't too long ... I'm very passionate about music.
lovely at what level are u now
Interesting! I’ve been going through Faber Piano Adventures for Adults and struggling to understand what it’s trying to teach me. Agree with the lack of explanation. I’ll have a look at the other books on the list. Did you replace it by any other method book?
I love your beginner piano books collection. I am also a piano book collector.
Can you do more recommendations on intermediate and advanced level?
Classics to Moderns and Keyboard Anthology series. Clementi, Kuhlau, Burgmuller, Schumann Album for Young, Grieg lyric pieces/poetic tone pictures, later Microkosmos books. ABRSM's 'Easier piano pieces' series.
Thank you for this, have saved up the link for future use :) Was also wondering - have you heard of a book called The Piano Handbook by Carl Humphries and do you have any views on it. It seems like what one would call a method book. Thanks!
"Music in the Galant Style" 2007. How Alma Deutscher learned keyboard. This landmark work has revived the methods used by Mozart et al to teach music, so very very different to 20th century pedagogy....and so much more fun :)
How about György Kurtág's Játékok? for an open approach to music, sound, notation and the act of playing on a keyboard, ever tried?
At this point my shortages are more in the time department, but having said that I did order the RCM grade 1 package, in August, basically on your enthusiasm for the RCM publications...thought I might as well see what they are about. There has developed a delivery problem, and still waiting to get my hands on them. Hopefully I'll see them while I can still get some use out of them. Thanks for the video, know that time as a Mom gets to be precious at times.
Also, try Carolyn Miller's collections. The pieces she writes are both sophisticated and beautiful. "Morning Dew" for instance is a really beautiful piece. It was in her mid to late elementary collection.
Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you so so so much!!!!
Love these videos. Very informative. Keep it up!
Thanks for a great video.
Hey, I liked Big Shiny Tunes 3!
Merci for this. I have Faber. but also La Méthode Rose since I have to learn in a bilingual environment.
Hi it would be so useful if you had bookedmarked each of the book titles.
I love The Goo Goo Dolls!
Nice pieces at the end of the video, some interesting pieces for beginners. I agree about some method book pieces - they're rather uninspiring.
Do you recommend the Alfred adult piano books?
Personally I greatly prefer Piano Safari. Looking into PianoWorks by Bullard as well, on recommendation from Andrew Eales.
After teaching the adult beginner series from Alfred and from Faber for many years, I honestly find the pieces a bit uninspired, and I get feedback from students that they’re a bit boring. I also prefer other more modern approaches like Piano Safari due to the intervallic reading approach, and importantly, the far greater focus on technique.
Oooh. I got many in the last year.
I was able to find Legends and Lore when I searched by the correct spelling of the Composer's name, Christine Donkin. The chapter subtitles are incorrect.
I love videos about music books,please piano scale and melody book tarumpet soprano learner book
I might start learning piano over from the book. What is a good book to improve my two handed playing
Hi Alicia!!!!! I am such a fan of your very informative videos. I was wondering if you ever do fan requests. If so there are three separate piano method courses that I would LOVE for you to review. The first being the Suzuki Method (the method that me and my teacher currently use), the KEITH SNELL SERIES which looks terrific but a little lengthy because there are too many damn books for JUST ONE GRADE LEVEL making it very grueling for a student to make it through that grade. (I kind of reviewed it myself just now 😆) And lastly, please review a method that is sadly seldom used anymore: the John Thompson series. The red books. I just LOVE John Thompson! I'm going to keep working on The Suzuki Method but my teacher and I are both considering adding some John Thompson studies into my regimen. Would love to hear your insight and expertise on these piano methods. Thanks Alicia!
David from Virginia
helpful!
im at thanksgiving dinner so i won’t be able to finish the video til after but i wanted to ask if there’s any books you recommend for someone who is less interested in playing and reading sheet music but more so interested in writing, creating, improvising , jamming etc. i personally find it to be better to learn scales and chords and PROGRESSIONS as opposed to “songs”. but that’s mainly because i just don’t enjoy covering songs my ADHD makes me always want to toy with the notes and change things and mess around. if i do cover a song, im usually rewriting the chords and feel etc, like taking a song that’s in a major progression and turning it into minor or a whole different genre. ok the food is ready time to eat, thanks for making this video!
I'm going to try and learn from a book I've tried piano subscriptions but I just can't stick to it. I want to learn how to read sheet music and notes I know the middle c scale haha! later on, I plan on getting in-person lessons since the covid 19 hit it's been hard to find an in-person teacher.
I'm just practising etudes of Burgmüller . Still on op.2 tho
amazing book - presume op.100
Hmmm. Seems a number of these books are no longer in print. May need another update with more modern and in print materials.
Please, please, hold the book steady for awhile so we can actually read the title. Thank you.
This request is from a 70s grandmother who is interested in your selections but the pace of your video is hard for me to catch the titles. Thank you!!
Do you like the David Carr books?
How many asanas does it take to be disabled is what caught my attention at first.
Greetings from Bogotá. I have a question. I live in Colombia and for an adult begginer its difficult to found those books. Can someone tell me where i search those? Thanks!
What book would you recommend when learning piano notes and where they're located?
I've played the violin before and can read notes/music, I'm just transitioning to the piano and don't know where the notes lie on the piano especially since we're dealing with the bass clef as well and I don't know anything about bass clef notes.
Took piano lessons for 2 years I guess I’m intermediate anyone recommend any books ?
"Sometimes you gotta get a *Handel* on these simpler pieces" hehehehe
i like how u have a book about how to survive the pandemic XD
Toronto?
Quick questions are the royal conservatory books a companion to being an RCM student, or we can succeed with just their books?
The RCM books are not a method, so that depends on your situation/ level and prior experience. The beginner levels are meant to be taught with a method book or books of the teacher's choosing, using the RCM materials as a supplement i.e. technical requirements per level, sight reading, ear training, repertoire and/or etudes. But the repertoire books are nice to give you more of a grade leveled challenge!
First! Missed your videos
I love your videos but can you hold the books longer in front of the camera. Sometimes you talk so fast and only hold the book up for a quick moment that I don't have time to catch the name of it.
You could just pause the video
for intermediate please...
Classics to Moderns and Keyboard Anthology series. Clementi, Kuhlau, Burgmuller, Schumann Album for Young, Grieg lyric pieces/poetic tone pictures, later Microkosmos books. ABRSM's 'Easier piano pieces' series.
Everything you say is important, but please be more succinct for time.
"How To Avoid a Climate Disaster"
"How to Survive a Pandemic"
Are you sure we have the time to learn the piano?
Boring!
Thanks!