dozen a day

[BoliverAllmon]

Ok, so I looked up a dozen a day exercises. My question is do I really need all the preparatory books, the step-by-step books, and all that or just book one, book two, and so forth?

boliver

[rlefebvr]

Holy Cow. I have some of those books. Used them very early on.

If your going to do that, your better of with some Czerny. Dozan a day is really only good for early beginners because they are quick and easy and they get your fingers moving. I can't see them being of any use to you.

They get harder with each book, but they are also all over the place, so finding something specific you want to work on is difficult.

[rhapsody in orange]

Hmm I played all 3 books when I just started off on the piano. I know I really liked playing then as there were those little pictures of the man doing the actions (skipping/running etc) in the exercises =)

[ludwig]

yeah and the little exercises t he little stick figure was doing corresponded to the actual movement of the hands on the piano One of my 6 year old student loves them! Actually one of my adult beginner loves them too

They are really good if you wanna do something fun with them too! like change the way you play them, or for easy sightreading

[BoliverAllmon]

yeah, i am looking for sight-reading material. Bernhard had recommended starting there.

boliver

[omnisis]

Try buying or borrowing a hymnal.  You'll get used to reading multiple voices and the level of difficulty is all about the same.  You will need something else for some rhythmic sight reading material though.  Also these pieces are short so you can do "one a day".

~omnisis

[BoliverAllmon]

Try buying or borrowing a hymnal.  You'll get used to reading multiple voices and the level of difficulty is all about the same.  You will need something else for some rhythmic sight reading material though.  Also these pieces are short so you can do "one a day".

~omnisis

that makes sense. I am a music director at my church.  I have tons of hymnals laying around.

boliver

[omnisis]

Other Choral works such as the Bach Chorales work equally well in this regard.  BTW, I gleaned these ideas from the book "Super Sightreading Secrets" by Howard Richman.  He suggests using the Bach chorales but hymns are a little easier.  It's a pretty good "strategy guide" to sightreading though most of the info is stuff you already know. 

The one thing he does do (that I like alot) is have seperate exercises for Keyboard Choreography (tough awareness) and Visual Perception (Pitch, Note Reading, Rhythm awareness).  Being able to play scales and chords and their inversions without looking at the keyboard will help you tremendously.  Try playing them in the dark with the lights off.  He also does an exercise where you have to read notes in treble and bass, play them and then put your hands in your lap.  You continue doing this for about 6 bars of music.  The point here is to develop your sense of absolute touch.  When you reach for notes on blind jumps you already know pretty much where they are and only have to glance for a split second to get there perfectly.  Of course this is probably more useful to me because I'm so new at the keyboard and might not even be useful for someone like you with experience.

~omnisis

[lostinidlewonder]

I use them for sight reading excersises. Kids like them because the pictures represent the action on the piano, so it is pretty cute and good to learn about movement at the piano... for kids.

[pianocrazy]

i used to play those books too. seems that everyone loves those little stick figures.