Anyone Recommend a good (adult) beginner book?

[thenovice]

Hello,

Just as the title says.  I'm a 40 year old beginner.  I do plan on taking lessons as I can afford them (both time & money), but in the interim I would like to have a good 'teaching' book/system.

Any recommendations?

Thanks!  

*sorry for the large font - it's my eyes

[sucom]

A book which moves the beginner forward quite nicely is Music Makers by Joan Last.  It is a children's book, first and foremost, but would also be ideal for the adult beginner learning alone and is available through Forsyth Publishers.  The newer version of Music Makers now incorporates the second book in her series, Facts and Fancies.

Another couple of books that could run alongside these, providing some nice pieces to play, are Scenes at a Farm and The Countryside, both by Walter Carroll, available through the same publisher.

I find that some children's tutors move the child forward far too slowly, literally holding them back, while some adult tutors attempt to move the adult forward far too quickly.  The books I have quoted above are a happy medium, especially for the adult beginner.

[sucom]

I have problems reading through forums with small fonts too    Have you tried holding the control key on your keyboard and turning your mouse wheel (if you have one)?  This allows you to zoom in and out of a page which increases the font size, saving eye strain.  I use it all the time so don't have to worry about font size any more.   

[quantum]

Ctrl plus the + or - keys in Firefox will also resize all elements on a page.  That way your replies will be in bigger text as well. 

[thenovice]

Thank you VERY MUCH for the book suggestions!!  I will explore those.

Yes, I usually use the Ctrl ++ command to enlarge the page so I can read it easier; I forget I can do that with Ctrl and the mouse wheel! 

Maybe I'll do that to keep the conformity of the font & pages. 

Thanks again!!

[sucom]

You're welcome 

[the_duck]

Hi there,

I would highly recommend learning some simple Kabalevsky.  Off the top of my head, opus 27 has some good beginner pieces with beautiful melodies and nice harmonies. "A little song" is a great one to start with once you are comfortable with reading music.

[thenovice]

Hi there,

I would highly recommend learning some simple Kabalevsky.  Off the top of my head, opus 27 has some good beginner pieces with beautiful melodies and nice harmonies. "A little song" is a great one to start with once you are comfortable with reading music.

Sounds good!!  I will definitely check that out as well!

[jaggens]

I am creating a piano course for adult beginners, it will be available on the 1st of September. It is free and you will get a strong technique basis: https://playingpianoblog.com/learn-to-play-the-piano

[thenovice]

I am creating a piano course for adult beginners, it will be available on the 1st of September. It is free and you will get a strong technique basis: https://playingpianoblog.com/learn-to-play-the-piano

Awesome, jaggens! I will definitely be checking that out!!

[feneon]

You might like Carl Humphries’ The Piano Handbook. This is the book I wish I had been available when I was a teenager and gave up on a bad teacher who insisted on my playing only from a five finger exercise book when I wanted to learn Bach Inventions (which I then did on my own). Only quite a few years later was I able to study with a good teacher.

This is an excellent book for a serious, disciplined student who is experienced in learning from books. It is not for the faint of heart, but it will repay diligent study. It starts at the very beginning with hand position, correlating the keyboard with sheet music notation and a discussion of rhythm and note values. But it moves quickly thereafter into basic theory (scales, key signatures, intervals, chords). The emphasis is on playing beautiful short original classical pieces, with a couple of brief excursions into jazz and other styles. You’ll learn about pedaling, how to listen, articulation (legato, staccato, etc.) expression in music, and many other topics. Everything  you need (except a piano) is included in the book - all the sheet music for pieces and other exercises and a very nice CD performed by the author of all the music he includes.

Amazon.com has 83 reviews for the 2002 edition (mostly 4- and 5-star) They will tell you more that I could in many pages here, so be sure to look at them to see if this book is what you had in mind when you asked for an “adult” book. I thought that the book’s explanations were very clear, but you can always ask questions on this forum if there’s something you don’t understand.

The 2007 edition is the one that Amazon.com handles through a reseller - price around $30. I have the 2002 edition. The 2007 may be the same book, just a different printing and not a new edition. I emailed the author to ask about this before posting here, but have received no reply.

Best wishes with your piano adventure.