Library of easy piano classics?

[bunbuns]

 HEY everyone! I have been searching for a large variety of songs to practice with and help me out however I am a beginner and have been playing for about half a year. I have played a few pieces from the notebook of Ana Magdalena my teacher gave them to and found them to be hard but I got through them They were  cute . I found this book called Library of easy piano classics
https://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=gu5UaDSAyE&isbn=0825612845&itm=1 http://
But someone said that it is no good for a beginner cause the songs are shorter simplified etc. That the book shouldn't be taken seriously. I am only a beginner and was wondering if anyone knows this book? I am sick of playing little boring weird songs to learn from and thought this would be a solution it seems very diverse Do you think it will help me learn at all? Did anyone here practice simplified versions of classical songs when they were starting out

[Mycroft]

All of the method books, like Alfred's Adult Course, have simplified arrangements of both classical and popular works.   I would recommend you print the thread started by Bernhard:

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,2147.0.html

[Daniel_piano]

HEY everyone! I have been searching for a large variety of songs to practice with and help me out however I am a beginner and have been playing for about half a year. I have played a few pieces from the notebook of Ana Magdalena my teacher gave them to and found them to be hard but I got through them They were  cute . I found this book called Library of easy piano classics
https://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=gu5UaDSAyE&isbn=0825612845&itm=1 http://
But someone said that it is no good for a beginner cause the songs are shorter simplified etc. That the book shouldn't be taken seriously. I am only a beginner and was wondering if anyone knows this book? I am sick of playing little boring weird songs to learn from and thought this would be a solution it seems very diverse Do you think it will help me learn at all? Did anyone here practice simplified versions of classical songs when they were starting out

Hey bunbuns I've a book with many pieces for non-intermediate players
They're complete pieces, not semplified all good and from famous composer
The pieces have been ordered in a way to gradually teach a new important technique aspect (so that playing a piece at page 2 would help ypu learn new technique to play the piece on page 4
Notation and clarity of ink is good
There something as 20 volumes, and I have only the first one
It's widely used here, but you want find it there so if you think this maybe be usefull to you I can scann the whole book you so you can download it
Let me know

Daniel

[bunbuns]

Wow Daniel please that would be so kind of you I sent you a private message ok but I'm afraid I don't know how to use the PM options and get to mine to reply lol

[Nana_Ama]

HEY everyone! I have been searching for a large variety of songs to practice with and help me out however I am a beginner and have been playing for about half a year. I have played a few pieces from the notebook of Ana Magdalena my teacher gave them to and found them to be hard but I got through them They were  cute . I found this book called Library of easy piano classics
https://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=gu5UaDSAyE&isbn=0825612845&itm=1 http://
But someone said that it is no good for a beginner cause the songs are shorter simplified etc. That the book shouldn't be taken seriously. I am only a beginner and was wondering if anyone knows this book? I am sick of playing little boring weird songs to learn from and thought this would be a solution it seems very diverse Do you think it will help me learn at all? Did anyone here practice simplified versions of classical songs when they were starting out

Hey bunbuns I've a book with many pieces for non-intermediate players
They're complete pieces, not semplified all good and from famous composer
The pieces have been ordered in a way to gradually teach a new important technique aspect (so that playing a piece at page 2 would help ypu learn new technique to play the piece on page 4
Notation and clarity of ink is good
There something as 20 volumes, and I have only the first one
It's widely used here, but you want find it there so if you think this maybe be usefull to you I can scann the whole book you so you can download it
Let me know

Daniel

What's it called?  Do you have anymore information on it, such as how I could order it?

[bunbuns]

yes we definately want more info! 

[Daniel_piano]

What's it called?  Do you have anymore information on it, such as how I could order it?

I don't think you can find it anymore
It was a Ricordi book called "Anthologie Pianistique pour la jeunesse"
I know for sure that it is not sold outside central Europe
If I find it and you want to buy it I could buy it for you and you could buy it from me (but the 1 volume is not easy to find, the second and thirf are more easy to find)
What grade are you and what kind of pieces are you looking for?
The price should be 6$

Daniel

[bernhard]

As a matter of principle, I am totally against simplifications. Either play the original piece – or if that is too difficult for you, play an easier original piece.

99% of the piano repertory is actually quite easy – and very beautiful.

Have a look here:

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,4140.msg38111.html#msg38111

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,4416.msg41105.html#msg41105

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,2562.msg22127.html#msg22127

Something similar to what Daniel is suggesting (a collection of original pieces in progressive order of difficulty) can be found in the several ABRSM publications:

Collections:

Baroque Keyboard pieces – Edited by Richard Jones

Five volumes going from easy to advanced.

A Keyboard Anthology (first series)  - edited by  Howard Fergusson
A Keyboard Anthology (second series) – edited by Howard Fergusson
A Keyboard Anthology (second series) – edited by Howard Fergusson

There are five volumes in each series covering grades 1 – 8 and sampling all musical periods.

A Romantic Sketchbook for Piano – Edited by Alan Jones
Short romantic piece for piano – Edited by Lionel Salter
More romantic pieces for piano – Edited by Lionel Salter

Five volumes in each collection again in progressive order of difficulty. Take the “romantic” in the title with a pinch of salt. It refers more to the character of the pieces than to their actual time period.

Original pianoforte pieces – These are a selection of pieces used in the ABRSM exams over the past 60 years.

Easy piano series – This is an amazing collection now with more than 100 albums, each dedicated to a single composer, and having 20 or 30 or their easiest pieces. Chopin, Liszt, Bach, you name it, they are all represented there. All pieces are original and all are expertly edited with excellent fingerings and authoritative realised ornaments.

You can get more details from here:

https://www.abrsmpub.co.uk/publications.html

You may also try “Classics to Modern” and “More classics to moderns” both edited by Denes Agay. Each collection has ten books in progressive order of difficulty, all are original pieces by many known and not so well known composers.

Most music shops have these collections or can order it for you.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[Nana_Ama]

  

[bunbuns]

Thank you very much for helping me I will look into everything you recommended me =] and can't wait to find something new to play! The simplified versions are so short sometimes it takes me no work to even play them... and I really want to improve.
                                                           
                                                                                -Bun buns

[goldfish]

Easy piano series – This is an amazing collection now with more than 100 albums, each dedicated to a single composer [ ... ]

You can get more details from here:

https://www.abrsmpub.co.uk/publications.html

Hi Bernhard, can you give a bit more detail to help me find this easy piano series? I can't find them on the ABRSM site.


--
goldfish

[bernhard]

Hi Bernhard, can you give a bit more detail to help me find this easy piano series? I can't find them on the ABRSM site.


--
goldfish

Go to this site:

https://www.abrsmpub.co.uk/publications.html

On the left, click on “Publications”

Then again, on the left, click on “piano”.

A complete list of all piano music will appear. Any title which has EPP below the title, is one of the volumes of the “Easier Piano Pieces series”. Click onthe title for more information. They have 85 volumes in there.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[bunbuns]

Oh my that is such a big collection! which first three are the best ones to buy?  I have looked at some of the easier ones that show examples some seem kind of hard! Do they ship to  America?

[Liween]

  Hi Bernard

I just browse thru some of the books but seems like most of them are from grade 2 and above.

Well, I barely started learning piano for 4 weeks and so far my teacher only taught me the "C" major scale plus some fingers/wrist exercise as he told me that I need to play and press the keys with ease.  He has asked me to touch on the first piece "Ode De Joy" but again I think it's a simplify one.  I am not very sure but someone here mentioned that this piece is one of the extract from one Beethoven's piece. am i right ?

So, is it too early for me to get these books as my teacher has his syallabus and will I get confused ?

[goldfish]

On the left, click on “Publications”

Then again, on the left, click on “piano”.

A complete list of all piano music will appear. Any title which has EPP below the title [...]

Ah got it. Many thanks 

goldfish
 

[bernhard]

Oh my that is such a big collection! which first three are the best ones to buy?  I have looked at some of the easier ones that show examples some seem kind of hard! Do they ship to  America?

The best ones to buy are the ones you love! Therefore only you can answer that. But since there is no CD of them for you to listen to, how can you decide? Tough question. You can buy all of them and sightread through all of them (and you will become a fantastic sight-reader in the process! ) or you can just randomly pick one and see if you like it. IN the site they give you a sampel page for each album, which you can print. Since they have over 200 albums (perhaps more) there, by just printing the sample pages you already have 200 pieces to play around with.

I am sure they ship to America, but mos music shops will have them or order them for you . I often use this internet shop (and have no complaints so far):

https://www.burtnco.com/

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[bernhard]

Hi Bernard

I just browse thru some of the books but seems like most of them are from grade 2 and above.

Well, I barely started learning piano for 4 weeks and so far my teacher only taught me the "C" major scale plus some fingers/wrist exercise as he told me that I need to play and press the keys with ease.  He has asked me to touch on the first piece "Ode De Joy" but again I think it's a simplify one.  I am not very sure but someone here mentioned that this piece is one of the extract from one Beethoven's piece. am i right ?

So, is it too early for me to get these books as my teacher has his syallabus and will I get confused ?

Yes, Ode to joy is a bit of Beethoven's 9th symphony, and it sounds much better with a full symphonic orchestra and choir, then on a simplified version on the piano. Why not play a true piano piece? True repertory? There is plenty of incredible repertory at the beginner level (have a look at the threads above for suggestions). For instance, right now I cannot get enough of Alan Hovhaness "Sleeping cat". Even a total beginner can play it after a couple of lessons.

The collections suggested start at grade 1 and each book in the series progresses in difficulty. The Easier Piano Pieces series will depend on the composer. There is a volume by Chopin, but even the easiest Chopin piece is grade 4/5, so the pieces in that book will be more difficult. But if you get the Turk album (60 pieces for aspiring beginners), or the Attwood book, you will see that most pieces are grade 1 or easier.

I tell all my students to tell me what pieces they would love to learn, because if they don;t tell me, they will end up learning the pieces I love to learn! . I suggest you do the same. Tellyour teacher what you want to learn. Teachers love students with initiative!

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[squiggly_girl]

I own the Library of Easy Piano Classics. The very first "real" piece I learnt (about 5 months ago) came out of this book. It was a simplified version of the Trumpet Voluntary by Jeremiah Clarke. As the name suggests, it is actually a piece for trumpet (and organ), so it probably wasn't the best choice of piece for a piano beginner, but it does happen to be about the easiest thing in the book.

Do I recommend this book? Kind of. I agree (now) that it is better to learn easy, original pieces than simplified versions of much harder ones. As you know the LoEPC contains a great selection of simplified (ie keys transposed, some notes left out) pieces. However, since I got myself a teacher who gives me Bach and Burgmuller to play, I haven't really revisited this volume. Another reason it doesn't get much of a look-in from me is that it's not really that easy.

I haven't regretted buying this book though. At the very least it's fun to flick through and peruse scores of all the great music. For the uninitiated it is a great first port of call for what are the most familiar melodies of classical music. One of my friends who plays at about a grade eight level borrowed this book and was quite impressed by it. She commented that the changes are not so great that they bas***dise the character of the music. And if all you wish to do is capture the feel and character of the music, then this is pretty good as a sort of "fake" book.

I've also heard this book recommended as a good one for sight-reading practise...but that would be well off into the distant future for me!

Overall, I would give this a tentative recomendation. As long as you recognise it for what it is, "baby" versions of true greats, you won't be disappointed. However, if someone were to publish a volume this big of the best easy Bach, Mozart, Purcell, Schumann, Burgmuller, traditionals, etc and called it the Library of Easy Piano Classics, I would have been much happier!