The Complete Idiot's Guide to Playing Piano

From reading music and learning chords, to understanding music notation or buying an instrument, an expert author tells aspiring pianists how to get started. Learn posture, positioning, fingering, notations, and drills, with advice from a master. And this new edition features an introduction to music notation, explains how to use the pedals, and offers strategies for mastering major and minor scales. It also comes with a CD with all the music in the book so you can listen and learn.

About the Author
Brad Hill is a seasoned pianist, teacher, and writer. He has written dozens of books on keyboard playing, MIDI, and music, and has recorded several albums of original keyboard music. He has appeared extensively on radio and television, and has been interviewed for dozens of publications such as the New York Times, Billboard, and Christian Science Monitor.

Piano Exercises for Dummies

The ideal hands-on reference for piano students who want to strengthen their skills and refine their technique--and the perfect companion and next step to the bestselling Piano For Dummies. Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

 

From the Back Cover

The fun and easy way to tune up your technique and improve your playing Is the piano your passion? This easy-to-read guide is bursting with fun exercises designed to hone your piano-playing technique, from warm-ups and major and minor scales to octaves, chord cadences, and more. You'll play challenging rhythms, practice with different tempos, play a performance piece at the end of each chapter, and find inspiration for performing music your way.

• Warm up away from the piano — release tension in your hands, wrists, and arms and go to the piano feeling loose and comfortable
• Wake up those fingers — perfect your hand position and develop left and right hand finger independence
• Develop greater control — practice smoother finger crossovers and pass-unders for speedier scales and arpeggios
• Incorporate greater movement — play chords without tension, jump across the keyboard, and move with ease in parallel and contrary motion
• Ramp up your skills — perfect your pedaling, play grace notes, trills, and other fancy ornaments

Open the book and find:

• More than 150 exercises that vary in style, key, and tempo
• Major and minor scales
• Blues, diminished and chromatic scales
• Finger, rhythm, and chord progression exercises
• Left-hand accompanimentpatterns
• Performance pieces with every chapter
• Ten one-page dance pieces

Bonus CD Includes

• More than 70 tracks all played by the author
• Selected exercises from each chapter
• Every performance piece
• Ten dance pieces from the book

 

About the Author

David Pearl is the author of The Art of Steely Dan and Color Your Chords. His other books include Burt Bacharach Piano Solos, jazz transcriptions of artists such as Grover Washington, Jr. and Dave Douglas, and arrangements of jazz tunes, classical pieces, and opera arias for piano. He has taught piano and performed jazz and classical music professionally for more than 30 years.

Piano For Dummies

From Library Journal

Instruct: to provide with knowledge, especially in a methodical way. That is, in fact, what Phillips and Chappel of Cherry Lane Music do in this logical, pedagogic introduction to keyboard instruments, music theory, and piano technique. The chapter on the famous?or is it infamous??"Part of Tens" includes information about past and present masters of the instrument, ways of expanding your interest beyond the scope of the book, and tips on finding a teacher. Printed musical examples are plentiful, and an accompanying audio CD is included. This book intends to be fun and funny and succeeds in a vaudeville sort of way. Students are encouraged "to continue to seek knowledge about your instrument long after you tire of the jokes" and told that "piano teachers and method books shouldn't be forsaken forever." The do-it-yourself phenomenon has made the "Dummies" books very popular. This one is particularly appropriate for school media and public libraries.?Janet Brewer, Murray State Univ. Lib., KY
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

 

Product Description

The long-awaited update to the bestselling Piano For Dummies-featuring a new audio CD Have you always wanted to play piano? This revised edition of the popular Piano for Dummies makes it easier and more fun than ever. If you don't know how to read music, this book explains in friendly, uncomplicated language all the basics of music theory and applies it to playing the piano. And if you've been playing piano for a while – or took piano lessons when you were a child but haven't played since – you can pick up some valuable tips to improve your playing or use the book as a refresher course.
This new edition features fresh and updated practice lessons, teaching techniques, and musical examples, as well as a new audio CD with examples for all pieces presented in the book. You get expert information on left- and right-hand piano techniques; playing scales, melodies, harmonies, and chords; and practicing to improve your technique.

• Everything you need to start playing piano today
• Plenty of popular musical pieces and songs, with companion audio CD to play along with
• Instruction in playing various musical styles, from classical and rock to blues and country
• Blake Neely is an Emmy-nominated composer and accomplished pianist who has composed numerous TV and movie scores

If you've always wanted to tickle the ivories like a pro, Piano For Dummies, 2nd Edition is your ideal resource!
Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

 

From the Back Cover

The fun and easy way to learn piano! Whether you've only ever admired the piano or are looking to rekindle a past hobby, Piano For Dummies, 2nd Edition, gives you everything you need to make beautiful music with confidence and ease. You'll get practical, easy-to-follow guidance on how to read music, keep rhythm, and use your fingers and feet to play tons of popular pieces and songs.

• Warming up to the keyboard — discover the differences (and similarities) between acoustic and electric keyboards and get tips on finding the keyboard that's right for you
• Getting sound down on paper — learn the many symbols, lines, and dots that make up written music and understand how they're translated into actual songs
• One hand at a time — practical guidance on how to play the melodies of well-known songs, starting with just your right hand and gradually inviting your left hand to join the party
• Living in perfect harmony — find out what harmony is, how it's made, and how you can use it to fill out songs

Open the book and find:

• Practice lessons, teaching techniques, and examples
• Ways to make the most of your practice time
• Tips on how to count rhythms
• Exercises for playing with your left hand
• Tricks, techniques, and stylish embellishments to dress up the music you play
• Scales and chords in major and minor keys
• Handy accompaniment patterns, intros, and outros

Bonus CD Includes

• More than 90 recorded performances of the exercises and pieces featured in the book
• Pieces performed using a count-off, allowing you to play along in time with the music
• Style samplers featuring riffs in jazz, rock, classical, country, and soul

 

About the Author

Blake Neely is a composer, conductor, arranger, orchestrator, and pianist who scored an Emmy nomination for his composition of the Everwood main title theme. Since then, Blake has enjoyed a celebrated career of scoring and orchestrating, with credits such as the movie The Wedding Date, the TV series Brothers and Sisters, and the smash Disney movie, Enchanted.