Learning Piano

[AndyBob09]

Hey all,

I'm looking to start to learn piano and am looking for a few good books to get me started. Does anyone know of any good piano books for beginners?

Thanks in advance.
AB

[discreet]

Have a look at Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Course.

[Commando Jack]

I've been working through [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Never-Late-Play-Piano-Learn-as-you-play/dp/0571512313"]It's never too late to play piano[/url] by Pamela Wedgewood. It seems ok, but I don't really have a frame of reference except that my wife's piano teacher told her to buy it and used it as a teaching aid.

[steve-bbb]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1343386924' post='1749892']
Have a look at Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Course.
[/quote]
will alfred mind?

[discreet]

[quote name='steve-bbb' timestamp='1343391997' post='1750030']
...will alfred mind? [/quote]

No, he's dead.

[musophilr]

I saw some books that my mum used when she was a little girl. Fingering in those days made sense 1,2,3,4 were what you'd expect them to mean and + was the thumb. Modern books use 1,2,3,4,5 which might seem logical to the people who write them, but confuses the hell out of a simple minded guitarist like me. 1 is always the index finger, never the thumb.

[charic]

Unless you want to become a keyboard player (like me ) practice your left hand at least as much.

I grew up on the old Kenneth Baker books (I think...)

[steve-bbb]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1343392310' post='1750043']
No, he's dead.
[/quote]
but there will usually be some busybody somewhere who will mind 'professionally' on his behalf no?

good luck mr andybob - ive tried this too in the past but i just could not get my head around the whole lefthand/righthand independence thing in much the same way that i cant play bass and sing at the same time...although some might say i just cant play bass full stop

Edited July 27, 2012 by steve-bbb

[bluesparky]

Yup, I second the Alfred course.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alfreds-Basic-Adult-Course-Lesson/dp/0882848321
There are three books in this series and they're great for an adult beginner - I started learning on this course about 18 months ago and I'm now just finishing the 3rd book with a view to take Grade 3 or 4 in December.

Once you've finished the 3rd book it leaves you in good idea of what direction you want to take your playing and also be at the standard where you are able to play "proper" pop / rock songs that you may know & like rather than the stuff that educational books will give you.. (i.e. Life on Mars, Virtual insanity, Nightswimming etc - rather than the American National Anthem or traditional shepherd's folk songs etc!)
Good luck, I'm loving it.

[Westie9]

If you can, I'd always suggest booking up a few lessons, learning correctly and quickly. Books are ok but never really helped me... Rather like a false economy really.

[GarethFlatlands]

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1343394352' post='1750093']
I grew up on the old Kenneth Baker books (I think...)
[/quote]



I'm not sure how that's going to help with the piano.

[M-Bass-M]

If you're looking for finger strengthening / dexterity exercises, then take a look at Hanon:

[url="http://www.hanon-online.com/"]http://www.hanon-online.com/[/url]

Not the most exciting thing to do, but valuable nonetheless.

[xgsjx]

I can't remember what the books was that I started with (sooo long ago), but I'd suggest you get a couple of lessons & read the basic keyboard theory bits.
I find it much easier to find a note anywhere on a keyboard than I do with any other instrument as it's a simple repetitition. I see each octave split in 1/2 as C to F & G to B, no idea why, but it works.

[charic]

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1351187430' post='1848487']
I see each octave split in 1/2 as C to F & G to B, no idea why, but it works.
[/quote]

You're strange

If anything it should be C-E F-B as that's where the two white keys sit together

[xgsjx]

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1351235197' post='1848935']
You're strange

If anything it should be C-E F-B as that's where the two white keys sit together
[/quote]
Sorry, I meant to say C-F# G-B.
I did start off C-E, but when I was a kid (probably about 10 at the oldest) I somehow moved it to make it an even split.

[RandomBass]

[quote name='steve-bbb' timestamp='1343395733' post='1750125']
ive tried this too in the past but i just could not get my head around the whole lefthand/righthand independence thing in much the same way that i cant play bass and sing at the same time...although some might say i just cant play bass full stop
[/quote]

Some would say I can't do either, full stop....