Progressive Class Piano: A Practical Approach for the Older Beginner, Comb Bound Book

By Elmer Heerema

Book Overview

A successful keyboard text for both college non-music majors and majors with limited keyboard experience. Sight reading, playing by ear, repertoire pieces, harmonizing melodies, improvising, technical... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0882842978
• ISBN13: 9780882842974
• Release Date: May 1984
• Publisher: Alfred Music
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 2.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 9.2" x 10.8"

Customer Reviews

Not just for class! If you want to learn, start here.

I was first introduced to this piano book while a music major. My background was with voice, guitar, and trumpet, but I was required to take piano each semester. Don't let the title imply that this is solely for group (class) piano lessons. It worked well in one-on-one sessions, and I bought it for my wife this past Christmas (I don't do well giving lessons to my own family members, and I'm still no piano virtuoso). She is studying on her own, and has a piano playing friend drop by for an informal lesson every couple of weeks. The book starts out by having you explore the keyboard, playing with different groupings of keys, so you can hear their relationships. Students are encouraged, for example, to use only the black keys to pluck out familiar melodies, and then to make up a short melody of their own. After that basic orientation, it moves on to primary five-finger patterns in the simplest keys (C maj., G maj.) and builds from there. Chord charts help the students make the proper finger transitions along the way. The exercises start simple, but move on to more rewarding little pieces in a surprisingly short time. As students become proficient in each new key, some exercises ask them to transpose them (play them in a different key) on the fly (without having the written music in front of them). This is a very important skill for any accompianist, who may need to play a given piece in a differnt key to accomodate a soloist's specific vocal range. Unlike some basic piano texts that cover only parts of your learning journey (different books for beginners, intermediates, etc), this one will move you from the most basic exercises to very complex pieces by the end--it is a substantial volume. It does a good job of introducing chord progressions, and it handles the introduction of the minor scales very well. The very end of the book contains complete written scales for every major and minor key, invaluable for drilling the basic skills as you progress. Overall, a fantastic book! You will enjoy playing!

Excellent Music Guide

With the help of a teacher, this book is wonderful for the "older" student who is looking to play piano. For each chapter, there are rhythm, composition, and techniqal drills. The book comes with supplementary material, scales, cord progressions, circle of fifths, and transposing to other instruments. Each chapter progresses enough to keep you moving, but not so fast that you lose yourself. A definite reccommend to the beginning piano player.