Chopin - A Listener's Guide to the Master of the Piano: Unlocking the Masters Series [Paperback] Review

Amadeus Press has filled a underserved niche in the classical music literature with these marvelous little guides to the great composers and their greatest compositions.They fill the gap between the highly detailed, scholarly volumes of the lives of the great composers ... and the too-superficial tiny guides that offer too little program notes on the music or the composer.It gives you a compelling "play-by-play" description of each composition without venturing into musicology that would lose a beginner.The entire series is extremely well written and make a great guides to new discoveries.It should appeal to beginners as well as classical veterans alike.This Chopin volume is proving to be a valuable guide as I explore in depth Chopin's music and the great performances on disc.

Every major category is covered in satisfying depth to give you solid understanding of what is behind each work - and what in particular is historically and musically significant in them.ALl major works are covered: the lilting Waltzes .. the pensive and sometimes turbulent Nocturnes ... the weighty Sonatas, Scherzos and Ballades ... the delicate miniatures ... the amazing early piano concertos ... the showpieces, Etudes, Preludes and even the few chamber pieces of Chopin are explored to reveal many curious historic details.

This volume on Chopin makes for compelling reading and is one of the only modern volumes of program notes on the piano music of Chopin I could find.The number of works covered is large and satisfying with enough detail to give you a deep appreciation of the significance, musical structures and impact of each work.In a way, it reads much like program notes in a CD, but covering the entire range of Chopin's life and works.Other reviews below outline the range covered.The volume, supplemented by classic volume like Schonberg's "Lives of the Great Composers" should give a high quality education to the music of Chopin.This book includes a Naxos CD containing performances by Idl Bieret which gives a quality intro to Chopin, but some listeners will surely want to explore the great Chopin performances of pianists like Rubinstein, Horowitz, Kissin, Perahia, Argerich and many others.Bottom line: these "Unlocking the Masters Series" are a great investment to deepening one's appreciation that will not go out of style any time soon.5 stars.

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Product Description:
Frederic Chopin died a famous man with his place in the musical pantheon secure. Yet the works that were once most popular tended to be his lightest and least challenging, leading many listeners and critics to view him as a miniaturist and composer for the salon. The bold pieces now revered as his masterpieces-the epic and tragic structures of the ballades, scherzos, polonaises, and sonatas, and the compact but daring preludes and mazurkas-were rarely played and poorly understood. In fact, a larger proportion of Chopin's pieces are now in the active repertory than that of any composer. Chopin - A Listener's Guide to the Master of the Piano takes a detailed tour through the life and oeuvre of the sovereign master of the keyboard. The composer's metabolic adaptation of the melodic structures of Italian opera and the folk music of his native Poland for the resources of the piano are examined in detail, as are the originality and boldness he displayed throughout his tragically short, astonishing career. The book is accompanied by a CD containing 15 complete compositions (and one full movement from his Piano Sonata No. 2) performed by pianist Idil Biret, from her complete survey of the composer's music on the Naxos label.

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FASTFORWARD: REAL BLUES FOR KEYBOARD (Fast Forward) [Paperback] Review

The entire "FAST FORWARD" series of keyboard books (which include books by Jeff Hammer and Jack Long) are well worth their price. The blues series contain well presented blues theory and examples...as wellas several VERY good sounding riffs and short solo pieces. These booksare oriented towards the early to late intermediate pianist or keyboarderwho has some experience and can already play a little bit. If you are abeginner...don't despair...you can still learn from these books.Abeginner will however have to spend a little more time practicing basicfingering and understanding music theory that the book assumes you alreadyunderstand and can do.

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Product Description:
Discover the blues with this book and cd pack. Includes basic blues structures and techniques, original blues to jazz and rock piano, boogie, stride and walking bass styles.

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Mark Nevin / Piano Course / Preparatory Book [Mass Market Paperback] Review

I started piano lessons three and a half months ago.I'm an adult and luckily acquired this book.It was printed in the sixties.My piano teacher really likes _the selection_ of music.So do I.I also like _the instruction._I'm currently learning two pieces from the book.My big question is . . . Where is Book Four?I can't get more complimentary than that.

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Product Description:
The MARK NEVIN PIANO COURSE serves as a basic introduction to piano study. It covers the fundamentals of note reading while it provides attractive and appealing melodies for the child beginner. The MARK NEVIN PIANO COURSE makes it possible for the pupil to play tunes from the very first lesson as well as provide logical, step-by-step progress throughout the book. Each lesson is not only instructive but a pleasant and happy adventure.

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Ultimate Beginner Keyboard Basics (The Ultimate Beginner Series) [Box set, Color] [Paperback] Review

The book feels like it was written in one afternoon.People looking
for solid information on playing the keyboard will be disappointed.
The book ends even before it starts.There are inconsistencies in the
way the instructions are explained in the text.This continues the
tradition of poor music books by Warner.

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Product Description:
This book & CD package is designed to help aspiring musicians take the first step toward experiencing the fun of playing music, and is packed full of tips, lessons, and practical knowledge. Learn how to play chords and arpeggios, play major and minor scales, play melodies by ear, improvise, play the blues and more.

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Half Filled Cookie Jar (David Carr Glover Piano Library) [Paperback] Review

This is a delightful little suite for young piano students, complete with text for narration.Students play the pieces while someone else narrates the story.

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Product Description:
A sweet for piano. This suite may be played by one or more students. It can be presented any time during the year and has been found especially effective at Christmas.

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Complete Etudes for Solo Piano, Series II: Including the Paganini Etudes and Concert Etudes [Paperback] Review

The so good edition of the entire piano music of Franz Liszt ( it's not really complete, sadly) made by the pianist and composer Ferruccio Busoni. It's not easy to find this edition. Dover offers just the completeetudes(in two volumes). As usual for Dover, not first quality printing, butfor this price it's a bargain and a good complement for the Budapestedition.

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Product Description:
Also includes Morceau de Saon, and Ab Irato. Breitkopf & Härtel Edition.

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First Steps in Keyboard Literature: Alfred Masterwork Edition (Alfred Masterwork Editions) [Paperback] Review

It arrived quickly from Amazon. My Daughter uses it for piano lessons She says "Its very good"

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Product Description:
Perfect for festival and audition lists requiring standard literature at this early level, this book is designed for students who are exploring authentic literature from the Classic to Modern eras for the first time. All selections are in their original form.

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Fun-to-Play Patriotic Songs (Big Note Piano: Level 2) [Paperback] Review

I lost my piano music in a move. So happy to have a few of them again.

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Product Description:
Here is the latest addition to the Fun-to-Play series for piano students by renowned arranger Richard Bradley. This big note book boasts many of our nation's favorite patriotic songs. Kids will love playing them! Titles include: America (My Country 'Tis of Thee), America, the Beautiful, America Will Always Stand, American Patrol, Anchors Aweigh, The Battle Hymn of the Republic, Dixie, God Bess the U.S.A., Hail to the Chief, Over There, Semper Fidelis, The Star-Spangled Banner, The Stars and Stripes

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New Pink Childs Wood Toy Grand Piano With Bench Kids Piano 30 Key Review

I was not a happy camper when I opened up the box and saw this product.There are no instructions included in putting this together... i am a single mother and i am NOT that great with assembly (lol).The keys shift back and forth and the "label" for the keys is way too long for the keyboard itself.However, i did not throw the box out of the window like i originally wanted.

I did have someone come over and put this together for me.No, the sound is not as "perfect" as they describe it.It's more chimey than anything.But for the price and shipping, you get what you pay for.My daughter doesn't know the difference and she absolutely loves it.If you want a better sound, i'd suggest going with a more expensive model, but for my 12 month old, this is perfect.It's just a toy!

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Product Description:
You are viewing a brand new childs grand toy piano. This will make a great holiday gift. We purchased these pianos directly from the manufacture, providing you with the best prices available.

Brand new in retail packaging
Wood piano
Pink Color
30 keys (Tuned perfectly)
Great Sound
Includes cute matching wood bench
Includes wooden music holder
Includes instructional music lessons book
Perfect for kids ages 1 to 7
Dimensions Piano; 20" H X 20" W X 17" L
Dimensions Bench; 11" H X 7" W X 8" L

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The Collection of Christmas Music: Easy Piano [Paperback] Review

I liked that this book had a very big assortment of songs and for the most part they were pretty easy to play for beginners, as promised. My biggest problem was with the printing of the book. Some of the pages were so blurry, like they had been photocopied 100 times, and the printing lost it's crispness. On a couple pages, I could barely read the notes or the lyrics. It's very unprofessional.

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Product Description:
Arranged by Dan Coates for easy pinao. 74 classic Christmas songs.

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The Schubert Song Transcriptions for Solo Piano/Series II: The Complete Winterreise and Seven Other Great Songs (The Schubert Song Transcriptions for Solo Piano, Series II) [Paperback] Review

Of the many piano transcriptions Liszt made of the works of other composers, those he made by Schubert are among his most inspired. This volume contains the legendary pianist's twelve transcriptions from Schubert's great song cycle Winterreise, along with the four songs of Geistliche Lieder and the beautiful songs La Rose, Lob der Thranen and Die Forelle. These rare transcriptions offer a unique blending of Classical inspiration with Romantic virtuosity. Liszt retained the intense lyricism and emotional impact of Schubert's songs as he transformed them into amazing compositions for solo piano. I absolutely love this book. My favorites are Wasserfluth, Gute Nacht and Tauschung. As always this is a great Dover edition. The notes are not too small and the print is very dark. The book lays open well on your stand. Next to each song in the book there is the full length poem that inspired it. If you are a serious pianist and are interested in playing Liszt's transcriptions of Schubert's lieder songs I know you will get a lifetime of enjoyment out of this book. This is the only version that I believe is available of Liszt's Wintereisse and it's at a great price on Amazon.

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Product Description:
All 24 songs of Schubert's great song cycle Winterreise, along with the four songs of Geistliche Lieder and the beloved single songs "La Rose," "Die Forelle" and "Lob der Thranen." Reproduced from extremely rare early editions overseen by Liszt himself. With editorial notes, and English translations of the German texts.


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Applause!, Book 1 (Alfred Masterwork Editions) [Paperback] Review

Book 1 Contents

* Allegro by Wilhelm Friedemann Bach
* Allegro Burlescoby Friedrich Kuhlau
* Bagatelleby Alexander Tcherepnin
* Bear Danceby Bela Bartok
* 2 Etudesby Dmitri Kabalevsky
* Etude (Ivan is Busy)by Aram Ilyich Khachaturian
* Fantasia in D minorby Georg Philipp Telemann
* Fantasy Danceby Robert Schumann
* Gigaby Johann Sebastian Bach
* Important Eventby Robert Schumann
* Le Petit Negre (Cakewalk)by Claude Debussy
* L'Orage (The Storm)by Johann Friedrich Burgmuller
* Molto Vivaceby Bela Bartok
* Puckby Edvard Grieg
* Scherzoby Cornelius Gurlitt
* Six Ecossaisesby Ludwig van Beethoven
* Solfeggiettoby Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
* Sonatinaby Georg Anton Benda
* Tarantella (Etude)by Stephen Heller

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Product Description:
Listening to these recordings allows students to instantly hear the ""power and pure flash"" as expertly recorded by noted pianist and pedagogue, Valery Lloyd-Watts. Studies show that when budding pianists listen to recordings, they learn notes and rhythms accurately and memorize at a quicker pace. Lloyd-Watts' tasteful interpretations lend insight into each piece.--This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

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Exploring Jazz Piano - Volume 1 (The Schott Pop Styles Series) [Paperback] Review

I've bought several books on improvising jazz piano and this is by far the best. It's a heavy, well bound book (my binding has not come apart), which could explain it's $40 list price tag. The book itself is worth $40, even if it was looseleaf!

I agree with the previous reviewer that Richards quickly covers basic chord theory, but that's what convinced me to try this book. Since I've been studying jazz theory (trying to learn to improvise) and have a fair level of knowledge, I didn't want another book that introduced chords and basic ii V7 I progressions. There's some excellent books on jazz theory out there - try Bert Ligon's books for the most thorough, and challenging, course on theory. I wanted a book that would teach me how to sound like my favorite jazz pianists.

To improvise jazz, you need a thorough command of chord voicings and progressions, and then an ability to improvise scale patterns against a strong left hand rhythm. Many books give examples of those components, but only give a few basic exercises and vague verbal instructions on how to apply them to a song. I have the knowledge needed and I can play great sounding chords and progressions, but I have not been able to play a respectable improvisation and haven't been able to find any real guidance up until now.

What makes this book different--and excellent--are the numerous exercises that show you how to apply the techniques presented in the lessons. Richards' book gives several etudes and exercises in each chapter to help you develop those skills. He offers excellent improvising suggestions and examples for each etude, and shows how to apply them. In addition, he provides 4 or 5 authentic jazz tunes in each chapter - from standards to bebop and all styles - and, again, offers detailed examples and suggestions to apply the techniques presented. In addition, the tunes and drills present various left-hand styles with an emphasis on latin styles.

If you can play piano at a late beginner or early intermediate level, and have a basic knowledge of chords, then you'll get a lot out of this book. If you're an experienced player and know chords thoroughly, this book - and the Volume 2 book - will help you improve and give you excellent training in improvising.

I first bought volume 2 thinking that volume 1 would be too basic for me. But after working with vol. 2 for a week, I decided to buy vol. 1 after all. I know all the theory in volume 1, but the exercises and drills provide so much excellent instruction in playing left hand rhythms or basic chord voicings against a right hand improvisation, that I don't feel that I'm wasting my time with elementary concepts.

The cd that comes with it provides an opportunity to play along with his band. However, the tempos are fast. If you have a keyboard or piano with built in rhythms, you'll be in better shape. You'd definitely want a metronome if you don't have built in backgrounds, so that you can practice slowly and work up to the finished speed. Band in a Box is a great software program that provides some excellent backgrounds to practice with.

Tim Richards is the best teacher - and on top of that a great jazz pianist. He and I are going to be tight for a long time.

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Product Description:
Volume 1 introduces the intermediate pianist to the basic chord-types used in jazz, from major and minor triads to seventh and ninth chords. Other topics include: Chord/scale relationships, modes, broken chord and scale patterns, pentatonic and blues scales, walking bass lines, Latin rhythms and bass lines, the diatonic cycle, secondary dominants, IIVI sequences, horizontal and vertical improvisation, tritone substitution, two-handed voicings, rootless voicings, technical exercises and fingering, accompaniment styles, ear-training, discography (suggested listening).28 pieces by the author appear alongside special arrangements of well-known jazz standards, including: Autumn Leaves * Fly Me to the Moon * In a Sentimental Mood * Mannenberg * On Green Dolphin St (Part 1) * Ornithology * Song for My Father * Straight No Chaser * Take the A Train. Also included are transcribed solos by Thelonious Monk and Horace Silver, an invaluable source of authentic jazz techniques.

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Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 30 (Kalmus Edition) [Paperback] Review

I bought this piece of sheet music after my teacher recommended it as a 'good piano competition piece.' I had already worked on most of Rachmaninoff's 2nd piano concerto (also very difficult) and the third movement of Mozart's 17th concerto.I would definitely not recommend getting this piece if you don't have a MAJOR desire to learn it as it is very difficult.However, the piece is extremely beautiful, and technically showy (which is why it is a 'good competition piece') - probably my favorite piece of sheet music at the moment.I have been playing piano for 12 years and would consider myself fairly advanced - but I still anticipate it taking at least 6-8 months to learn this piece, and that's practicing it up to and about 1 hour per day.Rachmaninoff wrote a masterpiece and it is considered today to be one of the most beautiful and difficult piano concertos, up there with Tchaikovsky's 1st.This edition has a limited amount of fingerings, but it is easily readable and not over-edited like some editions.I wholeheartedly recommend it but will warn you again not to attempt to learn it unless you have a strong desire to do so.

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Product Description:
Demands from pianists after seeing the movie Shine have brought this excepted piano solo version of the Rachmaninoff Third Piano Concerto to life. This arrangement is for advanced duet (two pianos/four hands).

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A Classical Approach to Jazz Piano: Exploring Harmony [Paperback] Review

The first part deals with voice leading and is very informative. It provides useful and practical concepts.I suppose it's intended for the intermediate level student.
The second part give us more advanced concepts like block chords, upper-structure triads and quartal harmony. I've never seen before the relationship between quartal harmony and the pentatonic scale - and it's well done here.

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Product Description:
A serious and thorough discussion of harmony for the literate pianist, this book by Professor Dominic Alldis of the Royal Academy of Music in London addresses accompaniment models, basic jazz theory, polychords, reharmonization, upper structure triads, block chords, pentatonic harmony, and many more subjects, drawing harmonic parallels from classical composers. Alldis includes key excerpts from the greatest jazz standards to illustrate his points.

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Czerny 100 Recreations (Kalmus Edition)First Instruction In Piano Playing [Paperback] Review

My daughter is using Czerny along with her Suzuki books. I have seen a leap ofimprovement during a relatively short time. This book takes devotion, but the dividends are worth it.

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Product Description:
Solos for piano by Karl Czerny.

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Debussy -- An Introduction to His Piano Music (Alfred Masterwork CD Edition) [Paperback] Review

Haven't had it for long, but so far I'm pleased with this edition.The selections are great -- it has most of my favorites.I was a little disappointed that it didn't have Passepied, but I would have known that if I'd looked more carefully at the table of contents preview.

The binding is of the fold-and-staple variety, so it stays open well on the music stand (unlike editions with glue bindings).The music itself is clear and easy to read, with large dark noteheads appropriately spaced.Editorial marks for pedaling, fingerings, and translations of French are printed throughout in grey so it's easy to tell them from the actual music; some people might prefer a more "pure" edition, but I find the editorial suggestions useful.

I didn't even know this book came with a CD until it arrived, so it wasn't really a factor in my purchase.Overall the performances are good and very faithful to the music.You'll enjoy it if you don't already have one (or many!) recordings of Debussy's work, but I'll probably keep listening to my favorites (Pascal Roge, all the way!).

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS AFTER MORE EXTENSIVE USE: Though I really like the print quality and presentation of this edition I've noticed some places where editorial comments like "RH" conflict directly with m.g. notations I've seen on other editions (Doctor Gradus), a few missing accidentals (Reverie), and other minor quibbles.I still recommend this edition for anyone familiar enough with Debussy's music to know when things aren't quite as they should be.If I were rating it now I'd probably dock it one star for these minor mistakes.

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Product Description:
This collection of Debussy's popular intermediate pieces includes ""Clair de lune,"" ""Reverie,"" ""La petit nègre,"" the complete ""Children's Corner Suite"" and other works. The introductory pages discuss symbolist poetry, French Impressionist painters and Debussy's musical style. A variety of photographs taken throughout the composer's life are also included. The Alfred Masterwork Library CD Editions conveniently combine each exceptional volume with a professionally recorded CD that is sure to inspire artistic performances. 64 pages.

Pianist Scott Price is the chair of the Piano Department at the University of South Carolina and holds a doctorate in piano performance from the University of Oklahoma. He has given master classes and recitals throughout the United States and Southeast Asia. His recordings are featured in Alfreds Premier Piano Course.

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How To Play Boogie Woogie Piano (Music Sales America) [Paperback] Review

I have been playing piano for ten years and I finally decided it was time to move away from classical music and try something new. I looked into several Boogie Woogie books and ended up buying this one about a week ago.

This book has a wonderful collection of songs which are fun to play and sound like professional pieces. The book orders the songs from easy to the more difficult to help build on your skills.

The music is not hard at all. Most of the time the same bass pattern is kept in the left hand while the right hand plays the melody. There are no tricky fingerings or even rhythms. The pieces are all in either C, F, or G (from one flat to one sharp) and use familiar notes and chords. The difficulty of this book is a 6 on a scale from 1 to 10 - 10 being the hardest.

This book is perfect for beginners - beginning piano players, maybe not - but if you've never tried Boogie Woogie before and are looking for something new, this book is for you.

Anyone who has taken a year or more of piano lessons should have no problem with this book.

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Product Description:
A collection of 14 boogie woogie solos for piano, with tips on playing technique. They include such favorites as Barrel House Boogie, Tommy DorseyÂ's Boogie Woogie, and Bad Penny Blues.

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Complete Piano Concertos in Full Score (Music Series) [Paperback] Review

This is an excellent book, the concertos are some of Beethoven's best in my opinion. I highly recommend the second movement of the fifth concerto. Excellent!

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Product Description:
Full scores of 5 great Beethoven piano concertos, reproduced from the authoritative Breitkopf & Härtel edition, with all cadenzas as he wrote them. The works reveal the pianistic and orchestral mastery of Beethoven's early and middle periods as well as his innovative genius. New table of contents.


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Keyboard Chords Deluxe: Full-Color Photos and Diagrams for Over 900 Chords (keyboard instruction) [Paperback] Review

This is the best keyboard chord chart book that I have found in a long time!It goes through an explination of chord types and their symbols before showing the chords themselves. It includes pictures of how the chords look on the staff, a drawing of a keyboard with the notes shaded in that are included in the chord, and even an actual picture of how a right have would look playing the chord!They are arranged in an easy-to-find way and includes both the notation for treble and bass clef.This is a wonderful book for ANY keyboard player looking to expand their knowledge on chords, or to just confirm any questionable chords.I highly recommend this book.

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Product Description:
This beautiful and informative resource is a must for all piano students and players! It contains easy-to-read chord diagrams, easy-to-see full-color photos, basic chord theory, treble and bass clef notation, a chord symbol chart, and much more.

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Claude Bolling - Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio: Set of Parts/CD (Book & CD) [Paperback] Review

I consider this piece a mandatory one in the repertoire of any serious flutist, as it is perhaps one of the first examples of "crossover" music between classical and jazz styles. The recording itself was a platinum record during the 1970's. The recording is still available so that the written music can be followed easily, and if you are fortunate enough to have a good pianist to follow, you will find the music fun and not so difficult to play, if you are an intermediate or advanced flutist.

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Product Description:
This book has been a top-selling item for years, and now a companion CD with play-along and backing tracks is available! This means flute players can now learn this legendary piece of music on their own - our perfect piano accompaniment CDs eliminate the need for a pianist to play with! The CD can be purchased alone, for those who already own the book, and a book/CD pack is also available for those purchasing this for the first time. This suite in seven parts is composed for a "classic" flute and a "jazz" piano. It was the first jazz recording of world-renowned flutist Jean-Pierre Rampal and Claude Bolling. It is possible to play the whole piece with only flute and piano, but bass and drum parts are included for the complete Suite. The CD includes full recordings and flute play-along tracks for seven songs: Baroque and Blue * Fugace * Irlandaise * Javanaise * Sentimentale * Veloce * Versatile. Also available: CD Only (HL00672559, $16.95); Book Only (00490508, $47.50).

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Technique Builders: Fundamental Study Patterns to Improve Piano Proficiency [Paperback] Review

This is a truly fine set of exercises for the late-beginner/early-intermediate pianist.Beyond the expected parallel and contrary motions, there are accompanied exercises.One hand plays an accompaniment to the other hand's scale runs, arpeggios, and chord inversions.Everything is related to the playing of songs.

This book focuses heavily on the seven diatonic triads of the C major scale and their inversions and arpeggios.But it also includes work on all twelve major triads and many chromatic studies, as well.Simple repeated bass figures, rhythms, octaves, and finger-independence drills round things out.

I really enjoy Technique Builders.I can open it to nearly any page and play something challenging and musical-sounding.Ten minutes to an hour of exploring its pages is very rewarding.I give it 5 stars!

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Product Description:
The ultimate objective is to train the student through repeated patterns and precise exercises, to acquire a conscious control in these techniques: the use of the whole arm for lateral freedom and arm weight, the forearm for rotation (Alberti bass and similar patterns) the wrist for flexibility in phrasing and the fingers for dexterity in passage work.

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Essential Keyboard Repertoire, Vol. 5 (Requiring a Handspan of an Octave or Less) [Plastic Comb] Review

This series offer a vast and variety selection of early to late intermediate repertoire. And again Maurice Hinson made a great selection to this series. There are many songs selection in each volume and they also arrange in 3 groups by skill level therefore it's worth the price. Also the plastic comb enable the book to lay flat open on my piano and convenience for using. But I suggested that the order of the songs should be improved in the next edition. Because they're arranged by the name of the composers not by the period. (You'll find Bartok song on the very first page) that make it difficult to find and search and also don't help the students to recognize which composers are in which period.

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Product Description:
In the Essential Keyboard Repertoire Series, much care was given to grading, editing and most of all, student appeal. Each volume spans four centuries of keyboard music (from Baroque to Modern) and every selection is in its original form. Standard favorites are included, along with a sampling of works which were infrequently performed prior to the introduction of these collections. The editing is based on sound teaching principles to facilitate performance and study. This edition includes 83 early intermediate to late intermediate selections requiring a hand span of an octave or less. Comb-bound. 160 pages.

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Music from ""The Star Wars Trilogy: Special Edition""" (Easy Piano) [Paperback] Review

This book contains 14 songs from the "Star Wars: Special Edition" trilogy (Episodes IV-VI).For those who truly enjoy the "Star Wars" music and have a desire to play it, this book isworth having.I specifically bought the book for piano playing, so I wishit would have been formatted in a piano solo edition.Despite this, mostof the pieces play very well on the piano.
The first section containspieces from "Star Wars: A New Hope."These are as follows:"Star Wars (Main Theme)," "Cantina Band," "Ben'sDeath/TIE Fighter Attack," "Princess Leia's Theme," and"The Throne Room."Of those probably the main theme is theeasiest to play, but I still enjoyed it."The Throne Room"sounds very majestic on the piano, and I'm glad it was included.
Thesecond section is from "The Empire Strikes Back" and includes:"Han Solo and the Princess," "The Imperial March,""Yoda's Theme," and "May the Force be With You."The"Han Solo and the Princess" theme can be reasonably grasped by anovice player, and it sounds very nice on the piano.The same can be saidfor "Yoda's Theme."
The third section is from "Return ofthe Jedi" and includes: "Luke and Leia," "Parade of theEwoks," "The Emperor Arrives," "VictoryCelebration," and "Jedi Rocks."Of those I particularlyliked "The Emperor Arrives" and "VictoryCelebration."
This book has 60 pages of music plus a few pages ofphotos and a fold-out poster.I could have done without the pictures andposter if it meant having a couple of more songs in there for the sameprice (I hope the publishers read this).But their inclusion was notexcessive (as I have seen with other movie music books).
I enjoyed thisbook very much.Of course, these pieces are not nearly as memorable on thepiano as were the original soundtracks, but for piano-playing "StarWars" enthusiasts, the book is worth buying.

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Product Description:
Music from the most popular films of all time. This book contains rare full-color photos from the revised editions of all three films. Titles are: Cantina Band * Princess Leia's Theme * Star Wars (Main Theme) * The Throne Room * The Imperial March * Ewok Celebration * Luke and Leia * Victory Celebration. Arranged for easy piano by Dan Coates.

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Yamaha WB2 Padded Wooden Bench for the Yamaha DGX505 and DGX620, Natural Finish Review

I am disappointed in the bench as the wood color does not match the stand color for the Yamaha keyboard.There is quite a bit of red in bench wood color and no red in the stand color.

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Product Description:
Stay comfortable and relaxed while playing your digital keyboard with this Yamaha WB2 bench. Specifically designed to match the DGX505 keyboard but appropriate for a variety of digital and acoustic pianos, the bench is furnished with a thick padded seat and a strategic air vent in the cushion. Combined, the padding and vent support your bottom over long periods while protecting the seat filling from wear and tear. The bench is tough and attractive, too, thanks to its light-grain wood finish and sturdy wooden legs. In fact, its elegant design looks great in everything from Victorian to modern living rooms. It's a particularly good choice for users who value both comfort and portability, as it measures only 22.5 by 19 by 13.75 inches (W x H x D).
The bench comes disassembled but comes together quickly and easily thanks to the included four bolts and assembly tool.
What's in the Box
Bench, four bolts, assembly tool, user's manual.

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Casio PX-120 Privia Digital Piano Review

I traded in a PX-110 for a PX-120.I bought the Casio so I could practice piano using headphones.The most important features for me are piano action, piano sounds and metronome.I don't care much about the other features and sounds, although sometimes I use the recording feature to lay down a bass line I can solo over.

Pros:

* The action is significantly better in the PX120 as compared to the PX110. The loud clunking caused by the key return in the PX110 is gone in the PX120.Big difference!

* 128 note polyphony means no notes cut out when you hold down the damper pedal during long runs.Nice.

* Notes sustain longer when held and this sounds more realistic than the PX-110.

* The "classic" piano setting is better than the PX110.

* Metronome volume can be adjusted in the PX120.

Cons:

* The "modern" setting sounds too metallic, brittle and "twangy" for my taste, especially with headphones. So the "classic" sound is the only usable piano setting, in my opinion.

* The samples are problematic for 3 notes: the second D#, E and F above middle C.There is a noticeable metallic rattle or buzz when these notes are struck firmly.Very annoying, especially with headphones.How could Casio let the product go out the door with this flaw?The PX-320 has the same problem (I went back to the store and checked the floor models with headphones).

* The sound is a little bass-heavy in the PX-120.The PX-110 has a more balanced sound.

* The metronome could be set to "ding" in 5/4 time (every five beats) in the PX110, and this feature was removed in the PX120. The promotional literature for the PX120 is incorrect on this point.The PX120 metronome can be set to ding every 0,2,3,4 and 6 beats.Not a huge deal, but I don't see why they had to remove it, as 5/4 isn't that uncommon anymore.

* Still no 1/4" output jack, although I don't plan to do gigs with the PX120, so not a big deal to me.

The sound annoyances with the PX-120 are making it hard for me to decide between the PX-110 and the PX-120.Both models have flaws, so it's a matter of deciding which flaws with which to live.I'm really annoyed at Casio for the sample quality in the PX-120.If it wasn't for the problem with the 3 notes, I'd stick with the PX-120.

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Product Description:
Privia PX-120, rich sound with grand piano keyboard touch in a lightweight (under 30 lbs.) portable digital piano. The advanced AIF sound source provides 128 note polyphony providing you with full musical expression where notes reverberate naturally without being cut off during high-speed passages and during performances that require intensive damper pedal operations. With Weighted Scaled Hammer Action Keys you will have the look and feel of an acoustic piano. Use the PX-120 as a slab or with the optional custom wood stand.


A lightweight, portable digital piano. Click to enlarge.
Two different piano tones--a restrained classic and a brighter modern sound.
2 x 8 Watt on-board sound system.
Optional wood stand available.
128-Voice Polyphony
This permits the keyboard to produce up to 128 notes simultaneously for full musical expression. It lets you play sweeping chords and make extensive use of the damper pedal.
Scaled Hammer Action
88 touch-dynamic weighted keys based on concert piano keyboards make for an authentic playing feel, responding to all your playing nuance like an acoustic piano.
20 Piano Rhythms
The PX-120 has 20 piano rhythms, including drum sounds to provide you some accompaniment to play along with.
60 Songs
The PX-120 comes with a built-in Music Library of 60 built-in tunes. You can turn off the left hand part or right hand part of a song and play along on the piano, which makes for a great learning tool.
8 Digital Effects
Add a little more depth and variation to the built-in tones with 4 reverb and 4 chorus effects.
MIDI-In/Out
Use the MIDI in/out to control other MIDI instruments, or with external sequencers, computers, etc.
Lightweight
The PX-120 is truly portable, weighing in under 30 lbs. Take it to the gig without risking back pain.
Two Piano Setting Keys
The piano setting key switches to grand piano sound at the touch of a button. Two settings are available: "classic" for a soft, discreet sound and "modern" with a more lighter, brighter character.
Duet Function
The new duet functions allows teachers and pupils to play parallel to each other. The PX-120 can be divided into two keyboard areas, which can be transposed individually.
Panel-Lock
The control panel is protected from unintentional moves while playing and to protect settings.
Powerful Speaker System
The powerful on-board, 2-way system boasts four speakers and 2 x 8 watts of output power.
2 Headphone Connections
The PX-120 features two headphone connections, ideal for the duet function.
Damper Pedal Jack With 3-Pedal Unit Support
Connect a damper pedal directly or add the optional SP-30 three-pedal unit for damper, soft, and sostenuto.
Optional Custom Wood Stand
A stylish custom wood stand is available for adding a bit of elegance in the home.
What's in the Box
Privia PX-120 Keyboard, AC Adapter, Music Stand, User's Manual

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Complete Shorter Works for Solo Piano [Paperback] Review

Good edition of some pretty difficult piano compositions.But if you feel adventurous, you can't go wrong for the price.Dover Editions are always well printed and an excellent value.This edition is no exception.

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Product Description:
The entire corpus of Brahms' short piano pieces is contained in this volume, including the delightful and familiar Waltzes, the Scherzo in E-flat Minor, and many more. The music is reproduced directly from the definitive Vienna edition and edited by renowned musicologist Eusebius Mandyczewski, who worked from original sources, often Brahms' own manuscripts.

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Keyboard Cookbook: Recipes for Playing More Than 40 Styles (keyboard instruction) [Paperback] Review

Well, thought I'd type it in again - this book is great!I've been looking for music books that show different styles of music for a long time. Most of them are dull and uninspired.This one is different - the "cookbook" format keeps things consistent and interesting, the music is good, and for once, the CD contains really great solo piano performances!Not some piece of MIDI dreck, but someone actually performing these pieces with good touch, tone, and time.

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Product Description:
Spice up your playing today! This book provides the essential ingredients for 40 popular piano styles, including: Bebop * Bluegrass * Classic Rock * Classical * Contemporary RandB * Cool Jazz * Delta Blues * Early Rock 'n' Roll * Folk * Motown * New Age * Ragtime * Soul * Stride * Tango * and more. The CD includes demonstration tracks for all 40 styles, so you'll have a recipe for success!

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Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (Piano/Vocal/Guitar Songbook) [Paperback] Review

First off, to the other reviewers, this item is not the book "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," it is the music and lyrics for 6 songs from the movie "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." While this collection is okay, I found the compositions to be not quite right... they are not the same as in the movie nor in the stage adaptation. There are some odd interpretations, in my opinion, that are just not as satisfying as the original versions of these songs that we all know so well.

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Product Description:
This super songbook contains six hits penned by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newly from this imaginative movie, a perennial favorite for kids and adults alike. Includes: The Candy Man * Cheer Up, Charlie * I Want It Now * I've Got a Golden Ticket * Oompa-Loompa Doompadee-Doo * Pure Imagination.

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Alfred's Group Piano for Adults Student Book, Bk 2 [Plastic Comb] Review

I have taught from this book this year and also used the first edition for several years.This is a good book with lots to recommend it to the teacher and student.The multiple-key approach dovetails very well with college theory courses.The instruction in lead sheet and figured bass harmonization is also excellent.Solo repertoire pieces have been thoughtfully integrated and offer the teacher and student plenty of choices.The only drawback I have found, from a teacher's perspective, is that the presentation of scales is, in my view, unsound.Stressing two octave scales and arpeggios at this level is much too advanced.It would be better to spread the presentation of scales out more (one per week after they are first introduced) and require only one octave.Of course, a good teacher can adapt the scale presentation, but with so many other excellent features, I think that the authors could easily address this (maybe in the next edition).Also, since this is used as a college text, it is preferable to teach natural and melodic minor scales and fingerings too.But other than this slight quibble, I highly recommend this great book, which is useful for the entire first year of piano study.

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Product Description:
Alfred's Group Piano for Adults, Book 2 is designed for non-keyboard music majors with little or no keyboard experience. Upon completion of the course, students will have a strong grasp of functional skills, keyboard technique and musical styles. The text is easy to use, containing 30 units, each designed to be completed in one week.It is fully supported by CDs and MIDI disks with over 500 accompaniments.

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EarMaster Pro 5 Review

I think it says something that Apple sells this music software at their San Francisco Apple store.That indicates EarMaster Pro has gone through some serious vetting, as Apple does not sell junk.Apple's shelf space for selling software is small.

Except for those days when there isn't enough time or I'm too busy, I use the EarMaster Pro software every day for about a half hour. I've been using Ear Master Pro for about four months and am nearly half way through the exercises.EarMaster Pro has an online forum which has been helpful and responsive when I've had questions.

In a good way, Ihave found the EarMaster Pro exercises beyond the starting "easy" ones to be brutally hard.I consider EarMaster Pro to be a program for music majors or for serious musical hobbyists such as myself who are highly motivated and have a strong background in musical harmony and musical theory.The more advanced exercises are so subtle that I ended up (with the help of someone on the Ear Master Pro forum) installing some additional "open source " software on my PC so that the musical tones of the chords generated by Ear Master Pro are easier to hear.For example, hearing the minor seventh of a four note V chord versus a V chord triad can be difficult if the tones aregenerated by the mediocre tone generator that comes standard on a WinXP computer.(EarMaster Pro works on both MAC and Windows).

If you (like myself) are a jazz pianist wanna-be, then Ear Master Pro is definitely a good purchase for you.You will most likely conclude, as I did,that first you have to go through Ear Master Pro's entire classical training program and only then tackle the (even more) difficult jazz exercises.

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Product Description:
If you want to sing, improvise or jam with complete confidence, you need to recognize all the sounds around you. Ear training can make this possible. Making music with others will become easy and fun! EarMaster is your personal teacher. It is easy to use and provides instant feedback. EarMaster includes a Standard Tutor with over 400 lessons as well as a Jazz Tutor with over 200 lessons. Both will guide you and automatically increase in difficulty as your ear improves. Create your own customized exercises to improve the way you play, compose and notate any style of music!

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Play Piano Today! - Level 1: Play Today Plus Pack (The Ultimate Self-Teaching Method) [Paperback] Review

Play Piano Today! - Level 1 (The Ultimate Self-Teaching Method), comes with a book and audio CD.The book does a fair job of showing some of the basics, but it could have been a lot better.Right off the bat they start giving you musical pieces to play, but they don't tell you how to do it.This might be ok, if you knew how to play years ago and wanted a refresher.But if you have never played the piano before, this book will not show you how to do it.Likewise, the CD starts right out of the gate telling you to play things, but doesn't first tell you how to do it.Overall, I would call this product far from the Ultimate Self-Teaching Method, or a complete guide to the basics, which is how they bill themselves.

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Product Description:
Start playing piano today! With this book/CD pack, absolute beginners can teach themselves: chords and scales, left- and right-hand fingerings, bass and treble clef notation and more, plus how to play 5 great songs: Limbo Rock * Save the Last Dance for Me * Takin' Care of Business * Wonderful Tonight * Y.M.C.A..

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Yamaha PSR-E413 61-Key Digital Keyboard Review

The PSR-E413 is Yamaha's next addition to their portable keyboard line. It was designed with the new musician in mind, and includes numerous learning tools (the Yamaha Education Suite being the most prominently featured) and "cheater" features (Yamaha Performance Assistance Technology let's you hit the wrong key and still sound correct). Unlike many other beginner level keyboards, however, the PSR-E413 has numerous features that will allow new musicians to grow into semi-professionals without having to buy a new instrument - 504 voices (instruments the keyboard can sound like), 100 arpeggio types, 165 preset styles, 30 preset songs, a pitch-bending wheel, and 5 song/6 track recording. Other common features such as "touch sense" (the keys can sound louder or softer depending on how hard they are pressed), a USB port, sustaining pedal port, and a headphone/output port are also present.

What all of that boils down to is simply this: the E413 is fun to play and sounds great. The price is generally within the acceptable realm for beginners, and the features make it something even those at a semi-professional level would like to play (though, in all honesty, most professionals are going to want a less portable 76+ key unit). After going to numerous music stores and online sources, this model ended up being the best fit for my budget and needs - I highly recommend it.

I have two complaints with the PSR-E413 as packaged. The first is that the music stand (which easily slides into two slots on the top-back of the unit) is made of cheap plastic, and looks like it will break easily. The second is that a number of additional items are needed to fully enjoy this instrument. The first thing you'll need is a plug-in power adapter (I was shocked that the keyboard didn't come with one) unless you want to spend hundreds of dollars on batteries. Next, you'll probably want a keyboard stand (a decent folding one costs anywhere from $20 - $60). An AB-type USB cable is necessary to connect the instrument to your computer and fully realize its potential. After that, a dust cover and case might also interest you. Finally, headphones and a foot switch/pedal should be considered, especially if you like being creative and don't live alone. Yamaha offers a few of these items in a special set called the Survival Kit B (it includes the power adapter, foot switch, headphones, and an extended warranty), but I don't recommend it, as the headphones and pedal it contains are of inferior quality.

Note: This model replaced the PSR-E403 as of May 2008. The two are extremely similar, with the E413 containing a few upgrades (165 vs. 155 styles; 100 arpeggio functions vs 50; etc..). The feel and most of the features of the two, however, are almost the same.

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Product Description:
The Yamaha PSRE413 61 Key Digital Keyboard expands the capabilities of one of Yamaha's most popular PSR lines. The PSRE413 includes features for every playing level such as the Yamaha portable grand and Yamaha education suite. An on-board arpeggiator includes 100 different patterns along with 20 different arpeggio voices. A full set of real-time controls gives you easy access to all of the capabilities of the PSRE413. A USB port is also included so you can download songs for learning from the internet. If you want to write your own songs, the PSRE413 also features a 6-track sequencer so you can layer your own tracks.

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FastTrack Keyboard Songbook 1 - Level 1 (Fasttrack Series) [Paperback] Review

This book is great.Just remember to shift your hands as indicated by the finger numbers and be sure to master those notes as they teach you before moving on too fast.But you'll be surprised how fast you learn.But everything in this book is on playing notes and scales on Treble Clef.There is no bass clef in this book or the second (Keyboard Chords & Scales)... I just bought it 3 weeks ago and am loving it.The book does teach you music notes.It just gets confusing when it renumbers the notes (not explaining that your hand is moving over a key for a while and then back again.They make it sound like you just reach your finger while keeping your hand in place.This is not true after the first page of learning A and B notes in Middle C.)But I am wonderfully surprised at how fast you pick up and start playing.I never read music before and now I am.That in itself is amazing.

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Product Description:
A supplement to the FastTrack instruction books, this great songbook/CD pack features 8 great songs in rock score format: Brown Eyed Girl * Great Balls of Fire * I Want to Hold Your Hand * Oh, Pretty Woman * Wild Thing * Wonderful Tonight * You Really Got Me * Your Song.

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Cool Jazz: Jazz Piano Solos Series [Paperback] Review

The Good:

I really like the arrangements in this book. Many books aimed at beginners will oversimplify the songs so that they don't sound that good when you play them. This book contains arrangements which can be played by intermediate level players and sound really good. I particularly like the Miles Davis songs. I would give this book five stars if my copy had held together better.

The Bad:

After only a few days of the book started to fall apart at the spine as a result of me trying to get it to open flat. This has not happened with any other book I have owned for such a short period of time. I was able to get Kinkos to comb-bind it for $2.99 and it is now opens flat.

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Product Description:
18 tunes from the '50s and '60s jazz cats who invented "cool," including: All Blues (Miles Davis, George Benson) * A Ballad (Gerry Mulligan, Stan Getz) * Con Alma (Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz) * Django (Modern Jazz Quartet, Vince Guaraldi) * Epistrophy (Thelonious Monk) * Killer Joe (Art Farmer, Benny Golson) * Nardis (Bill Evans, Joe Henderson) * So What (Miles Davis, Chet Baker) * Take Five (Dave Brubeck, George Benson) * and more.

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Alfred's Basic Piano Prep Course Activity & Ear Training Level B (Alfred's Basic Piano Library) [Paperback] Review

I should have read more carefully, but never even realized that there was more than one kind of this book - the "Universal" (which this one is) and the regular one. This one uses "crochet" and "semi-breve" and such instead of "quarter rest" and "half rest."

If you want the "regular" kind, this is the one you want Alfred's Basic Piano Library Prep Course for the Young Beginner: Activity & Ear Training Book, Level B. (ISBN 0739010654)

Love this system - would give 5 stars for the system, but 3 stars just to "warn" you this is the "Universal" book.

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Product Description:
The Universal Edition is designed for all English-speaking countries outside of the United States, including Canada, the U. K. and Australia. This edition uses the British system of terminology for rhythmic values such as ""crotchet"" for quarter note.

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Alfred's Basic Adult Sacred Piano Book: Level 1 (Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Course) [Paperback] Review

I bought this book as a level one adult piano student who wants to play sacred music (hymns).This book does not disappoint.It was structured to the Alfreds Basic Adult Piano Course Level One and follows that book exactly.Each song tells you where you need to be in the Basic Course Book in order to play the song.With this knowledge you can even try to challenge your ability by going a little further in the book than you are in the course, and then seeing where you stack up in your lesson.

The music in the book is very satisfying to play.The arrangements are simple but beautiful.Right away after only a few piano lessons you can play some of your favorite hymns.The songs are easy but not too easy and they sound very professional when you play them.

Highly recommended!

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Product Description:
Traditional sacred favorites are arranged in progressive order to gradually develop the adult student's technique while providing hours of enjoyment. Selections include "Just a Closer Walk With Thee," "For the Beauty of the Earth" and many others.

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Essential Keyboard Repertoire: Vol. 1: 100 Early Intermediate Selections in Their Original Form Baroque to Modern (Item 501C) [Plastic Comb] Review

There's another reviewer who complains that this book contains too many pieces by nonentities such as James Hook and Daniel Gottlob, and too few by luminaries such as Beethoven and Mozart.I don't think it's a fair complaint.

Consider the book's stated philosophy:only unaltered, original pieces are included.That limits them quite a bit.It's an early intermediate book, yet Mozart and Beethoven wrote very few things that were simple enough for such inclusion.In fact, the few Mozart pieces in here have Kochel numbers of less than five!In other words, he wrote them when he was just out of diapers.

Get it?This is not a book of SIMPLIFIED piano classics, such as the excellently done Easy Piano Classics (Bastien Older Beginner Piano Library).Everything you're seeing is unsimplified.

I'm not so hot on this anthology, however.Another idea the editors had was to avoid editing the text.So, for example, none of the selections from the Anna Magdalena notebook have any of those staccatos you're used to.It's up to you do make decisions about tempo, dynamics, ornamentation, etc.In the selections after 1800 this doesn't make much of a difference, but for those earlier Baroque pieces it really gives them a spare, aseptic quality.

That's the problem, in my view.You're telling me that the student who goes through this is sophisticated enough to supply the correct flavorings to Anna Magdalena, yet low-leveled enough to only be capable of such simple pieces to begin with?Who's ever seen a student like that?

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Product Description:
1. The Little Trifle p. 8 2. Menuet en Rondeau p. 14 3. Minuet p. 23 4. Menuet p. 28 5. German Dance p. 42 6. Minuetto p. 47 7. Valse p. 52 8. The Hunting Horns And The Echo p. 58 9. Minuet And Trio p. 64 10. Adagio p. 68 11. Ecossaise p. 72 12. Etude p. 82 13. Arabesque p. 84 14. SoldiersÕ March p. 86 15. Wild Rider p. 88 16. Melody p. 90 17. Prayer p. 102 18. A Little Flower p. 104 19. The Bear p. 109 20. Scherzino p. 116 21. "Come Home, Lidi" p. 119 22. "Hey There, Tulip!" p. 122 23. Folk Dance p. 127 24. Waltz p. 129 25. Toccatina p. 130 26. Clowns p. 132

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Yamaha Portable Keyboard Survival Kit B Review

The item came as advertised, and in time for the holiday.Really cheap headphones included, but bundled packages tend to have junkie fluff items just to satisfy the 'value' shopper.Buyer beware, but also to be expected.However the pedal will not be a high-endurance item either.Basically, if you can find this kit for the price of the charger, treat the rest as bonus items.

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Product Description:
Includes Exclusive Yamaha rebate coupons Yamaha Power Adapter PA3C Yamaha keyboard footswitch Stereo dynamic headphones 2 Year extended keyboard warranty Survival Kit Portable Keyboard DVD.

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Wizard of Oz / Big Note / Coates (Big Note Piano) [Paperback] Review

I received this on time and it includes more than the usual 4 main songs from the movie.The music is very simple for a beginner level.

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Product Description:
Arranged by Dan Coates. Titles include: Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead * If I Only Had a Brain * If I Were the King of the Forest * Lullaby League and Lollipop Guild * The Merry Old Land of Oz * Munchkinland * Optimistic Voices * Over the Rainbow * We're Off to See the Wizard.

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Gymnopedies, Gnossiennes and Other Works for Piano [Paperback] Review

This is a very nice and large collection of Satie's works for piano.All of the pieces are reproduced from the original publications and Satie's comments in the original French are included and translated on the bottomof the pages.All three versions of Gymnopedies are there, but only thefirst 3 Gnossiennes.Many of Satie's compositions aren't divided intomeasures and it is very interesting to see how he actually wrote the musicwith his comments.Pieces like the Gnossiennes should be listened tobefore you actually play them.A good interpretation of all 6 is the CDSatie, 3 Gymnopedies and other piano works by Pascal Roge.Mr. Rogeinterprets the music beautifully.Then you can play them.Some of theother works included in this book are Sarabandes, Pieces froides (veryinteresting music), Embryons desseches, Morceaux en frome de Poire andthere are 3 pieces written for 4 hands.

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Product Description:
The affordable volume represents the largest collection of Satie piano works available. Includes 17 pieces in all by the French composer and pianist, including his most famous piece Gymnopedies. Painstakingly reprinted from the original French editions.

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Complete Piano Sonatas, Vol. 2 [Paperback] Review

There are two volumes of this collection of Haydn piano sonatas. These are charming pieces, not too difficult and very enjoyable. Haydn composes in a wide variety of styles. He is always experuimenting. As one plays through this collection one sees the evolution and maturation of one of the world's greatest composers. Though these sonatas appear to be "small," they show the thinking of bigger comcepts, i.e symphonies, quartets, etc. Extemely rewarding and enjoyable to play! The printing is legible and the paper quality is very good.

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Product Description:
VolumeII of two-volume set of excellent Breitkopf & Hartel edition includes Hoboken Nos. 30-52, arranged in a chronological sequence based on recent scholarship. Features Sonata No. 30 in A Major (ca. 1774-76) culminating with Sonata No. 52 in E-flat Major (1794). Extremely clear and readable with ample space for notes.

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Advanced Piano Solos Christmas Encyclopedia [Paperback] Review

At first I thought that this book would be just like the other hundreds of music books like it but it isn't. The book contains songs everybody will know and love.The songs are arranged in a way that makes them easy tosight read, wonderful to listen to (according to those who have heard meplay them) and yet interesting to work on and perfect.They are arrangedin such a way that they are clear for sight reading.The songs are notreally easy to play properly so I wouldn't recommend it to beginners.Thisbook is a treasure for the advanced pianist and wonderful to impress yourfriends with.
I can guarantee you won't regret buying it

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Product Description:
Arranged by Tom Roed. 50 titles (includes duet versions of some Christmas favorites): Angels We Have Heard on HighAuld Lang SyneBring a Torch, Jeanette IsabellaGrandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer(There's No Place Like) Home for the HolidaysJingle BellsSilent NightUkranian Bell Carol (A New Age Rendition) and many more!

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Sunday Morning Blend - Volume 3: 25 Solo Keyboard Medleys for Contemporary Worship (Sacred Choral) [Paperback] Review

I have all of the Sunday Morning Blend books, and love them all.I am the pianist for our (still pretty conservative) church, and I can still play many of these for special music and/or offertory music.The arrangements are so pretty (for the most part), and the blend of modern worship songs with hymns is well done.No songs stand out as "too modern" or "too old fashioned", so if you're looking for something for your church, these are good choices.She has also done a good job of selecting songs that go well together for her "blends".Also, there are quite a few you can play without a ton of practice, which is nice if you don't have alot of time.I would not consider myself to be an advanced pianist, probably intermediate level, and I can sit down at home and play these for my own enjoyment without much of a struggle, but they are by no means "easy piano".

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Product Description:
25 hymns blended with praise and worship songs: Better Is One Day/Come Into His Presence * Here I Am to Worship/Fairest Lord Jesus * Shout to the North/O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing * You Are So Good to Me/God Is So Good * and more. Medium difficult.

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