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Piano Books
for
the Beginning Student
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I recommend
beginners start with the four books of the Faber &
Faber Primer Level .
These are the Lesson Book, the Theory Book, the Technique and Artistry
Book, and the Performance Book. They are all
cross referenced, so the student
knows what he or she should be working on in all four books for the
current lesson.
I also recommend the set of flashcards.
The Faber & Faber supplementary books are simply the best. The
songs are fun, well
known, easy to play and sound great. I have had especially good
luck with the boys in this series; "Star Wars" has kept many interested
in their piano lesson! I start these books about halfway into the
Primer level.
For adults, I'm still partial to the Alfred Basic Adult course.
It too has a Theory Book and supplements. For the busy adult, I
recommend the All-In-One Course; it combines the Lesson Book with the
Theory book and some
extra songs into one ring bound book. I have used the Faber
& Faber Adult course and it's good; I like the Alfred just a bit
more.
I really like the Keith Snell books for the student who wants to
play the classical repertoire. The levels correspond with
the Certificate of Merit requirements established by the California
Music Teachers Association. The Alfred Masterworks are very good,
especially for books dedicated to one composer.
Alfred
Publishing has sent me copies of their new Premier Piano Course.
I've gone through the Level 1A book. I like the presentation and
the
graphics are the most modern I've seen in the Alfred books. I
would
recommend it to beginning students based on this first level.
Call or email me if you
have any questions about these and other books
that I use.
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