Customer Reviews for I Used to Play Piano (Book & CD)
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Andrea
Location: from Minnesota
Difficulty Level:
Beginner
December 26, 2007
Very well planned and thought-out
I was pleased to find this book and CD. The short quizzes at the front of the book help to place you properly at your own starting point, and are a good review. The songs are fun to play and the CD is very helpful to have. I think this is an excellent refresher course.
23 of 42 people found this review helpful.
Joe
Location: from Charlotte, NC
Difficulty Level:
Beginner
March 26, 2007
The Perfect Way to Get Back Into It!
Let me first give you some context. I quit taking piano lessons almost 20 years ago, after having played for about 5-6 years. I've played all the pieces through Unit 5 (out of 11). I have been amazed at how quickly everything has come back to me, and that I now remember songs I’d memorized as a child (which aren’t in this book) and had forgotten long ago. The instruction is kept to a minimum. A basic guide/glossary is provided so you can look up unfamiliar symbols and terms. The focus is on playing the pieces and a few exercises to quickly bring back your skill. The only reason I gave this less than 5 stars is that the CD contains embellished songs with accompaniments. Since I am playing without a teacher, I would find it more useful if the CD contained just a solo piano playing the songs correctly, so I could use it to check my own performance. Still, this is an excellent book, and would be my first recommendation for anyone getting back to playing piano after extended time off.
24 of 41 people found this review helpful.
Anonymous
Location: from Florida
Difficulty Level:
Early intermediate
March 15, 2007
Good starter Book.
After looking all over for a music book that was not too complicated, I found this one while surfing the web. The book is everything I wanted, and more. If you know keyboard a little, and can read music a little, This book is for you.
24 of 45 people found this review helpful.
Vanessa
Location: from New York, NY
February 10, 2007
Good music, little theory
There is some theory in this title, but not a whole lot -- it does assume you've played piano before and just gives you a refresher course. I really enjoy the music in this book, because it's not overly simplistic as some similar titles tend to be. It also gets progressively more difficult, which I also like. There are many exercises in it too, interspersed between pieces. I've been a self-taught piano player, and I've never actually done any finger exercises (I never really had a book to learn from, just downloaded free sheet music online to keep playing), but now that I do, I realize how untrained my fingers really are. I'm on my way to fixing that now! I see myself going through the entire book and learning all the music and theory in it, but then going to a more comprehensive book (The Piano Handbook by Carl Humphries) for deeper theory and more exercises. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to get some basic theory and some wonderful music!
24 of 42 people found this review helpful.
Anonymous
Location: from Carmel, CA
Difficulty Level:
Early intermediate
March 16, 2006
BROUGHT ME RIGHT BACKTO PIANO
I played piano as a child/teen got to intermediate and quit. I picked up this book on a lark and found that it brought me back to piano very quickly and with great music. I highly recommend it.
21 of 40 people found this review helpful.