Customer Reviews for Jazz, Rags & Blues - Book 1
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pianomanDT
Location: from Chicago
Difficulty Level:
Early intermediate
October 11, 2011
Jazz Rags & Blues Book 1
Bought these for my students to get away from the standard classical style of playing. The 10 songs in this book have different style rhythms from blues,Jazz, and Ragtime. This book 1 has some very good rhythms, plus I have the students also add some improv. or change the note durations along with what is written to make the songs sound more lively. Songs in this series are pretty good as written. The Book 1 is easy to read and well organized. Songs are 1 or 2 pages in length. The songs are a series to get into pop/blues/Rag to learn basic syncopated rhythms. Book 1 is for the early intermediate student throughout the book. All 5 Levels of this series are pretty good learning books. Variety of Blues, Jazz,and Ragtime songs from easy to the intermediate/advanced playing student. All the songs have very interesting styles to them. hope this helps.
7 of 19 people found this review helpful.
Gina
Location: from Illinois
Difficulty Level:
Early intermediate
August 18, 2011
Great Book
I love this book! So far everyone that I've recommended this book to loves it too. It was hard for me to pick the swing beat, but once I got it, I was hooked!
12 of 21 people found this review helpful.
Mike Slominsky
Location: from Louisville, Kentucky
Difficulty Level:
Beginner
June 14, 2009
Fantastic composer with marvelous pedagogy !
I purchased the first four of this series with the accompanying cd for the first three volumes. As an adult beginner (who has been playing piano for well over a decade now), I have to say that these compositions are really good. Contained in these volumes, including this first volume, is a lot of music that I like to listen to around the house. Ms. Mier is an excellent composer and the grading of these pieces is spot on. Being able to hear compositions as nice as these and then being able to sit down and just play them is a real treat. I highly recommend this series to any pianist who is interested in this style.
20 of 43 people found this review helpful.
Anonymous
Location: from
Difficulty Level:
Early intermediate
March 17, 2009
Fun songs that keep kids interested!
This book is great for late beginners to early intermediate students. The fun, upbeat songs are a great addition to their regular lesson books to keep them interested and having fun.
19 of 39 people found this review helpful.
Anonymous
Location: from Pennsylvania
Difficulty Level:
Early intermediate
February 25, 2009
adult begginer
As an adult(41)begginer i found this songs nicely challenging.Good way to learn blues rhytmic vocabulary. Thank you Martha !
21 of 40 people found this review helpful.
David Beckers (58 year old beginner)
Location: from Connecticut
Difficulty Level:
Intermediate
May 22, 2008
Fun jaz & blues for intermediate players
I am a beginner, adult (58 yrr old), with only 5 months of lessons. I find this selection very hard but fun to try and my teacher is helping by incorporating it into my lessons. I am at the end of Alfreds all in one volumn 1. The selections sound good and any one with a few months more experience probaby would find the selections easier than I do. It is worth trying to get a tast of jazz and blues in a fun way..
10 of 27 people found this review helpful.
Katya Klesse
Location: from Seattle
Difficulty Level:
Early intermediate
May 10, 2008
Good purchaise
I was pleased with a good selection of modern Jazz-Rags compositions. My students like to play them.
15 of 26 people found this review helpful.
Ruth
Location: from Ireland
Difficulty Level:
Early intermediate
March 9, 2008
The very best piano pieces for students
At long last an imaginative, easy to learn and enjoyable to play, piano book for students has been produced. Thank you Martha! My students love them - particularly the Jazz and Blues pieces. I hope that you will bring out another series soon! They are by far the best teaching pieces I have come across in the last thirty years.
5 of 10 people found this review helpful.
Nafisa
Location: from New-york
Difficulty Level:
Early intermediate
February 12, 2008
The Best
Great book! Students love it especially boys.Most of students play it over and over. Great for recitals. if you in state of Ner-york you can use this for nyssma exams.
4 of 8 people found this review helpful.
Robert Ressue
Location: from Santa Rosa, CA
Difficulty Level:
Early intermediate
August 20, 2007
A winner with my Students
Books 1-4 of Jazz, Rags & Blues are wonderful for teaching style, straight and jazz "feel" of rhythm and are graded from early intermediate to advanced levels. My students enjoy playing even the most challenging pieces and many like to momorize them.
6 of 10 people found this review helpful.
Anonymous
Location: from
Difficulty Level:
Early intermediate
July 16, 2007
FUN!
This book is fun to play and fun to teach! I have offered this book to several students. They have all enjoyed the snappy melodies and harmonies Mier composes. I found myself enjoying teaching these songs, mostly because the students practiced these willingly. They are great.
4 of 9 people found this review helpful.
BJ Strong
Location: from Virginia
Difficulty Level:
Intermediate
February 14, 2007
Great way to get started in Rags & Blues rhythms!
This book, as well as the other 3 in the series, are an EXCELLENT way to learn the rhythms of Ragtime and Blues. I strongly advise you to also purchase the CD that contains all the music in the first three books. The music has wonderful melodies that make practice enjoyable. In fact, the songs are SO enjoyable, I listen to the CD just for fun.
5 of 10 people found this review helpful.
Joyce
Location: from Mars, PA
Difficulty Level:
Early intermediate
February 6, 2007
student-friendly
If you have piano students and are looking for incentive music to get them practicing...this book is it! I have used it with great success. It's amazing how much the kids will practice when they like the songs! Syncopations also get them counting but without complaint.
3 of 8 people found this review helpful.
Kimberly
Location: from Chicago, IL
Difficulty Level:
Intermediate
September 29, 2006
Jazz, Rags, and Blues
I have been using this with students and having great success. It's a great way to introduce a new style of music with an emphasis on rhythm variety. My students have thoroughly enjoyed these books, and it's prepared them well to do other contemporary pieces of music.
5 of 9 people found this review helpful.