Bastien Piano Basics, Level 1, Piano

By James Bastien

This is part of a four-book set that works together to teach young beginners. I have used them with students as young as 4. The concepts are easy to teach, and the pictures are entertaining.

Our first child borrowed this book from another student of our piano teacher, our second child is starting lessons and there was no loaner available this time around. The book arrived in excellent shape and very promptly. SheetmusicPlus knows what they are doing!

I learned on the Bastien series for my formative years in piano, and found it wonderful. The songs are interesting and the artwork engaging. The course moves at a very nice pace, the popular Alfred's series just crawls along (not to mention the bland, yawn-inducing songs of Alfred...

's!). All of my students who have used both prefer the songs in the Bastien books, and find them more fun and pleasurable to play. Bastien handles theory well, though is perhaps slightly weaker than Alfred's on this front. I use Bastien with most of my students, and enjoy teaching with it immensely.

This is the book my daughter Piano teacher recommended and it is working great. She has only been playing since May 2007 and she can read music and play and best of all my daughter has always had trouble in math and playing the piano has made her a A...

student in math.

I bought this for my 11-year old grandson, who is just learning how to play the piano. This is a good book to use after completing the lessons in "The Primer."