The Joy of First Year Piano

Interesting short pieces that are quite different and a nice change from my method book. Great for practice in finger independence. I would rate this as beginner to early intermediate.

I love this book, and more importantly, my students love this book. The pieces are tuneful and vary in style. The duets are beautiful and fun to play and don't require that the student change to a higher octave when the secondo is added. There are about 40 pieces...

in here and in general this book is more challenging than the average "first-year" book. I am delighted to say that my students don't mind the challenge because of the reward that follows. Perhaps best for 3rd graders and above.

It has a lot of songs that support what you learn as a beginner.

While I wouldn't recommend this book as a primary method, it makes a great supplementary source of performing pieces. Unlike most contemporary repertoire books, this volume emphasizes a variety of accompaniment styles, including contrapuntal arrangements. The pieces aren't limited to single hand positions either. This book will last...

for two years or more for the average student. Older students and adults will especially like its clean, uncluttered, pictureless format. They will enjoy the musicality of the pieces as well. I like to use a book such as this with a skills-based method such as Music Pathways or Robert Pace. This book fills the performance holes that the skill methods sometimes leave.

This is a great book for the serious beginner. If you are looking to develop coordination and are looking for pieces that are less predictable, this is the book. It covers quite a range of level, and because some pieces would not necessarily be used in the first year, I...

wish the book had a different title. The presentation is not particularly appealing to youngsters but it is a welcome addendum to your favorite colorful method book!