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Hi There...

If I'd actually had the 32 years of practice under my belt since starting the piano at age 5 I wouldn't be asking. But I've been an on again and long time off again player for over 13 years. (It didn't seem that long until I had to write it).

I finally have time to play and practice. But, I just don't seem to have anything that will give me a good refresher on my theory, or pieces that are interesting enough to learn without being totally demoralizing. (I shall shove the ego out the door...there's no room for it here...)

I get really frustrated with my total inability to read music (although I know how to read it... but it's been forever.) I reach for a pc. that I could play with my eyes closed and it's totally foreign. I want something fresh!

So... suggestions for Theory Books that cut to the chase???

Fun pcs. of music that are a little challenging that I won't throw at the wall... (for example... although I could once upon a time play the first 2 pages of clair de lune, and a few pages of the an advanced version of the entertainer... I never finished... they were too hard for my avail. time and where I left off)...

Scarlatti sonatas and piano part of schubert lieder are very good to trsin your sght reading because they can give you in very short time the way they will sound... My teacher bought the 500 sonatas of scarlatti so he can read 1st sight always a new one. He`s now 68 and did it during is life.

To read dificult music i encorage you to read some Mazurkas of chopin or easy preludes and then pass to the walzer.
Slow Beethoven sonatas movements are good to sight reading too.

A good theory series is Keith Snell's Fundamentals of Piano Theory published by Kjos. I'm not sure which book you'd begin with, but check them out at your local music store and see what would work best. Sometimes a little review doesn't hurt, but you wouldn't want something that is too basic for you.

Thanks... I'll look into those...

I did happen to find a book among mine called Piano: 2nd time around by James Bastien... Interesting... I'm able to immediately identify some theory weakness right off... so maybe just figuring out what I don't know, then researching those areas... Hmmm We'll see!

again... Thanks...