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I couldn't seem to find any books on the piano for beginner that I like (at the local library), but I found some keyboard books that are easy to follow. I wonder if learning/practicing exercises on these keyboard books are OK? Is there different in learning piano from the keyboard books? I hate to start out on the wrong foot.

Thank you for your comments!

Without seeing these books, I can't say for sure, but my gut instinct is that a keyboard is different from a piano, and since the author decided to make a keyboard book rather than a piano book, that should tell you something.

If you have had any music in your past so that you know basic notation, then I recommend Francis Clark's Keyboard Musician for the Adult Beginner (this book I know will help with piano and not keyboard ). Or if you are truly starting from scratch, Hal Leonard's Adult method is very good. If you're serious about learning, then it is worth investing in a book of your own.

My wife who knows more about piano than I do (anyone is better than I am ) said the same thing like you mentioned above. Thank you for your comment. I will check out the books you suggested at the local bookstores first. If I can't find it, I will order online!

Might be not that different.
Piano and organ are rather different instruments and yet the first 5 years of organ training you play the exact identical program of piano. Not only that but you only play on a piano and only after what is like grade 6-7 of piano you begin playing "also" some organ.

Poisy, If you're starting with any foot, you need more than a keyboard book!!

How about soccer books?

I feel very slow like a turtle when I'm at the piano. I can't show my frustration; that isn't good for my 5-year-old son who is also learning.

If you're really starting from the beginning, I'd suggest Alfred's Adult Series. It's two books and they're very good for the adult beginner. I started from some Faber and Bastien books for the beginners and also the John Thompson series. I, however, would not suggest learning piano from keyboard books! I think it's a different style and touch.

good luck!

Have you considered online piano methods?
They identical to books with the exception that you have sound files and video files and have to print the sheet and exercises.

[/QUOTE]Have you considered online piano methods?
They identical to books with the exception that you have sound files and video files and have to print the sheet and exercises. [/QB][/QUOTE]

I'm not sure about online piano methods. I will do some research on this, unless you know the links. Thank you. I will check out books from others who suggested as well. I like to learn from books more because I don't always have access to online.

There's a very good method.
I know them all Beyer, Pozzoli, Bona, Bastien, Alfred, Faber.

An online beginner friend of me bought the method.
When I finally had a chance to visit him and stay for the vacations I checked the method and could attest to both it's clarity, simplicity and detaileness but also to my friend progresses.
I find it superior to the above mentioned.

You don't have to buy online.
Once you have bought the method you download everything in packets (videos, books, exercises, audio, learning softwares)

The method is very complete in that you go from very beginner who doesn't know notes to advanced.
It also covers piano jazz.

www.rocketpiano.com

Try the 6 lessons free course so you can get already useful information and see if you like it before buying. That's not a problem anyway. If after four weeks you don't see results or your progresses are not as fast as you want your money will be refund and you'll keep the course anyway.

I just took a peek at her rocket method. A lot of mumble jumble in the ads. Still not sure what it is offering.

Let's see.

I saw 6 free lessons worth $37, yet the course which has 218 lessons plus videos, plus audio files has a reduced rate of $40 (reg 100)online. Or you can get it slow mail for $200.

The course is only equvalent to the 3 books mentioned? (plus a few things thrown in, and the added video and audio clips)

Going from beginner to advanced as mentioned?

"and PRIVATE lessons cost as much as $100 an hour"?

Something sounds fishy.

Could you share a little more about this Danny? What level of playing in the end, equivilency to taking private lessons for x amount of time?

Teaching reading? Teaching lead sheets?

Very curious. And yes, I will download the 6 lessons.

Thank you, LL

I took a look. They do offer you a free little note identification game that might be good for students (they ask you to donate and then you get an ad-free game)

If you have the motivation, it's possible to learn a lot on your own. Most people like the human interaction, and feedback on their progress however.

I hate that. The standard american web ads and offer with the usual long page and the sign of the author at the end and all the hype; it makes so hard to discriminate between bad products and valid ones.



I'm not even sure the ads and hypes are created by the authors because they all sound identical.
I believe they hyre web designer to create the whole page and throw numbers randomly.



7 books

Piano 1
Piano 2
Piano 3
Piano Advanced Technique
Technique Exercises
Piano Jazz
Piano Gospel


Not literature wise. Like other methods of piano the goal is not building a reperotory but develop a good foundational technique to be able to build a repertory. From then on other books and sheet will be required. The course is not meant to make virtuoso or concert pianist out of the student but for that price the technical level it builds is excellent.
I must stress though that the course is meant for beginners and it's beginner that would get the most out of it.



Well this is true for everything.
I can buy a cooking Book + DVD course for 25$ but private lessons with a master chef would be 120$ hour. You pay the limited time a person devotes to just one student.



I'm not good at predicting these kinds of things.
The course is very technical and I would say that it build a very good foundation which in my opinion is what many advanced pianists lack in the first place. Whereas typical private lessons focus more on building repertory. Repertory building would come later with this course. But this is true of all the courses I have mentioned like Beyer and so on.

I can give you a summary to the topics covered in the course. For each topic there are audio files and video files to demonstrate the technique:

Piano History
Piano Facts
Sitting at the Piano
Hand Position
Piano Keyboard
Fingering
Reading Music
Rhythm
Quarter note
Half note
Whole note
Dynamic Signs
Musical Alphabeth
Middle C position
Time Signatures
Musical Staff
Bass Clef
Treble Clef
Grand Staff
C Position
Intervals
The 2nd
The 3rd
Melodic Intervals
Harmonic Intervals
Ties and Rest
Playing hands together
Ternary Time Signature
The Slur
Left Hand and Right Hand
The 4th
The 5th
Sharps
Flats
Crescendo and Diminuendo
Black Keys
G Position
Accents
Staccato
Eight note
Tempo Marks
Fermata
Ritardando
Pedalling
1st and 2st time endings
On and Off Beats
Half Step
Chromatic Scale
Whole Step
Tetrachords
Scales
Thumb Under
Hand Over
Key Signatures
G major scale
The 6th
The 7th
Legato
Dotted notes and rhythm
F major scale
D major scale
Accidentals
Octave
Accellerando
D.S al fine
Forte
Fortissimo
Metronome
Sixteen note
Contrary motion scales
Ledger lines
Chords
Primary Triads
Chord Progressions
Inversions
Brocken Chords
Minor keys
Minor scales
Minor intervals
Perfect 5th
Arpeggios
Shifting inversions
2th finger over thumb
Rhythmic Notation
Triplets
B flat major
More dynamic signs
Two octaves scales
Two octaves arpeggios
Seventh chords
Dominant seventh
Minor seventh
Minor 7 flat 5 chord
Bass lines
Voice leading
Voice leading with the melody
Compound times
Transposition
Phrasing
Harmonic aspects of melodies
Circle of fifth
Demi-sevi quavers
Performing
Memorizing
Practicing
Chunk Learning
Swing Time
Syncopation
Chord Displacement
Chromatism