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Rating: 
Summary: It's hard to begin without a live teacher
Review: Here's a review from the point of view of someone who wants to learn to play. I'm a teacher but, unlike the other two reviews before me, NOT a music teacher. I'm 51, teach physics, and want to learn to play piano. I know how to read notes and their pitches on sheet music but that's about it. I just got this book today and browsed thru it. Like one of the previous reviewers said, it's possible to master the piano with the book alone (no live teacher), but it would require a lot of guesswork. The head of the music department in the high school in which I teach (who's accomplished enough to be earning royalties from Hollywood for writing some of the background music in the movie "Diner") strongly feels that a live teacher - even if just 1 hr/week for a couple months before trying self-teaching books/software - is very important for learning correct finger positions. Private one on one instruction around central Maryland costs [$$$]/hr. I've decided to hire a live teacher then reevaluate what I want to do after a couple of months. This book has no photos and the only hand drawings are tracings of open hands to show finger number and later a playing order. Here's an example of hand position instruction from Section 1 of this book:
"When playing the piano, the hands should be in a cupping shape. Press the thumb and forefinger of the right together so they form the shape of the letter "O". Rest the remaining fingers against each other. Keeping your hand in this position, place it on the keyboard with the tip of each finger resting on an adjacent key. Do not let the first joint of the fingers cave in when depressing the keys. All of the knuckles and joints should be flexed or pointing out and you should maintain the position as you play." I assume the "O" above is done with the fingers alongside each other (since later you're expected to play 5 adjacent keys) but there's no way to touch the keys with the tip of the thumb. I went through the exercise wondering if I had the position right. The book itself looks like a very good resource for extra study or review (which is what I intend for it) if your teacher doesn't use it. From a professional educator's point of view, it appears to be arranged very well. My only other complaint - remember I just got this today - is that I'm NOT familiar with many of the melodies the book uses in it's sheet music. Typical titles include: Lament, By the Brooklet By, Nervous, Darker, Lighter, No Nonsense March, Opus 33z, and other famous(?) tunes that have managed to escape my background. Having never heard them will make them very hard to play. Although I own an 88 key acoustic piano, if I were going to try to learn without a teacher I would cough up a couple hundred dollars and buy a MIDI keyboard and some good learning software: I've seen Voyetra's "Teach Me Piano" highly recommended on a few sites including the "Piano Education Page" put up by, I think, one of the universities in Arizona. (Disclosure: I have NO affiliation with Voyetra nor do I know anyone who does.)
Rating:
Summary: It's hard to begin without a live teacher
Review: Here's a review from the point of view of someone who wants to learn to play. I'm a teacher but, unlike the other two reviews before me, NOT a music teacher. I'm 51, teach physics, and want to learn to play piano. I know how to read notes and their pitches on sheet music but that's about it. I just got this book today and browsed thru it. Like one of the previous reviewers said, it's possible to master the piano with the book alone (no live teacher), but it would require a lot of guesswork. The head of the music department in the high school in which I teach (who's accomplished enough to be earning royalties from Hollywood for writing some of the background music in the movie "Diner") strongly feels that a live teacher - even if just 1 hr/week for a couple months before trying self-teaching books/software - is very important for learning correct finger positions. Private one on one instruction around central Maryland costs [$$$]/hr. I've decided to hire a live teacher then reevaluate what I want to do after a couple of months. This book has no photos and the only hand drawings are tracings of open hands to show finger number and later a playing order. Here's an example of hand position instruction from Section 1 of this book:
"When playing the piano, the hands should be in a cupping shape. Press the thumb and forefinger of the right together so they form the shape of the letter "O". Rest the remaining fingers against each other. Keeping your hand in this position, place it on the keyboard with the tip of each finger resting on an adjacent key. Do not let the first joint of the fingers cave in when depressing the keys. All of the knuckles and joints should be flexed or pointing out and you should maintain the position as you play." I assume the "O" above is done with the fingers alongside each other (since later you're expected to play 5 adjacent keys) but there's no way to touch the keys with the tip of the thumb. I went through the exercise wondering if I had the position right. The book itself looks like a very good resource for extra study or review (which is what I intend for it) if your teacher doesn't use it. From a professional educator's point of view, it appears to be arranged very well. My only other complaint - remember I just got this today - is that I'm NOT familiar with many of the melodies the book uses in it's sheet music. Typical titles include: Lament, By the Brooklet By, Nervous, Darker, Lighter, No Nonsense March, Opus 33z, and other famous(?) tunes that have managed to escape my background. Having never heard them will make them very hard to play. Although I own an 88 key acoustic piano, if I were going to try to learn without a teacher I would cough up a couple hundred dollars and buy a MIDI keyboard and some good learning software: I've seen Voyetra's "Teach Me Piano" highly recommended on a few sites including the "Piano Education Page" put up by, I think, one of the universities in Arizona. (Disclosure: I have NO affiliation with Voyetra nor do I know anyone who does.)
Rating: 
Summary: Perfect for teaching adults
Review: I have used this book for two years to teach adults in groups. I am a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music in Piano, and have tried many different methods with adults. This has been the best to work with. It uses the landmark/intervallic reading method of teaching music reading.
I do not think one needs a teacher to use this book. It starts at the bare basics--it does not expect you to know anything at all. It follows a carefully studied step-by-step program to learning how to play the piano. By the end of the book, you can play music from all the major periods of music history, as well as from Fake books, and you are ready to start creating your own music. If taken with a teacher, who can add personalized feedback, it takes about a year to get through. If you are on your own, however, it can take longer. It has a wide variety of music, so usually everyone can find pieces in it that appeal to them. Understand also, that it was originally written as a college textbook, based on years of research. I must confess that I know the authors, and they are both amazing teachers. I highly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Highly Recommended
Review: I have used this program for over a year and it is wonderful! Students have instant success and enjoy playing. Note reading is much easier for students to comprehend, and technique is achieved with ease. Everyone who uses this program will be able to play the piano. There is also a children's program available directly from the author that is perfect for young beginners.
Rating:
Summary: Highly Recommended
Review: I have used this program for over a year and it is wonderful! Students have instant success and enjoy playing. Note reading is much easier for students to comprehend, and technique is achieved with ease. Everyone who uses this program will be able to play the piano. There is also a children's program available directly from the author that is perfect for young beginners.
Rating:
Summary: Not quite so simple
Review: The back cover of this book says it is suitable for adult beginners and offers a minimalist approach. I am a complete adult beginner with hardly any knowledge of music theory. While I like the exercises and explanations in general, some things are too minimalist for me and I have had to ask people I know to explain things. For example, after an explanation of the treble and bass clefs, followed by some exercises of how to play with both left and right hands at the same time, there is an exercise with four staffs. The first staff begins with a treble cleff and then there is a bass clef at the end of the staff. There is no explanation about this sudden new presentation of staffs and clefs, although if one is musically clever enough you could perhaps guess. I found out from a friend that this presentation just means effectively "play the treble clef (with the right hand) and then switch and play the bass clef (with the left hand) from here" as opposed to playing with left and right hands simultaneously. Another thing I found a little too brief was the explanation of the major and minor keys. I had to resort to another book I have on basic music theory to understand this. I like the style of this book and will continue ploughing along with it, but if you are an absolute beginner like me and have no one to ask or no other books to rely on it may not be the best choice.
Rating:
Summary: Not quite so simple
Review: The back cover of this book says it is suitable for adult beginners and offers a minimalist approach. I am a complete adult beginner with hardly any knowledge of music theory. While I like the exercises and explanations in general, some things are too minimalist for me and I have had to ask people I know to explain things. For example, after an explanation of the treble and bass clefs, followed by some exercises of how to play with both left and right hands at the same time, there is an exercise with four staffs. The first staff begins with a treble cleff and then there is a bass clef at the end of the staff. There is no explanation about this sudden new presentation of staffs and clefs, although if one is musically clever enough you could perhaps guess. I found out from a friend that this presentation just means effectively "play the treble clef (with the right hand) and then switch and play the bass clef (with the left hand) from here" as opposed to playing with left and right hands simultaneously. Another thing I found a little too brief was the explanation of the major and minor keys. I had to resort to another book I have on basic music theory to understand this. I like the style of this book and will continue ploughing along with it, but if you are an absolute beginner like me and have no one to ask or no other books to rely on it may not be the best choice.
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