Piano para Dummies

by Blake Neely, S.L. Àtona (Translator)

At first glance, a piano may seem like an intimidating instrument that would be very difficult to learn how to play, but despite what your seventh-grade piano teacher may say, playing piano isn't brain surgery. It just takes time, practice, and patience."Piano For Dummies" starts at the very beginning and walks you through everything you need to know to turn that oversized hunk of furniture into an instrument that can make beautiful music. If you don't know how to read music, this book explains in friendly, uncomplicated language all the basics of music theory and applying it to playing the piano. And if you've been playing piano for a while - or took piano lessons when you were a child but haven't played since - you can pick up some valuable tips to improve your playing or use the book as a refresher course.

Here are some of the topics you'll find in "Piano For Dummies: "Buying a piano: Acoustic versus electronicHow a piano works, and how to care for oneLeft- and right-hand piano techniquesExamining keys, scales, melodies, harmonies, and chordsPlenty of musical examples to playThe history of piano musical stylesAdvice for piano teachersA Top Ten list of pianists you should know about

"Piano For Dummies" also includes a glossary and a free CD, which includes audio of all of the examples in the book so that you can play along.

So if you've always wanted to learn to play piano, but you don't have the time to take piano lessons, you can pick up the basics in "Piano For Dummies"; you'll be tickling the ivories with ease in no time

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Reference, Art, How To, Self Help, Education

580 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 18, 1998

Reviews

[Ned Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

An evaluation of a reference book such as this really is in the mind of the beholder and if it fits into the beholder's current position on his/her path of progress.
While this is a book starting at the basics, I think there are more basic books to start at if the reader has questions that are so fundamental it is embarrassing to ask a friend.(As was my situation)
Myself I found the book very good, so much so my theory is now well ahead of the practice. It was easy to read, easy to find specific topics, and it covered my needs plus many more.
The attached CD is very good, I think a DVD with some fingers on the keyboard would be a big improvement.
It will be a text book for me to consult for quite a while yet

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Di metodi per tastiere e pianoforti ce ne sono tanti, ma il fatto che il signor Neely vada ben oltre lo stile del manuale e si metta allegramente a colloquiare con il lettore, gli fa meritare un'attenzione in più. Forse per tenere vivo l'interesse, forse perchè proprio ha il comico nelle vene, spara battute, aneddoti e giochi di parole in ogni pagina, facendoti leggere capitolo dopo capitolo solo per vedere cos'altro si inventerà. Perchè imparare a suonare il pianoforte su "Piano per Dummies" è abbastanza arduo, a mio parere. La teoria è molto ben spiegata, ma i brani schizzano da zero a mille nel giro di poco e sfogliando le ultime pagine viene il dubbio che il libro sarà un pezzo da antiquariato quando saremo in grado di eseguire tali componimenti. Vale la pena girovagare fra le varie sezioni per pura curiosità, cercando nell'indice per un breve chiarimento, ma affidandosi a ben altro per procedere con più esercizio e gradualità. Un testo narrativo specialistico.
P.S. L'umorismo delle vignette può lasciar perplessi.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, I technically didn't read the entire book, but I did study it for a long little while. It really helped me to read music, and understand the basics of the piano. And it had some cute little songs in it, too!

[Justin L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really nice when you are just starting out and want to know a little more than just playing tunes. Also fun the I was watching Supergirl with my daughter at the time and the author writes the theme music if the show. A nice connection between art, talent, and careers.

[M Bautista · Rating 5 out of 5]

Estupendo libro para quienes estamos iniciando en la práctica del piano. Tiene muchos consejos prácticos y explicaciones muy amenas que se combinan con piezas musica les que no son aburridas.

[Maga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me sirvio bastante en su momento :)

[madeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

a little dry, but it filled in some of the blanks for me.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aprendí mucho y si hubiera tenido un piano/teclado a mano hubiera aprendido mucho más

[恵美の女猫 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Je n'ai pas fini de le lire mais ce livre est accompagné de 2 CD : 1 pour l'audio avec les mélodies proposées et l'autre avec un logiciel interactif. Concernant ce dernier c'est une mauvaise surprise car on s'attend à un logiciel qui couvre les leçons de tous le livre. Or, il s'agit plus ici d'une version démo qui ne couvre que le début du livre. Il y a de quoi faire mais on ne va pas jusqu'au bout et on fini à devoir se débrouiller tout seul avec le bouquin ou payer pour la version complète.
Concernant le livre en revanche il est écrit dans le ton assez humoristique de la collection "Pour les nuls". Du coup il se lit assez bien.

[⇒Contreras⇐ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Think piano is an intimadating instrument??
well think not!!
this book shows how to play piano and read notes on the scale and staff...
i bet u r all like ""WHA????"" but after going through this book, you are going to kno what i am talking about...
:-)
this book is very easy to understand, (hense "for DUMMIES") and i think anybody should give piano a try...
I DID AND I LOVE IT :-D :-D
I kno fairly enough..........
you could too!!!
DONT HESITATE!!

GRAB THIS BOOK!!
*****

[MariЯna Yordanova · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting and helpful book for me. I should have read it before buying my piano, but starting it after owning a piano made the first 50 pages unbearable. I wanted to play so I was impatient to get to the part with the notes. I like the way things are explained, shown and played (the CD). Very helpful, informative and reader/player-friendly.

[Elaine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am convinced people like myself are not meant to read sheet music. I thought this book would help but, still no. Guess I shall continue to play chords and pay extra attention to sounds and memorization.

[Bas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is hilarious, considering it's not supposed to be. Plus the lessons seem to be well structured.

[♫Angielee♫ · Rating 1 out of 5]

It is what is says. This is a dumb book.

[Pangeran]

llllllk

[cesar a flores · Rating 1 out of 5]

Muy basico

La mitad del libro vale la pena ,aunque puedes encointrar mas buscando en youtube...necesitan hacerle una buena actuslisacion...este libro es mas para referiencias

[Thilina Samarasinghe]

Great book really