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The Piano Handbook: A Complete Guide for Mastering Piano Review

Star Ratings: Teaching Effectiveness: Styles Covered: Formats of Supplied Materials: Overall Quality: Support: Ease of Use: Value for Money: Editor's Overall Rating: Average User Rating: None posted

Cost

• $29.95 - RRP.
• $19.77 - Amazon Discount Price.
  

Features:.

• An introduction to the basic and more advanced aspects of musical theory, including:
  • Keys and key signatures.
  • Intervals.
  • Tempo.
  • Harmony.
    
    
• An introduction to the main techniques of playing, including:
  • Interpretation.
  • Ornamentation.
  • Staccato and Legato.
  • Expression.
  • Articulation.
  • Rubato.
    
    
• Help in playing in a huge variety of styles and genres, including:
  • Ethnic, Urban, Fusion and Crossover.
  • 20th Century Piano Music.
  • Latin Styles.
  • Ragtime.
  • Jazz, Rock and Blues.
    
    
• Extra features, including:
  • Color photo gallery.
  • Accompanying CD.
    

Editor's Verdict:

The Piano Handbook is a very high quality and incredibly comprehensive piano guide.  We only rank our top ten products at No1Reviews.com, but if we had to put this in its place, it would probably be our eleventh choice.  What we liked most was that, although suitable for beginners, the book is just as useful for someone who has played piano for years and wants an extra reference tool.  For this reason we would recommend it to anyone who has any interest in the piano, at whatever level.

The Piano Handbook provides the learner with a complete reference tool for all their needs: musical history, musical theory, and the piano itself.  It covers a broad variety of genres, introduces all the key ideas for any pianist (more than we could possibly mention in the features list!) and provides exercises to practice all of the ideas encountered.  Everything seems to have been thought of in the production of this book; many little touches make using it a better experience.  For instance, the book is hardcover spiral-bound, meaning it stays together and can also be placed flat on a music stand.  This is not something you often think of when buying a music book, but the difference it makes is more than you would imagine.  Normally you are forced to either photocopy the music you want from a book or break the spine to get it to rest on the stand!  This small adjustment is highly effective.

This book only fails in two respects.  Firstly, that it is just that: a book.  Books are fine for many people, but if you have the facilities, you might want a more multimedia or interactive course.  The second problem is that for total beginners, who have absolutely no prior experience, the book is a little difficult to get to grips with.  It is not that it skims over anything entirely or misses out any vital information, but it does progress quickly (too quickly perhaps for some) and, rather than being split into named chapters, it is rather dryly structured into numbered Sections and Units.  If you are a complete beginner, and anticipate needing something slower or more interactive, you would be advised to buy something else, but by all means, do not rule out buying this as well at some stage.

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Review of The Piano Handbook: A Complete Guide for Mastering Piano