Alfred's Self-Guided Piano Course for Adults

S. Szegedi: This is the best book I could find for myself as a beginner keyboard player. Very good explanations in a friendly style and lovely short piano pieces for practising.

Germany on Sep 08, 2023

Snowguy: Elementary primer to begin piano as an adult. Easy to follow.

United States on Aug 23, 2023

Dark Steel: With this book I've been able to work at my own pace and learn piano. I'm not a master pianist (yet) by any means but the easy instruction in this book has in a short time taught me some practice methods that have me playing simple sheet music reasonably competently.

United States on Jul 02, 2023

Carlos: Bom. Entrega rápida.

Brazil on Apr 24, 2023

Rog: I bought this book two months ago and I have to say that it is magnificent! I have always wanted to learn the piano but I’ve only got round to it now that I am retired. Unlike many of the reviewers I have never played piano or any other musical instrument in the past. Before buying this book, I did a lot of research about teach-yourself piano books and in the end I bought two. I have started both of the books, but the other one moves too quickly and I found it quite discouraging. However this one seems to be aimed at just the right level for someone who has never played before. The explanations are very clear and the printing is good for people with less than perfect eyesight! I think that beginning with the left and right hand C position is really wise and builds confidence well. I have really enjoyed working through it and I am almost half-way through. I heartily recommend it to any complete beginner like me!

United Kingdom on Apr 08, 2023

Sarah Wheeler: With time on my hands during lockdown, I finally bought a keyboard and decided to teach myself to play. After paying for two online courses, I was losing interest in practising because they didn't explain some things well and there is no teacher to ask. Trying to go through lessons on a tablet was also frustrating, so I got a voucher for my birthday and this book got really good reviews so I gave it a try.

I'm half way through and so far I love it. It's well written as if a teacher is talking to you and it gives just the right amount of help, whilst also leaving some things for you to remember, but it's easy to go back a couple of pages if you don't, or you've forgotten in the 24 hours since you last practised! The diagrams at the top of the page are very helpful.

I had already learnt to play the flute and read music, which meant I could skip a bit at the beginning. Bass clef was my nemesis in the first two courses, but it's beginning to sink in with this book.

Looking through the latter part of the book it seems quite daunting, but I'm looking forward to it. The only reason I haven't given it 5 stars is because I'm only half way through.

United Kingdom on Aug 29, 2020

Mona: I have been learning with this book a couple of weeks and I am really pleased with my progress.

Admittedly, I've had piano lessons 35 odd years ago as a child, and therefore, before I started with this book some weeks ago, I could still remember the very basics of reading notes (no majors and minors, just the simple ones), and could eventually - after counting up or down from the middle C - locate the corresponding keys on the keyboard, but that was about it. This allowed me to go through the first pages faster than somebody with no knowledge of reading notes or playing an instrument at all. From page 30 (out of about 200) or so onwards I feel that I am learning new things and I enjoy the challenge. I am confident that someone with no prior knowledge whatsoever can study by themselves with this book, IF they are

1) learners who are happy to learn through self study (not everybody is, while others actually prefer self study rather than learning with a teacher)
2) willing to go through the first pages really slowly and meticulously and stick to it even though these first lessons are not exactly the most exciting ones. You might get a bit bored or frustrated, but if...

United Kingdom on Jan 01, 2020

webvogue: Why do people even make piano books with any other kind of binder except spiral? I mean, since this IS a book that you're supposed to be able to turn the page with one hand, and it lay FLAT, who thought it would make sense to make these things in PAPERBACK?

And they're all doing it. I saw a couple of books that offer spiral bound and then they go and tack on an extra $10 bucks. Granted, I could drive to my not-so-near Office Max and use their binding service and spend $6 bucks getting it spiral bound, but that's an extra step that shouldn't have to be part of my book buying experience.

So how does a paperback piano book work? Well, when you get less than a 20% into the book, and it's time to turn the page, what you do is pick up the book with both hands, and then try to really bend and crease that binding into the open position so the pages won't just try to close back up on you.

You know how quickly this will destroy a binding don't you?

Now for the book's content. I'm new at piano aside from a single college beginning course in the early 90s, so you can imagine I've forgotten almost all of what I learned back then. I do remember the acronyms for...

United States on Jan 23, 2019

MilsapLuver29: I am a beginning piano player. I had already learned some basics from another book but it was not as in depth as this one. The other book I learned from was simplified, didn't get too much into the black keys, or pedals. This book has 191 pages, so it does cover that. It looks daunting, but it explains it in easy to understand language and you work up to the more complicated stuff as you go. Like all teach yourself books, you can go at your own pace and tackle a new item when you are ready to move on.

It also includes many popular songs from many genres from waltzes, to rag time. So that is nice too.

It includes a CD of all the song examples so you can hear the speed and rhythm of each of the song tracks. Over sixty in all. However my main complaint is about the CD itself.

It's more of a full orchestra accompaniment. So while you get the general idea of the practice piece, some of the tracks are just the background accompaniment, and you have to try to follow along and figure out where the notes belong. I got lost several times. The book gives background on the songs provided, and tells you how to play them, but I would prefer the pieces on the CD be strictly...

United States on Sep 24, 2016