Customer Reviews

The Best in Popular Sheet Music: Advanced Piano

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book almost single-handedly got me back into piano playing after a 20-year hiatus. I've never been happy with the arrangements in most popular sheet music, especially "PVG" and "Easy Piano" sheets -- they are too simple and have almost no left hand accompaniment to speak of. Generally, there are no chords or arpeggios -- just single note "plink, plink, plink" etc. while the right hand has to carry the whole song.

On the other hand, many of the arrangements in this book (and in Dan Coates "Advanced" and "Professional Touch" books in general) have *wonderful* left-hand accompaniments and dramatic chording and other nice touches for the right-hand. Difficulty ranges from intermediate ("The Rose", "Open Arms") to advanced ("I Will Always Love You").

Sure, if you're talented enough to arrange for yourself you might find fault, but for those of us who just read and play and like to play popular music, this is an exceptional book.

For some time now I have been looking for a book that would challenge me and make me practice! Most of my books I have played for years and as a result I don't have to work to play any of my music. So, I started looking for some advanced books and came across this book by Dan Coates. I've had it just over a month and love it! I've love all the "extras" that have been added! I'm back on Amazon looking for more books by Dan Coates! If you are looking for a book to challange you, and a book that you will enjoy while learning each song, then you need to buy this book!!! You won't be disappointed!

This arrangement of songs by Dan Coates is definately challenging. I actually have to practice to get through these. Not for the beginning piano player. This book is for moderate to advanced talent levels. Great songs like Desperado, Angel Eyes, The Rose, Open Arms and more. My only complaint is that delivery time was VERY slow. Took nearly a month to receive.

The 22 songs in this book are also in Dan Coates Complete Advanced Piano
Solos (77 songs) with the exception of Stairway to Heaven.
I posted a list of all 77 songs in my review of that book as well for those interested.

Angel Eyes
Because You Loved Me
Desperado
From A Distance
I Do It For You
I Can Love You Like That
I Swear
I Will Always Love You
If You Believe
In This Life
Open Arms
Over The Rainbow
The Rose
Stairway to Heaven
Theme From Ice Castles
Theme from New York, New York
UnBreak My Heart
Up Where We Belong
Valentine
The Wind Beneath My Wings

Sheet books of contempoary music, I have found, are generally a bad idea. They are usually mediocre arrangements that take away the beauty of a song that was never intended for a solo instrument. This compilation is no exception and many of the arrangements are unacceptable rips. I found many of the arrangements in this collection are "light" and unappealing. But admittedly the fault is more in the genre of music than in the arrangements per se.

The musician advanced enough to read this music will gain more satisfacaction trying to arrange the songs himself from a public domain chord sheet! If you're desperate and really need to play some popular music on the spot, it might be worth investing in this book.

I should have read the reviews more carefully before I bought this book. I would have been happier with the original sheet music as these arrangements were uninteresting--basically embellishments that any pianist with some experience could add on their own. At least the sheet music would have included the words. If you are looking for arrangements with pizzazz (a little "wow!" factor here and there), don't buy this book.

Mr. Coates does professional-sounding arrangements and tries to work with songs that are already popular--a big service to those of us struggling with improvisation. After a while all of these sound a bit alike, with lots of big right-hand chords and the melody in octaves up in the top register. I dropped a lot of this an octave to allow for poorly tuned pianos and older audiences, and because all those high notes tend to sound girly. Fiddle with the arrangements a bit, though, and you'll have music that even younger audiences will appreciate.

This book had such a wonderful variety of sheet music from the calssical eighties pops to modern day hits. it is wonderful just to sit around with the family on a sunday evening and sing together. with easy to read lyrics and easy to read notes, the whole family can join in on the fun. thatnmks amazon, this is a great book!

It is like Christmas every time I get a new music book, and this is no exception.
The product was just as described, and I received in a very timely manner. Will do business with this seller again!

This book was exactly what I had hoped for and exceeds my expectations. I would have desired to know that these were piano songs without lyrics, although that is what I preferred. I would definitely purchase more music arranged by this artist.