Customer Reviews

Classics to Moderns in the Intermediate Grade (Music for Millions, Vol 37)

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

 

 

When I was in elementary school, I took piano lessons for a while with a decent teacher. I wasn't the most cooperative student -- I really wanted an instant solution that would let me play as well as my well-trained mother, instead of all this hard work and fussing about timing and so forth -- and we gave up at the end of the first book. I've learned very slowly since then.

One frustration in the intervening years was learning a dumbed-down piece, like a heavily edited version of Beethoven's ever-popular "Fur Elise," and then discovering that not only was the real version much more complex and interesting (and beyond my limited skills), but that learning the dumbed-down version actually made it much harder to learn the real one! My fingers kept wanting to go in the "wrong" direction to play the simplified version.

I've looked for a long time for a book like this, which is original, classically structured compositions which have NOT been dumbed down for the not-very-advanced pianist, but simply weren't very difficult to begin with. I received this book just a few days ago, and I'm basically happy with what I see.

On the down side, I'm going to have to take the book down to a print shop to have the binding cut off and have the pages drilled for a three-ring binder. It won't stay flat even with a couple of hymnals to hold it open. This is not an especially expensive task, and it will completely solve the problem, but it is a hassle.

Also, quite a number of the pieces are things I've never heard of, and some of them can't be found on the Internet, either. I wish there were a CD available so I could figure out whether I have a reasonably normal interpretation of an unfamiliar piece.

Finally, I think it might be helpful if there were some effort to describe what the editor thinks "intermediate" means. A few of the pieces look somewhat more intimidating than the little bit that's visible on Amazon's website, and a couple just a little less. But if you're not well-trained or if you're a non-musician buying something for a student, having some specific information (like "recommended for people who have finished John Thompson's Grade Two book") might be helpful.

I always return to simple piano pieces when I want to check my technique. The pieces in this collection can each be learned in a day or so, but are original-form pieces, sensibly editied, and a large variety of styles and composers.

This collection is well worth having no matter what your level. If you're a beginner, it's a nice introduction to "accessible" piano literature. If you're advanced, it's good for sight reading exercises, to practice memorization techniques, or to use as simple technical studies.

This is the second time I've bought this book; I completely wore out my first copy. It has an excellent selection of music from Baroque to Modern, including several pieces that are familiar to most music lovers. Finger suggestions are provided, to the extent of being helpful, but not distracting. In fact, most of the editing has been judicious. This volume will be used and enjoyed for years as the performer will come back to it after having advance to higher levels.

This book was one of the optional texts for a college piano course I was taking, but since I'm just one of those people, I bought it anyway.

I'm so happy I did!!!

The book is very well laid out and notated, easy to read, and would make an excellent addition to any pianist's music library.

Wonderful for sight reading practice, and very fun to play from, I can highly recommend this book.

This is literally a "classic" anthology of intermediate pieces. As others have noted, there are no dumbed-down or edited versions of songs. Rather, the selections chosen are "easier" pieces written by famous composers. The anthology nicely spans centuries. My only complaint is that I'd like a few more recognizable intermediate pieces, like Bach's first prelude in C from the Well-Tempered Clavier or the first movement of the Moonlight Sonata. On the other hand, these well-known pieces are easy enough to find online for free. And now with the invention of YouTube, you can find someone playing just about any piece from this anthology so you can figure out which pieces attract you.

This is the fourth of this series I have used. Excellent arrangaments
of not watered-down classics. Good fingering suggestions. Overall, a
great book.

This is a great collection of pieces that cover a wide ranges of styles and time periods. Great for sight reading for advanced students, and preparing for intermediate students. I enjoy it as a student myself - the book I use for sight reading in my college Piano course.

I love this book. When I was growing up, I used it in piano lessons and enjoyed many of the songs. it contains well-known songs as well as many which will become your favorites. It also has a variety of styles so everyone is happy with something. I like it because I am no virtuoso and the songs are difficult enough to be interesting (to play and listen to) and challenging, but not so difficult as to be unachievable. It has fallen to pieces, so I had to buy another one for my kids, who are just getting into this level.

There is a brilliantly wide selection of songs from so many composers with varying styles that you will eventually find something you enjoy. However the binding does not allow the book to stay open, and even holding it in place with weights doesn't keep the book flat. It's a pain to read the notes near the center of the book because it is curving in towards the spine. As well, the print is not as sharp as books from the Schirmer or Alfred's series, so it is more difficult to read chords or distinguish which note has the sharp or flat.

I use the book to sample the work of different composers until I find one I like, then I search for another book that has more of their songs.

While it would be great to have received this item, as I paid $15 and waited a month for it, Amazon claims to have delivered it.