Customer Reviews

My First Book of Hymns and Spirituals: 26 Favorite Songs in Easy Piano Arrangements (Dover Music for Piano)

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

 

 

Bergerac's piano book entitled MY FIRST BOOK OF CLASSICAL MUSIC is excellent and despite the little kids pictured on the cover can be played without embarrassment by adults learning or relearning the piano. Unfortunately Bergerac's MY FIRST BOOK OF HYMNS AND SPIRITUALS is not of that quality. The music is easier and seems more juvenile than the "classical music" volume of the series perhaps partly because of the many pictures (which could be colored in by a child or anyone so inclined) that are used. Lyrics for the first verse of each song are included and "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" has two verses with words in this edition. The songs are all familiar but so simplified they are not that enjoyable to hear or play. There is one sentence of background information for some of the songs which is somewhat helpful but more content would have been nice. This isn't a terrible collection but it could have been so much better.

A nice collection of hymns and spirituals to add to variety to the "beginner-intermediate" student who needs some seasonal variety to keep interest in piano lessons. First year students always want to move on to more interesting/recognizable tunes, so one really has to look for that easier level before really becoming a 2 handed intermediate level. Sometimes I found that one can xerox the page and then cut out the chords and left hand and cut and paste the melody onto pages a younger student can work from.

I have really enjoyed learning along with my son and daughter with these books. I love the way they are easily arranged, the artwork and the choice of songs. I would highly recommend the series.

Great buy! Love the contents. Its a wonderful book, everything and more than we expected.