Produced by the award-winning maranGraphics group, Maran Illustrated Guide to Piano is a valuable resource to a wide range of readers-from people who want to play a few songs for their family in the living room to those who aspire to become serious musicians. Maran Illustrated Guide to Piano shows the reader the best way to perform each task, while the full-color photographs, music examples and clear, step-by-step instructions walk the reader through each task from beginning to end. Thorough topic introductions and useful tips provide additional information and advice to help enhance the readers' piano experience. Maran Illustrated Guide to Piano is packed with essential information for readers who are sitting down in front of a piano for the first time, and will provide more experienced players with a refresher course on the basics and the opportunity to add more advanced techniques to their repertoire. Maran Illustrated Guide to Piano will cost less than the price of one private piano lesson and will be a permanent resource that will provide years of enjoyment.
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Features a unique two-page spread, over 400 music examples, full-color photographs, songs, practice pieces, and color coding that appeal to and engage visual learners and simplify the learning process. Using simple, easy-to-understand, and concise text, covers topics ranging from how to position your hands on the piano keyboard to more advanced topics such as performing trills and glissandos, playing the 12-bar blues, and how to improvise, making it a great reference for all skill levels.
Written using "Visual Grammar™," a proven method that combines instructions with full-color screen shots to provide the best synergistic learning experience available.
Full-color photographs are taken from a variety of different zoom settings and camera angles to maximize the impact of each photograph.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
And now Yes, You Too can really learn to play the piano!,
By Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER) (VINE VOICE) (TOP 50 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Maran Illustrated Piano (Paperback)
For all the many self-help, how-to books published The Maran Family has polished the book-led guide to learning to a fare-thee-well. This well-conceived and very well written book is an excellent introduction to the joys of sitting down in front of a piano keyboard and actually creating music instead of fantasies.
As one of the maranGraphics books (others include such wide ranging topics as Weight Training, Computer Guides, Dog training, Guitar, Yoga, and Knitting and Crocheting!), this volume uses the technical consulting of Frank Horvat, a composer, performer and piano teacher, and then applies the approach to the keyboard in a highly visual series of photographs and schematics that begin a survey of the types of keyboard instruments, the history of the piano, and progress to the basics of what makes a piano make music and ultimately walks the willing student through a very sound technique of learning. As a life-long pianist I am amazed at the facility developed in this beautifully designed book. For those who question learning to play the piano by a 'how to' book, just peruse the careful steps and clarity of instruction offered by this helpful guide. Much musicology is included and many examples of fine piano music are used in the lessons. Whether it is the classical route you wish or the popular medium of chord based music or the intricacies of blues and improvisation, the steps are here. At the end of the book is a fine discussion on how to choose your piano from the many types that exist and even a discussion on the various periods of piano music history (although brief these are succinctly to the point). Terrific for the adults who moan 'if I'd only taken lessons as a child' as well for the young students who are willing to commit to the goal of learning to 'make their own music', this Illustrated Guide to the Piano is a solid source of didactics. And for those addicted to the computer, there are even "MP3 files available to listen to and play along with for all the chords, scales, exercises and practice pieces in this book." Truly a book for the 21st Century! Grady Harp, June 05
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A beautiful treatment of a "how-to" subject...,
By Thomas Duff "Duffbert" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE) (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Maran Illustrated Piano (Paperback)
I was recently sent a copy of the book Maran Illustrated Piano from the maranGraphics Development Group. It's another subject treatment using the "maran illustrated" technique, and again it's an excellent work...
Chapter List: Piano Basics; The Basics of Reading Music; Basic Hand Positions; Playing Scales; Playing Chords; Beyond the Basics of Reading Music; Tips to Improve Your Playing; Special Playing Techniques; Improvising and Playing with Others; Styles of Music; Buying and Caring for Your Piano; Quick Reference; Index The Maran books use a graphic-intensive format with liberal use of color and heavy-stock paper. With Frank Horvat as the technical consultant, they take the reader through an informative history of the piano, famous composers, and the structure of the piano (along with the various styles and related instruments). From there, they get into how to read music as well as the basic hand positioning for playing. The material on reading music is well done for anyone who needs to acquire that skill, even if they aren't interested in the piano. The book then starts to show how to play scales, chords, and progressively more difficult pieces. It would be very easy to use this book to do your own self-learning program, and it'd be a great way to figure out if you want to take the next step and find a piano teacher to help you progress. The illustrations and photography of hand placement jump off the pages with the high-quality printing and paper. The pictures of Horvat sitting at the piano look a little stilted, but there's only so much "action" you can add to those settings. The only photo series I didn't much care for in the book have to do with the piano pedals. The pedal photos have someone's black shoe, white sock, and bare leg in the frame. That's just wrong... :-) Shoes and socks aside, this is an excellent choice if you are looking to learn how to play the piano on your own. You will gain a solid foundation with the instrument, and from there you can take it to whatever level appeals to you...
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Complete book for practical and theory for beginners,
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This review is from: Maran Illustrated Piano (Paperback)
I am a complete newbie to playing the piano as well as learning to read music. So it is a challenge to find materials that are both clear, easy to understand and 'complete'in as far as it gives you enough confidence to tackle level one/two music scores.
What I love about this book is that it really does satisfy the practical aspect and gives the beginner enough music theory to work on. the theory is not overwhelming, explained clearly and is further explained with an exmaple of a music score. I have learnt more on one page of this book than reading a whole chapter from 'idiot's guide to music theory'. it is has a lot to do with how your brain is wired, but for my adult brain, I love this new book and complements so well with the Alfred's adult all in one course, which has more practical and a little less on theory. There are also pictures of how to position your hand on the piano and as a beginner, like me I am not going to any classes, it is very helpful to feel confident about positioning of the hand on the piano. The key sections of this book include: various level of reading music/theory/ basic hand positions with lots pf pictures, playing the scales (essential), playing chords, techniques to improve playing, style of music. I do highly recommend for beginners to get this book as a supplement to addtional material. For myself, I am using this book, ALfred's all in one for adults and emedia software for keyboard, as well as level one music scores to practice new pieces and reading the notes!
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