Customer Reviews

Piano Course Book One (Piano Course Bk. 1)

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

 

 

I have found both book one and two of this series to cover comparable information to both the John Thompson and Bastien Primer piano books. Usborne's colorful, cheerful drawings, and simple instructions are far superior, however. This is an unbeatable primer series. Every few pages include reminders to the child of how to sit, hold their fingers, and what notes and signs they've learned up to that point. The children feel that they are playing "real songs" right from the start. Usborne teaches both hands together, instead of the old-fashioned method of teaching the right hand fingering first. I have taught four children with it, and they have found the two books readable and unthreatening.

This book is geared towards children. As a parent who bought the book for an almost 5-year old child, I found the pages a bit cluttered. It was hard for my child to stay focused because there was so much going on that it seemed to distract her. I would have preferred a more organized, straight-foward approach.

There are several appropriate tunes that children will enjoy.

I would recommend this book for children ages 7 through 11.

My seven year old daughter has almost completed book 1 and we have just ordered book 2. The book kept her attention. It presented information in an entertaining, reinforcing manner. It was helpful in encouraging good fingering; reading most lines on the treble and base clefs; reading whole-1/2-& 1/4 notes; & understanding some of those bothersome Italian words. I hope book 2 is as good.

My 7 year old son and I tried this book. It moves too quickly, and mixes several concepts in one lesson. In one lesson, for example, the student is expected to learn where the notes appear on the staff; and at the same time, the selection uses both quarter and half notes. This was confusing to my son, because the notes were both in different positions on the staff, and they looked different, some 'colored in' and some not. He couldn't grasp both concepts in one lesson, and this led to frustration, something you don't want when you are trying to expose you child to music. Plus, the book moves too quickly. Children need time to adjust to playing, looking at music and determining whether it is rising in pitch or falling, for instance, before they are every ready to start learning to read music. Hal Leonard moves nice and slow, and allows for mastery of one concept before introducing another. With something so new and unfamiliar, as playing an instrument is for a novice, this is essential. If you decide to buy Hal Leonard, be sure to buy the book with the accompanying CD, and this is another advantage over Usborne; you can by a CD with the book with accompaniment for each song, one recording at slow practice speed that features a piano playing the student's part, the next an orchestra accompaniment minus piano up to proper tempo for the student to play along with once a song is mastered. One last piece of advice I read on the internet: kids do much better if they hear the songs they are to play over and over again before ever attempting them; knowing the songs by ear. This made a world of difference for my son. It's easier to learn a song when you already know how it is supposed to sound. So during my son's lesson, I play all the pieces he's learning or has mastered, plus several songs ahead, to familiarize him with what's coming up. The book is so simple, it is easy to do. I don't even play the piano myself. We are learning together. Good luck.

My daughter is 8. With absolutely no previous musical training she began this book one month ago. She has now completed it and she is able to: play notes on both the treble clef staff and the bass clef staff (5 notes for each hand); play with both hands on simple arrangements (that also means striking multiple treble and bass clef notes simultaneously); recognize Italian instructions like forte and piano; play two-handed arrangements of Au Clair de la Lune, Yankee Doodle, Good King Wenceslas and a number of original tunes. All this and much more just by practicing three times a week for 30 minutes at each session. She felt no fear or threat from the book's colourful layout and is now moving on to Book Two. This is a pleasant and painless way to introduce your child to the language of music and the piano. Highly recommended.

If you're wondering where to go after these two books, pianists at a local music store, upon looking through the Usborne books, said a student would be ready for Book Two or Three of the Hal Leonard Piano Lessons series, also a colourful and child-friendly set of books, which culminates with Book Five. Upon completion of Book Five the pianists told me a student would be ready for Grade 4 in the Royal Conservatory of Music lesson plan (if that's the route you'd like to take).

You won't regret starting your kids off with the two Usborne piano books. You'll be amazed at how quickly they learn and love what they're learning. Highest rating for a piano instruction book.

I borrowed this book for my 4 year old daughter as part of her homeschooling for Kindergarten. I was very glad that I didn't buy it. Although I'm a big Usborne fan, this book moves very quickly with several concepts on each page and no repeat lessons. The pages are very colorful and the cartoon characters are cute, but the pages are so cluttered with information and speech balloons that they become a distraction and definitely not learner friendly. I did, however, like that it begins with the notes labeled by letter A,B,C, etc instead of finger numbers. Instead of this book I ended up buying Hal Leonard's First Piano book, which is excellent. It moves nice and easy and is very clear and consise giving enough time for practice before moving onto new concepts. Before buying the Usborne book, I recommend borrowing it from the library to see if it's appropriate for you. It was not appropriate for us.

I have been frustrated with so many piano teaching books because they inadvertently teach the kids to learn the numbers instead of where they are. This is a simple approach that can be quickly mastered.

Kids are rewared by ability to learn a familiar song and by the chance to do a duet with their teacher both in a short time.

By the end of Book one, they are playing nine notes and using both hands, a few times even both hands together.

It adds new notes at a reasonable rate. It teaches them the timing and mechanics in a good, non-intimidating way.

We're on to BOOK TWO. Drawback~ Good luck finding Book Two!

I used this book to teach my 9 year old daughter.She had no prior experience on the piano.She really liked the songs and illustrations.It's a very well organized material,and the perfect start for a begginer.

I ordered this book because it got so many good reviews, but I was disappointed. There are about ten- twenty different pieces of information on each page. It's overwhelming. I was going to use it to teach a new student but it would have been so confusing. There are several new concepts taught on a page without any means for the child to practise them and actually "do" them. It's as if the child is expected to memorize them without any experience with the information.
I went to my local music store and looked through all the beginning piano books and decided upon "Alfred's Basic Piano Library- Lesson Book, Level 1A." It's great- it introduces one new concept per page and has the child practise it in easy steps, little by little inching forward. The illustrations are also a lot nicer. Also, the print is way bigger. It looks spacious. The Usborne book has all this information crammed into a page in tiny little bubbles of print, sort of like a comic strip.

The publishers of this colorful beginning piano book have discovered the way to draw and keep the attention of young potential pianists. The book's bright colors and visually interesting cartoon characters are entertaining to young children. But the limitations of the content make it most useful for children who don't need more than one practice lesson to learn a concept before moving on to the next. Younger students or those that need more repetitive practice will find it harder to learn from this book. Those students who are highly motivated and easily catch the concepts will find this the perfect book to own and use. In the latter case this may be the right place for your new pianist to begin.