Customer Reviews

Piano Essentials: Scales, Chords, Arpeggios, and Cadences for the Contemporary Pianist (Book & CD)

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

 

 

I got this book about 3 weeks ago and already its improved my skills in a number of areas. Everything is organized in such a way that you just automatically progress. The incluion of every scale with chords gives you a good warm-up for every practice.
The really cool thing about this book is it doesn't overwhelm you with theory, but has just enough for you to understand (or remember if you forgot)the basics. I feel that even after you advance you could still use this book as a review and a warm-up. Great for beginners and those of us wanting a a good basis for review or practice. The only thing I wish they would've thought of was to use a ring binding instead of regular book. That way you can lay the book out on the music stand better.

I've been playing scales, chords, arpeggios and cadences on the piano for 55 years. I've digested countless music theory texts and workbooks in those years.

No one puts it all together as well as Ross Ramsay. His text is clear, logical and wonderful, wonderful, from the first definition of a scale to the advanced exercises at the end. This book is a great find and a great help for any pianist.

Plus, when you work your way to page 81, you learn that you have mastered the major and minor scales that are part of the Berklee College of Music Piano Department requirements. You'll play as well as Diana Krall! This is a real life book. Treat yourself.
D. Strong

Like many aspiring musicians, I'd heard a lot about Berklee, so when I decided to try to teach myself piano, this is one of the books I turned to. Although I haven't gotten that far into it yet, I'm finding it pretty useful. The theory review and accompanying exercises are good for getting the musical juices flowing, and the clear text is concise and vaguely satisfying (keep reading). I don't know that this book is helping me to play any better (yet), but I like the feeling of security it provides me by filling in gaps in my musical knowledge. This book includes a CD that is very helpful in learning the passages and seeing where you are going next. Throughout the book, I get the feeling that they are setting up an instructor to give the student a little more information and "inspiration", as though they are telling you what the juicy kernel of piano knowledge is without actually letting you touch it. Hopefully, this feeling will go away when I get to the later lessons. I would say this book is useful for the serious self-instructing student, but would probably serve a beginning pianist with a regular instructor even better. But in an area where quality instruction manuals are sparse and individual needs vary so widely, I think this book has a good amount of utility.

I was suprised how much I improved in only a few weeks from this book. I found that I had some holes in my playing abilities and this helped solve them. Usually I dont write reviews but this one made me sign in .. so go grab a copy if you want to be better, all levels!

If you are looking for a comprehensive encyclical on scales, this is not it. If you're into country or jazz and need two hand fingerings for various modal/blues scales, or exercises in pentatonics, this isn't it either. If you're fairly advanced, and need complex scale patterns involving contrary motion in thirds, look elsewhere.

But, if you are a relative beginner to intermediate player who wants to learn the basics, specifically:
1) major, natural, harmonic, and melodic minor scales
2) common chord progressions and voiceleading in each key
3) arpeggios in each key
and in a format that lends itself to lesson modules, then only the binding choice keeps it from being ideal.

It is exactly what I needed to take the next (actually, my first) step in learning the theory to support my playing, and in two months I have finally really learned all my major scales.

My only complaint that others have noted is the glued binding is a very poor choice; it really resists staying opened even with assistance from heavy binder clips. My recommendation is to take it to the nearest copy center and play $2 to have a spiral binding installed. If the publisher took that initiative it would be a 5 star.

The accompanying CD with this book only covers 4 out of the 10 chapters. There are no recorded examples for the early chapters (if you're a complete beginner) or the later chapters on minor scales, contrary motion, thirds, sixths and double thirds (if you're more advanced). Be aware therefore, that you will have to be able to read all the examples given in notation and work them out yourself. The Cd is therefore, a token gesture.

This is a great practice for anyone wanting to practice the cords. The CD helps too. Its a little fast, but you have to work up your speed.