Customer Reviews

Piano Pieces for Children (Everybody's Favorite Series, No. 3)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was given a used copy of this book over fifty years ago. I enjoyed playing from it then and now (from a new copy I bought in the 1960s for $1.75). It has a wide breadth of pieces from the 18th and 19th centuries, some of which are original piano pieces and others which are arrangements of traditional songs and orchestral works. The selections are attactive and a pleasure to play. There is an abundance of fingering and performance markings (but no mm suggestions), the staves are large enough to read easily yet the pieces are each given enough space so that the notes are not squeezed together. This book is not only for children and should provide any student pianist a lot of material containing most of the basic technical challenges. It is also a time capsule as it represents a view of what advanced beginners were playing eighty years ago.

Why not five stars? A problem with this book (and many other of its type) is that the user cannot tell how much each piece was edited. This is not an issue for well-known orchestral pieces or traditional songs arranged for the piano, but there are lots of original works for keyboard in this volume. Which are simplified, which are heavily edited, and which are pretty much in their original form? For example, the two Chopin preludes on p95 are subtly simplified, whereas "Fur Elise" appears to be in its original form, with fingering, pedaling and phrasing markings added. Brahms's "Hungarian Dance No. 5" has been both simplified and transposed. Which are arranged for piano from a non-keyboard original? Unfortunately, we just don't know.

In addition, there are errors sprinkled through the book. These are mostly obvious and should not present any issues for someone with musical experience but may cause problems for children.

Finally, some of the editing is just plain wrong. The expansion of the trill at the bottom of the Gavotte from Bach's French Suite #5 is incorrect (also: the piece is titled "Gavotte in G" and its source is not identified).

That said, I recommend this collection. Just be careful! Although it may not deserve all of them, I give it four stars for nostalgia.

Very good for beginner who want to start playing piano. Favorite and famous songs for all time.
Fun to learn and play the music. Not only for children!

I have my original version from 1964 all tattered and torn. I will buy this book for my nephew who has taught himself to play piano. I could not give up my own version as it is too dear to me. It is a timeless reference in learning to play piano at any age.

I started my piano lessons about 20 odd years ago...this book was what I played for fun and didn't underestimate my "talent". Sadly I lost my original copy about 6 years ago, what a joy to finally get it back...untouched.

I was SO excited when I found out this book was still in print. This book has been in my family for ages and was used by my sisters and I. It's very used, coming apart and showing its age, but full of memories. And now my daughter is using our original copy! So I was thrilled I could find it and had to get another copy. When it arrived, it was everything I had hoped...the exact book but in tact...ready to be played and played again! Thank you!

Thank you, Amazon.com, you helped people recyle products that could be very sentimental to persons like me. This is why. The Piano Pieces for Children that I owned was about 50 years old from my childhood days. It was falling apart and I searched for a replacement. I found and bought a used copy on Amazon.com. I was very moved the moment I opened the package because the used copy that I received was as good as the seller claimed it to be: like new and very clean, now into the hands of a very appreciative old lady nearing retirement age. Those memories of my parents letting me take piano lessons and those young innocent piano student days came rushing back to me. I am really glad that this experience on Amazon.com is such a happy one.

I got this book for my wife who learned to play these pieces as a child. Her original was tattered and missing the front cover. She was thrilled and surprised to get an exact replacement in excellent condition.

I was a student from this book and have used it as a piano teacher for my students. It has a wonderful assortment of classical music, including must-learns for any pianist--Moonlight Sonata, Fur Elise, Prelude in C by Bach, and so many more! And since it's graduated, you could even work beginning to end as you learn. And don't be put of for the "Chlidren" part of the title. As mentioned above, it includes pieces professionals all know and pull out when needed:). Get it, you won't regret it!

I grew up on this book and its pieces. Now that my children are learning to play, I bought it for them. Good book for Grades 1 to 4 (beginner to intermediate players).