Piano For Dummies

by eMedia

Product Features

• Interactive, educational, piano-playing software with animated keyboard
• Over 150 step-by-step video-enhanced lessons; full-motion videos
• More than 50 songs with recorded audio and variable-speed MIDI tracks
• Teaches reading music notation, playing melodies, and creating harmonies
• Includes recorder, metronome, reviews and ear training, accompaniments, and more

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B002LLD13O
• Item model number: FD12093
• Date first available at Amazon.com: August 14, 2009
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #770 in Software (See Top 100 in Software)
  • #5 in Software > Video & Music > Software > Instruction

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The eMedia Piano For Dummies CD-ROM is a fun and easy way to learn piano or keyboard from the comfort of your home. Learn to play at your own pace from easy-to-follow interactive lessons with full-motion videos. Enjoy playing along with live-recorded songs or have fun playing with accompaniments that you can slow down or speed up.

Interactive Educational Software

• Over 150 step-by-step video-enhanced lessons.
• Over 50 songs with recorded audio and variable-speed MIDI tracks.
• Interactive feedback on playing mistakes (with MIDI keyboard).
• Animated keyboard displays fingerings as the music plays.

Your instructor is professional pianist and teacher Irma Irene Justicia, M.A., who has taught at the renowned Juilliard School of Music. The excellent teaching you receive in the over 150 lessons is an exceptional value. When using eMedia Piano For Dummies with a MIDI keyboard it will tell you when you make mistakes, including an overall score for the song and even shows you what you should have played!

Discover How To:

• Master the basics of piano.
• Read music notation.
• Play melodies.
• Create harmonies.
• Play hit songs!

Learn songs and exercises from both the music notation and the animated keyboard that displays fingerings in time with the music. Songs and exercises are enhanced by live-recorded audio, variable-speed MIDI keyboard tracks, and colorful MIDI accompaniments. You will learn over 50 popular songs including Billy Joel's Piano Man!

Over 50 Songs!
"Piano Man"--Billy Joel
"Give My Regards to Broadway"--George M. Cohan
"Minuet in G"--J.S. Bach
"When the Saints Go Marching In"--Spiritual
... and many more!

Interactive review and ear-training screens help reinforce new concepts and develop your ear. Other accessories include a built-in digital metronome and a recorder. Piano For Dummies includes large easy-to-read screens, enhanced audio and video, and progress tracking.

Everything You Need to Get Started!

• Metronome
• Recorder
• Reviews and ear training
• Accompaniments
• Live-recorded songs

Product Description

The eMedia Piano For Dummies CD-ROM offers everything you need to learn how to play. Learn from over 160 step-by-step lessons with full-motion video demonstrations. Piano teacher Irma Justicia has taught at the renowned Juilliard School of Music. Learn from either the music notation or an animated keyboard. Songs include recorded audio, variable-speed MIDI and MIDI accompaniments. When used with a MIDI keyboard, you can get specific feedback on playing mistakes. Also includes a digital metronome and recorder.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Respectable course, solid value, April 15, 2011

By 

Joan "joan2742" (Edgewater, MD, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Piano For Dummies (CD-ROM)

I have really enjoyed this course and got a lot out of it, especially in terms of working on rhythym and note reading.

Points to consider as you look at this piano course:

- It is my opinion that this course will work fine if you have an acoustic piano (with a laptop so you can have the course directly in front as you play). Connection to the computer is nice, but not essential. I found playing with the music provided extremely helpful though I was not connected. The best thing is being able to adjust so many things- tempo, which hand you're playing with, or the section of music that's being reviewed. Great!

- This may not be worth the purchase for anyone who knows music well from another source, like guitar or voice. A great deal of time is spent on the basics of note reading and rhythym that those with music experience will already know. Great for those with little to no music background.

- Songs and teaching style are quite traditional, so some people may not relate to it well. It's understandable to include universally recognized and musically simple pieces like "Jingle Bells" in a beginner's course, but I thought I'd bring it up. There are also some rather dumb jokes included that I think may turn some people off.

- I would buy or download extra beginner's sheet music in order to get more practice in these basics than the course provides.

- 150 lessons sounds like a lot, but it is basic and will take the user to an advanced beginner's or low intermediate level.

Well worth the money for most people.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Fun!, March 7, 2010

By 

Tamara A. Pope "Tamara" (Rochester, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Piano For Dummies (CD-ROM)

I am having a blast learning how to pay my keyboard with this software. You can see your progress and that makes me want to practice more and set goals. I wish I had this software years ago.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Piano for Dummies; Not a dumb idea., February 16, 2010

By 

Daniel E. Barfield "Paladin Quest" (Caliente, Nevada United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Piano For Dummies (CD-ROM)

For Christmas, I bought this to go along with the electronic keyboard we have. It was the smart move to do. It's very informative and it makes learning the keyboard seem like a breeze, not to mention a blast. The videos are a major plus and the program is very user friednly. It even includes showing guitar chords so anyone who plays guitar can play along. I have other titles by the 'For Dummies' series (including 'Guitar for Dummies'), so I knew I couldn't go wrong getting this one. The whole family is pleased with this one.