The most surprising thing about this book is that it was not written 150 years ago. It is, as far as I can tell, the first serious tratise on correct fingering for the piano. And as most teachers will tell you, good fingering is the greates problem-solver for all pianisits at all levels, as well as the best way of avoiding injury. Mestro Bar-Niv’s book addresses all aspects of fingering, from the most basic of basics right through to approaching extremely difficult passages in contemporary music.
And here is the joy of it: the approach of the book is not to teach you the best fingering, per se, but rather to give the pianist a firm grounding on how to THINK about fingering. The author understands that all hands are different, that all tricky passages are different, and that one almost always has options.
The book is, of course, no susbstitute for a good teacher, a point that Bar-Niv makes clear. Nor does it particularly cover interpretation, pedaling, style, nor many other aspects of our challenging art. But it is exactly what the title says. As a pianist of some ability and fifty years of experience, I can unabashedly recommend this book to all lovers of the keyboard, at all levels, and especially to those who teach. The writing is fresh, with garnishes of humor. It is abundantly provided with illustrations and musical examples that cover all aspects and periods of classical music. And, of course, good fingering is good fingering, regardless if you are paying Brahms, jazz, or accompaning the church choir. I urge all keyboardists to check it out!
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