Kawai Piano Prices: Keyboard Chords & Scales Book (Fasttrack Series) [Paperback] Review

Keyboard Chords & Scales Book [Paperback]

Before I got this, I debated whether I really needed a chord and scales reference guide. I decided to get it because the table of contents made it appear like it had lots of practice lessons. Once I received it, I was disappointed because it does not. The lessons are only four pages of short comping practice pieces at the end of the book. Over time, however, this book has grown on me as I occasionally need to look up how a chord or scale is played. Now I consider a chord and scales guide to be an indispensable reference, much like a dictionary for piano players.

I strongly recommend that music students get a chord and scales reference book. One alternative is Instant Scale and Chord Guide for Keyboards. Amazon doesn't show the table of contents, but it appears from user reviews of that book that this one organizes chords better. That book apparently organizes chords by key (e.g. all the C chords on the same page), while this one organizes them by chord type (e.g. all the Major chords on the same page). I prefer them being organized by chord type.

One criticism is that I found the right hand fingering of the F Major scale to be extremely difficult to play. The book lists the fingering as 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5. I found it much easier to play it as 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4. I thought I was intentionally doing it wrong, but I eventually looked it up online. Most web sites I found recommended the fingering I was using.

Again, this book is primarily a reference book. For those who want a practice book for chords, scales, arpeggios, and cadences, Keyboard Technique and The Complete Book ofScales, Chords, Arpeggios and Cadences appear to be good books, but I'm not yet familiar with either one. The former appears to be oriented toward popular music and the latter oriented toward classical.

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Product Description:
The fast way to find just the chord or scale you need. This user-friendly reference book is jam-packed with over 1,400 chords and voicings and includes a "jam session" with 20 original songs using common chord progressions.