Schaum Sight Reading (Schaum Method Supplement) [Paperback] Review

Helpful with regular piano books to help teach sight reading. No note numbers or letters on it.

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A progression of book one, this is a valuable teaching tool.There are a variety of styles, rhythms and keys, making sure that the student cannot just guess and play. Of course, there are no finger numbers, so students must read the notes. And there is the typical Schaum mix of serious and humorous lyrics. Revised, newly engraved, beautifully illustrated in full color - it's a fine book!

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Technique for the Advancing Pianist (Alfred Masterwork Editions) [Paperback] Review

I use this book for all my students who wish to pursue piano studies at a higher level, particularly those who will become piano performance majors in college. It truly is essential for the advancing pianist because many technical difficulties one encounters throughout Mozart, Beethoven, and some Chopin (and of course, many more composers) is learned here, such as scales in double thirds, rotation, and velocity. Work through every single page and you're well on your way to starting more advanced work in college.

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Product Description:
This practical resource provides foundational tools for scale, chord and arpeggio playing; exercises for developing precision, speed, agility and clarity of tone; and exercises and etudes that focus on a variety of technical challenges.

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Rhythmic Training (Instructional) [Paperback] Review

This book does it's work very well. Through slow and steady practice of it's exercises, one can build up one's reading skills as fast as one practically can. It's hard work, but it doesn't get easier than thisbook.
While the end of the book is focused on insanely complicatedrhythmic scores, rarely to be seen outside very complicated 20th music,it's still good reading practice.

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Product Description:
A continuation of Basic Rhythmic Training, this collection of progressive rhythmic drills is designed to increase a music student's proficiency in executing and understanding Rhythm. The exercises begin very simply and proceed to more complex meters, beat divisions and polyrhythms. The book can be used as a supplement to any method, or as a drill book for the musician who wishes to solidify and expand his/her rhythmic abilities.

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Hammond Organ Complete [Paperback] Review

I thought there were no Hammond methods, but somehow I found this one, and it's a good starting point for neophytes of the B-3 and drawbar organs. Don't expect it to disclose all the techniques you heard on Jimmy Smith's records, but it can be really useful as a reference book. The addition of the CD is absolutely essential: a good feature from the author.
It's a fairly good catalogue of riffs, although I wish it focused a lot more on funk and jazzy riffs (there are some good examples, however -but not enough nor representative) than on poppy ballads and clichés.
Anyway,at least it can lend some help to us forgotten organists and lovers of the Hammond!

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Product Description:
The secret to creating funky sizzles and classic Hammond sounds is mastering the combined use of the drawbars, expression pedal, and the Leslie speaker speed switch. Sound intimidating? It doesn't have to be! This hands-on guide takes you step-by-step through the techniques of playing the drawbar organ, one skill at a time. You'll learn to: play gospel, RandB, jazz, blues, funk and rock; achieve fantastic special effects; understand all the parts of the organ and how to use them; and much more. The accompanying CD includes 21 exercises, plus performance demos of 8 songs, with minus-organ versions so you can jam along!"A fantastic introduction to all aspects of playing the B3 organ. Definitely worth checking out."- John Medeski

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Music by the Masters [Paperback] Review

I used this book about 20 years ago as a student.Now, I use this book with my students. It is a great book full of short classical studies by prolific composers of the Baroque-Romantic Eras.This book contains a wide variety of music selections that teach various and sundry musical techniques and articulations.Great for the young pianist who is trying to bridge the gap into the Classical literature.

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This consistent top-seller includes 65 works by these famous composers: C. P. E. Bach, J. S. Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Grieg, Handel, Haydn, Mendelssohn, Schubert , Schumann and Tchaikovsky. Excellent, motivating literature for the intermediate pianist.

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The Young Pianist, Opus 823, Complete (Alfred Masterwork Edition) [Paperback] Review

I think the other negative review here misses the point. The work is titled "The Young Pianist," and includes simple pieces intended for beginners. I'm an adult trying to improve my sight reading, and I need lots of tuneful material that's easy enough for me to sight read fluently with confidence. I don't want a lot of counterpoint, harmonic complexity, tricky work for the left hand, or anything else that makes the music harder to play. I think this book will take you over time from wherever you are to a point of greater mastery. If you want more challenging material, there's plenty to pick from. If you're in the early stages of your development and want enjoyable music you can play and learn with, I think this is ideal.

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Carl Czerny, a student of Ludwig van Beethoven, who then taught Franz Liszt, combined his ability to analyze technique with his years of teaching experience to create exercises that increase the technical ability of the piano student. In this 80-page edition, his pieces systematically introduce notes of various time-values and other musical principles in similar order. The book's many exercises are preceded by invaluable reference materials. In the second half of this volume, the exercises move into a more difficult study of such things as turns, trills, arpeggios, phrasing and more.

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Mozart 21 of His Most Popular Pieces: Alfred Masterwork Edition [Paperback] Review

The Alfred Masterworks Editions are my favorite piano music books. I've been playing the piano for about 20 years, and these are the best series of books I've used. They have very good, clear notations, the arrangements are really well presented and put together, the fingering recommendations are the best I've seen (with the little numbers by the notes), and the biographical information and performance recommendations are a nice touch.

I only wish they had more books in the series.

This Mozart book is a good starter for someone who hasn't played Mozart before, and is looking to get better acquainted with his music.

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Some of Mozart's most popular works are contained in this volume, including the "Fantasia in D Minor," the "Sonata in C Major" (first movement) and the "Turkish March" from the Sonata in A Major. Other selections include intermediate-level transcriptions from operas and orchestral works. Arranged in the order of difficulty, each piece is prefaced by a short description. A biographical sketch of the composer is also provided.

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The School of Velocity, Opus 299: Complete (Alfred Masterwork Edition) [Paperback] Review

If this is too intimidating for you, I would start with Czerny -- Practical Method, Op. 599 (Complete) (Alfred Masterwork Edition), which is thinner and simpler than this.

If THAT'S too difficult for you, I would fall back to Preliminary School of Dexterity, Op. 636, which is about as low as you can go and still be playing authentic Czerny that hasn't been watered down.(I don't know why Amazon doesn't have a picture of it:it's certainly not rare or out of print.)

Only after finishing that should you go for the mother lode, the School of Velocity.

All of these Alfred editions are the best:carefully edited and handsomely presented.Palmer didn't simply run those old galleys again:everything's been recomposited and -- importantly for me -- the notes have been made larger where possible.At any rate, it's certainly more readable than that old yellow version everyone seems to own.

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This popular volume offers practical training in well-articulated pianistic passage work, particularly in playing the virtuoso music of the romantic period. In addition to this, each study is a complete music composition, demanding attention to dynamics and phrasing. Students who master Opus 299 have indeed progressed a long way in the "school of velocity." Available in a 112-page complete volume or in two separate books.

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