Piano For Dummies, For Dummies Series, Blake Neely, Book
Product Details Synopsis
At first glance, a piano may seem like an intimidating instrument that would be very difficult to learn how to play, but despite what your seventh-grade piano teacher may say, playing piano isn’t brain surgery. It just takes time, practice, and patience.
Piano For Dummies starts at the very beginning and walks you through everything you need to know to turn that oversized hunk of furniture into an instrument that can make beautiful music. If you don’t know how to read music, this book explains in friendly, uncomplicated language all the basics of music theory and applying it to playing the piano. And if you’ve been playing piano for a while – or took piano lessons when you were a child but haven’t played since – you can pick up some valuable tips to improve your playing or use the book as a refresher course.
Here are some of the topics you’ll find in Piano For Dummies:
- Buying a piano: Acoustic versus electronic
- How a piano works, and how to care for one
- Left- and right-hand piano techniques
- Examining keys, scales, melodies, harmonies, and chords
- Plenty of musical examples to play
- The history of piano musical styles
- Advice for piano teachers
- A Top Ten list of pianists you should know about
Piano For Dummies also includes a glossary and a free CD, which includes audio of all of the examples in the book so that you can play along.
So if you’ve always wanted to learn to play piano, but you don’t have the time to take piano lessons, you can pick up the basics in Piano For Dummies; you’ll be tickling the ivories with ease in no time!
Library Journal
Instruct: to provide with knowledge, especially in a methodical way. That is, in fact, what Phillips and Chappel of Cherry Lane Music do in this logical, pedagogic introduction to keyboard instruments, music theory, and piano technique. The chapter on the famous–or is it infamous?–”Part of Tens” includes information about past and present masters of the instrument, ways of expanding your interest beyond the scope of the book, and tips on finding a teacher. Printed musical examples are plentiful, and an accompanying audio CD is included. This book intends to be fun and funny and succeeds in a vaudeville sort of way. Students are encouraged “to continue to seek knowledge about your instrument long after you tire of the jokes” and told that “piano teachers and method books shouldn’t be forsaken forever.” The do-it-yourself phenomenon has made the “Dummies” books very popular. This one is particularly appropriate for school media and public libraries.–Janet Brewer, Murray State Univ. Lib., KY
More Reviews and Recommendations Biography
Blake Neely has been playing piano since he was about 4 years old, although it took a while before real audible music could be detected. His fascination with music led him to other instruments, such as the French horn, guitar, and drums, but the keyboard remains his baby.
Upon graduation from the University of Texas in 1991, he moved to Los Angeles to experience the music business. He licensed music for Hollywood Records and later worked for Disney Music Publishing as editor of all printed music publications.
An award-winning composer and author, he has written symphonies, a piano concerto, and numerous orchestral and chamber works. He is co-author of the acclaimed FastTrack series, published by Hal Leonard Corporation.
Blake has worked as a composer, orchestrator, arranger, copyist, engraver, musicologist, and consultant for such prominent figures as Disney, Hal Leonard Corporation, Decca Records, Hyperion Books, composers Michael Kamen and Alan Menken, and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra.
Currently living in Austin, Texas, Blake spends his free time tuning into his family: wife Elizabeth, daughter Jordan, and son Jacob. Blake is the proud owner of a Kawai grand piano and Kurzweil, Ensoniq, and E-Mu synths and samplers. You can reach Blake via e-mail at BlakeNeely@aol.com.
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