# Book Recommendations for Beginners



## Bunford (Aug 3, 2012)

I looked at the book list in teh above sticky, but it seems to be mainly aimed at people with at least an intermediate level ability already.

I'm a beginner piano learner, learning music theory and composition along the way.

What are the books tha you advise using? I am visiting a pianist and composer for a lesson once a week, but would like something I can get my teeth into in my own time at home too. I've seen a few books around, the most promising one covering a lot seems to be this one:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alfreds-Basic-Adult-Course-Level/dp/0739082426/ref=sr_1_19?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1343995403&sr=1-19 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alfreds-Basic-A ... 03&amp;sr=1-19)

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Recommendation 1 by synergy543 (in my other thread): http://www.stainer.co.uk/acatalog/educational_books.html (http://www.stainer.co.uk/acatalog/educa ... books.html)


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## Bernard Quatermass (Aug 3, 2012)

When I started to learn how to play the piano, all my early beginner books were from Boosey & Hawkes. You could try them. They are well known and have a very good reputation.


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## synergy543 (Aug 3, 2012)

Bunford, if you're interested in piano study books, you might want to check out the www.Pianoworld.com forum (including an adult beginner forum) as there are many threads with suggestions on piano material (many there seem to like the Alfred series although I don't know it). An older set called the Thompson Series is a very good beginner series as it not only progresses step-wise but covers important concepts along the way.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Thompsons-Modern-Course-Piano-FIRST/dp/0877180059/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1344017653&sr=8-9 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Thompsons-Moder ... 653&amp;sr=8-9)

While there are many different method books, much of the material is more or less the same (Bach Minuets, Sonatinas, etc.). So just getting your hands on some simple material that matches your level and continuously working on it will surely help you. You'll get back what you put into it.


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## Johnny42 (Aug 3, 2012)

I agree with Bernard in regards to Boosey & Hawkes( especially their Russian School of Piano Playing).
+1 for Synergy's suggestion.


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## paulcole (Aug 3, 2012)

Boosey and Hawkes here too.


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## BopEuph (Aug 3, 2012)

Funny, I learned from the Alfred's book in college.

For theory, I used The Practice of Harmony. It takes you from the bare basics of music theory all the way to modern music theory. Very complete.


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## Darthmorphling (Aug 3, 2012)

The practice of Harmony is way expensive. I like reading on my iPad and the electronic version is $82. Guess this is one book I will be buying used. 

Maybe one of the high schools in my district will have it.


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## Johnny42 (Aug 3, 2012)

Harmony and Voice Leading by Schachter and Aldwell and Walter Piston Harmony are pretty good too. Just like every other total harmony books, they are based on the rules of Rameau. I think Schoenberg's Theory of Harmony( although not a beginner's book) is a book that should be in every composer's library. It is not your typical theory book, and was written for his pupils. It gives one tremendous insight into the post Wagnerian tonal harmony.


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## BopEuph (Aug 3, 2012)

I studied the book when it was first edition. I think it's 6th edition now.

It's a textbook. I really hate this, but textbooks are always marked up way more than they should be. The business of screwing college students, as if the overpriced tuition wasn't enough screwing.

But the beauty of it, is to keep the books making money, they make a new version every few years. The previous editions drop drastically in price, which allows you to get first editions for pennies on the dollar.

I picked up a first edition copy of The Study of Orchestration for less than $2 with shipping. I get the same amount of information as a three credit-hour class at my own pace, and I save thousands of dollars by doing so!

I don't know if previous editions are electronic. But most theory books that have decent info are probably going to be textbooks. And that means more expensive than they should be.


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## Darthmorphling (Aug 3, 2012)

I teach elementary and know all to well now expensive texts are. I transitioned from 4th grade to 5th grade this year. I had to turn in all of the 4th grade materials. There was this one Planning CD that I never used. I could not find it and started to panic. It would have been 585 dollars to replace. I calculated the cost of the the teacher materials I had and it was over 6 grand. 75% of it never gets used either. 

Needless to say I searched until I found it. More than likely I wouldn't have had to pay for it, but you never know.

As for college texts, when I first started college way back in '90 the bookstore was actually giving about 75% of what they sold the book used for. By the end of my college days it was like trying to sell a game to GameStop. You needed plenty of lube.


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## BopEuph (Aug 3, 2012)

Ouch. I didn't know elementary materials were just as bad.

I did my absolute best in college to take courses that used books I wanted to keep. And I always begged the professor to allow me to find cheaper editions or publications. One lectured me about it with a copy of Doctor Faustus. She wanted us to use a specific, new (and expensive) publication of the book so we could write papers on some of the dozens of analyses before you even get into the reading of the book. So I was forced to buy it. 

<rant>I hate those theses on classics by some random dude telling you what he thinks the story actually means. Authors alive today keep telling us we misinterpret their books, yet we keep doing it and think we're smart because we do it.</rant>


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## Darthmorphling (Aug 4, 2012)

BopEuph @ Fri Aug 03 said:


> <rant>I hate those theses on classics by some random dude telling you what he thinks the story actually means. Authors alive today keep telling us we misinterpret their books, yet we keep doing it and think we're smart because we do it.</rant>



Freud said it best:

"Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar."


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## BopEuph (Aug 4, 2012)

Exactly.


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## synergy543 (Aug 4, 2012)

Nope. Not after....well,...um, it depends upon what your definition of "is", is.

I don't smoke the damn things, but they're certainly not same any more.

No, a cigar IS no longer just a cigar.

Besides, a pipe is more suitable for book readers.


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## StrangeCat (Aug 5, 2012)

Books? Your better off going through Theory as you learn the music. The level of theory is your level of learning that piano music. 

You should go over each piece you play as your learn it with your teacher. If your playing just a simple Minuet in Binary Form then you should with your teacher learn the ins and outs of the theory behind the composition.

The Teacher should give your some lessons (work sheets , etc) on what your learning. 

In other words it's up to the teacher to assign the books you study and learn as you gradually get your piano skills higher.

When I was back in the day learning Bach's Inventions I was composing Inventions in the style of Bach and studying Harmony and voice leading of that Period since that was related to them music I was practicing. Same with when I go to Mozart etc. 

I think it was a good idea!


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## mducharme (Aug 6, 2012)

I wouldn't look at harmony books until you're confident with rudiments (scales, time signatures, key signatures, intervals).

When you do get up to the point of where you want to study harmony, it's good to keep in mind that the approach is really primarily focused on emulating the style of Bach/Mozart/Haydn/Beethoven. While there are all sorts of things that are still applicable these days, things like the dominant 7th chord and diminished 7th sound very old fashioned, unless you can "sneak them in" through passing motion. Also, many progressions in common use today were not really covered in harmony texts, save for chromatic mediants in the late romantic era. Many progressions used in film today have their roots in the modality of Debussy, Ravel and Vaughan Williams, which moves outside the scope of harmony textbooks that teach the common practice period. A lot of things from the harmony study are still very important, but it won't all necessarily have instant applicability to your composition. I would of course recommend eventually studying harmony, after your rudiments and piano basics are in order.


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## BopEuph (Aug 6, 2012)

StrangeCat @ Sun Aug 05 said:


> Books? Your better off going through Theory as you learn the music. The level of theory is your level of learning that piano music.



To say that a subject is better learned without a book is like saying you're better off learning English without a dictionary. Sure, it's possible, but when we are browsing around forums such as this one, we can tell who really knows their stuff and who doesn't. Is it possible to learn without a book? Of course. But it will take much longer. The end result, be it aural communication or a recording, might be the same, but there is a difficulty that could have been avoided by just doing a bit of research. This is very reminiscent to me of the argument that learning to read music is a bad thing.

Granted, a chordal instrumentalist will have an advantage over someone like me, who only plays monophonic instruments. The books are practically required. But I still think studying it separate of learning piano will help both skills quite a bit. 



mducharme @ Mon Aug 06 said:


> I wouldn't look at harmony books until you're confident with rudiments (scales, time signatures, key signatures, intervals).


Every good theory book has the fundamentals of theory in chapter one. Spencer's book starts with information on clefs and naming notes according to their octaves, then moves to intervals, and on. Just like all brass players play out of the Arban's book, it has great beginning stuff in the beginning, and my brass students all start with the first few pages of this "advanced" book.

And seventh chords are still used today. I couldn't dream of using a V-I progression without a dominant seventh. There's really no stronger harmonic movement than that.


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## Bunford (Aug 6, 2012)

Today I've bought Alfred's All in One book that covers piano, theory and technique. It looks very good and comes with a DVD to aid visual and audible learning. 

To say learning with or without one thing or another, be it books or lessons etc is a bit narrow minded. There are distinctive types of learners in humanity, some being visual, some audible and some kinaesthetic. There is no right and wrong, just different styles that best suit different people. Are you going to be the one to tell someone who may be a super gifted pianist that suffers from autism that he not as good at playing or writing stunning music cos he never read books?!

Different horses for different courses, as long as they "get there".


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## StrangeCat (Aug 6, 2012)

BopEuph @ Mon Aug 06 said:


> StrangeCat @ Sun Aug 05 said:
> 
> 
> > Books? Your better off going through Theory as you learn the music. The level of theory is your level of learning that piano music.
> ...



That is just a retarded reply. I was saying it's better off the teacher handling the material to the student instead of the student learning on there own with some books. Do you read more then one sentence?
:roll:


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## Darthmorphling (Aug 6, 2012)

Edit: I had started the post before Bunford's, but we were obviously thinking the same things.

It's funny how there are so many ways that people learn. There are the visual learners who need lots of graphics and examples. The readers, who need just the book and an outline. You have the auditory learners that need things repeated. Then you have those students who need a combination of the different techniques.

I am more of the visual/auditory type. I can not just read a book and comprehend theory. I need auditory examples to go along with it, or I have to sit at the guitar/keyboard and try it out.

Theory is a scaffolded concept. You can not really move on until you have foundation set up.

I am finding that I know more than I thought. You can't just play an instrument for 30 years and not pick stuff up. I wish I had put more effort into theory when I was younger.

I remember reading an interview with Joe Satriani and he was talking about a student who didn't feel it necessary to learn theory. 

Paraphrasing here:

Student, "Stevie Ray Vaughn didn't know theory why do I need it?"
Satriani, "Can you play like Stevie? Ok then."


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## StrangeCat (Aug 6, 2012)

the whole learning process will come down to "time." No matter which way you decide to learn, visually, aurally, little of both, it will take some time. Time is your friend. The materials are out there for any person wanting to learn.

Later.


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## JohnG (Aug 6, 2012)

strangecat -- please do not imply that fellow forum members are "retarded," which is an objectionable term whose use skates over the line of good forum etiquette. Please be more restrained.


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## Ned Bouhalassa (Aug 7, 2012)

That was over-the-top, Cat, and an apology would be so very classy! Other than that, it was a bit of a stupid post, that's true. Readings should be supervised by your instrument teacher in an ideal world.


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## leafInTheWind (Aug 7, 2012)

This is the book I felt did very well in gradual step by step intro to harmony that I'd suggest to anyone interested in harmony:

http://www.amazon.com/Harmony-Theory-Comprehensive-Musicians-Essential/dp/0793579910 (Harmony and Theory: A Comprehensive Source for All Musicians) (Musicians Institute Press)

Currently reading:
http://www.amazon.com/Melody-Songwriting-Techniques-Writing-Berklee/dp/063400638X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1344347196&sr=1-1&keywords=berkley+melody (Melody in Songwriting: Tools and Techniques for Writing Hit Songs) - seems like a good book but I'd think this book would be better after finishing a theory book like the one before.


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