Beginner Classical Piano Music: Teach Yourself How to Play Famous Piano Pieces by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven & the Great Composers (Book, Streaming Videos & MP3 Audio)
Piano Professor, Damon Ferrante guides you through each piece with step-by-step piano lessons (for beginners) and 20 streaming video lessons.
This easy-to-follow method, used by thousands of piano students and teachers, is designed to be interactive, engaging and fun.
No music reading is required!
The lessons will greatly expand your repertoire of beloved piano classics and improve your piano technique, creativity, and understanding of music. Whether you are teaching yourself piano or learning with a music instructor, this book and streaming video course will take your piano playing to a whole new level!
Ask yourself this:
1. Have you always wanted to learn how to play famous classical piano pieces, but did not know where to start?
2. Did you start piano lessons once and give up because the lessons were too difficult?
3. Are you struggling to follow online piano lessons that seem to jump all over the place without any sense of direction or consistency?
4. Would you like to expand your musical understanding and learn how to play the piano through an affordable, step-by-step book and video course?
If your answer to any of the these questions is yes, then this beginner piano classics book and video course is definitely for you!
The follow great pieces are covered in this book and streaming video course:
Beethoven’s Für Elise
J.S. Bach’s Prelude in C Major
Mozart’s Turkish Rondo
Pachelbel’s Canon
Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker
Liszt’s Hungarian Dance
Brahms’ Lullaby
Mendelssohn’s Wedding March
Strauss’s The Blue Danube Waltz
Grieg’s Hall of the Mountain King
Handel’s Hallelujah
Dvorák’s New World Symphony
Chopin’s Prelude
Bizet’s The Toreador Song
Verdi’s La donna è mobile
Schumann’s The Wild Horseman
Paganini’s Caprice Number 24
Beethoven’s Ode to Joy
Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake
Mozart’s Eine kleine Nachtmusik
Mascagni’s Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana
Offenbach’s Tales of Hoffmann
Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice
Dvorák’s New World Symphony
Erik Satie’s Gymnopedie
Greensleeves
Rossini’s William Tell Overture (Theme from the Lone Ranger)
and many more classics!
Reviews (133)
Useful as a Resource or Main Curriculum
I have been playing piano for many years now, but was interested in using this book as a reference to some easy classics and additional teaching techniques for some of my current piano students. The videos included in the eBook make it super easy to read the information and then see the demonstration. I was glad to see Damon's focus on identifying and practicing patterns in music to assist in learning more quickly. For those who learn best by reading, he includes many tidbits about the history of the pieces and the meanings of some of the terms used in musical notation. For those who prefer learning by doing (kinetically) the videos are a great way to learn the techniques. And for those who learn through listening, many of the pieces have recorded files of the end result. Overall I think it is a great resource to work through with an instructor or by yourself for a very self-motivated person who wants to learn. It is a great value, as this book, if used for lessons could fill a student's curriculum for years.
Good for Relearning Too
I'll be honest, I am not entirely a beginner. I took five years of piano grudgingly as a child, though I rarely practiced when my parents didn't have time to look in on me. After having stopped though, I often miss the instrument, which is why I picked up this book. I skimmed over the first few chapters on reading notes to focus mainly on learning how to play new pieces. On this, Ferrante's book does surprisingly well. The provided MP3 files serve as a guideline as to how each piece is supposed to sound, a sort of substitute for what traditionally is a piano teacher playing out the song for you. The little notes written into the sheet music were also helpful and went into a great deal of technical music terms that I had all but forgotten. I probably got less out of this as a slightly more experienced piano player, but it was quite helpful in reviewing techniques and the basic ground knowledge of piano that's often forgotten through the years. This book would be unsuitable for a more intermediate piano player, but as a former piano slacker who suddenly regrets not sticking with the instrument, this book was a lovely reintroduction.
Book is OK, MP3 file is not useful
I am a beginner, so I use this book because it has simplified classical pieces. However, I noticed typos in some pieces and, for example, I noticed that some video lessons notes do not match the printed notes. That leaves with the uncertainty what is correct. The main issue I have though, is with MP3 file which should be helpful for a beginner to listen and understand the goal. Especially if one is learning without a teacher who can play a piece. The MP3 file provided with this book and advertised as advantageous, just plays all pieces one by one with no way to select a piece. Not easy to find and thus not very useful for a student. If not for that, I would give 4 stars, removing a star for typos.
Very disapointed
I was looking forward to using this book, after reading other reviews. The recorded music online and the sheet music does not match for at least two songs I was trying to read and listen (Gymnopedie and Prelude in C Major). Horrible recordings ignoring all the dynamics written on the sheet music. There are no queues to find songs. I am also very disappointed with the arrangements. Most of them end very abruptly. Don't waste your money.
As sad as it is to say
Don't let today's dreams become tomorrow's regret. If you think about doing something more than three times then it means you should probably do it. If learning to read music and play the piano is something you have always wanted to do then stop waiting and start playing. This book has exactly what you need to get started. Step by step this book and video instructions teaches you the basics of playing music. Unlike other self-teach books, this book caters to all kinds of learners. Becuase of the read through instructions and the video examples, all students can learn. As sad as it is to say, the music programs in our schools are underfunded and ignored. As we all know, keeping students engaged in the classroom isn't always easy and for some students, a music program is the only reason they come to school every day. This book is a low cost and highly effective way to spark the love of music in students. Directions a simple, clear and the videos keep students engaged and amazed.
Good content; book binding makes it hard to use
I am completely new to music theory and do not play any instrument; I just want to learn enough to enjoy playing at home for fun. I bought this book to use with a keyboard I just got, and I have completed the first few chapters and accompanying exercises. The instructions are clear but each new topic is introduced very briefly, just enough to know to try out the exercises. If you want to know something in more detail, you need another book or good Internet search. But for me, someone who just wants to enjoy playing at home, this is fine. What is not that great is the binding on this book. It is bound like a "regular" book, so it does not lay flat and in the earliest chapters especially, it will not sit properly on the music guide on the keyboard. I have to clip it to the guide with a large document clip, which is a hassle to switch out every time you change pages. I gave it a 3 (really 3.5) rating because of this; if this was in a flat lying book format, I would have given this book a four star rating. I have not downloaded the videos yet; will update the review about that if there is anything new to report.
OK, but not one of the better piano instruction books
As an Adult that played the piano 30 years ago, I had forgotten everything and needed to re-learn the piano from scratch. I purchased 4 different piano lesson books and this was my least favorite. It is difficult to use because it is bound like a thick magazine and will not sit on the piano music rack, so I had to use clothes pins, clips, etc to use the book on the piano or photocopy the pages. In almost every song, the music notes have the letter printed on the note. This doesn't help you to learn the notes when you try to play from a normal music sheet. Overall I would rate this as the least useful piano instruction book I purchased of the four.
I like that the book includes MP3 examples
I took piano lessons as a child, I stop playing and practicing as soon as my parents stopped pushing me. Later in life when I began going to many concerts, I began missing the ability to play the piano, which is why I picked up this book. I enjoyed practicing with this book. I did not feel like I was doing on my own. The book include links to downloadable MP3 files which is just like my piano teacher playing a piece for me first. The notes added onto music sheet provide extra help for beginners. The selection of pieces in the book are varied and are very nice from the masters we all recognize: Beethoven, Bach, Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Strauss, Grieg, Handle, Paganini, Schumann, and many more. Ali Julia review
Absolute beginner? Start here!
Very happy with Ferrante's method of teaching! If you're just getting into piano, this book is a great step towards true proficiency. Ferrante begins with proper technique and music theory (note names, time signatures, and reading sheet music), essential to one's progress in music, and by the end has students confidently reading and playing some of the best known classics. While it is not an end-all method to learning piano (as implied by the title) it will smoothly transition you from beginner into intermediate piano studies. Just be sure to practice!
Amazing and easy!! You really CAN learn from this.
I finally got my wish to learn piano. This book and the videos are amazing!! Easy and truly fun. Mr. Ferrante is a master pianist and an,AWESOME teacher. Anyone who could teach me to play HAS to be good because I thought I was hopeless. He showed me I can learn. His book is easy to read,not so complex that you get tied up in all the tiny details, you just ..play. I love it!
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