Piano for Dummies by Blake Neely Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Piano for Dummies
Book Review: Lacking exercises.
Summary: 3 Stars
The two problems with the book are the lack of exercises and not setting a time frame for the available ones. It's divided into chapters and theories just follow eachother. The author doesn't stop and tell you to start practicing a certain piece, for how long and what else you can do.Book Review: Look elsewhere.
Summary: 2 Stars
Even though the book does embody several hints on playing the piano, two stars are still generous. The book lacks coherency and is a mind-dulling read at best. Constant attempts at humor make for twitching and disgust. It is hard to stay focused and interested in this book, no matter how ambitious the pianist. There are other great books out there that demonstrate the piano beautifully and that have a much stronger appeal. My recommendation is to keep looking and don't stop here.Book Review: Not helpful for a beginner
Summary: 2 Stars
I bought this book a few years ago before taking formal lessons. My idea was to gain some basics on reading music and piano-playing before engaging a tutor. The book started out o.k. and rather helpful but went totally downhill after something like Chapter 3. When I reached page 80, I couldn't continue reading because the chapters become totally disorganized, the lessons difficult to grasp and not suited for a beginner (especially if you have no one to guide you). The author explains something, presents a short music sheet exercise for you to play and then moves on to another lesson. If you're totally new, you won't be able to tell if you're playing the exercise given correctly (e.g. how to ensure smooth/non-"chopping" playing, observing the correct tempo, counting correctly, etc.). Not having a teacher means there's no one to correct your mistakes. The accompanying CD is not of much help if you have an untrained ear.
I was glad I "dumped" this book because it isn't worth the bother to finish. My advice if you are serious about wanting to learn the piano is to get a good and dedicated piano teacher IMMEDIATELY. No amount of reading could substitute having a real teacher. And your teacher will be able to recommend suitable reading materials. I'm into Grade 4 now (and my 2nd piano tutor whom I find a real gem) and when I think back to Blake Neely's "Piano for Dummies", I realize what a waste of time reading this book had been. What annoyed me most was that Neely tried so hard to be funny... peppering (and wasting) the pages with jokes... when the space could have been used for more useful lessons on playing the instrument.
Overall, I do not recommend this book. There are certainly better guide books in the market as I have discovered. If you're a beginner, it's perhaps useful to start with the trusted Alfred Library/Bastian/John Thompson book-series on piano theory and practice. Good luck!
Book Review: Not for DUMMIES!; Great way to begin!
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this book 2 months ago and started practicing an hour from it daily. The results were shockingly great and speedy. After a week of practice I would go back and shoot through the preliminary songs as if they were child's play!My one problem with it is the way you're presented with practice material. It's never specified how long or often you should practice something before moving on. Just be patient and ONLY MOVE ON ONCE YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH A PIECE. Do that and this minor problem won't affect you at all.
I really like the play along cd. It does help alot. Also, the humorous way in which you're presented with all of the material this book contains will have you learning great amounts of theory and technique without even realizing it. This book is great as a reference book as well.
So, although it's challenging (sight-reading in particular), you'll soon learn that with a little consistence and assiduity you'll be on your way to "tickling the ivories with the best of 'em"!
Book Review: Now I can play
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought the book the other day and breezed right thru it. It's great in that you can skip around the book to the sections you NEED to read (or refresh yourself on). I keep it handy because I often refer to it. It is thorough in explaining various aspects of reading music, playing, etc. The humor interspersed makes it enjoyable to read rather than boring but the humor doesn't detract from the content and lesson. Glad I bought it and you should buy it, too, if you want to teach yourself how to play!