Alfred’s Basic Adult All-In-One Piano Course

(60 customer reviews)

$13.00

SKU: B07G4TW59B Category:

ASIN ‏ : ‎

B07G4TW59B
Publisher ‏ : ‎

Alfred Publ. (January 1, 1999)
Item Weight ‏ : ‎

1.1 pounds
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Customer Reviews:

9,333 ratings

60 reviews for Alfred’s Basic Adult All-In-One Piano Course

  1. Early A. Dopter –

    Must get CD

    After a few weeks with this book, starting from scratch, I was pleased with my progress but knew something important was missing. What was missing was feedback on tempo and rhythm — you can’t trust yourself to judge yourself, not because of ego, but because you need an outsider to measure what you’re doing. A metronome could help, but I found same to be an added level of difficulty that does not seem worth it, at least in these early stages. I ordered the CD and that was the answer: you play along with a somewhat cheesy orchestral accompaniment that will rein you in if you play too fast, give you a nudge if you play too slow, and keep you on the right path while you work out your mistakes. Each song is preceded by two bars of clicks that set the tempo, so you’re learning not only how to play in time but how to get ready for what the tempo will be. You set your CD remote to “repeat”, and you keep going again and again — some of these pieces are less than half a minute. I’ve gone back to the beginning of the book (had zipped through 100 pages or so) and feel a big payoff from working with the CD. And with the “orchestra” in the background, working with you, you simply can’t fudge and give up on any passage. Nor will you cause self-loathing from your formerly unaccompanied mistakes — things will straighten out surprisingly quickly. Of course, it’s all motivation. P.S.: it’s much more fun to play along with the CD than alone, and I apologize for calling the orchestra “cheesy”. It’s probably just a digital keyboard, and it does a good job.s

    4 people found this helpful

  2. JPBlackBelt –

    WAIT! Before you buy more than one Piano Book!

    Ok, first off, I actually like this book, and I actually like it a little better than 3 stars. Here’s my problem: When I looked at piano books on Amazon, this manual and “Alfred’s Self-Teaching Adult Piano Course: The new, easy and fun way to teach yourself to play, Book & CD” both had excellent ratings. In fact AMAZON recommended them being bought together.So I bought them both.I just started them a few days ago (I thought I would use one for a few days, then use the other and decide which one I liked better to complete it before I finished the other one entirely.)This book and “Alfred’s Self-Teaching Adult Piano Course: The new, easy and fun way to teach yourself to play, Book & CD” are basically the SAME BOOK!This one has more “homework” exercises (writing in the manual itself, which I don’t care to do.) But the progression is the same, the songs are the same, almost page for page. (At least, I’m 40 pages into each, and they’re the same.)So now I have real buyer’s remorse… one of these is redundant.

    580 people found this helpful

  3. Adrian McGheeAdrian McGhee –

    Probably THE best for beginners.

    So, as far as interactive lesson books go, this one is unbeatable!I have another Alfred’s book for level one and it is about half as interactive. You can see from the pictures that there are fill-in-the-blank sections and pre-labeled sections.If you’re serious about taking the necessary time to learn this instrument fully, and the music completely, I’d recommend this book over the one with the pinkish cover and more straight on view of a grand (with a flower vase on it, that version is on Amazon, too, and by the same authors). I have both, and the pinkish one progresses much faster and seems to have a bigger emphasis on chord progression/learnin by by chord, and without a single worksheet.THIS book starts you off with some physical warm-ups, then worksheets and warm ups, before giving you a short melody that incorporates the steps and bits of theory you were just working on. I’d recommend getting the spiral-bound, too. It sits flat easier.There are supposed to be accompanying CD, but I’m not sure if mine came with them or not (I’m a trucker and have taken on leaning with a keyboard and this book, wish me luck!); I wasn’t home when this was delivered, and didn’t think to look for it when I gathered up my stuff to hit the big road again.

    44 people found this helpful

  4. ROY G. –

    I am very satisfied

    I am learning a lot since I got this book

    One person found this helpful

  5. Imran –

    Great book. It did not come with a CD.

    It is a great book! The Cd was not included in the book. Wondering how to get the soundtracks.

  6. S.A.M. –

    Very good, but you will likely need to buy an piano exercise book to supplement this material

    I recently started learning the piano again after a 20+ year break. I heard good things about Alfred books from a co-worker so I decided to give this series a try. Overall I think this is a great book for beginning adult students trying to learn on their own, particularly those that have never played an instrument before and/or don’t know how to read music. The learning curve is gentle, one thing I like is that chords are introduced early so even the beginning pieces sound “fuller” in comparison to other beginner books I used as a kid. The presentation is also top notch; the print is clear and the book is spiral-bound so it stays open.The one weakness of this book is that there are not enough exercises to build finger strength and technique. I don’t have it in front of me, but I believe there are only 2-3 Hanon exercises and nothing else. I’m not here to say everyone needs to do Hanon specifically, but I do think all piano students need to work on exercises of some kind for at least a few minutes each practice. I have played everything in this book and I just don’t think it is adequate technique-wise on its own. I would have like to have seen a few more exercises with a little more variation. Given that, I would strongly recommend picking up one of the many piano exercise books to supplement this one. I am personally using the Beyer Elementary Instruction Book and this combination is working great for me so far.

    3 people found this helpful

  7. Unkle Cleo –

    Dvd is incredibly boring.

    I already owned this book when I ordered the same with a dvd included. The book is excellent, but I found the dvd to be almost useless, so I returned them.Essentially, the teacher reads almostword-for-word from the book, and in a very boring, sterile, way-too-proper manner. Had she spoken in a normal conversational voice, instead of preaching to an audience of children, like a nun would do, I might have kept the pair. Too bad, too. This could have been a knock-out combination had the dvd been done correctly. I didn’t find it very easy to navigate either, but that could be due to my own anti-computer attitude.

  8. Heidi J. Shawley –

    What a great teaching book!

    Great book for learning piano! Easy to understand and broken into steps. Highly recommend it

  9. Cheryl smith –

    Very user friendly

    This All-In-One Adult theory was for me to help teach my husband how to play the keyboard, to learn finger placement on the keys and learn to read music.

    2 people found this helpful

  10. Albert –

    In depth book for SERIOUS students.

    This book goes deep into theory which can be great for some students but not all.If you’re looking to learn music and understand it as a language to learn and to be able to read and understand chords then this book is for you.If you’re just looking for a good time to jam and play quickly this book is not for you. I would recommend something much simpler.I wish knew there was a CD accompaniment but there is one available.

    One person found this helpful

  11. Maia –

    Excellent books for the self-starter.

    I took piano lessons as a kid, learned a little, but mostly was a poor, disinterested student because I didn’t practice. Now, as a senior, I’m interested in learning to play. I ordered all three Alfred’s Adult All-In-One piano course books because the price was right. I figured if I didn’t like the books I wouldn’t be out much money. Well, I LOVE the books. They are logical and well-organized and provide plenty of practice drills to strengthen your hands and fingers. I can’t say enough good about them. I’m learning things that I’d never been told about music before. Playing the piano is also a wonderful way to limber arthritic fingers plus gives you hours of enjoyment as you play. They are perfect for someone like me. And, if you need a piano I recommend the very reasonably priced Casio digital piano ($799) with its full piano keyboard, weighted, full sized keys and many beautiful sound options selected from a touch screen pad. No more overwhelming buttons and tabs. Since the Alfred books arrived I’ve been studying the Level One book for an hour or so then go to the piano to put the information I’ve learned into action. I’ve order two books of sheet music designed by Alfred’s at the book one level so that I have even more options for music to play right away. And Alfred’s has books for kids, too. I don’t think you can go wrong with these books.

    6 people found this helpful

  12. Deb GDeb G –

    Good book but….

    This is a good book to learn from but there are not enough practice songs for each section. Learning the C Major and G7 the two partial songs are the only practice songs for these chords. I’m 62 with no music experience so practice songs are important. I’m purchased other piano song books to practice with but they are too advanced for me. If there were more practice songs I’d give this a 5 star.

    2 people found this helpful

  13. ENRIQUE SAPIEN –

    Excellent course. I am learning, and fast. What else could I ask for?

    I haven’t finished it (I am about 70% of it) but I’ve seen and learnt enough as to rate this course.In one word: Excellent. I for sure will be getting more titles from this line of courses and author.A little bit of context: As a kid (I’m now on my 30’s) I had the chance to study a bit of organ and keyboards, just enough to learn the notes, a few chords and some songs.Fast forward to 2013 I got interested on piano, so having that previous experience I wanted to leverage it and went to take private lessons with a very experienced pianist teacher.Long story short, I was learning melodies and being able to play them, but something was missing. Basically, structure and backing theory behind what I was learning, and most of all, the ability to read the notes by sight, which was very difficult for me.This book/course gave me all of that which was missing. I am actually impressed about how fast I am grasping the concepts, and of course very happy for that.Besides, I take the lessons at home, on my own availability, saving time, gas and of course, the cost is much, much less (no comparison.)If you are serious in learning, I recommend buying a digital piano kit, there are good deals here in Amazon. I personally bought a Yamaha P95 (now discontinued and upgraded AFAIK) which is a great equipment too.Don’t think twice. This is a great course on which you will learn to play piano.

    2 people found this helpful

  14. Ted Chase –

    Looks like a great book. Can’t wait to get started.

    Looks like a good book. Can’t wait to get started

  15. Monica Lynne Layer –

    I gifted this to my daughter

    I have to keep buying more and more books for my 17 yo daughter to play, she goes through them very fast so any child out there, remenber, YOU CAN DO IT, do it for YOURSELF and everyone messes up so just start over, and play it again

  16. JC –

    It’s a good piano primer, but avoid paying extra for the version that comes with the CD.

    This is a pretty solid adult piano primer. Techniques and theory are clearly explained, and the fingerings are mostly numbered in where you need them. There are workbook pages to reinforce concepts. I am trying to re-teach myself how to play after not having touched a keyboard for about 10 years. As I have almost completed the book, and my skills have undoubtedly improved significantly, I have to conclude that it works.I do have a caveat: AVOID PAYING EXTRA FOR THE CD. I got the version with the CD, because I assumed the CD would be of an accomplished pianist playing through the exercises, in order to help me know how much I need to practice each piece before I should move on, and to help me correct subtle errors in my playing. Having such a CD would be very worthwhile. HOWEVER, THE CD DOES NOT HAVE ANY PIANO MUSIC ON IT. Instead, the CD has multi-instrument synthesizer arrangements of the exercises in the book. It sounds like children’s music, and it is neither helpful for learning how to play the piano or enjoyable enough to listen to for aesthetic purposes.My other caveat is that I am not a big fan of a lot of music in the repertoire. It includes music from a variety a genres, and silly songs like the theme from Gilligan’s Island. I would prefer a course geared solely towards playing classical music, but I do not know of one.I ordered level 2, but this time, I got the version without the CD.

    4 people found this helpful

  17. Kotek –

    Learning on my own and loving it!

    I used to play piano when I was 5-7 years old. Then I got a really bad teaching who hit my hands when I played wrong etc. Needless to say, I quit.However, when I got older I wanted to play again, so I did in college: 4 semesters of piano just for fun. Then I didn’t play for years. Now, 15 years and 3 children later, I am back to trying to play. My dd10 is in her 3rd year, so we bought a piano (we used keyboard before then), and I just really wanted to learn again. So I bought this book along with level 2 and 3 because I just loved the pieces my daughter was learning from Alfred’s books. I also love her pieces from Piano Adventures. After a couple of weeks I am no page 108 of this book. I really like the theory and technik (which my daughter lacks) so she has been learning from my book too. We love the Hanon finger exersizes. I looked over the books in level 2 and 3 and just can’t wait to get there. I have ordered Christmas books and a book with some popular songs. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn piano and not spend a fortune on lessons. I don’t think I could afford to pay $35 per lesson for my daughter and me! She does the lessons because she needs motivation like little awards, recitals, teacher telling her what to play, how many minutes a day, etc etc. However, motivated grownup doesn’t need it, and these books do great. I give it 5 stars because I can’t think of anything I don’t like about this book.

    7 people found this helpful

  18. Stanley Boschet –

    Excellent

    On time and as promised in mint condition, I’m good

  19. Carole Kensy –

    Best Book to learn to play the Piano

    If you want to learn to play the piano this is the book for you. You have to be willing to put in the time and patience with yourself to practice, practice. I personally have found it so easy to follow I know I have a ways to go but having the songs to learn along the way make you feel you are making progress. Great Book!!!!

  20. Nestor Alezard H. –

    Ok

    Ok

  21. Much0Gust0 –

    Not meant for Kindle

    I purchased this product on my Kindle and started off very pleased! It actually is a great system. I’m just starting out with my piano learning and this is a perfect book for a beginner like me. I really am beginning to be quite capable with my piano playing, and the instructions in the book are well-paced. I stumble on a few songs, but then I work hard at practicing them and feel extraordinarily accomplished afterwards. I’m excited to start on level 2 as well!However, I would recommend everyone gets it in the physical form. The screen size on the kindle version makes it difficult to follow since several songs do not fit on one page (they do in the physical version). Also, if you’re looking for some exciting songs that you can play while going through this program, you can get the 

    Alfred’s Basic Adult Piano Course: Greatest Hits, Level 1 (Alfred’s Basic Adult Piano Course Series)

    , but the page numbers line up with the physical book aaaaaand there are not page numbers on the kindle. Lastly, there are plenty of spots in the book where they prompt you to write answers (such as note names) into boxes, which you cannot do in the kindle version. I was fortunate enough to have a friend that already owned the physical version and I just used theirs after I realized the kindle one wasn’t worth it.In a sentence: This is a fantastic learning tool if you stick with it, but get the physical book and not the kindle version.

    3 people found this helpful

  22. Kay –

    Finally! I’m learning piano.

    You can teach an old dog new tricks.I have a piano teacher, she also teaches my son guitar, we trade lessons so I go every other week. The book is designed for you to teach yourself but lessons keep me motivated to practice and progress. I can go to a lesson, play for my instructor all that I have practiced and learned and get feedback and she can explain a few of the techniques and how to play some of the more confusing chords and music theory and then I tackle several more chords and songs before my next lesson. So fa this has worked quite well for me.I really can do a great deal on my own, which is nice, but I really like having the instructor to check in with and help me make sure I’m not learning things incorrectly. I’ve struggled the most with the position of my hands and wrists and fingers and she has been great at keeping me doing that correctly so I don’t have to relearn later on.At times I wish the book moved a bit slower. There are new chords every other page and I recently got overwhelmed wanting to just be able to put together what I’d learned instead of it always being something new but that is coming so I’m hanging in there through these next few pages of chords.Been leaning piano for about four months and am looking forward to being able to play some songs I know, hopefully soon!

    5 people found this helpful

  23. William B. –

    Overall 5 stars

    Love it. Alfred’s books has helped me tremendously.

  24. Leenbo –

    Recommended

    Helped me learn to play

  25. OSCAR RODRIGUEZOSCAR RODRIGUEZ –

    Arrived tattered and ungiftable.

    One book arrived in good condition while the other was tattered on corners of front and back. This was a gift so I cannot share in this condition.

    One person found this helpful

  26. Nicole –

    No CD

    Book good to learn with but no CD as advertised

    One person found this helpful

  27. P. Masuda –

    Surprisingly, the best course for beginner adults

    I am a piano teacher who has tried many adult courses witholder children and all ages of adults.The first advantage to this course is that the theory andtechnic are all in one book. Over the years, I have found that for beginners, theory and technic in a separate bookresults in the student forgetting to bring one of the booksto the lesson, or ignoring the practice of either book. Having the theory right in the main book is effective because the student can have a break from playing and immediately focus on studying music notation without playing.The CD is the most unique part of this program. Though itprobably is most effective with the guidance of the teacher,those of you who are self studying should know that practicing with the recording is a very powerful learning tool. Most people skim through lessons playing the songswith poor rhythm, without continuity and flow, and at tempos that are too slow to make the song sound good. The recording sets the bar, where you can develop good rhythmwhen you have learned to play the song well enough to keep up with the recording. You will practice a great deal until you have the mastery to keep up with a tempo on theCD that is faster than what you can do at first. My students have told me that it is great fun playing with theCD, improving all their skills and motivating them to practice more!

    9 people found this helpful

  28. LeeAnna –

    Great for preteens + with no experience

    Using this to teach my 11yr old to play piano. She is picking it up fast! She hasn’t had any previous instruction. I’m excited that they added songs like Gilligan’s Island, Over the Rainbow, and Singing in the Rain! I learned from this book as a teen, and it stopped at Amazing Grace. Now there are more songs to learn! She is very excited to learn too. We are moving at her pace, a new song and a page of theory each lesson. So far, we’ve been having a new lesson every couple days. I expect that to change as she learns to play both hands together.

  29. Rana –

    On to book 2!

    I love this course so far. Everyday practicing has gotten me through the whole thing in a month (I had a little music theory knowledge and had lessons for about 2 years when I was very young, so factor that in). I still need a LOT of polishing (probably another couple months before I can play all the pieces with few mistakes) but I think I’m going to press on to start looking at book 2 at least a couple minutes every practice session now (spending most of my practice in book 1 still though). I love the book because it doesn’t treat you like you’re 4. There are finger exercises to improve flexibility and a no-lesson section at the end of the book with several longer music pieces. The book covers a bunch of different styles too.. Classical, blues, some little tunes like “On top of old Smoky” and “Happy Birthday”. Christmas songs, hymns.. Quite a lot for one book. If you’re serious about teaching yourself, I’m personally having a blast and it’s so easy to come back to this book and WOW, I can play songs! I can’t wait to practice in the evening every day. P.S. practice your scales a LOT.

    5 people found this helpful

  30. Tonja Drecker –

    A solid book for slightly more mature students

    I purchased this one to teach a slightly older student, hoping that it would hold a fast enough pace to keep him interested. And it’s not bad. The basics of music theory are covered as well as a smooth introduction to posture, hand movements and such. The songs are fine and build at a relatively moderate pace. My student needed a little more a little quicker, though. But in general, I found it to be a good book for those, who are a little more mature and capable of grasping the basics fairly quickly. As always, it’s best to find another book or two with easier pieces to accompany it as well.

    3 people found this helpful

  31. lisa musgrove –

    Beast book for adults!!

    I have used this book many times to teach all ages of adults. I cannot say enough good about it. Easy to understand. My father bought a piano. He’s 87 years young. He’s having so much fun learning. I’m in another state. So its great he’s able to use this book.

  32. jkwdo –

    Excellent resource for adult beginners

    I started piano at age 77: totally ignorant. I stumbled onto this book at Half-Price Books, then was told by my brand-new piano teacher that this was her favorite teaching text . It builds gradually with lots of explanation. I enjoy the songs and always “ play ahead” because I just can’t wait to start a new lesson . I even bought one for my 17-year-old grandson who just started learning too.

    One person found this helpful

  33. mem –

    Very comprehensive

    This book is comprehensive and includes all the information contained in the “Self-Teaching Adult Piano Course”. I ordered that “self-teaching” book too but after receiving it and realizing that information is in here, I was going to return that one but found it would have cost me to return it rather than keep and donate it. I’m not sure why they have both since its redundant and confusing.Back on topic… This “All-in-One” course seems to be worth every penny and seems like an excellent value due to all the information it contains compared to the “Self Teaching” course. This book is the much better one in my opinion. I also have it with the special spine which can lay flat… that’s very important too! Very happy with it.

    5 people found this helpful

  34. Dorothy Thomas –

    Adult All in one course- Piano Lessons

    The book is in prestine condition and just what I need! Thank you for delivering it so quickly.

  35. Pam Holman –

    Spiral book

    I like how easy to use the book and fast shipping

  36. Mary ONeillMary ONeill –

    I’m finally learning how to play piano!

  37. Cynthia Whitmore –

    Very helpful book to learn to play the piano

    The book was what I expected and more.

    2 people found this helpful

  38. Mireya –

    Great

    Super easy to learn!

    2 people found this helpful

  39. cmybliss –

    Great Self Teaching Book

    A little background before I get into the real review: My 14 y/o trumpet player daughter has been wanting to learn the piano for years. Because she has C.P. we had been putting it off thinking that trying to coordinate both hands at once and read music would be too frustrating for her. Her trumpet teacher disagreed and recommended she start with the Suzuki method as she has and incredibly good ear and quite a bit of natural musical talent. From my understanding of Suzuki, there is quite a bit of parent involvement required. This is a problem for me given I have limited experience playing an instrument (flute. I really should have listened when my mom said I’d regret giving it up) and absolutely none with the piano. I bought this book to help rectify that, knowing that I’ll be sitting in on her weekly lessons and absorbing a lot of information there.Having only had the book a couple of days, I love it already. The book assumes you are coming to the piano with no prior musical experience and starts from the very beginning. It introduces the musical alphabet and shows where each note falls on the keyboard. When reading from the staff is introduced, the note names are printed right in the note so your eyes are traveling along the staff instead of looking elsewhere. With each lesson on theory you are given exercises and practice tunes that reinforce the lesson. There are also written exercises to really help make those connections solid. You move along fairly quickly, playing simple melodies with each hand separately to playing with both hands. Once harmonic intervals are introduced (pg.26) and you start playing the melody with one hand and harmonics with the other, you really feel like you’re making music! It’s pretty exciting to go from not knowing where middle C is located to playing Jingle Bells with a bit of harmony in 2 days! I can’t wait to continue to grow with this book.I do plan on adding scales and such to my practice sessions, as these are truly the things that will help you progress and give you a more fundamental understanding of how music is put together. Playing scales and arpeggios are just as important to a musician as stretching is to a runner. They may not be the most fun, but they are essential, which my daughter hates to hear.Some have said that the song selection leaves a bit to be desired. While I don’t disagree that songs like “Tisket, A Tasket”, “Lightly Row”, and “Aunt Rhody” are juvenile, (these are the songs all young musicians start with. The Good Lord knows I’ve sat through many a squeaky beginning band performance of them!) they are the type of song that build that foundation for the great things to come. By the time you finish this book you should be able to play songs like “Over the Rainbow” and “Singin’ in the Rain”. You can also find loads of simple piano music online for free and there’s always the option of purchasing books of beginner music if you find that you’re board by the selections provided.Also be aware that this book does not come with the c.d. Not really a problem as there are loads of nice folks who have uploaded videos to youtube of all the songs. Just search for Alfred’s Basic Adult Piano and you’ll have your pick.All in all, I really am enjoying learning with this book. I feel like I’m able to grasp the concepts that are introduced and will be able to help my daughter along once her lessons start in a couple of weeks. I’m looking forward to finishing this book, which I hope will come sooner rather than later, and starting on the next one.

    447 people found this helpful

  40. Brad B –

    Easy to read

    It’s what I bought. I will use it and hope it helps me relearn the piano.

    3 people found this helpful

  41. Tyler –

    Wonderful book for beginners

    I’ve only had one day to start ging through this book and my understanding of reading and playing music is already noticeably improved. This book moves at a great pace with a gentle balance of challenging you and yet not confusing you. Perfect for beginners.

    5 people found this helpful

  42. Lazychick –

    4.5 — Self-Study Review

    I really enjoy this book and feel that I’ve learned a lot so far, although I’m only halfway through. It would be ideal for beginner students or those needing a brush up, especially if they are working with a professional on the side. I’m in my mid-30s, doing it through self-study and find it relatively easy to do. I’m hoping to get a proper acoustic piano eventually and would love to know how to play well first. I’ve never had musical training, but have played off and on by ear–meaning, I didn’t know most chords, notes, or proper hand positions, and I certainly couldn’t read music. That’s certainly changing! Right now, I’m just seeing how far I can get with it and may take lessons later when I can afford it. I’m currently using a 61-key keyboard at the moment, but plan on getting one that’s 88-key with properly weighted keys for advanced lessons to tie me over for a couple more years until I can get an acoustic.While it’s certainly possible to learn on your own (this far, anyway!), I definitely recommend looking up instructional videos to help with hand positions and posture. I found several on YouTube, such as one called “The 5 Basic Elements of a Correct Posture,” by an English-speaking Russian instructor. I also suggest getting the CD combo package to help with tempo (hint: if it’s under $10, you are likely not buying the combo). I mistakenly bought the one without the CD and you will definitely want it, and the combination package is less expensive than buying separately. If you wind up getting the book without the CD, you can find demos on Youtube as well; it’s just a little more tedious. So far, I’ve located all but one (at the beginning of the book) and I’m just a little beyond page 50. This will come in handy for songs that are unfamiliar to you or are a little more difficult to play.Once you get to p. 50 or so, things kind of take an abrupt leap in advancement (position change) and the book kind of loses its clarity at that point to some degree, but it’s not impossible and demos definitely help. Just make sure to do those little assignments and practice loads. Because I play by ear and tend to memorize things well, I always go back to songs, even if I’ve previously played them before. That way, I make sure I’m reading the notes rather than sounding them out.All in all, I really enjoy it and I’m pretty amazed that I’m actually reading music, even if it’s with difficulty at times as I progress in the book. Because I tend to be my biggest nag, I will likely get the adult self-study version, too, but it was recommended by reviewers to start with this one. I also plan to get the eMedia Piano and Keyboard Method software program. I hadn’t seen it until after I purchased this book, but I feel that it will help me more with tempo and what not. I’m also visual, so that may help as well.

    14 people found this helpful

  43. michibilly –

    It is what it is… a beginner’s book.

    Several of the less complimentary reviews complain that the book is boring or slow… it’s a beginner book. One states that there are other books that are using classical music and not some of the simplistic music, one calling ‘When the Saints Go Marching In’ a children’s song. Really? If you’ve ever been to New Orleans you will note that every drunk in town plays it…. but I digress.This is a beginner’s book. I’m taking lessons and my instructor had no other adult students at the time and the only material was either very advanced, or kiddie books featuring ‘London Bridge’, ‘Mr. Froggie’ and other embarrassments for adults to play. Now, I should mention that I’m over 60 and have never taken any musical lessons of any kind. Before starting lessons five months ago I could not even read music. This book has been a tremendous learning tool for me, but again, I have no musical education whatsoever. Those who have played piano or have taken other lessons where they have learned to read music and possibly have learned theory will undoubtedly find this book too elementary.I have read that there is too much playing in the key of ‘C’ and that’s a bad thing. Well, for a beginner, it’s a good thing as it allows you to start playing some simple songs fairly quickly and that’s really the way to keep beginners interested and motivated isn’t it?As with all educational pursuits, first you need to define you goals. If you goal is to become a serious player, you definitely won’t be there at the completion of this book (can’t comment on successive books as I don’t have them yet). If your goal is like mine, to just be able to play to amuse myself, I think this book will put you on the right path. Some of the things I like about the Alfred’s courses are the supplemental books; you can pick up books with a lot of additional songs that correspond to the lesson books; my teacher has asked me to choose some songs to play and it isn’t that easy to pour through books looking for songs that I can play at my beginning skill level.As for music theory; you won’t pick up a ton of it in this book as it’s just too advanced for people needing a book this basic. However, I have found the ‘Idiots Guide to Music Theory’ to be a great book to help me get more up-to-speed on theory, and I use my teacher to help me with the parts that I don’t understand.There are a lot of good beginning books out there, but frankly, you really can’t compare them to working with an actual teacher, and I guess I supplement my teacher with this book…. or is it the other way around?

    32 people found this helpful

  44. MrsA –

    Great book! For kids or adults, I would think.

    For years, I wanted to learn the piano but thought my window of opportunity had passed thirty some eyed years ago. This book is great! I’ve been plinking around on the piano a few months but after starting this book (I’m about a quarter of the way through now) reading music is getting easier and I’m capable of working on playing from actual sheet music. It’s pretty awesome! I am 45 and gave up trying to live vicariously through my children😂 (neither were interested in learning).I like how easy this method makes learning. It takes practice, but the practice is fun because you can see results pretty much right away.I also like how the book lays open easily. There are bits along the way where you are asked to write in the names of notes, and chords. I find those helpful as well because it makes you form additional pathways in your brain – my boys and I like to call them synapse bridges. The neurons that fire together wire together, and doing as many methods to help remember the lessons is a good thing. I do have to go back to previous lessons from time to time for a refresher, but mostly because that’s just the way my brain works. I like the repetition. Makes my synapse bridges stronger.I know it’s geared toward adults, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work well for kids as well. Maybe not littles. But the format is simple and seems to me all that is needed are basic reading skills and a desire to play.

    One person found this helpful

  45. Michelle Lewis –

    can’t read music, but play by ear

    Don’t think you can use these interchangeably. It’s not possible. Just because you play by ear doesn’t mean you can read sheet music. I’m starting from scratch. I’m breaking old habits and learning how to read it. Once I have done it, I’m teaching my grandson. Then if he wants to learn more, then we’ll pay for it. 🙂

    7 people found this helpful

  46. Peter M. Ranon –

    You can teach an old dog a new trick (play the piano well enough for self entertainment)

    The media could not be loaded.

     We bought a piano (Yamaha C2) when our youngest daughter Lia expressed interest in playing the piano in 2009. I turned 50 that year and decided that I wanted to learn to play as well as I always had an interest. I played musical instruments while growing up but never that seriously (no marching band, etc.) so I knew how to read music but never a keyboard based instrument that required two sets of staffs (melody and chord) to be read simultaneously (sometimes the left and the right hands go in opposite directions and mostly at different beats!). So I started with Alfred’s All-In-One Course Book 1, then 2, teaching myself how to play (also purchased Book 3 but have only peruse through it but haven’t started it yet). Once I learned the basics though, I figured that “Life’s too short” and that Alfred’s taught me enough fundamentals that I should just start playing music I enjoy for self entertainment. In this video, I play short snippets here and there from Andrew Lloyd Weber’s “The Music of The Night” from Phantom of the Opera. I thought it was impossible at first (so many sharps/flats) but you soon realize that you just play on the black keys instead of on the white ones. I wrote the keys and fingers used to play the key (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 convention starting with your thumb) on the notes to simplify and eventually learned to play the whole song. Like most compositions, there are several pages of music but only a fraction of it is unique and the rest are variations on the same theme. I play the only the unique snippets here and there to try to fit the video within the acceptable limit for Amazon Video Review. Anyway, I hope you also tell yourself that “I can do it” and after learning the fundamentals, just start playing like I did as it is quite rewarding (much better than singing since the piano does the heavy lifting). Hope you enjoy! Yes, “you can teach an old dog a new trick.”

    546 people found this helpful

  47. Alex –

    I’d like to give it 5 stars, but…

    First, I think this is a really fine book for adult learners — especially those who may have played piano or another instrument before. The material doesn’t belabor each new subject, so if there is something you aren’t sure about after you’ve moved ahead in the book and want to review it, the information will be easy enough to find and you don’t feel like you’re getting hammered with too much material. Most of the songs are typical to primer books for just about any instrument. Some of the guitar books have the same songs in them, in almost the same order.The audio files from the DVD are very helpful, especially if you aren’t familiar with the tune. They give you good examples of what it should sound like at tempo. Which made me think of something. If you don’t have a metronome you should get one and use it. Practicing with it will help even out your playing immensely.One thing I did notice, is that the DVD doesn’t appear to have all of the audio files on it that the book (and the Amazon and Alfred websites) say it should have. I’ve emailed Alfred’s tech support and am waiting for a response to see how I can get copies of the missing audio files. As near as I can tell the following are missing.Lullaby, Chasing the Blue Away, Good People, Auld Lang Syne, The Stranger, Over the Rainbow, At Last, Singing in the Rain, Laura, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Ballad of Gilligan’s Isle, Chattanooga Choo Choo.That said, by the time you finish the previous lessons you should be able to work you way thorough these songs with the mp3 file. It may take you longer without hearing the audio, but you should be able to do it. If you need the audio (that matches) the music, there’s a program called Musescore that you can use to enter the notes and play back the file. This may seem tedious, but there is one important benefit from this — if you enter the notes using the keyboard (instead of the mouse) it reinforces what you have learned in the book reading the music.When I hear back from Alfred’s I’ll update this post with their response.8/20/13: I heard back from Alfred’s tech support. The CSR Matt was very helpful and sent a CD out with the missing items on it. Great customer service! I upped my score to a 5 now. I am very pleased with the book.

    9 people found this helpful

  48. GLADYS M. –

    Awesome! Self explained !

    I used this book in an elective class in college. I remembered being very easy to read so I bought it for my 7 year old niece that got a piano for her 7th birthday. She is infactuated with this book. She loves it and it’s learning on her on!!!!

    5 people found this helpful

  49. Craig –

    A solid beginner book

    I’ve had the book for 3 months and practiced consistently, 30-60 minutes a day, 5-6 days a week. I’m on page 84 of 159. Seems a good time to give a review.Aspects of the book I like:–The practice pieces incrementally increase in difficulty in a reasonable way. I feel like each new piece or concept only asks me to develop one new skill or piece of knowledge. I haven’t ever felt that the next piece is beyond my ability to play with some effort. Some pieces required a week or so to develop comfort, but most I felt comfortable moving forward after a couple days focused on a song.–The inclusion of music theory is helpful for a beginner like myself to understand concepts. I’m learning a bit about how much I don’t know. Picking up the proper terminology is going to be important if I ever want to play with other people or get lessons.–There’s a guy on that popular video sharing website (You know which Tube I’m referring to) who gives short lessons and tips on each piece. He’s been very helpful for any songs that I just need to be pointed in the right direction.Things I don’t love:–I’m not sure there’s any book where it’s possible to begin learning piano while only playing songs you’re really excited to show off in public some day. This certainly isn’t that book. Not to say I have major issues with the pieces. If you buy this book I recommend approaching it with a similar mindset as I have: the pieces are fine at worst, quite fun at best, but most important they build a repertoire of techniques and skills that will allow you to move forward in your musical journey.

    13 people found this helpful

  50. Stephanie Henderson –

    Great tool for beginners and those who need a refresher course.

    I love the way it is set up. My piano teacher recommended this to me, because she uses it during our sessions. It comes with two discs to assist with teaching you everything you need to know about playing piano, reading and writing music sheet music. It is hands down the best piano lesson book I’ve ever seen and used.

    6 people found this helpful

  51. Mother –

    Use More than One Method Book

    At first, I liked the layout of this book until I got to page 37 and I hit a road block. I still very much like this Alfred book for learning playing music with chords; however, this book rapidly gets into the G7 Chord before I felt I had the coordination and technique to move my fingers to do so. I felt that more practice reading in the Middle C Position, Treble and Base C Pentascale Positions, and G Pentascale using both fingers together and simpler chords is needed before moving to the G7 Chord. Since I couldn’t seem to progress with the technical skill of playing the G7 Chord fluently, I started feeling frustrated and did not enjoy playing from the Alfred Method Book. Alfred went very heavy into the G7 chord in almost every song beginning on page 37. I switched to the Faber Piano Adventures and got to about halfway through that book in Chapter 10 before I hit another road block since the Piano Adventures book seemed to be moving all over the place.I then switched back to Alfred and began again with page 32 Introduction on Cords and I am using in conjunction with Bastien Adult (Chapter 3) so that I have more practice. I find both Bastien Adult Level 1 and the Alfred Adult Level 1 cover topics in a similar order and gives me a better foundation before moving on to the next topic. Bastien has more theory written homework (with answers in back so I can check my work), and Alfred has more piano exercises. I think the two books together are a perfect fit for a self learner. Alfred does go more in depth in Chord playing and I find the songs in Alfred to be more challenging. It seems like if you are self teaching yourself, using more than one method book is a good idea. There is No one perfect method book, but if you use more than one, I feel it gives you a stronger foundation. Plus, the more songs you practice, the better Piano Player you become.

    24 people found this helpful

  52. Eris –

    Love it!

    I’m an adult learner who’s played violin mostly casually since 4th grade, in a wide variety of music genres, and with great sight-reading skills because I loathed to practice. I’ve done everything from “Twinkle, Twinkle” to Handel’s Messiah, to jamming with random drunk Scottish bagpipers. I’ve seen and played a lot of music is what I’m trying to say. This book has been great at helping me get “back to basics” (guess who never learned to name notes by sight, haha) and has been invaluable at teaching me a new instrument.Cons: the “write it in” exercises can feel excessive at times, and they introduce traveling and RH syncopated rhythms at almost the same time which is driving me slowly insane.Pros: the songs are the right mix of challenging and easy so I can generally figure it out within a single session, explanations are straightforward and walk you nicely through the exercises, progression is (mostly) smooth, and it provides a nice variety of either recognizable or easily decipherable songs to practice whatever skill was just discussed.I’ll be supplementing with Suzuki method (because I did their violin series and it’s actually a cult you guys) as well as some easy Joplin arrangements so maybe I can figure out how to make my hands do different rhythms, but I’ll be sticking with Alfred’s as my main course books. And if I ever get called out on not being able to identify a 6th interval or whatever I’ll go back and do the rest of the homework 🙂

    3 people found this helpful

  53. Heather Desplechin –

    Easy to use

    As someone with ZERO musical knowledge I found this super easy to follow. I took up piano during covid as something to do and this book was recommended to me by my friend who studied piano for 30+ years. Clear directions, useful practice exercises. Covers music theory, notes, beats and lessons build on what is covered in previous sections making to super easy to work your way through the book. Would definitely recommend for any adult looking to begin piano.

    6 people found this helpful

  54. Ben Wiley –

    and when I got this book it didn’t disappoint. I mean

    This arrived swiftly. I’m a self-taught person so I know all the notes, the major scale in every key, the four main triads in every key and inversion, etc – but I don’t know how to PLAY. I’ve been checking out “The Jazz Piano Book” by Mark Levine for most of my information. But that’s advanced stuff. What I desired was something to teach me to play properly, and when I got this book it didn’t disappoint. I mean, it starts off VERY basic, to the point that I know the stuff in the beginning of the book already – but that was reassuring, knowing that the book starts at square one and builds from there. It starts with something very important – exercises for the hands, something often overlooked but important from the very start, as many self-taught pianists play too hard and develop habits that cause problems down the line (carpel tunnel syndrome, for instance). So this book intends to start you off properly with warm-ups and stuff. Next, though, it gets right to the point and starts you on some reading on the treble clef and even starts with a simple song (“Ode To Joy”, from Beethoven’s 9th Symphony). So you start playing right off the bat basically. That’s a good thing. One thing to note here is that the books do not come with a CD – but when I started reading I saw they mention a CD, so you won’t have that as a reference, although I believe with a metronome and taking the time to really digest note-reading, you should do alright in playing the stuff from the book. Sometimes I think CDs make it too easy for people and they tend to gloss over really learning to interpret the music as written. I’m also trying to see if the book doesn’t have some site from which to download the sound files, though, just to feel like I got my money’s worth. Looking over the set of books (I bought all three), I believe I can really make some advances as far as learning to play classical goes. I would totally recommend this course to beginners looking for a start.

  55. SeattleDude –

    This is a very good book. I didnt give it five stars because it could use modernizing. But.

    So I am certain I had a version of this 20 years ago. It feels very familiar and as I am already a musician I am using it to train myself Piano. I was taught Bass Clef in school as I played a lower brass instrument. I certainly have some experience with treble but Piano is a challenge with both at the same time and this book really builds the relationship with the hands and eyes. It’s a very good method and I am actually through half in a couple of days but that is expected as Im not really a newbie. But there is very good instruction. What keeps it from being 5 stars is that its quite dated. I suppose there is no reason to rewrite a book but I don’t care for a lot of the songs and i think that is hurting it interest wise. For me I am more interested in hammering through it and then getting better sheet music. But that is honestly me nitpicking. This is a very effective system so there is a lot to be said for dont mess with it. But I would like to learn to music I can relate to or like.

    4 people found this helpful

  56. Nathan –

    An amazing and easy to follow piano book

    First off, I may not be the target audience as I have a fair amount of musical experience (8+ years). Having been in choirs, taken private voice lessons and having directed church choirs, I already had a grasp of music theory. Still, I had only used pianos or organs in the past for plucking out the melody, and any brief attempts at playing with two hands ended with frustration. I simply didn’t have the time to take lessons, so I figured this was all I would ever be able to do.After a conversation with an organist friend, I searched for the best adult piano book and purchased it on a whim. A week ago it arrived, and I’ve made it about halfway through, taking a 3 day break in the middle. (Since I have a grasp of the theory, I’ve skipped the theory sections, so I’ve been able to move faster than most students might).The instruction on fingering and the difficulty progression through the book is perfect. Although I struggle with each new song, after a few attempts it starts coming together. Every day I am extremely impressed with the new songs I am able to play. I (and my wife, who has taken years of piano) are dumbfounded at how quickly I’ve been able to progress, and it’s all thanks to this book! I will undoubtedly be purchasing the level 2 book when I complete this one!

    6 people found this helpful

  57. LEE4HIM –

    Well…I’m learning the Piano!

    I have no product to compare this too, so I am giving it 4 stars because it would be unfair to give it 5 without it being based on a competitors product. I am 32 years old and played trumpet in high school, but don’t remember anything. My grandmother bought me a really nice keyboard when I was in grade school and it has been sitting in the attic for over a decade so got it out, dusted it off, and bought this book so I could have a new hobby to take up my time in a constructive way. The book starts out simple with a middle C approach and introduces you to each key with exercises to help you learn them. Then after a time it introduces you to each chord with helpful exercises to learn each one and so on. After a bit it moves you up the Trebel and Bass clef to the G approach and so on… Super fun and it does get difficult, but if you stop and practice until you get things perfect before moving on it doesn’t get to difficult. I remember when I got the book, I looked forward in it, and thought I will never be able to play this stuff, but now I am playing it with ease. Great book and a fun and easy way to learn the piano. My new hobby is very fulfilling and from the amount I can learn it will last me a long time, and in the end I should be able to play a decent piece of any music with ease. I would recommend for sure! If your using a keyboard instead of a piano there are a few things mentioned in the lessons you will have to overlook since this book is based on a piano, but it isn’t necessary for you to have an expensive piano to get this book…just a quality size keyboard.

    10 people found this helpful

  58. Al928 –

    Alfred’s Adult-All in One

    Background:I’m a music major in college but my main instrument is guitar. I had to buy this book for my college piano class which I decided to take to force myself to practice piano. Again-my main instrument is guitar & I’m a music major-I already know fundamental theory (major & minor scales/keys, chords-triads, upper structures, major & minor modes etc…). I am learning to play piano because I pretty much have to as a student & because I want to have a strong functional & practical understanding of harmony & counter point (so I guess traditional & more contemporary). Playing songs I like on the piano isn’t really my goal.The Not so Good Stuff:I give this book a two not in comparison to Carl Humphries’s book, but because I feel that it doesn’t do the job. I understand that my goal in playing piano isn’t a common one & that many people want to learn to play the piano for fun & want to learn to play pieces (as you should really). However, I feel that this book is pretty childish & teaches in a way that becomes a hindrance in the future. This is supposed to be a book for adults but it doesn’t seem that way-it could move a lot faster & provide some theory through out the book so that the reader can develop an understanding of what goes on when he or she plays the keys.Perhaps it’s my prior education that makes me feel this way but I feel that knowing some theory helps to demystify what goes on when you play which helps you get your brain & fingers in gear. The concept of a major scale isn’t explained until page 100 of 159. Then it goes & attaches the formula to the C major scale which can be misleading. All major scales have the same formula-it doesn’t make sense to teach them as separate systems. I can understand if wind players can’t work with that kind of explanation but on the piano they’re pretty much structurally the same. Teaching them as different systems is just over whelming & a waste of time-it’d be better to give C major as an example & explain how the formula is universal & begin to explain the circle of 5ths/4ths (isn’t that the whole point of 440?). Believe it or not, that kind of information can really help when learning a song you like or that some one else wants to hear. It may seem daunting but adults are better than children at grasping concrete concepts & this book would be pretty easy even for kids learning piano.Another gripe is the middle C approach. There are more notes to start on than middle C & again, due to the nature of our musical temperament, countless tunes aren’t in C. It isn’t bad to start out playing this way-it’s easier to read. However, there isn’t any mentioning of keys until page 100-this can be a really awkward idea to grasp after getting used to playing only the white keys & an occasional black key. So if students find the music for a song they like but it’s not in C, what happens?The Good Stuff:You play actual tunes really quickly which is good because you work towards a musical goal not just technical ones which can get boring really quickly. A lot of reading is done-notes not text, so the student new to reading music gets a lot of practice getting familiar with the notes on the staff. The book also does a good job at providing exercises right before tunes so that the student can ease in to the tune with some physical familiarity on the keys. Finally,the spiral binding is great-book stays open every where.I’d say if you don’t have enough time to dedicate to ‘serious’ study/practice or consider yourself a slow learner and or just happen to be new to music, then you might want this book. I think Carl Humphries’s the Piano Handbook is a better choice for those who want to move faster & have the time & focus to apply themselves (I own that one too). The downside is that the material moves fast. A good idea may be to get both so that for the first few chapters you supplement the material in the harder book with the practice from the other book until you can move through Humphries’s book without training wheels so to speak. It’s more work but it’s the best bang for your book & the way to actually learn to play the piano & not what’s given.

    27 people found this helpful

  59. RectifiedGTRz –

    Great for beginner or review

    This is a very good adult course. I am a trained classical musician (play classical guitar) and 25 years ago I learned some piano. I wanted a course that would provide some refresher training as well as new insights. I was able to go through the book in three days, in maybe an hour or so each day. If you are an absolute beginner, this book will help provide you the basics of not only the mechanics of piano playing but also theory as well as gradually getting into the various key signatures. I like the course because it teaches chordal playing in both hands and introduces contrary motion scales. It also introduces position playing and very basic chordal theory (I-IV-V). I bought the three series and looking ahead each book builds on the last and gradually introduces new key signatures. The only thing I don’t like about it, it seems to favor the use of the sustain pedal. While this makes things pretty and makes chordal changes a snap, I practice each piece both with the sustain and without, trying to hold the chord shapes as if I was using a pedal. I don’t recommend this for young adults or children, however. The pieces are a bit old fashioned for them. By the end of the first book you will be playing some useful tunes, albeit in an easy format (such as Scott Joplin’s The Entertainer and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas). I also like the inclusion of some bluesy type 2nd intervals. You will learn something and you will feel like you have accomplished something by the time you end this course. Highly recommended! Also buy the series and get the scales and arpeggios book if you are serious about learning to play.

    23 people found this helpful

  60. Kevin –

    So far so good! I love that feeling you get when you play a song you recognize for the first time!

    I’m about a third of the way through. The book introduces the music concepts that are completely foreign to me in an easy to understand manner and doesn’t overwhelm you. I work at my own pace and go back and review old stuff as much as I feel I need to, but I always keep going forward, it’s kind of addicting. My only experience with music before were guitar tabs (and I was never very good). My first real feeling that “I’m really playing the piano!!!” was when I was able to play jingle bells by reading the sheet music. All in all there is no shortcuts to learning piano and this book is easy to understand, simple, and straightforward. You will learn everything you need to begin learning piano as an adult, but don’t forget Practice practice practice!From what I’ve heard I would recommend getting a teacher to check your technique, posture, etc as the book doesn’t go into all that great of detail posture/technique or correcting it, or making sure you are doing the right thing. But that is no reason to not buy this book.IF I COULD DO IT AGAIN1)If I could do it over again I would get starter lessons from a teacher and buy a “digital piano” first instead of a keyboard. I’m pretty sure this book was designed for a regular or digital piano, not a keyboard., but there have been NO PROBLEMS SO FAR learning on a keyboard, aside from non-weighted keys.2) I would get the book WITH THE CD. There are online sources that play each of the melodies and songs in the book (youtube), but I would rather have the CD right there (no youtube commercials). It’s worth the extra money to see what it’s “suppose” to sound like.

    7 people found this helpful

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        Hal Leonard Guitar Method Books

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        Great book.

      24. Connie –

        … lessons and our class asked if this was a good book to have and he said yes so I …

        I am taking guitar lessons and our class asked if this was a good book to have and he said yes so I bought it and am enjoying leaning new things that are in it.

      25. Carolyn H –

        They do not include the pattern exercises so that a beginner could hear what something sounds like and repeat it

        My biggest problem with the books is that the CD only includes certain tracks. They do not include the pattern exercises so that a beginner could hear what something sounds like and repeat it. Obviously there are hundreds of those in the book, but it would still be helpful to have access to it so I know if I’m doing it right or not.

        2 people found this helpful

      26. Guitar Player –

        Geezer can play guitar now…

        I finished book 1 and now am almost finishedwith this book… book 2.Buy it and play guitar…. from sheet music too !Nice !Next will be book 3… then the BLUES BOOK too !!!I can make fine noise on a guitar.

        4 people found this helpful

      27. Ann in the northwoods –

        Great book.

        Great series of teaching books. Love the cd that you can play with. Helps with the learning process. Songs are classics that have been around for ages.

        One person found this helpful

      28. Amazon Customer –

        Great fun for me

        Getting a lot of practice and learning out of this book. Great fun for me.

      29. David T. –

        Good beginner book

        I have all 3 books of the series. I have tried other books to learn on my own and this one explains the basics better then any other series I have tried.

        One person found this helpful

      30. mte1955 –

        Five Stars

        More difficult than Book I and still pushing through it but well done.

      31. Amazon Customer –

        Perfect books for learning Guitar!!!!!!!!

        These Hal Leonard guitar books are perfect series of books to learn to play the guitar. From beginner to more advanced, each book has a more advanced level of learning. Highly recommend.

      32. Peter Drake –

        nice item

        I’m using it with a student, and we really like the sound tracks that come with it.

      33. The Waterballoonist –

        Better than book 1

        I have used book one of this series for years in my teaching and finally decided to give book two a shot. It’s so good! There are a bunch of passages that are riffs from legendary tunes. Very straightforward explanation of tab and fingerpicking.Definitely worth it if you/your student is ready.

        One person found this helpful

      34. Angela Johnson –

        No bends or ripped pages. Good buy

        Came in perfect. No bends. Only thing is that I thought it was supposed to come with a cd too, and it didn’t.

      35. MrBeercan –

        Great for the Beginner to move on.

        This book is a follow-on to book 1. I like the Hal Leonard series better than the Mel Bay series. Mel Bay’s books go too far too fast.

        2 people found this helpful

      36. Romanza –

        Good, but considerably harder than book 1

        Good book, except Hal Leonard makes a big jump from book 1 to book 2 intellectually. Kind of like going from Elementary School right to High School. Maybe this is because book 1 is typically easier than other Guitar 1 methods from other book companies. it’s definitely the right choice after Hal Leonard 1 (Hal Leonard is an easier system than Mel Bay and some others). Really surprised Hal Leonard hasn’t covered power chords and a warm-up exercise up to this point?

        3 people found this helpful

      37. Patrick M. –

        fun to jam!

        I really like using this book alongside of Mel Bay Book 2. The combination of the two books gives students a great foundation for playing the guitar. This book offers some outstanding practice with strumming patterns. The CD is a must if the student is to really get a feel for playing the style and playing with others. So often students who play guitar don’t getting a chance to play with a group. This CD gives the student this opportunity in addition to making playing the guitar a blast! I have taught many students over the years and have found this book to be extremely popular and well worth the money.

        9 people found this helpful

      38. Jessica Dekovitch –

        Not for me.

        I felt like this really didn’t expand my knowledge from the last book especially considering I wanted to learn music notation.

      39. edwyn perezedwyn perez –

        El libro es el modelo diferente a la foto de venta

        El libro llego, pero es el modelo viejo. Diferente al publicado en la foto de amazon.

      40. Jill B. –

        Great book for beginners

        This was a great book for learning how to play the guitar. My daughter loved it.

      41. Tammy M –

        Five Stars

        perfect beginner book!

      42. Anthony De Lucia Jr. –

        Simply Excellent!

        I tried a few different guitar method books in teaching my son to play – everyone get you through the notes on the six strings and then dumps you in the middle of no-where.After a few false starts with other methods I found the Hal Leonard Guitar Method books and I absolutely love them. They are the best by far and we’ve been very please with them. I play a bit of guitar but never had formal instruction. These books served as my “lesson plans” for teaching my son and it works!We’ve gone through all three (Book 1, 2 & 3) and then started working with a few specialized/focused books (Blues guitar, Rock guitar, Guitar Theory, etc.). They all move at a good comfortable pace and leverage exercises that build and reinforce the concepts being taught.If you’re thinking about learning to play or teaching your children to play, this book is a great investment.

        17 people found this helpful

      43. RiseOne –

        awesome in depth training

        just like my title says…if you are just starting out on guitar…go through books 1-3 its good help! sweeeeeeeeeeeeeet

        One person found this helpful

      44. Kindle Customer –

        Needs complete update

        There’s no question that you can learn to play guitar with this method, but you’re not likely to enjoy the songs. Polly Wolly Doodle, Sinner Man, Frere Jacques, Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desire, Kumbayah? I am 60 years old and these songs are too outdated and religious for me. I can’t imagine youngsters enjoying them.

      45. Jwclaw –

        Big jump from kids book 2.

        I got this book because I thought the kids book 2 and book 1 over lapped too much. But once I got the book 2 I realized it was a huge jump and that book 1 was just right for the next book.

      46. Shawn Parker –

        Hal Leonard is king

        Stick with a teacher, and make that teacher Hal Leonard

      47. Nane –

        Great book

        Great book for those learning how to play…

        One person found this helpful

      48. margaret mary sutcliffe –

        I also like the layout which somehow seems user friendly

        A bigger step up from Book 1 than I expected so it helped to have done Book 1 well without rushing it. Lots more new things to learn and still very varied and interesting. I also like the layout which somehow seems user friendly. These are very good tutor books, full of fun and not too easy.

        One person found this helpful

      49. Parminder S Singhera –

        Three Stars

        GOOD

      50. Olivier Darveau –

        Five Stars

        good book…

      51. bruce p farenwald –

        Four Stars

        using the CD with Amazing Slowdowner makes the process very comfortable.

        One person found this helpful

      52. yihan yang –

        Five Stars

        It’s good!

      53. L A Read –

        Exactly!

        Just what we needed to continue with our guitar lessons and tutorial at school. We recommend it for guitar students.

      54. granny pm –

        Five Stars

        Son learned to play using this

      55. candidademo –

        good book

        helpful & easy

      56. Daniel Lambertson –

        Five Stars

        Good book

      57. Mitchell Green –

        good

        good

      58. Sue Gates –

        If you just learned how to read guitar notes,this book is perfect

        After i learned how to read notes,i was given the Complete Book (1-3) It takes you from notes to chords and everything in the middle. This is a treaure. I will Always refer back to it. The Big Red Book!!

      59. Celeste Martella –

        Hal Leonard Guitar Book 2

        Took 18 days for company to send in-stock 47-page booklet. Company never responded to my email concern/request. Booklet was in excellent condition. . . just took too long to receive.

        One person found this helpful

      60. Guitar –

        Five Stars

        Great book used Ha Leonard to teach guitar and love his step by step books.

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      Level 1 – Lesson Book: Piano Adventures

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      $9.55

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      • Books

        Alfred’s Basic Guitar Method 1

        $7.00         Buy now

        Alfred’s Basic Guitar Method 1

        $7.00

        SKU: 0739047930 Category:

        60 reviews for Alfred’s Basic Guitar Method 1

        1. Amazon CustomerAmazon Customer –

          Great material, but product not shipped well.

          These are great beginner books. 2 stars because they were shipped “brand new” but arrived with broken spines. They need to be shipped in something more sturdy so they are not folded in transit.

          One person found this helpful

        2. Yulduz Bozorova –

          Ok

          Ok

        3. Kindle Customer –

          Music in me.

          Nice and easy for me to learn.

        4. Tina smith –

          Five Stars

          My husband loved it

        5. Cheryl Cherry-hill –

          Good buy!

          I got the book for my 85 year old mother who just started guitar lessons. She loves the book because the notes are large enough for her to see!

          One person found this helpful

        6. Gabbie M. –

          Love it

          This is a great guide for beginners.

        7. JR –

          Five Stars

          Easy to follow

        8. Sharon Clark –

          Great choice.

          Easy to follow and understand, starts easy and builds on skills as you move forward without throwing you in right away.

        9. Charles Wilson –

          Five Stars

          great

        10. Morg –

          Great!

          Great beginner guitar book! no confusing terminology, and always to-the-point!

        11. Amazon Customer –

          Good starter book for guitar

          Could introduce strumming and chord structure more instead of concentrating on picking notes

        12. jp –

          would have been 4 stars but no sound files

          At a private teacher I do like this book…. but obtaining sound files is proving to be next to impossible. Of course you can shell out 13.46 for the cd but that seems a little unfair. Anyway, I did find it in iTunes store and purchased it and … viola….the sound files are included and actually will play….. but they are too fast for beginners. My plan was to find these files on my laptop (I know they are not coming from the cloud as they work even when I turn off my wifi) and use the Anytune app to slow them down…. but I can’t find them on my hard drive! They are there somewhere … but I can’t locate them. Anyway, if you are reading this and have found these files please let me know in a review. I would say in the questions section but for some reason I can’t find the “ask question ” link…. ugh.

          5 people found this helpful

        13. william –

          Perfect start into playing guitar manual.

          Exactly what I was looking for. Shipped quick. Highly recommend this seller.

        14. Rick –

          Been around for a generation

          The original edition(s) of this classic beginner’s book date back to the 1960s. When I was 8 or 9 years old (1965-ish), my dad bought a beginner’s guitar for me, along with this book. I was glad to see that the book is still around [in an updated edition], and I bought it as a future gift for my grandson… or someone else if he decides he doesn’t want to learn the guitar.

          One person found this helpful

        15. Amazon Customer –

          very good

          My friend wanted me to teach her 8 year old son how to play the guitar, so she asked a retired music teacher what a good book to use is, and he recommended this one. So we each got it and so far I am very pleased with it. I have never known how to read music (I learned to play chords years ago, but never to read music)but this book teaches to read music as you learn which string of the guitar plays which note and where it is on the music staff. I am learning things as I teach my little friend also. I really like this book. It is simple to understand and it is laid out in a way that I (and my student) don’t feel overwhelmed. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about playing than just chords.

          7 people found this helpful

        16. Kara Anne –

          Great book for a beginner

          I bought this book for a friend. As I am giving her lessons. It is well written and easy for a beginner to understand.

        17. Harpo –

          Good for beginner

          Easy to follow. Good for beginner.

        18. R&M –

          Great Book for Beginners

          Fantastic book to start learning how to play and read music. Very simple to use where you don’t need a teacher to help you thru the book. I started with this same book over 40 years ago and I just bought it again for a friend who is wanting to learn to play.

          2 people found this helpful

        19. L. M. Bolt –

          Easy to understand and very helpful

          I’m three years in to re-teaching myself piano with Alfred’s books and I’ve always wanted to play guitar as well so I bought this one. All of Alfred’s books are easy to understand but, as with anything, practice makes perfect. I’ve been doing the lessons for just over a month now and am pleased with my progress. Playing any instrument takes time and practice and I find myself wishing I could play more than three simple lines of ‘Ode To Joy’ but ,as with the piano, I know I’m learning things at this necessary stage and this book is very helpful.

          One person found this helpful

        20. invisible –

          Not the most inspiring elementary music book.

          This is an elementary level book, which has pictures, fretboard diagrams and standard notation. Many of the songs are traditional ones but others would be unfamiliar to the twelve year old target reader. It was designed to use song files which were not included and not linked so I suppose this means the learner must learn the song before they can hear it played. So I doubt that any child I know would be motivated to practice without strong mentoring from a teacher or family member. At this point I’d say it would not be as effective otherwise.

        21. Nurse James –

          As good as ever

          Every bit as good as when it was part of my training in 1965 forming a strong foundation for learning music theory as it applies to Guitar. This purchase is in an effort to show my Son how to fret with all Four fingers.

        22. Mark Weathers –

          Great

          This is a great beginner’s guide to learning to play the guitar.

        23. catherinepb –

          Good method, but not so good theory

          It seems to progress in a very methodical way from one string, two fingers, onto the next string and eventually all fingers. So the student can work up those callouses and build the finger strength gradually. I’m not sure I like how the theory is presented, and so I use a separate book for the music theory. That’s why I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars.

        24. Amazon Customer –

          Kids need to learn slower.

          It is great accept it goes to fast unless you have a teacher helping you. I have a teacher to help me but some people don’t!

        25. A.Prime.Shopper –

          Miss the chord chart

          It is still a good tutorial for learning to read music on a guitar. However, I REALLY miss the chord chart that they used to have inside the back cover. It is now best for only note by note playing.I used this many, many years ago when I was learning guitar, so this has probably been through several new editions since then. But, one of the most useful references was the the index with finger charts for nearly any chord. If I had known that it no longer contained this, I probably wouldn’t have purchased it. Will have to use on-line chord references instead.

          8 people found this helpful

        26. Lou –

          Not very basic for a beginner, more like a lesson on music reading

          The book is good but not what I expected for a non player beginner.

        27. Sandra Robinson –

          Guitar method for us oldies works!!

          Maybe it’s because I’m ‘older’, I am struggling a little. Mainly with the first string cords, but each time I practice them I see an improvement and better understanding. This book is great for explains thing in a clear and precise way. Love it. Highly recommend it.

        28. PeterSz –

          It is OK I guess but it did not help …

          It is OK I guess but it did not help my kids to want to learn the basics of the guitar.

        29. Muhammad Bilal –

          Easy to learn

          Very easy and detailed information for beginner learners

        30. TimM –

          Good basic book

          Bought this for our 11 year old daughter, who wants to learn the guitar. I went through the book and brushed up on my cords and note reading so that I could help her. The book makes it very easy to learn the basics and our girl is having fun trying to learn the instrument.

          One person found this helpful

        31. Amazon Customer –

          Cool

          Cool

        32. G. Davis –

          Good, needs to be updated.

          Good instruction, old songs.

        33. Leo –

          Very instructional

          Very instructional

        34. Norma V –

          The foundation to learn the guitar and play it.

          This guitar study is an expanded version of the Alfred guitar book 1. A basic study for the beginning student or a guitar player who would like to learn guitar basics and theory.

          One person found this helpful

        35. Cher G. –

          She is very happy with the book and it is easy for her …

          My daughter has started guitar lessons and this is the book her instructor asked her to purchase. She is very happy with the book and it is easy for her to follow.

        36. Gene’O McQueen –

          guitar hero

          was excited to open the package and start playing. although i have a long way to go to be the hero that enamours mariah carey i’ll practice, practice, practice until she recognizes my style.

          One person found this helpful

        37. Luke Freml –

          Nice book

          Nice book

        38. DEEVCO –

          Five Stars

          Needed for guitar lessons and was recommended by the teacher.

        39. Roderick E. Tankerson –

          Good Buy

          jumps right in. best for teenagers and adults.

        40. Clara –

          great book, very useful for beginners

          Came fast, great book, very useful for beginners.

        41. SaigonSteve –

          Good for the basics

          Good book for learning or reviewing the basics.

        42. Simon Segal –

          I’m happy with the item I’ve got from

          I’m happy with the item I’ve got from you

        43. CWalker –

          Five Stars

          Great book for beginners, children or adults.

        44. Amazon Customer –

          Don’t buy this if you are looking for the chord progression chart.

          It is missing the last page of Chord progression chart. I bought this for beginner to have the legacy chord progression chart.

          One person found this helpful

        45. loraleep –

          Five Stars

          Great book, great condition

        46. DuArte –

          Five Stars

          Great deal!…

        47. Dudley E Craig –

          Basic Guitar Method ???

          Only 3 pages of measly instruction; the rest of the book is some music reading but mainly sheet music you can get in many other places.I would return it but I was only suckered for $7.00.

          One person found this helpful

        48. Chan Chun Man Philip –

          Alfred’s Basic Guitar Method 1 (kindle)

          I bought the kindle version for convenience sake. But the images in the kindle version were so blur that I feel being cheated. It is below the usual expectation. Finally, I have to buy again a printed version.

          5 people found this helpful

        49. Mary A. Harris –

          DVD missing

          My husband likes the book but it does not have the DVD that was suppose to be included.

          One person found this helpful

        50. Kim B. –

          Easy to Understand

          This book is great, however we can’t access the digital files to listen to the samples that you follow.

        51. Jasonian –

          Great guitar lesson book for beginners

          Great guitar lesson book for beginners! I bought it for my son who just started lessons, but I’ve been using myself to practice and learn so I can keep him interested. Very easy to follow.

        52. Amazon Customer –

          Great book

          I sell learned allot from YouTube. But with this book I learned to play melodies and read music. It has some great songs.

        53. Pina –

          Easy to follow

          Easy to follow

        54. Ninjagal –

          Easy to follow

          Very easy to follow. This was highly recommended by a friend who teaches basic guitar and I’m glad I got it.

        55. Amazon Customer –

          Fundamentals of music

          This is a great book for beginners. It will have you playing music withpractice in no time.

        56. sveda277 –

          This was a great deal because I got the basics 1&2 and the …

          This was a great deal because I got the basics 1&2 and the theory book for the price the music store was selling each.

          One person found this helpful

        57. Claudio –

          Four Stars

          really good

        58. vincent –

          it helps

          na

        59. donna casale –

          Love it

          I had same book 30 yrs ago very goid

        60. Emma –

          good

          Good helpful for the beginner. Teacher recommend me to buy. Good good good. Hope to play guitar well. Fighting fighting

          One person found this helpful

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