Beginning piano students are in the process of feeling comfortable with the piano. Especially if your child has never sat down at a piano, the combination of black notes and the seemingly never-ending row of white notes can be very overwhelming. Your beginning pianist is also learning the fundamental concepts of music: notes, rhythms, and dynamics. Although this may sound easy, it is similar to learning another language and is the foundation of all music.
In order to understand notes, you will find your child learning about:
- high and low
- the treble and bass clef
- the grand staff
- note names and their locations
- major and minor five-finger scale patterns
- simple major and minor I and V7 chords and arpeggios
When it comes to understanding rhythms, your beginner piano player will learn:
- time signatures
- the value of notes, such as eighth notes, quarter note, half note, dotted half note, and whole note
- rests
- bar lines
- how to count in music
- discovering the metronome
The “extras” include:
- dynamics
- articulations
- pedaling
- reading the musical road map
Along with learning musical concepts, your child is also learning techniques that apply to the instrument. This includes:
- correct body posture, bench location, and arm position
- developing proper hand position
- using the proper finger numbers (each finger has it’s own number “name”)
- discovering where notes are located on the piano
- when to use the right hand (R.H.) or left hand (L.H.)
- how to know which finger to use
- understanding where to put each hand when learning a new piece
- moving hands up and down the keyboard
- crossing over the other hand
- how to maneuver the piano with ease
Beginner Piano Music Books
There are many piano method books and your child will likely play through several of these books. The most popular today are the Bastien and Faber methods. While both series present the concepts in a logical format, they differ from each other. For example, Bastien books move faster than Faber books. There are some concepts covered in the Bastien Level 1 Piano Book that are not found in the Faber books until the Lesson 2B Book. In these beginner books, Bastien focuses heavily on repetition in the Middle C, C, F, and G hand positions. In the first several books, Faber introduces Middle C, C, and later G, but quickly changes fingering for those positions so that the student becomes comfortable moving around the piano. Both series have their strengths, and should be chosen based on your child’s learning style, personality, and interest.The following method books are listed in order of level of difficulty.
Method Books
Bastien Piano Basics: Piano for the Young Beginner – Primer A
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Piano for the Young Beginner – Primer A For piano. Method. Bastien Piano Basics. Learn To Play. Primer. Instructional book (big note notation). Introductory text, instructional text, big note notation, easy piano notation, fingerings, illustrations, lyrics and harmony part (for the teacher). 48 pages. Published by Neil A. Kjos Music Company (KJ.WP230)
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Bastien Piano Basics: Piano for the Young Beginner – Primer B
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Piano for the Young Beginner – Primer B For piano. Method. Bastien Piano Basics. Learn To Play. Primer. Instructional book. Introductory text, instructional text, easy piano notation, fingerings, lyrics, harmony part (for the teacher) and illustrations. 48 pages. Published by Neil A. Kjos Music Company (KJ.WP231)
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Piano Adventures: Lesson Book – Primer Level
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Piano Adventures Primer Level – Lesson Book (2nd Edition) For Piano. Faber Piano Adventures®. Methods. Primer. Softcover. 72 pages. Faber Piano Adventures #FF1075. Published by Faber Piano Adventures (HL.420168)
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Bastien Piano Basics: Piano Book – Primer Level
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Bastien Piano Basics, Primer, Piano For piano. Method. Bastien Piano Basics. Learn To Play. Primer. Instructional book (big note notation). Introductory text, instructional text, big note notation, easy piano notation, fingerings, lyrics (on most songs) and illustrations. 64 pages. Published by Neil A. Kjos Music Company (KJ.WP200)
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Piano Adventures: Lesson Book Level 1 – by Faber
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Piano Adventures Level 1 – Lesson Book (2nd Edition) For Piano. Faber Piano Adventures®. Methods. 1. Softcover. 64 pages. Faber Piano Adventures #FF1078. Published by Faber Piano Adventures (HL.420171)
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Bastien Piano Basics: Piano Book – Level 1
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Bastien Piano Basics, Level 1, Piano For piano. Method. Bastien Piano Basics. Learn To Play. Level 1. Instructional book. Introductory text, instructional text, easy piano notation, fingerings, lyrics (on most songs) and illustrations. 55 pages. Published by Neil A. Kjos Music Company (KJ.WP201)
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Accelerated Piano Adventures: Lesson Book – Level 1
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Accelerated Piano Adventures for the Older Beginner (Lesson Book 1). By Nancy Faber and Randall Faber. For Piano. Faber Piano Adventures®. Methods. Primer/Level 1. Softcover. 96 pages. Faber Piano Adventures #FF1205. Published by Faber Piano Adventures (HL.420227)
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Piano Adventures: Lesson Book Level 2A
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Piano Adventures Level 2A – Lesson Book For Piano. Faber Piano Adventures®. Methods. Level 2A. Instructional book. 64 pages. Faber Piano Adventures #FF1081. Published by Faber Piano Adventures (HL.420174)
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Technique Books
Piano Adventures: Technique/Artistry Book – Primer Level
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Piano Adventures Primer Level – Technique & Artistry Book By Nancy Faber and Randall Faber. For Piano. Faber Piano Adventures®. Methods. Primer. Softcover. 32 pages. Faber Piano Adventures #FF1096. Published by Faber Piano Adventures (HL.420189) |
Bastien Piano Basics: Technic Book – Primer Level
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Bastien Piano Basics, Primer, Technic For piano. Technic. Bastien Piano Basics. Technique. Primer. Piano studies book (big note notation). Introductory text, big note notation, easy piano notation, fingerings and illustrations. 32 pages. Published by Neil A. Kjos Music Company (KJ.WP215)
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Piano Adventures: Technique/Artistry Book Level 1
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Piano Adventures Level 1 – Technique & Artistry Book (2nd Edition) By Nancy Faber and Randall Faber. For Piano. Faber Piano Adventures®. Methods. 1. Softcover. 40 pages. Faber Piano Adventures #FF1097. Published by Faber Piano Adventures (HL.420190)
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Bastien Piano Basics: Technic Book – Level 1
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Bastien Piano Basics, Level 1, Technic For piano. Technic. Bastien Piano Basics. Technique. Level 1. Piano studies book. Introductory text, easy piano notation, fingerings and illustrations. 32 pages. Published by Neil A. Kjos Music Company (KJ.WP216)
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Accelerated Piano Adventures: Technique/Artistry Book – Level 1
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Accelerated Piano Adventures for the Older Beginner (Technique & Artistry, Book 1). By Nancy Faber and Randall Faber. For Piano. Faber Piano Adventures®. Methods. SMP Level 1 (Elementary). Softcover. 64 pages. Faber Piano Adventures #FF1420. Published by Faber Piano Adventures (HL.420250)
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Piano Adventures: Technique/Artistry Book – Level 2A
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Piano Adventures Level 2A – Technique & Artistry Book By Nancy Faber and Randall Faber. For Piano. Faber Piano Adventures®. Methods. Level 2A. Instructional book. 40 pages. Faber Piano Adventures #FF1098. Published by Faber Piano Adventures (HL.420191)
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Theory Books
Bastien Piano Basics: Theory & Technic for the Young Beginner – Primer A
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Theory & Technic for the Young Beginner – Primer A For piano. Theory. Bastien Piano Basics. General Theory. Primer. Instructional book. Introductory text, instructional text, illustrations and musical examples. 40 pages. Published by Neil A. Kjos Music Company (KJ.WP232)
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Bastien Piano Basics: Theory & Technic for the Young Beginner – Primer B
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Piano for the Young Beginner – Primer B For piano. Method. Bastien Piano Basics. Learn To Play. Primer. Instructional book. Introductory text, instructional text, easy piano notation, fingerings, lyrics, harmony part (for the teacher) and illustrations. 48 pages. Published by Neil A. Kjos Music Company (KJ.WP231)
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Piano Adventures: Theory Book – Primer Level
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Piano Adventures Primer Level – Theory Book (2nd Edition) For Piano. Faber Piano Adventures®. Theory. Primer. Softcover. 48 pages. Faber Piano Adventures #FF1076. Published by Faber Piano Adventures (HL.420169)
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Bastien Piano Basics: Theory Book – Primer Level
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Bastien Piano Basics, Primer, Theory For piano. Theory. Bastien Piano Basics. Note Reading. Primer. Instructional book. Introductory text, instructional text, musical examples and illustrations. 40 pages. Published by Neil A. Kjos Music Company (KJ.WP205)
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Piano Adventures: Theory Book – Level 1
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Piano Adventures Level 1 – Theory Book (2nd Edition) For Piano. Faber Piano Adventures®. Theory. 1. Softcover. 48 pages. Faber Piano Adventures #FF1079. Published by Faber Piano Adventures (HL.420172)
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Bastien Piano Basics: Theory Book – Level 1
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Bastien Piano Basics, Level 1, Theory For piano. Theory. Bastien Piano Basics. General Theory. Level 1. Instructional book. Introductory text, instructional text, musical examples and illustrations. 32 pages. Published by Neil A. Kjos Music Company (KJ.WP206)
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Accelerated Piano Adventures: Theory Book – Level 1
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Accelerated Piano Adventures for the Older Beginner (Theory Book 1). By Nancy Faber and Randall Faber. For Piano. Faber Piano Adventures®. Theory. Softcover. 64 pages. Faber Piano Adventures #FF1206. Published by Faber Piano Adventures (HL.420228) |
Piano Adventures: Theory Book Level 2A
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Piano Adventures Level 2A – Theory Book For Piano. Faber Piano Adventures®. Theory. Level 2A. Instructional book. 40 pages. Faber Piano Adventures #FF1082. Published by Faber Piano Adventures (HL.420175)
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Performance Books
Piano Adventures: Gold Star Performance Book – Primer Level
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Piano Adventures Primer Level – Gold Star Performance By Nancy Faber and Randall Faber. For Piano. Faber Piano Adventures®. Methods. Primer. Softcover with CD. 40 pages. Faber Piano Adventures #FF1602. Published by Faber Piano Adventures (HL.420255) |
Piano Adventures: Gold Star Performance – Level 1
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Piano Adventures Level 1 – Gold Star Performance with CD By Nancy Faber and Randall Faber. For Piano. Faber Piano Adventures®. Methods. 1. Softcover with CD. 40 pages. Faber Piano Adventures #FF1603. Published by Faber Piano Adventures (HL.420256)
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Piano Adventures: Gold Star Performance – Level 2A
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Piano Adventures Level 2A – Gold Star Performance with CD By Nancy Faber and Randall Faber. For Piano. Faber Piano Adventures®. Methods. 2A. Softcover with CD. 40 pages. Faber Piano Adventures #FF1604. Published by Faber Piano Adventures (HL.420257)
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