<p>Our high school allows kids to schedule a 1 credit class for either voice lessons or their concert band instrument. The teacher's have agreed to go outside the box and use that time to get my D started with piano instruction. They gave her an assignment to find a good starting instruction book. </p>
<p>Does anyone know what some of the colleges use for basic level piano students? The one's I'm finding on line assume that you don't know any theory, which isn't the case here. She's taken both intro to theory and AP theory (got a 5) and plays violin, in addition to being an excellent sight singer (her primary instrument). </p>
<p>I thought about emailing some of the schools she's been talking with. Any other suggestions out there? Thanks!</p>
<p>This book is used in piano classes for undergrad music students who are not piano majors. Keyboard Strategies: A Piano Series for Group or Private Instruction, Created for the Older Beginner. by Melvin Stecher, Norman Horowitz, Claire Gordon, R. Fred Kern and E. L Lancaster. published by G. Schirmer. There are two books that accompany it called Solo Repertoire and Ensemble Repertoire.</p>
<p>I tried backdooring into my son’s alma mater to try and get a title or two from the first year piano courses for music (non piano) majors. The way the bookstore site is structured, I can’t get the books under those course listings. </p>
<p>Perhaps a student or parent of a current undergrad could provide a couple of titles.</p>
<p>Rigaudon - Thanks! That’s exactly the type of book I’m looking for. Do you know - is that a pretty common book for schools? </p>
<p>Violadad - Thanks for trying! I’ve been all over the Westminster bookstore and course catalogue because they’ll only show you the required course book if you know the course number. I understand exactly what you mean.</p>
<p>At Rice DD has had “Keyboard Musicianship piano for adults” James Lyke, Tony Caramia, Reid Alexander, Geoffrey Haydon. Two books series to help with the piano skills test required before graduation.</p>
<p>BeezMom, I think it is a good idea to email some schools and ask for book recommendations. I heard of the book I mentioned for a different reason than your need, it was recommended by a piano teacher as a way to study/review music theory in the context of piano. I bought the book from a sheet music store in a large city that has several colleges/universities with music schools and was told that it was used in some class piano programs for nonpiano majors. Don’t want to name the schools because I can’t say for sure that this is currently accurate, but from an internet search I just did, I read that the the second volume of the book I named is used at University of North Texas for study leading up to secondary piano proficiency exam. I assume that is accurate, it is on the UNT website. If you live in an area with a good sheet music store that caters to college-level musicians, it may be possible to look at a few of these books and compare them.</p>
<p>I know that the two books recommended above by Rigaudon and Singersmom are used by many music depts. for class piano for non-pianist music majors. They are both good texts for helping students pass basic piano proficiency and include work on skills beyond “just playing repertoire” - things like chord patterns and harmonization, transposing, scales, ensemble/duet repertoire, etc. They both also include elementary and intermediate solo literature. There are a couple of volumes (levels) for each text moving from very basic to near intermediate levels of playing.</p>
<p>I know they have been available on Amazon - at least in the past. It may be that you can do a “Look Inside” through the Amazon website and see the Table of Contents and a sample lesson or two.</p>
<p>All - thanks for your suggestions. When I was doing the inital google search on my own, I kept coming up with things that said “this book is great because it starts with letters and eventually brings the student to notes”. Argh.</p>
<p>This is funny - the third piano book I have in my files for soon-to-be-music majors wanting piano basics is “Piano for the Developing Musician”! I searched several years ago to help students out when they have this question - the three books mentioned were the ones I most commonly found in use.</p>
<p>Of the three, my personal favorite is the Keyboard Musicianship by James Lyke, Tony Caramia, Reid Alexander, Geoffrey Haydon. I must admit though that I have an old edition - don’t know what the current one looks like.</p>