Virtuoso Pianist in 60 Exercises - Complete: Piano Technique
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Book Reviews of Virtuoso Pianist in 60 Exercises - Complete: Piano Technique
Book Review: Must have...
Summary: 5 Stars
Written before 1900 - still being printed. You need this book if you're at all interested in playing piano. While playing the exercises isn't going to endear you to your neighbours, family or friends, I felt it has already started to improve the strength and control of my 4/5 fingers. The exercises are easy to remember so you don't need to drag the book around with you when you travel. My only slight complaint is that it doesn't look as if it has been re-typeset since 1900...Book Review: Can't recommend it enough . . .
Summary: 5 Stars
I teach piano, in addition to having played for over twenty years, and this book is essential. For my beginning students ages 8-adult, it's a great way for them to get started sight-reading using the interval-reading method as opposed to the note-reading method. The exercises will build up finger strength and dexterity, and make the note-patterns second nature. The scales and arpeggios are presented in a such a way that even my first-year students can do them with very little difficulty, as long as all the exercises are played in order.
For more advanced students, there's a way to liven up the exercises 1-20 so that even the most advanced students are challenged--play one exercise in one hand, and simultaneously play a different one in the other hand, then when that exercise is complete, switch them. After five minutes of this, you'll be asking yourself, "Who needs caffeine?" because you'll definitely be wide-awake!
This book also enforces good technique because it hurts if your fingers/hands are not used properly. There shouldn't be pain, throbbing or burning--you have relaxed hands and be able to play this all day long. If you can't, you need to see a teacher for a few lessons at a minimum, to fix your technique.
If you have any aspirations of playing piano well, this book is the place to start, and you'll be playing from it all your life . . . so just jump in and buy it!
Book Review: Building the fundamentals
Summary: 4 Stars
This book takes the budding pianist through exercise to strengthen fingers and build up agility and coordination. The exercises can be quite melodic themselves, especially as one builds up speed using increasingly fast settings on a metronome.
While repetitive and bound to drive your closest nuts, it is the best way to achieve a solid foundation as a piano player.
Book Review: Good book
Summary: 4 Stars
I'm just learning play piano, this exercises are very good to develop agility and strength in both hands.Book Review: Done a 180 on this book
Summary: 5 Stars
I used this book in grade school when I took piano lessons and HATED it with a passion. Some decades later, I'm picking up the piano again, and my weak fingers made me think about these exercises. I acquired the book, and have been working through the exercises again, and over just the space of 6 weeks have noticed dramatic improvement. It's taken a while because I don't practice every day, or for the same length of time. Just for giggles I've tried playing the first exercise a couple times at the fast end of the recommended metronome speed (60-108). At first I just couldn't do it. Now I can get through about half of it at top speed, and I can play the first two exercises with quality at 80. I find that by practicing the exercises first without the metronome, then with at the low end, then slowly increasing the speed, that I get a real sense of accomplishment and progress in smaller doses, which is very satisfying and motivating to work on the longer term goals of learning whole pieces of music.