Top 4 Older Beginner Piano Books

[@arlenek6797]

Perfect! I am in my 50's returning because homeschool my son. It has been fun learning together! I love the Prelude one !

[@ColourfulKeys]

Have fun!

[@maryannstone-scott1758]

Thank you for recommending the Piano Safari Method. I have and love the Older Student 2 book. This is the first time in my life I am actually memorizing pieces.

[@rachelrachel7905]

I enjoy playing all over the piano, I didn't get many lessons as they bored me. I am looking for some book ideas that are not boring. I love full piano active sounds such as Handle's Messiah. My partner plays jazz and gospel sax. I also enjoy folk songs, Celtic. I am comfortable with chorded October runs....so I call them.

[@MotifMusicStudios]

Great to hear your thoughts on these collections.

[@ColourfulKeys]

Thanks for watching!

[@Yuliana_lisova]

I love Prelude and use it with my 10 years old beginners. I don’t personally like Piano Adventure accelerated. For adult beginners i love Alfred’s adult. Going to check Fired up since i’m a big fan of Jennifer.

[@daniellem_24]

i used Accelerated Piano Adventures but i did start piano lessons with prior knowledge of theory so i found it easier to work with and learn from

[@kristingarson2413]

Thank you for this video! This is so helpful.

[@ColourfulKeys]

Glad it was helpful!

[@james2578]

what an absolutely lovely vibe u have :)

[@ColourfulKeys]

Why thank you!

[@dmollmusic]

Hello, What do you think about the book, A modern method for keyboard Berklee edition? In 4 books.

[@ColourfulKeys]

I don’t know it sorry

[@dmollmusic]

@@ColourfulKeys Thank you :)

[@kermitfrog593]

Nice video, you're a very clear communicator. I have a question if you don't mind... what would you recommend for the adult who primarily wants to write songs, and uses the piano to explore and improvise? Should they aim to reach a certain technical proficiency before writing songs, or dive in and learn technique alongside their songwriting? Thanks.

[@ColourfulKeys]

Don’t let skill level hold you back! Dive in and experiment right away. I’d recommend also getting a teacher who can help you work towards your goals.

[@kermitfrog593]

@@ColourfulKeys Thanks for your reply. Yes I plan on working with a teacher.

[@anasknowsnothing]

Hi, thank you for the video, it was very useful and your explanations were clear. You approached this video from the perspective of a teacher - however which book would you recommend to a beginner who is learning piano independently? A bit of background if it helps: I’ve been playing piano on and off for a couple of years, and I’ve learnt a couple of songs from KZbin, but I want to have better foundational piano knowledge and be able to scale my learning to become a better piano player. I’d also like to improve at sight reading as I currently only know a little about it from KZbin resources. Many thanks in advance!

[@ColourfulKeys]

My answer may not be the one you want, but I would recommend you get a teacher. There's only so much a book (even a great one!) can cover.

[@jennqgoo]

Thank you!!

[@ColourfulKeys]

You're welcome!

[@aniyagonzalez_]

hi! i am quite an advanced violinist. I am looking for a piano book to help me pick up piano, but something that doesnt really focus too much on learning notation and theory, since I am already familliar with those. any suggestions?

[@ColourfulKeys]

Sorry I don’t know a book like that I’m afraid.

[@eduardojuri9813]

Great video! :) Do you have an opinion on Forrest Kinneys pattern books? I heard they're good for improv but I would like to know if you've heard or tried them. Thanks a lot! :)

[@ColourfulKeys]

Yep! They're great. I suggest starting with Create First, rather than Pattern Play (both series are good but the newer Create First tends to be easier for teachers to follow.)

[@juanmarin2184]

Are you in California offering piano lessons ?

[@kevincao7353]

Hi, do you have any link to buy piano safari. Thanks

[@ColourfulKeys]

Their website is pianosafari.com

[@fabianachavez7338]

Hi! Thanks for the video, it is very useful to me since I haven’t taught piano for a long time. The series you recommend are very interesting. As far as I know, it is also a good idea to introduce a little bit of technology on our piano lessons. In this respect, which series do you think it would be worth trying? Thanks!!! 😄

[@ColourfulKeys]

Which series do I recommend for technology? None, really! I believe apps should be sought out to solve a specific problem, not just for the sake of including tech in lessons.

[@SeaDrive300]

As an "older" (i.e. older than dirt) beginner, I was deciding between the two Faber books: Adult Piano Adventures and the Accelerated Piano Adventures for the Older Beginner. I chose the "Accelerated" book, thinking that it just moved a bit faster through the material than the "Adult" book. What I didn't realize at the time is that the piano pedagogy world considers a 12 year-old to be an "older" beginner. Hahahahaha, oh my god... Anyway, glad to hear that you prefer the Accelerated book to the Adult book, so I guess I made the right choice! :-)

[@JLMABIO]

Thank you for this thorough review. Would you use Piano Safari For Adults with a 7 year old who can already read all notes in both the Treble and Bass clefs? Thank you.

[@ColourfulKeys]

That’s hard to answer as there are so many other variables that are more important. The reading progression in the older student version is not that different, the bigger difference is in the coordination required. So, probably not? But it would depend on the child.

[@JLMABIO]

@@ColourfulKeys thank you very much.

[@maey5470]

Thank you for this helpful resource! Would you recommend the Piano Safari series (maybe starting at bk 2) for an adult student who remembers how to read notes from lessons years ago?

[@ColourfulKeys]

I would be cautious about starting at book 2 until seeing her read. Try some Piano Safari sight reading cards and see at which point it gets tricky for her to read at sight fluently. Up to level E would be book 1.

[@aleyz7844]

hi! can you recommend me a book? i’ve only been playing for about a month. i used to play the violin which makes sight reading a bit easier but i struggle with the left hand. loved the video btw!

[@ColourfulKeys]

I recommend you find a good teacher either online or locally

[@lifeofchinny]

Hello thanks really for the recommendation I'm 13 Years old and kinda know piano piece but I don't really know some stuff about piano so can u recommend me something that I could fastly learn?

[@ColourfulKeys]

Congratulations on getting started! I recommend you get a teacher so that you can learn great technique and they can guide you in your journey. :)

[@Blx_Music]

Where do i get all these books ?

[@WideCuriosity]

17:10

[@helenaskew1]

Thanks for this. What would you recommend for a teen student who can already read fluently and plays 2 other instruments to Grade 5+ and wants some piano skills? Thanks :)

[@ColourfulKeys]

Hmm. It still depends on many factors but possibly regular Piano Pronto. She could race through those books from movement 1 up and get a lot of assurance from the recognisable tunes.

[@sunshine-cb1sj]

Hi! I’m 15 years old and just started playing. I don’t have access for a piano academy or a teacher right now. What should I do?

[@ColourfulKeys]

If you can, get an online teacher. If that's not possible financially, keep exploring on KZbin and learn as much as you can until you can access a teacher.

[@Radiatoron88]

What kind of music are you interested in playing? Classical? Jazz? Rock? One suggestion I have for you is to type this into the search box on Google: "free online piano course for teenage beginners." When I did that, a bunch of free online piano course items came up. I suggest you just click on some of those and get a feel for the different instructors and their style of teaching. I'll bet you can find a lot of helpful instruction that way! Another thing I would suggest--and something that none of my piano teachers ever suggested to me--is that you think of a melody that you know--for example, "Three Blind Mice," or "Joy To the World," or the "Happy Birthday" song, etc. And then try to pick out the melody, one note at a time, on the piano. The next step could be to try to add another note that harmonizes with the melody notes in a way that you like. You can really pick up some musical skills this way, and it's kind of fun as well. I'm an adult amateur piano player. I'm (gulp!) 65, and I started to take piano lessons when I was about 13. When I started out, I wasn't that crazy about the piano, and practicing was dull, but since my parents paid for my lessons (private teacher came to our home once a week for 30-minute lessons), they made me promise to practice 30 minutes a day. Which I did, and over time I came to enjoy the piano more and more until I became a total piano fanatic. I'm not very good and have poor--or extremely faulty--technique, and I have focal dystonia in my right thumb, which means I have a spastic right thumb that always "wants to" be "jerky" at the keyboard. But, even so, I can still play enough to still be crazy about the piano. Any of my audio-only "videos" were done with my right thumb having focal dystonia. The point being that the motivating force of love for music that you will feel if you keep trying at the piano will amaze you! I myself was taught basic piano using the "John Thompson Adult Preparatory Method." On the whole, I really liked the John Thompson books because I liked the music that was in those books. I grew up hearing my dad play the piano--he was a fine amateur pianist--and he played all classical pieces, so I got to know and enjoy lots of classical music that way. The John Thompson books focus more on classical music. If you are more interested in pop music, jazz, blues, "New Age," etc., then that method wouldn't be the right one for you. I never did exercises at the piano, for better and/or for worse. I never developed a solid technique at the piano as a result, but my love of piano music grew by leaps and bounds because what I did do was to read through boatloads of piano music or other music arranged for solo piano. I must admit that I don't often meet people who love the piano as much as I do. It's possible that the reason for that is that I focused on the enjoyment of music, not on trying to "play perfectly" any given piece of music. It depends on your goals as you get older. I knew I would never/could never become a professional pianist, so I always just concentrated on enjoying music at the piano. If you have any specific questions about playing the piano, maybe the Colourful Keys maker of this video could help you. If not, please feel free to write me anytime you have questions. I'd be more than glad to help if I can. ([e-mail]) I'm just an ungifted amateur piano player, but I dearly love the piano and will continue to play as long as I can. If I can't help you with a given question, I'll be honest about that and say as much. I also know a brilliant Canadian virtuoso pianist who might be able to work with you online. He's a nice guy and he really knows about playing the piano. In the meantime, if you are interested, you can check out his videos on his KZbin channel: www.youtube.com/@Mathieu_Poirier_Piano If you leave a comment on any of Mathieu's videos, I'm sure he will respond. He's a "for real" piano teacher, and I'm sure you could learn tons from him.

[@musodave]

Thanks for this very helpful and informative review. How did you manage to acquire a hard copy of Piano Pronto? I’m in the UK and shipping is unavailable :(

[@ColourfulKeys]

I bought them before she stopped shipping over here. But you can still get digital licenses and print yourself.

[@musodave]

@@ColourfulKeys thanks!

[@sebastiangomezmusic]

Does Piano Safari have digital versions of their materials?

[@ColourfulKeys]

Some are available in Superscore but mostly no.

[@Sergeant_Nugget]

So I am curious, I am 34 and never learned piano. I am curious in learning in a month. I would like to first get a feel before committing to lesson with a teacher *lesson can be a bit expensive 😅". I would just like to learn to play piano, read notes, and such. Based from my understanding, you would recommend the first book, correct? Anyway, interesting video by the way. First time watching your videos.

[@ColourfulKeys]

I would recommend a teacher. A book cannot guide you in technique and other aspects that need to be taught by a professional to help you enjoy your playing experience.

[@pelinicoz8669]

I'm 15 years old i've been interesting in piano for a year and i kinda know piano basics but i dont have technical knowledge completly and unfortunately its too expensive to studying with a piano teacher in my country do you have any suggestion?

[@ColourfulKeys]

Unfortunately I really do have to recommend a teacher if at all possible. If there’s no chance of that, keep learning what you can on KZbin and look for videos specifically about healthy piano technique.

[@pelinicoz8669]

@@ColourfulKeys i understood. thank you for reply

[@Jigglyguy]

Hello I’m a beginner in piano I just started to learn and I would like some books to help with learning

[@DivineSource444]

Find a professional piano teacher and they will set you up with the right piano books.

[@nawazsayed7110]

Which piano book is best for 60 years old beginners?

[@ColourfulKeys]

It still depends on their goals so my advice would be the same as what I said in the video. A 60-year-old is still an adult. 😉

[@nawazsayed7110]

@@ColourfulKeys Thanks for your reply.

[@Radiatoron88]

What kind of music are you interested in playing at the piano? Some piano books focus more on classical pieces while others focus more on more modern styles like pop music and jazz. I'm 65 (gads!) and I was taught using the really old-fashioned John Thompson Adult Preparatory Piano Method book and a couple following volumes in the John Thompson series. I liked much of the music--which was mostly classical music, though with some attractive arrangements of folk songs and spirituals as well--so I was happy with the JT materials. I'm not a very good pianist, but I dearly love the piano and continue to do what I can at the keyboard. To me the most important thing is to nurture and grow the love of music. Since there are so many methods and materials available, you don't have to settle for a book whose music bores you. One thing you could do is to have someone who can play the piano just read through the various piano pieces in a given piano book for you. Then you could "see" if you liked the pieces and would therefore have the motivation to try and learn them. If you felt the pieces were ho-hum, you could try something else. My joy at the piano has largely come from just reading through tons of music. I've never been a big one for "learning a piece to perfection." Whenever I've done that--or as close to "perfection" as my poor hands allow me--I get bored by the given piece and don't want to play it again. I was lucky to have a teacher who never made me work on a given piece for more than 3 weeks. "Good enough" was good enough for her, and that allowed me to work on a great deal of music, which kept things fresh and enjoyable. Please feel free to write me if you have any questions/concerns on piano matters. I'll be glad to help if I can! My e-mail address is "[e-mail]".

[@noeldelarosa493]

Hi. Thanks so much for your video. I'm wondering if they have piano safari in pdf forms that are for sale. Tried sending them a message but no reply. Would appreciate some leads. Thanks again. Cheers!

[@ColourfulKeys]

No they don't do digital copies

[@brianreid-rutherford6871]

Interesting that Alfreds isn’t mentioned.

[@maybee7126]

Not really. She is using material for faster learners.

[@kushmirproduction2881]

hey can recommend book for 10 years old this will be their 1st piano book

[@ColourfulKeys]

Are you their teacher? I recommend you work with them for the first month without a book to get to know them and then choose a book that suits.

[@deborahbevan8226]

you cannot seem to buy piano pronto hard copy books in the UK. How do I obtain a hard copy

[@ColourfulKeys]

I believed she stopped shipping there along with EU. The hardcopies I have are from before she made this change.

[@VictoriaClarkPiano]

@@ColourfulKeys boo hoo 😭 I was hoping to get some piano pronto books

[@ColourfulKeys]

@@VictoriaClarkPiano write to her? I'm not 100% on UK, just know the EU is out.

[@ColourfulKeys]

@@VictoriaClarkPiano PS you can still get digital licenses and print at home or at a local printer.

[@VictoriaClarkPiano]

@@ColourfulKeys oh! I didn’t know that - fab I’ll check it out thanks Nicola :D

[@patrickwells4014]

If it does not have a chapter introducing a simple understanding of musicianship through singing (solfeggio), a chapter for teaching rhythms through counting and clapping drills in marching cadence, or transposing songs and pieces to other keys (C Major to B Major through the circle of 5ths), then it is not complete.

[@ColourfulKeys]

...Or that's the teacher's job. A method book can never do everything.

[@JannaWilliamson]

Hi Nicola! I have yet to enter Piano Pronto land, although I have multiple times looked at the books. I really appreciate this review. Have you ever supplemented Piano Safari with some of the Piano Pronto things with the basic chords? I have one 8yo currently who just finished PS1; she is keen to try stuff that sounds full and I've just been making my own arrangements for her of tunes she knows with chord shells. I'm wondering, though, if I should just give her Prelude and let her go for it on the side. :)

[@ColourfulKeys]

If she's finished PS1 I don't think it would be any harm. I would be hesitant before that as I'd want them to be more used to reading by intervals first. If you want to challenge her more, though, movement 1 would be a possibility. Prelude she would skip the first half of.

[@Yuliana_lisova]

Thank you for the video ! Could you share what microphone do you use?

[@ColourfulKeys]

In this video I'm using the little lav/lapel mic you can see there. It's nothing special but it works!

[@Yuliana_lisova]

@@ColourfulKeys what mic do you use for your lessons online?

[@ColourfulKeys]

@@Yuliana_lisova I use a Rode Podcaster. That's not what I would recommend for most teachers though, I just have it anyway for podcasting.

[@ashdicolex]

Hi, I’m a teenager. And I want to self teach myself how to play the piano. So can those books that you recommended be possible for me to teach myself?

[@ColourfulKeys]

I recommend getting a teacher as there are many things that cannot be captured in a book.

[@nantericable]

48 old piano piano its for me ? Reading the note Key F And Key G its impossible for me. Reading Thinking and Playing that very difficult.

[@AndyLevey]

Fired Up is $100 on Amazon right now :-/

[@ColourfulKeys]

You should only buy it directly from the publisher, pianopronto.com

[@monroe8964]

ur so pretty

[@lisadyer5151]

Thank you!