Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Course: Lesson Book, Level One

As a senior citizen, I enrolled in a beginners piano class at my local community college. This book is what the class used. As a student with some previous musical education, over 50 years ago, this book was an absolute pleasure to progress through. The book is well thought out and the exercises progress slowly, allowing the student to build skills without getting frustrated. I also found the particular musical compositions included to be very appealing. There were people in my class ranging from college age, on up to me - in my 70's. This book worked for all ages. I highly recommend this book for anyone, at any age who wants to play.

This is a perfect book to start your friends/girlfriend on learning piano. It's by far not the most well-rounded material for it needs a few supplemental info in my humble opinion, but you will be able to teach anyone a few nice short pleasant pieces within a few hours. Many well heeded in-depth reviews have been given, so I will just give a short pros-cons list of my own. PROS: - It concentrates quickly on useful scale/notes progression (C/G to G7, etc) and explains it in reasonable depth, enabling an absolute beginner to grasps the importance of those natural progression, backed up by a few exercises pieces to drill the concepts in. - Many of the exercise pieces have strategically included sub notes in reminding correct fingerings, while progressively weeding out these notes and nudging the learner toward speedy scales reading. - First beginner book I have run into that includes a detailed section on the importance of Hanon's fingering exercises! This section alone is worth the price of this 160 pages publishing. The 12 page Hanon exercise parchment I have cost more! - Taken from the pages of grey's anatomy, many detailed illustrations are given that reminds the learner in the shortcoming of the human hands, with proven (but often HARD work) solutions of how to overcome them. CONS: - Some sections get skipped too quickly. For instance, G cord was introduced in great detail, but its natural progression in G7 was but one page with but a few sub notes thereafter. All three of my beginner students were stumped when they got to those pages, and I had to device my own mini lessons on supplementing that shortcoming in how to use the left hand picky and how to stretch the right thumb correctly for those cords (all three of my friends/students are left handed). - This is in my books a big one - It fails to include some CRITICALLY IMPORTANT smart-tips for scales reading which should really be the emphasis on all beginners' book. For instance, F-A-C-E, All Cow Eat Grass, or Every Good Boy Deserves Football mnemonics should be included but was not. Overall: I am extremely satisfied with this book! It is a great book for self learning, and an indispensable one to teaching off of.

Love this course book. Recommend by my piano instructor. I’m over 60 and first time learning the piano. Easy progression from one note to cords.

This is a really nice piano methods for adult beginners. If you are considering to get a self-taught method, Alfred’s is the good option. Nonetheless, I would recommend to get the “All-in-one” version of this book.

Enjoyed learning from this book. It moved a bit fast, but still very good

The last time I played piano was when I was 9 years old... I recently got a keyboard, and needed some help starting all over from level zero. Being that I knew nothing about music theory what-so-ever, this book really helped me get started. The book is a nice big size and there is a page or two devoted to each lesson, with room throughout each page that makes you feel uncrunched and at ease as you learn. The explanations are wonderfully simple and after a few lessons, I actually started reading and playing new music pieces that I saw for the first time! I think this is an excellent self-teaching tool for the first-time piano student. The only minus about this book is that it does not have spiral binding, so you have to devise a way to keep the pages open while you play (I paperclipped the edges of mine). I was also slightly dissapointed that the version did not come with a CD, which I can do without, but which would have been helpful to hear the melodies and know if you're on the right track. Also, as I figued out a little ways into the book, it constantly refers to another book with sheet music, saying "you are now ready for Christmas Classics", and I was dissapointed that it was one extra thing to buy and there was no way to know that before I bought the book. The additional sheet music book is not absolutely necessary, but it would have been nice to be able to learn some new melodies appropriate for the level you're on, rather than just go through the one-or-two examples for the lesson in the book over and over.

As a kid, I took “middle c” piano lessons and always wished I’d taken it seriously and gotten a little farther. This book is ideal for the self-teaching adult learner. It’s very easy to follow with a brisk and enjoyable pace. It visually introduces every concept — even things like “what is an eighth note” or “what is a time signature” that you may already know — so it’s suitable for a complete beginner. But if you have already studied music, it quickly moves on to basic chords, fingering, different positions, changing octaves and so on — so there’s a very satisfying sense of progress. Every new concept is introduced with a short melody where you put what you just learned into practice. There’s not much text or labored explanation, which I liked. By practicing the song, you naturally get better at the concept because you do it over and over — but without the sense of boredom you get from drills. I would recommend this book to any piano beginner looking for self-paced exercises at an affordable price.

A good book to help beginners play the piano with some fun pieces. Suitable for adults and kids.

Alfred’s Basic Adult Piano Course: Lesson Book is an excellent resource for anyone looking to learn piano as an adult. The lessons are well-structured, starting with the basics and gradually building up to more complex concepts, making it easy to follow and practice at your own pace. Each chapter includes clear explanations, helpful illustrations, and engaging exercises that reinforce learning without feeling overwhelming. I appreciate how the book balances theory, technique, and repertoire, giving a well-rounded approach to learning piano. What sets this book apart is its thoughtful pacing and practical approach. The exercises are designed to develop both hands independently while also improving rhythm, sight-reading, and music theory understanding. The selections of songs are varied and enjoyable, which keeps motivation high, and the incremental difficulty allows steady progress without frustration. The clear notation and simple instructions make it accessible even to complete beginners. Overall, Alfred’s Basic Adult Piano Course: Lesson Book is a highly effective and enjoyable way to learn piano. It provides all the tools needed for consistent progress and builds confidence in playing, reading, and understanding music. Whether you’re starting from scratch or returning to piano after years, this book is a reliable and rewarding guide.

Tutto ok, perfetto

娘がピアノを習い始めたのですが、とこの先生に勧められて購入しました。娘も気に入って頑張ってます（≧∇≦）

Hacía años que no estudiaba solfeo y me ha venido fenomenal para refrescar mis conocimientos. Se lo recomiendo a gente que haya aprendido las notas A B C D E F G, y no do, re, mi, etc... porque puede que sea confuso para ellos. Estoy aprendiendo muchísimo y muy rápido. Lo recomiendo. También recomiendo que antes de comprar el CD, vayáis a YouTube, ya que todas las piezas están allí.

THe only fault in the book is the pages are quite thin and i have to use clips to hold it open on the piano stand. Has been a great way to get back into piano.