Piano For Dummies

by Neely, Blake

• ISBN13: 9780470496442
• ISBN10: 0470496444
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-10-05
• Publisher: For Dummies

Summary

Whether youve only ever admired the piano or are looking to rekindle a past hobby, Piano For Dummies, 2nd Edition, gives you everything you need to make beautiful music with confidence and ease. Youll get practical, easy-to-follow guidance on how to read music, keep rhythm and use your fingers and feet to play tons of popular pieces and songs. Practice lessons, teaching techniques and examples. Ways to make the most of your practice time. Tips on how to count rhythms. Exercises for playing with your left hand. Tricks, techniques and stylish embellishments to dress up the music you play. Scales and chords in major and minor keys. Handy accompaniment patterns, intros and outros.

Author Biography

Blake Neely is a composer, conductor, arranger, orchestrator, and pianist who scored an Emmy nomination for his composition of the Everwood main title theme. Since then, Blake has enjoyed a celebrated career of scoring and orchestrating, with credits such as the movie The Wedding Date, the TV series Brothers and Sisters, and the smash Disney movie, Enchanted.

Table of Contents

Introduction.

Part I: Warming Up to the Keyboard.

Chapter 1: I Love a Piano.

Chapter 2: Meeting the Keyboard Family.

Chapter 3: Finding the Perfect Keyboard.

Chapter 4: Taking Good Care of Your Keyboard.

Chapter 5: Eighty-Eight Keys, Three Pedals, Ten Fingers, and Two Feet.

Part II: Getting Sound Down on Paper.

Chapter 6: Reading Lines and Spaces.

Chapter 7: Joining the Rhythm Nation.

Chapter 8: Changing the Beaten Path.

Part III: One Hand at a Time.

Chapter 9: Playing a Melody.

Chapter 10: Scaling to New Heights.

Chapter 11: Hey, Don’t Forget Lefty!

Part IV: Living in Perfect Harmony.

Chapter 12: The Building Blocks of Harmony.

Chapter 13: Understanding Keys.

Chapter 14: Filling Out Your Sound with Chords.

Part V: Technique Counts for Everything.

Chapter 15: Dressing Up Your Music.

Chapter 16: Great Grooves.

Chapter 17: Perusing the Aisle of Style.

Part VI: The Part of Tens.

Chapter 18: Ten Ways to Improve Your Practice and Performance.

Chapter 19: Ten Ways to Go Beyond This Book.

Chapter 20: Blake’s Ten Questions to Ask Prospective Teachers.

Appendix: About the CD.

Index.