This book instructs the student on playing chord symbols simply and effectively more than any book available. It only deals with keys up to one sharp or four flats in a key signature. Divided into two parts, the first part outlines basic chords, from triads up to and including 7th chords and altered chords, one key at a time. Part two covers extended chords: 9th, 11th, 13th chords and additional altered chords one key at time. This book is perfect for the intermediate level pianist looking for a way to learn chords to improvise, play by ear, and read lead sheets.

If you're an adult who wants to learn to play the piano and read music, this teach-yourself method may be just for you. It takes a nontraditional approach to note-reading and is highly effective. Included is an 80-page book and four DVDs covering the 16-week course. Merrilee Webb is the master teacher and she's loads of fun! She'll put you at ease and give you the confidence and motivation to continue. You'll get to know the students in her group class and feel like you're one of the gang. Merrilee starts at the very beginning and with some practice, you'll progress to the intermediate level in just 16 weeks. "Learning to Play" is based on a method by C. W. Reid, former chairman of the music department at Brigham Young University. His highly-effective and unconventional method teaches note reading in a way that doesn't require learning letter names of notes at first. It has been proven with thousands of students. Give it a try! It works and is loads of fun!

Alfred's Max series is a series of self-instruction books that all come with DVD's. The DVD is a helpful tool to utilize because not only can you hear the different performance techniques, you can also watch how it's done. The Max Keyboard collection consists of two, user friendly books that start from the very beginning basics of learning how to sit properly at the piano and advancing through the different musical genres. The individual lessons are well-paced and easy to follow.

If you're looking for an informative and entertaining overview of all that goes into playing the piano, this is the book and CD for you! Piano for Dummies is packed with highly useful information: the history of keyboard instruments; instruction on correct posture; and chapters on how to read music, how to play the piano, and music theory. Lots of styles are covered, including classical, rock, country and blues. You'll also get useful tips on how to find and purchase the perfect keyboard instrument for your needs. There's a terrific overview of great pianists and recommended recordings. The enclosed CD offers musical examples and accompaniments of what's covered in the book. It's all presented in a down-to-earth, humorous manner. Piano for Dummies offers a basic understanding of the piano and encourages the reader to continue their study with a piano teacher and/or a piano method book. 340 pages.

This DVD is for absolutely anyone who wants a quick and thorough course on how to play the piano by ear. Patty Carlson is the award-winning teacher. She efficiently teaches, in brilliantly simple terms, what she calls "The Numeric Language of Music." With this DVD, you'll be able to start playing the piano by ear within minutes! The pace is appropriately fast and has been proven to work for a wide range of ages and musical abilities. Whether you're a child or an adult, a musical novice or a seasoned musician/teacher who only plays what's on the written page, this course will get you playing the piano by ear within minutes. Many styles are covered including popular, country, blues, and classical. You'll gain a fabulous understanding of music theory and be better prepared to tackle the next step in your musical development, whatever that may be. 153 minutes.

You can teach yourself to play the piano, even though you have never taken a lesson. Teach yourself to play the piano and progress at your own pace. This book covers the basic fundamentals of piano playing in a concise and logical fashion. Its appealing music will encourage you to play every day. Features rhythms made simple, how to form the most important chords, finger aerobics to make playing easier, techniques to playing with feeling and expression, a step-by-step approach to learning the entire keyboard, and letter-notes that provide an easy introduction to reading music. The enhanced CD for this book contains great audio accompaniments you can play on your stereo and doubles as an interactive and fun multimedia learning tool that works on any Windows-compatible PC. The song player shows you exactly how each song should be played, lets you customize the audio levels, adjust playback tempo, and even record your own performance! CD-ROM is for Windows & Macintosh.