Learn to Play the Piano Book 1 | Lessons 1–10

I love this book I'm a total beginner and it helped so much. Now I just need a book from you what teaches me how to read notes.

The book assumes you have no idea how to read notes and how to play piano. This suites me well because It is exactly my case - I just decided to learn playing piano and looked for a good starting point. With this book I found it! I especially love the exercises which are slowly getting harder moving me forward in my playing skills. Combined with the free youtube videos, this material is the best start I could have chosen. Although, sometimes frustration comes to me when I think I am playing well and after seeing videos of Alison playing I realise I played twice as slow as her :) Also, there is one tine detail about this book I love. Rarely, there is a note letter missing below a note. Even though this indicates the note is the same as the one in previous bar, still I stop playing thinking what that note is. It always put a smile in my face when I realise that this does not only indicate the note is the same, but also forces me to try to remember the note letter based on its position on the staff. Summarised, Alison clearly knows what she is doing and I send thousands thanks to her getting me into piano playing with love and passion.

I took a few lessons back in the 60's when I was a teenager. I never enjoyed the lessons and the books I was given I never understood. My wife played the piano so we had a piano in our house . My biggest mistake was not having her teach me. I just enjoyed listening to her play. Five years ago she passed away after forty four years of marriage. The piano then stood quite since the five years she passed away. Recently I was at a concert at Carnegie Hall ( I live in New York City) and saw Yuja Wang. Watching her play the "Flight of the Bumble Bee". Watching her fingers move over the keys like magic got me wanting to start re-learning the piano. I went to YouTube and after watching all the teachers, I just knew that Miss Sparrow was the one for me. I've downloaded her book, had the same binding put on it and had the piano tuned up at my place. I am at lesson eight now and if I say so myself, I am doing great. I even ordered the sheet music for the Bumble Bee Boogie (For inspiration) and hope that within one year I can play it. Perhaps not as fast as Yuja Wang, but one never knows. If you really want to learn to play, I highly recommend Alison Sparrow's book. It works. I'm looking forward to her second book. Steve in New York

I find the book and lessons very easy to follow. The best about it is you can learn in your own time and practise as much or as little as you like.

I love classical music and I’ve always wanted to learn how to play piano. However, I’ve always been intimidated by classical instruments thinking I would never be talented or knowledgeable enough to play one. But after watching all 10 of these lessons on YouTube and buying the downloadable book, I’ve decided to jump in and give it a try (with a brand new Yamaha P-105 digital piano). I’ve seen many other instructors on YouTube but, in my opinion, you are clearly the best. Your lessons are very well structured and easy to follow. Many of the other instructors on YouTube don’t teach the basics like you do. They seem to teach the student to take shortcuts and try to sound as good as they can as fast as they can. There is little emphasis on how to hold your hands, fingering technique, or learning to read music. Thus, the student ends up with a very poor foundation on which to build. I’m glad you take the time to stress the importance of fundamentals. That is so important and should not be overlooked! Thanks again for the excellent lessons in this book and for showing me that learning the piano is not an impossible task. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is new and just starting out on the piano. It is well written, very thorough, and easy to understand.

I've always wanted to play piano having never had an opportunity to do so before. I've yet to complete the book (currently on lesson 9 of 10) having only started a week ago but in that short period I've learned a lot and I'd recommend it to anybody in a similar position.

With the online tutorial videos, this book has answered a lot of questions in only the first few lessons. As more questions show up, the book, and the videos answer them. I am enjoying the learning process almost as well as personal hands on treatment.

Written for the rank beginner audience (e.g., me), this book will help enable you acquire a foundation of skills that will prepare you for a musical journey as long and enjoyable as you want to make it. A seriously good bargain.

Now that I am retired I thought that, with the extra time available, I would like to learn to play the piano, as I have been interested in piano music for a long time. I have watched Alisons website many times and when I saw the advert for the "online Piano tutor', I decided that now was the time. After downloading the book and reading it I decided that this was the answer. From basics to exercises it is Ideal. Well done.

Condensed and well written.