Piano/keyboard book recommendation pls

[Mermaidmad]

DD (8) wants to learn keyboard. I forsee this little hobby lasting 2 weeks max BUT like every good mother am trying to encourage her! Am reluctant to cough up £5 per lesson when she doesn't know the first thing about it so can anyone recommend a good first steps music book that she can 'teach herself' with until she decides she wants to take up lessons (or should I say if lol!)

Thanks

The complete Keyboard Player series is quite good. It has been updated and now comes with an accompanying CD to play the songs from the book. It starts very simply with basic diagrams showing hand position and covers some basic Music theory that should be within the grasp of your daughter. If she keeps at it, don't leave it too long before you do find her a teacher as you don't want her to develop too many bad habits. HTH.

Thats very helpful - thanks very much :)

Mermaidmad - Chesters piano book is really good, would highly recommend it

www.amazon.co.uk/Chesters-Easiest-Piano-Course-Bk-1/dp/0711919445/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1294998207&sr=8-1

Mermaidmad - Chesters piano book is really good, would highly recommend it

www.amazon.co.uk/Chesters-Easiest-Piano-Course-Bk-1/dp/0711919445/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1294998207&sr=8-1

25 years ago, I used the John thompson series. Now, both my daughters have lessons for the past 3-4 years and they have been recommended to used the same John Thompson series which I got from Amazpn. these books are brillant. Its comes in bk 1, 2 and book 3. Our brillant piano teacher recommended them.

We alos have the chester series but we like and use the John Thompson series. Front cover features lots of different figures dancing on a musical line (5 lines bar) background. These books are for beginnerings and starts from knowing nothing at all to beginning of Grade 1. Once these books are done, our teacher gives my girls the Grade 1 book for that year to learn.

sorry - different colour figures standing on a piano keys

"piano time"

I bought "Me and My Piano" by Fanny Waterman after searching for recommendations on here. I really like the way it's set out with lots of little puzzles and music facts. My son is 6 and he has got on pretty well with it - I would think an 8 year old could teach themselves from it as a starting point.

Fanny Waterman is good.

It is probably easiest for a child to learn an instrument if their parents sits down with them each day.

It's quite hard for a child to do it entirely by themselves.

Hi

Having looked at replies you have already received I would agree that Kenneth Baker, John Thompson and Fanny Waterman are all excellent books, and I have used Baker and Thompson myself with kids, but some years ago. I don't personally know Chesters, and in the past Waterman was towards the Classical side (though may be different today).

You don't say if DD already has a keyboard; if you are going to get one I would certainly recommend FULL SIZE keys, not mini ones, and if possible 61 notes. Any musical instrument can open up all sorts of creative and social activities for children.

If you like, let me know how far you have both got on this, and I can give more detailed help sometime, if you are interested.

cheers