All materials are brand new, offered by the author.
This  piano method assumes that you have no musical knowledge and are not interested in music theory. This course enables you to teach yourself to play popular songs on the piano in the shortest possible time for the entertainment of yourself, family and  friends; at home, at parties, weddings, and wherever and whenever you please. 

This method skips the bass clef portion of the keyboard completely. Learning to play the bass clef is the downfall of the majority of those who want to play the piano.  There are many reasons why this is so.  Seldom used very high notes which almost never appear in popular music are eliminated as well.

 You can concentrate on learning the notes within the range of the human voice, a few octaves at most. You can then  make rapid progress, as the left hand normally used for the bass is now free to work with the right hand on the melody portion of the composition.

 An American Standards songbook 

 (150 Songs With Just 3 Chords (ISBN  #0-943748-47-X )

The songbook is included in this course. The songbook normally retails at approximately $17.00 by itself (182 pages).  The piano course is keyed to this wonderful songbook and I take you through the book in a gradual manner from simple, to medium, to complex, songs.  The songbook has a wonderful collection of 150 American  classics, many of which, you already know. 

 The first 22 compositions referenced in the course are played with just eight white keys, with  few exceptions. These are called the home keys, similar to home keys on a typewriter or computer keyboard.  You don't get lost or confused with this method because your fingers always return to the same home keys. Now, you can concentrate on looking at the sheet music instead of your fingers.

The next nineteen compositions include the home keys, plus an extension of the little finger on either hand to reach the few additional notes required for these songs. Most of the songs also use just the white keys. The next group demonstrates the crossover technique used to play those few notes in some of the compositions that are some distance from the home keys. This is easily handled because the hand that is not active can be used to perform the crossover technique.

 Use of the black keys (sharps and flats) are introduced in a gradual manner over the remainder of the course.  A few simple techniques allow the student to master the keyboard quickly. You should be able to learn to play  150 songs in a very short time.

The songs  have been  reviewed for ease of learning and introduced in a graded, gradual manner from simple to medium to complex. The whole point of this course is to have fun while you learn.

The last part of the course deals with chord playing and formation of chords in a non technical manner which allows one to add chords as desired to increase the richness of the music.  All of the chords used in the 150 songs in the referenced songbook have been identified and assembled as chord study exercises for the ambitious student.

 This method encourages the student to first learn all 150 songs by simply playing the highest note on a note stem. The highest notes carry the melody. In this manner, the student can make amazing progress because he can play new songs every day and thereby maintain his interest. When the student feels comfortable with his progress, he can play the additional notes on the stem which form a chord.

A CD containing 25 exercises is included with the course book for those who would like to hear the exercises or play along with them. You can play the CD with the Windows Media Player (t.m.) on your personal computer or with a regular CD player connected to your Television.

Why did I write this course?

There are a great number of keyboard instruments and pianos throughout the world that have been purchased in the hopes of making beautiful music. They have been purchased, often at great expense, by parents who wanted to give the gift of music to their children.

 After a number of lessons at considerable expense, the children have lost their interest due to the difficulty of learning in the normal classical manner.  Adults have often bought the instruments for their own use not realizing the hours of expensive instruction and practice are required to play well in the classical manner.  Now, the instruments are just gathering dust.

I have a friend who's daughter is studying piano with about 20 other students of various ages.  I have attended their bi-annual recitals for over three years and have felt so sad to see what little progress students have made in that time; trying to learn in the traditional classical manner from a good teacher.

They labor for months to learn by memorization; works by Beethoven, Bach, Handel, and other famous composers. There are 88 keys on a piano and it seems the composers like to use as many as possible. If the students forget a note or look away from the music to find a note, they become hopelessly lost and some of them break into tears of embarrassment and their parents and the audience cry along with them.

 After a number of lessons, the child or parent just gives up. If you hand one of these students a piece of simple sheet music like Happy Birthday, My Old Kentucky Home, O'Susanna, April Love, America the Beautiful, or any popular love song, they simply will not be able to sight read and play the song .

My  friend can now play through a popular songbook using my method for pure enjoyment.  She doesn't dare tell the teacher about using my simple method.  I still sit through the recitals.  When they all go backstage for cupcakes and punch after the recital, I hop up on stage and play a few songs on the baby grand piano just for fun.  So far, I've been lucky, in that no one has asked me where  I learned to play. I don't want to make a lengthy explanation in front of the teacher. That could be embarrassing for one of us.

 I would expect any of my students to play a songbook completely, by sight reading ,no memorization,  from cover to cover in approximately two months. Because we have eliminated use of the bass clef, we have made a complex, boring assignment, fun. Now the piano is available to everyone who wants to just play popular music. The few who want to pursue a classical career can continue to do that with a qualified teacher at great cost of time and money.

How did I learn to play the Piano?

I had taken clarinet lessons starting in the seventh grade, when I was in the eighth grade, I was given the opportunity to spend my summer vacation with my   Uncle William in Detroit. He was an accomplished pianist and had both an organ and a piano.

 He promptly decided I should learn to play the piano; instead of just wasting my summer vacation having fun. He had me sit down on that hard piano stool and began to explain to me all about chord structure, flats, sharps  and a plethora of other things.

He gave me a few chords to practice and  left me alone for about an hour.  He  came back to check on my progress, to make sure that I was not wasting my time on something foolish.   Needless to say, he was severely disappointed as there was no progress to report,  except for a sore back from sitting on a hard wooden stool for an hour. Well,  it did not take too long for him to catch on to the fact, that I was not destined to be a concert pianist.

Fortunately, because I had taken clarinet lessons, I knew the names of the notes, but not where they were on the piano. Between my tears and sobs at being such a total failure, I pleaded with him to just show me where the middle C was on the piano.

He consented to do so and after that said he had some business to take care of and would be gone for a few hours.  After drying my tears,  and not really knowing what to do, I placed the little finger of my left hand on the Middle C and then placed the rest of my fingers of both hands, no thumbs, to the right of middle C and then a miracle happened.

I glanced at the hymnal music book that my uncle had left on the piano. It was turned to the hymn, Amazing Grace.  How appropriate.

I knew the notes in order on the keyboard must be middle C, then D,E,F,G,A,B,highC, etc. I began to feel my way through the song, occasionally shutting my eyes and feeling for the proper finger. Well, to make a long story, short, by the time my uncle got back, I had no problem playing Amazing Grace.

He was totally blown away, to put it mildly. He still tried to get me to learn that bass clef where familiar notes from the treble clef take on totally new names.  I absolutely refused and he stalked off somewhat miffed, but he left  me alone. By the end of that summer, I was completely through  that hymnal and on to other books. Even my Uncle was proud. Making music was fun. Since we did not have a piano at home, I relished every opportunity, henceforth, to visit my Uncle Will and play some new tunes.

That was a lifetime ago, I am now at retirement age  and want to share this easy way of playing the piano with anyone that  cares to learn.  For the price of one piano lesson, you can buy this course and enjoy playing the piano at your leisure.

You will be proud of your accomplishment and so will your family and friends.  I want you, in turn, to pass the enjoyment on by teaching someone else this simple method of playing the piano.

 Those former classical students who found their previous instruction too difficult to master will really enjoy this course. For the beginner, this course is ideal. 

To sum up, your purchase will include the songbook containing 150 songs, the course book which will give you easy instructions in a day by day manner and a CD with 25 exercises that you can play along with.

For the cost of a one hour private lesson, you should be able to learn to play all 150 songs in a very short period of time. I am sure you will enjoy the course.  Your friends and you will both be amazed at your progress. I would appreciate your payment by paypal, however a check or money order are also acceptable.  Will ship immediately upon receipt of payment.  Thank you for your order. Jim, at Warm_Summer_Nights.