Start Playing Keyboard: Omnibus Edition (Start Playing...) [Paperback] Review

I purchased this as one of several books I own in order to prepare me to teach a small group of people on how to play the piano, and this is the most straightforward book I've ever reviewed.This book is a great investment in your efforts to learn how to play piano.

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Product Description:
Books 1 and 2 in one volume, specially enlarged to 9" x 12" size for easier reading

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eMedia EG11031 Learn To Play Piano & Keyboard Pack Review

The eMedia piano keyboard and software are great! I like it that I get a grade for each song I play--I keep practicing until my grades are in the 90's. I have always wanted to learn the piano; it's hard to learn a new instrument and learn to read music at my age (I'm old), but I don't take it personally when the computer grade is low, I just keep practicing. There is one problem, though--you can't play this keyboard without a Midi-to-USB cable, which doesn't come with the keyboard. You have to pay more and order it separately from the company. It comes with a serial joystick cable, but my computer doesn't have a serial joystick port. We bought a generic midi-to-USB cable at Radio Shack, but it didn't work with the keyboard. They tell me that newer computers just don't have serial joystick ports. So, if you are anxious to get started, order the cable at the same time as the keyboard, to save time.

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Product Description:
The eMedia Learn to Play Keyboard Pack includes everything needed to learn keyboard straight out of the box. It's an ideal affordable solution for anyone who has thought about learning piano or keyboard or wants their children to learn but can not afford the high cost of a piano and private lessons. This package includes a MIDI controller keyboard, eMedia Piano & Keyboard Method CD-ROM and a MIDI to joystick port cable (through which the keyboard is connected and powered).The keyboard features 49 full-size touch-sensitive keys. Its compact size conveniently fits on your computer desk, and it plays through your computer speakers.eMedia Piano and Keyboard Method CD-ROM offers everything you need to learn how to play. Over 300 step-by-step lessons start from basics such as hand position, rhythm and playing on black keys, and move on to music notation, sight reading, scales and much more! Piano teacher Irma Irene Justicia, M.A., who has taught at the renowned Juilliard School of Music, guides you with over 70 video demonstrations of techniques. Learn songs and exercises from either the music notation or an animated keyboard that displays fingerings in-time with the music. Songs and exercises are enhanced by live recorded audio, variable-speed MIDI keyboard tracks and colorful MIDI accompaniments. You will learn from over 100 popular classical, blues, pop and rock songs, including hit songs from artists such as Billy Joel, Bob Dylan and Elton John!Interactive review and ear training screens help reinforce new concepts and develop your ear. With your MIDI keyboard, you will get specific feedback on playing mistakes, including wrong notes and rhythms so that you can play better faster. Other accessories include a built-in digital metronome and one-track recorder.

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Soft Way to Mozart piano teaching software Review

Four years old child learning piano. She has been using the software for two weeks (two or three times a week).

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Product Description:
Soft Way to Mozart software is a set of seven computer games designed to teach beginners from 3-year-old and up how to read and play music, and support practice of beginners and advanced students. Some of the games use the MIDI connection to an electric piano keyboard or digital piano for interactive support and control of student's playing. This teaching software may be used for home practice and self-teaching, or in music studios or at schools.This software package differs from other software1) It really teaches how to read and play music compared to many musical toys designed for entertainment rather than for education.2) Supported by innovative teaching approach, it succeeds in teaching very beginners and children where many teaching software programs rely on the already existing skills of advanced students.Soft Mozart teaching method focuses on the most important part of music education - learning to read music. The method introduces revolutionary music score representations and special key stickers to allow any beginner, small children as well as adults, to read and play songs from the first piano lesson. The interactive learning software guides the student during piano playing, and the gradual transition to a normal music score provides the most effective and painless method of learning to read music notes. A student can choose from 52 (may be updated to 300) popular classical and folk songs that are included in the song library, listen to them, play with the right, left or both hands, and memorize them.Different learning exercises improve essential skills needed for fluent music reading and playing.All exercises are implemented in the form of colorful computer games, attractive to adults as well as toddlers. Total interactivity and visual hints provide a comfortable environment during music activities, playing songs as well as exercises.

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Intermediate Piano and Keyboard Method (Win/Mac) Review

I recently bought this after reading the review at [...].
Despite a few technical glitches, I found this software met my modest goals, and I covered a lot of new material.
As an intermediate-level player that hadn't played in years, I wanted something to help me improve my skills in a more structured way than trying to find appropriate sheet music on my own, but without the financial and time commitment of private lessons.

First, if using software rather than paper sheet music, you need a digital piano with a MIDI interface to your PC, with the piano keyboard set in front of your PC's monitor.I'm using a Casio PX-120 an an Xmidi 1X1 USB interface.
Interesting aside: when I placed my keyboard on my metal stand, I got a horrifying sound when I hit D# - apparently the stand's resonant frequency, a problem solved with a bit of self-adhesive felt.

The Good:
For each piece or selection thereof, you can hear what the piece is supposed to sound like.
For some exercises, you can get automated feedback on how you played, with the errors tagged on the score, e.g. a missed or wrong note hit, or note held too long.
For other exercises, you can play along to a recorded ensemble.
Along with the music, audio clips are provided with interesting background trivia on the composers and their music but I'd rather read these than listen.

The not so good (are you listening emedia?):
There's not a good way to print a score as there is with online Scorch sheet music.
You cannot expand the window to see a whole page of music at once.
It's possible to lock the program up by trying to set various while audio is being played.
I found the metronome far too loud, with no obvious way to adjust its volume.I wound up just using the metronome built into my keyboard.
I had to keep the CD in my PC to use all the features.
The table of contents is too coarse, only allowing you to jump to the top of each section, rather than to a particular lesson or piece.
The "Animated keyboard" which displayed by default is a worthless waste of screen space for an Intermediate player.Fortunately, you can turn it off.

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Product Description:
The eMedia Intermediate Piano and Keyboard Method software features over 150 lessons and 50 songs with a focus on blues, classics, conventional scales, chord progressions, improvisation and other techniques necessary for mastering the piano. Vadim Ghin, author of the innovative eMedia Intermediate Piano and Keyboard Method CD-ROM, holds a Masters Degree in Piano from the Julliard School of Music, and has taught extensively at Julliard, New York University, and the Manhattan School of Music.Over 150 lessons offer a comprehensive curriculum that will give the intermediate piano player the skills needed to take their playing to the next level. Beginning with intervals and expanded hand positions, the lessons progress through building dexterity, advanced rhythms and transitions, interpretive expression marks and voicing, and finally to blues, improvisation based on the blues, and the piano in ensemble.Song Highlighting and LoopingHighlight an entire page, or just a portion of a song, and loop it for playback at whatever speed you are comfortable playing. Selected loops are now introduced with the MIDI tick count-off, so there's enough time to get your hands back to the keyboard to play along. Thus you can follow along regardless of what section of the piece you're working on.Full Motion VideoProfessional piano instructor Vadim Ghin, M.A., guides you with over 50 full-motion videos demonstrating techniques. Many of the videos include split-screen displays with close-ups for a clearer perspective.Animated KeyboardDisplays color-coded fingerings as the music plays. It allows you to see exactly how to play the song on a keyboard as you hear the music. Music tracking highlights the notes being played on the screen, making it simple to follow along.Multi-track recorded audioHigh-quality multi-track recorded audio is included for every song and exercise.Variable-Speed MIDI

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eMedia Piano & Keyboard Method Deluxe Review

They need to update the software. Old tech, to get full screen you need to mess with desktop settings etc... It's very obvious they have not given this software any serious attention after it was released. That said it does what it's supposed to.

Ignore the single star folks; don't know what they are talking about. It doesn't matter what the songs are when you are learning to play the piano. It's all about practice so YOU THAT YOU CAN GO PLAY WHATEVER YOU WANT. If you can already read music and play the keyboard, buy the intermediate course. It's very well done, but it's all classical music.

For me, I'm self taught and play by ear. I bought this so I can get real feedback while I'm playing. So if playing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star or Row Row Your Boat gets me there I have no problem with it. It still challenges me to read the music and master left, right hand.

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Product Description:
eMedia Piano & Keyboard Method Deluxe includes everything you need to learn to play with over 450 audio- and video-enhanced lessons and more than 150 songs in a variety of musical styles. You'll be playing in no time by following the animated keyboard as it displays correct fingerings as the music plays or for any note or chord you choose. When used with a MIDI controller, eMedia Piano & Keyboard Method Deluxe provides specific feedback on playing mistakes, including wrong notes and rhythms. Other features include a metronome, recorder, variable-speed MIDI keyboard tracks, accompaniment tracks, and ear training exercises. eMedia Piano & Keyboard Method, included in eMedia Piano & Keyboard Method Deluxe, has received top ratings and honors from PC Magazine (4.5 out of 5), Music News, MacHome (4 Apples), Clavier Magazine and American Music Teacher Magazine which called it "an impressive and thorough piano teaching program." eMedia Intermediate Piano & Keyboard Method continues your musical journey with a focus on improvisation.

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Piano and Keyboard Method v3 Review

I think this is a great product. It walks you through the basics through more advanced techniques and songs. It also does a great job of teaching you to read music.

It includes short videos of a person playing piano so you can see proper posture and such. Each song comes with (optional) accompaniment, which can make it funner to play (especially with the simple songs). You can also slow the songs down while learning them. The software grades your playing with a percentage score, and gives you details on your errors (if you want them).

This is a great program if youreally want to learn to play on your own.

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Product Description:

This new version of eMedia Piano & Keyboard Method offers everything you need to learn how to play! Piano instructor, Irma Irene Justicia, M.A., who has taught at the renowned Juilliard School of Music, guides you through over 300 step-by-step full-screen lessons. New Instant Feedback works with both electronic keyboards and acoustic pianos! It listens as you play melodies and shows whether you're playing correctly!


The lessons start with the basics, such as hand position, rhythm, and playing on black keys, and move on to reading music notation, sight reading, scales, and much more. Techniques are demonstrated with over 70 videos viewable in full-screen mode.


Learn songs and exercises from music notation as an animated keyboard guides you through fingerings. Songs and exercises are provided as both live-recorded audio and variable-speed MIDI tracks which let you slow the music down as needed. Colorful MIDI accompaniments help make practicing fun! You will learn over 100 popular classical, blues, pop, and rock songs, including hit songs from artists such as Billy Joel, Bob Dylan, and Elton John!


Interactive review and ear training quizzes help reinforce new concepts and develop your ear. When used with an electronic MIDI keyboard, you get Interactive Evaluation Feedback with detailed specifics on your playing, including which notes and rhythms were wrong and how to correct them. In addition, the new Note Tracker shows you what note you're playing and makes learning music notation easy. This latest version also offers fully scalable lesson screens and an option for full-screen video. Other accessories include a built-in digital metronome and a recorder. eMedia Piano & Keyboard Method is the ultimate way to learn how to play piano or keyboard!

eMedia Piano & Keyboard Method Features

Accessories include a built-in digital metronome and a recorder. Click here for a larger image

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eMedia Learn To Play Piano & Keyboard Pack with USB Cable Review

I was reluctant to make this purchase after reading so many negative reviews; however, I am now very pleased that I went against what I believed to be my better judgment. I have been dedicating about six hours each week to this product for the last four or five months. When I began, I possessed only the most limited of knowledge with regard to sight reading, keeping time, and rhythm. I now have to admit, though I still have much to learn, that I can play the piano because of this product (although playing well will inevitably take some time). This system worked wonders for me and was much cheaper than the alternative of paying weekly for lessons, yet I must encourage you to read the following.

WARNING:
- Children should not be subjected to this product, as they might experience severe boredom if product is applied directly (some instances of secondhand boredom have been reported in children under 16 that have even come into indirect contact with this product). That is, the lessons are far from engaging and should not be expected to keep a child's attention for even one moment. This might be particularly true when the child has no actual interest in learning how to play the piano, other than appeasing mom.

- The software (and hardware) is, in fact, flakey. This being said, the software and keyboard have always worked for me, even if it did require a few additional steps from time to time. I discovered that one of the primary issues with the keyboard is that it will not work if the latest QuickTime update has not been installed. Considering the speed at which new QuickTime updates are made available, it is easy to see why this might require an update check quite frequently. At one point I also had to visit the company's website to download the latest drivers, since which time I have experienced no further issues. I have also realized that the keyboard will not communicate properly with the program if it is not turned on prior to opening the learning modules. If all else fails...rebooting has always worked.

Even with these seemingly significant drawbacks, my own results with this product prevent me from doing anything other than singing its praises. The cost/benefit ratio, in my opinion, appears to have worked out in my favor. If you are an adult that seriously (serious enough to sit through monotone instructions and no-frill lessons) wishes to learn how to play the piano, I would recommend this product. I would also recommend utilizing these modules with a (not necessarily the one provided in this bundle, although it's not terrible) MIDI controller/keyboard, as there is great benefit to be had from the controller/software interaction and feedback.

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Product Description:
Learn to Play Keyboard Bundle is a complete learning tool for developing skills with a piano or keyboard. This bundle combines the eMedia Piano & Keyboard Method CD-ROM with a high quality 49-key full-size, touch-sensitive MIDI keyboard. Hook up the keyboard to your USB port and start teaching yourself to play. The small Desktop keyboard is ideal for use on your Computer desk. Also includes Pitch bend and modulation wheels and a pedal port. Learn To Play Keyboard CD features 250 lessons that teach sight-reading, creating accompaniments, transposition and other essential keyboard skills. Video demonstrations and interactive reviews feature 100 songs, to reinforce lessons while making them more fun. The keyboard comes with USB cable that plugs your MIDI keyboard into your PC or Macintosh computer via a USB port that also powers the keyboard. Learn To Play Keyboard CD features 250 lessons that teach sight-reading, creating accompaniments, transposition and other essential keyboard skills. Video demonstrations and interactive reviews feature 100 songs, to reinforce lessons while making them more fun.

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Piano and Keyboard Method V2.0 Review

I'm a piano instructor who teaches a once a week high school keyboard class. I've started recommending Emedia to my students as a great at home piano program. As an instructor, I really like the step by step approach to the lessons. The video are very helpful in demonstrating techniques between lessons. Kids that are using the program progress a lot faster than those that don't. This is a fine program either for those that want to learn on their own or that are also taking lessons.

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Product Description:
Over 300 lessons from a former Juilliard instructor. Learn to read music and play songs. Gives specific interactive feedback on your playing.

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