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A Life with Beethoven – Moritz Winkelmann
What does it take to get a true grip on Beethoven? A winner of the Beethoven Competition in Bonn, pianist Moritz Winkelmann has built a formidable reputation for his Beethoven interpretations, shaped by a lifetime of immersion in the works and instruction from the legendary Leon Fleisher. Eric Schoones from the German/Dutch magazine PIANIST had a conversation with him. Read more >>

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Topic: Humphries' "Piano Handbook" (Read 3315 times)

goalevan

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Humphries' "Piano Handbook"

on: May 10, 2004, 07:51:35 AM

anybody have experience with this book, or Larry Steelman's "Music Reading for the Keyboard: The Complete Method." how are they?

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bernhard

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Re: Humphries' "Piano Handbook"

Reply #1 on: May 10, 2004, 01:41:41 PM

I don't know Humphries.

Steelman's is all right, but nothing to be very excited about. As with most sight-reading books, it does not tell you very much and consists mostly of several pieces/passages in progressive order of difficulty. It will no tdo any harm, but why not get one of the several anthologies of piano music and sight read through those instead?

As I mentioned a number of times, the really good book on sight-reading (the best I've seen so far) is Howard Richman's "Super sightreading secrets" (Soundwise)

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

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The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side. (Hunter Thompson)

bernhard

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Re: Humphries' "Piano Handbook"

Reply #2 on: May 10, 2004, 01:55:40 PM

By the way, Stellman's book is pop oriented. All the examples are from R&B, Jazz, Rock and so on.

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The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side. (Hunter Thompson)

goalevan

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Posts: 241

Re: Humphries' "Piano Handbook"

Reply #3 on: May 10, 2004, 09:21:01 PM

yeah I have richman, and I'm just waiting for my digital piano that I ordered to arrive. guess richman is all I need, but he does encourage you to count out the rhythm as you play some beginner pieces making sure to keep on perfect rhythm before you advance to the next part of his book.

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joeltr888

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Re: Humphries' "Piano Handbook"

Reply #4 on: May 16, 2004, 04:44:56 AM

I have the Humphries book and it's really quite nice. He covers just about everything one can cover in an intro book... it's perfect for beginning adults I'd say, because he goes straight for the good material instead of playing around with kid's tunes like the Alfred's I have. Some of the material is a little thin but that's no problem in a book with this much info. The spiral/hardback binding is also extremely convenient.

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