Piano Music
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 Starting piano lessons? You will need written instructions in the form of piano music books or music sheets. You can buy the material from a music store or online.
Books are nice in that they are bound, orderly, and stay intact for longer. In terms of pricinig, a piano book is cheaper since it will give you more songs per dollar as compared to buying the songs individually. Music books are organized for you: they are often categorized by: Beginner pianists should look to their piano teacher for advice as to which books are appropriate. Piano music books in series are common for beginner learners. Examples include: The information is basically the same in the above piano music books, but people respond to different presentations in different ways. For example, some kids like to see big colorful pictures; other kids might like the music to look more technical with a lot of notation; and some kids might respond better to very simple pages with ample white space and less distractions. A good piano teacher who has had many years of experience will have three or four different method books on hand. S/he will introduce the books and assess which one works best for that particular student. However, be aware that you or your child may switch from one series to another because students sometimes need a change; or students grow older and advance to a different series of books.
Music sheets are nice in that you can custom order the songs you like without having to buy the entire book. Though, in order to take advantage of this, you must know enough about piano music to decide what is appropriate for your level. Music sheets provide a larger range of what you can buy. For example, only popular songs from well known composers are published in a music book, but lesser known songs/composers can easily be found in the form of music sheets.
Music sheets downloaded from the internet may or may not be of good quality. Some of it will depend on the quality of paper you have in your printer and the amount of ink you have in your cartridges. The formatting is usually good; though you never know with the internet. One big disadvantage of self-printed music sheets compared to bound material is that the former has a shorter shelf-life. Loose sheets of music tend to curl at the edges and get ratty quicker. They are easy to misplace and lose. And, they can be difficult to organize and store. Having an infrastructure of file folders and binders help; but anyone who lives with a pianist will agree that music sheets are almost never in their designated places regardless of your filing system! When it comes to price per piece, sheet music from a music store is more expensive. Sheet music downloaded from the internet can be cheaper, but again, the quality may or may not be good.
Who will buy the piano books or music sheets for your lessons? This is something you need to discuss with your piano teacher. Some piano teachers know exactly what to buy, where to buy it, and they visit the music store frequently; they can easily pick up the music for you thereby making your life easier. Though, you will still have to pay for the books/sheets. On the other hand, some piano teachers are just too busy to buy books for all their students. In this case, s/he will tell you to buy the book yourself either from a music store or from the internet. Even if you choose the convenience of online shopping, it is fun and helpful to go to a music store and browse through their collection of piano music books. It's worthwhile to see the what's available for today and for the future. Music stores usually have pianos available, possibly in a private room, so that you can try the music out before you purchase it. That is one of the most important benefits of a piano store compared to an online supplier: in a store, you can try the music before you buy it. You and your piano teacher can talk for along time about music and still not really connect. But a trip to the music store can clarify everything: something will catch your eye and before you know it, everything your teacher's has been trying to explain makes sense. You will probably find music that you didn't realize was available; you might be inspired! Music stores are different from one another: if possible, visit all of them (as many as possible) in your area. Some music stores have employees that don't know anything about music. (In a way, it's not so surprising - a lot of stores have employees that don't know anything about their products!) Some music stores have employees who are knowlegeable but are very arrogant and have a hoity-toity attitude: poor customer service. To make matters worst, brick-and-mortar music stores are a dying breed: there are fewer and fewer of them every year. Do your part to keep them alive: visit a music store, hopefully one with knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful employees. Ask them questions and they will help you find what you need. A Word about Online Storefronts There are many online music suppliers and buying from them is as easy as a single click. But buying piano music sheets online can be tricky because you can't thumb through the selections. You may end up buying something that is too easy or too hard for your skills. It is almost impossible to "return" music sheets after you have downloaded it from the internet. Fly-by-night operations may give you photocopied music sheets which are grainy and unpleasant to work with. Some products may even be illegal to sell since they are protected by copyright laws. My advice is this: Don't let the internet disappoint you; there is a little of everything out there. Some things that look great are. But many things that look great aren't. Try not to get disappointed when music turns out to be too difficult or strange. Don't get frustrated or feel cheated - just move on. Try finding a different version of the same song from a different supplier.
It is extremely important for students to be playing the type of piano music that they like. Enjoying your music will help you practice more and play better. Yet, a student may not know what is best - you need a teacher's guidance. Knowing a little bit about what it is available always helps. So it is a balance of: ♪ Know what is available; |
Music sheets bought from a store will almost always be of good quality: heavy-weight, glossy paper, dark ink, and nice formatting. Like a booklet, the music sheets are bound with an attractive front cover. 