The string instruments are one of the largest family of instruments and are usually held in different forms.

Some string instruments are commonly held between the knees. The body of the instrument is supported by the knees while the musician is seated.

Here is a list of some knee-held string instruments. These instruments are from a diverse range of musical traditions across various cultures and historical periods.

What Are String Instruments Held Between the Knees?

Cello

Perhaps the most well-known knee-held string instrument is the cello. The cello is played in an upright position with the player seated.

The instrument’s body rests on the floor while the neck and upper part are braced against the musician’s chest and shoulder.

The lower bout of the cello, where the C-string is located, rests on a spike or an endpin.

By positioning the cello between the knees, the player can have better control and stability while playing the instrument.

The Double Bass

It is also known as the upright bass or contrabass. The double bass is the largest and lowest-pitched instrument in the string family.

Normally, it is typically played in a standing position with a strap around the player’s shoulder.

However, it can also be played in a seated position. Players typically rest the body of the bass against the player’s body and support the neck between the knees.

Both the cello and the double bass are versatile instruments. They are commonly used in classical music, jazz, and various other genres.

In addition to these classical string instruments, there are modern variations that can be played in a knee-held position.

For example, there are electric cellos and electric upright basses that can be played similarly.

Electric Cello

An electric variation of the cello can be played in the knee-held position.

Electric cellos often have a more compact body and can be played with headphones or amplified for performance purposes.

Electric Bass

This is an electric version of the double bass (also known as the upright bass or contrabass).

It typically has a slightly smaller body and can be played in a knee-held position, similar to the cello.

The Harp

The harp is a popularly known large, multi-stringed instrument with a triangular or semicircular frame. It is played by plucking the strings with the fingers of both hands.

While the instrument rests on the floor or a stand, it sits between the knees of the harpist.

Harpists do not hold the instrument between their knees like with instruments like the cello or double bass.

Viola Da Gamba

The viola da gamba is a fretted string instrument that was popular during the Renaissance and Baroque periods. It has a similar playing position to the cello.

The musician is seated and the instrument’s body rests on the ground. The neck of the viola is braced against the shoulder, and the lower bout is supported by the knees.

Bass Viol

The Bass viol is a large member of the Viola da Gamba family. It has a similar playing position to the viola da gamba.

The musician is seated and the instrument’s body rests on the ground. The neck is braced against the shoulder, and the lower bout is supported by the knees.

Viola Pomposa

This is a lesser-known string instrument. It is similar in size and shape to a violin or viola but with additional sympathetic strings.

It can be held between the knees or supported on a leg while being played.

Some less popular string instruments are also held between the knees and used in cultures around the world.

These may not be as well-known as the cello or viola. However, they provide fascinating opportunities for exploration and creativity in string instrument performance.

Hardanger Fiddle

This traditional Norwegian instrument is similar in appearance to a violin and it has been compared.

However, the Hardanger fiddle has additional sympathetic strings below the main playing strings.

It is played with a bow and can be held between the knees while seated.

Nyckelharpa

The nyckelharpa is a Swedish keyed fiddle. It has a series of wooden keys that depress the strings to change pitch.

It is played with a bow and can be held between the knees. The body rests on the player’s legs.

Hurdy-Gurdy

The hurdy-gurdy is a unique string instrument with a keyboard. It also has a rotating wheel that bows the strings, and various drone strings.

It can be held between the knees while playing, with the keys and wheel accessible to the player’s hands.

Baryton

The baryton is a rare instrument that was popular during the 17th and 18th centuries. It features sympathetic strings that vibrate in response to the main strings being played.

Similar to the viola da gamba, the baryton can be held between the knees. Its body rests on the legs of the player.

Dihu

The dihu is also known as the Chinese two-stringed fiddle. As a stringed instrument, it is played by holding it between the knees.

It is a traditional Chinese bowed string instrument with a small resonating chamber and two strings. The torso of the dihu is typically made of bamboo or wood.

To play the dihu, the player holds the instrument vertically between their knees. The sound box resting on their thighs.

The bow is then drawn across the strings to produce sound. The pitch of the dihu can be adjusted by pressing the strings against the neck with the fingertips.

The dihu is known for its distinctive sound. It is often featured in ensembles, accompanying other traditional instruments.

Octobass

The octobass is an extremely large and rare instrument that belongs to the double bass family.

It is so massive that the player had to sit on a stool and support the instrument between their knees.

The octobass produces incredibly low tones and is primarily used in orchestras for special effects.

Viola D’amore

The viola d’amore is a historical string instrument that has sympathetic strings that resonate sympathetically with the played strings.

It is held between the knees, similar to a cello, and played with a bow. The viola d’amore has a warm and resonant sound and is commonly used in Baroque music.

Lirone

The lirone is a bowed string instrument with numerous strings that are played simultaneously. It is held between the knees or sometimes supported on the lap.

The lirone was popular in the Renaissance and Baroque periods. It was often used to accompany vocal music.

Doshpuluur

The doshpuluur is a traditional three-stringed lute-like instrument from Central Asia, particularly popular among the Tuvan people. It is sometimes held between the knees.

The strings are plucked or strummed while the player uses their other hand to dampen the pitch of the strings.

The Great Thing about Knee-Held String Instruments

Each instrument provides its own unique timbre and playing experience. Overall, knee-held string instruments offer a unique playing experience.

They often produce rich, resonant sounds due to their larger size and design. Granted, the one common feature they share is being held between the knees for support while playing.

This playing position allows for the use of bowing techniques and finger placement on the strings.

It also allows various articulations that contribute to the expressive capabilities of the instrument.

The post String Instruments Held between Knees – Full List appeared first on Musiicz.

It’s mind-blowing to know that we’re living in a time when you’re able to learn pretty much any instrument that you want. But with so many instruments to choose from these days, it might be a bit hard to decide what’s best for you. While most of the people are focused on guitars or pianos, it seems that accordion tends to get overlooked. Now, this instrument is way more versatile than one might think.

While many consider it to be an instrument strictly for folk music of many different European regions, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Accordion finds use in various genres like classical, jazz, and even pop and rock music.

What’s more, we have American genres like cajun and zydeco where the accordion is an essential element. With all this being said, we’re going to look more into the matter and bring you what we consider to be the best accordions for the money.

Top 5 Best Accordion Brands

But before we begin, we’d like to get more acquainted with some great accordion manufacturers out there. After all, this is one of the best ways for anyone to slowly get into the world of this wonderful instrument.

Hohner

When we’re talking about accordions in general, there’s no way to avoid mentioning Hohner. Coming from Germany, the company’s full name is Hohner Musikinstrumente GmbH & Co. KG. It was founded way back in the 1850s by Matthias Hohner. Of course, they’re focused on many different instruments, including mandolins, acoustic and classical guitars, basses, but they’ve been especially proud of their accordions.

Looking at their line of accordions these days, the company has a lot of different stuff to offer. Players of various genres have been using their instruments. Anything from classical music, and even up to blues and pop. Aside from great diatonic and chromatic accordions, they also manufacture other related gear and accessories for the instrument. It’s one of the go-to brands for players of any level.

Website: Hohner.de

Roland

Now, it’s kind of weird to see the famous Japanese electronic instrument manufacturer on this list. However, they’ve been making some great accordions over the years. However, you need to bear in mind that these are electronic accordions. While some may be discouraged to look more into these types of instruments, Roland’s line of accordions provides some very realistic tones. These are professional-tier products that can also be used as MIDI controllers when paired with computers or other devices. If you’re looking for something more modern and innovative, you’d definitely want to check out Roland.

Website: Roland global

Excalibur

Anything with the name Excalibur can’t be bad. And that definitely shows with Excalibur accordions. They manufacture all the different types of accordions, including both chromatic and diatonic ones. When it comes to chromatic accordions, they make both button-based and piano ones.

At the same time, they cover a wide array of different styles, giving great instruments for everyone’s musical tastes. They’re usually not that cheap, but they’re definitely worth the money. What’s more, Excalibur also manufactures some great electronic accordions, which is another fine addition to their arsenal.

Website: ExcaliburAccordions

Weltmeister

Just like many other accordion-builders, Weltmeister and their work can be traced back to the mid-19th century. Back then, the instrument was still developing and was not exactly the way we know it today. Over the decades, things changed a lot, and after World War 2, we saw many of the manufacturers of the Saxon Vogtland region merging into one big state-owned accordion company in East Germany.

One thing led to another, and we eventually got smaller manufacturers in more recent years. In 2017, Weltmeister separated from this larger group and began using their hard-earned knowledge and skill to make their own accordions.

They focus specifically on accordions, which is a great advantage for such a small company. In their array of products, we can find almost any type of accordions, even diatonic ones. Players of all styles are very fond of Weltmeister.

Website: Weltmeister Accordions

D’Luca

Lastly, we’d also like to mention D’Luca accordions. The company makes all different kinds of instruments, including guitars, basses, different percussive instruments, and even wind instruments. As far as accordions go, they often focus on smaller instruments and especially diatonic ones. To add to all this, D’Luca also makes great accordion accessories that every accordion player needs.

Website: DLucaMusic

Top 6 Best Accordions for the Money

Now that we have this part covered, let’s look into the top 6 accordions for the money. Of course, singling out only five instrument models and giving them a spotlight wasn’t easy. We did our best to deliver something for everyone’s taste in a list of accordions that covers many different musical styles as well. So here’s what we came up with.

Best Sound: Tulskaya Garmon Tula Etud 205 M2

Russian accordion manufacturers have some great stuff to offer as well. Here we have a Tula Etud accordion by Tulskaya Garmon, 205 M2. This is a standard chromatic one with the button formation. The first thing we can notice about it is its great tone, something that really stands out even in this instrument’s price range. But this is not a surprise, as this one was built in Tula, which is one of the most famous accordion epicenters in the entire world.

The treble side has only three rows of buttons, with 55 buttons in total. Some may consider this not to be enough, although it all comes down to personal preferences. On the bass side, we have 100 buttons that provide great performance for any level of playing.

Overall, this is a fairly rare accordion, but it’s not impossible to stumble upon one on occasion. As we already explained, the tonal characteristics are its biggest strength. However, this is one might fine tool for every accordion player. It’s recommended for intermediate and professional players. However, it can also come in handy for beginners as well.

While it’s not of essential matter, we would like to point out that the accordion also comes with quality-made and very durable straps. The instrument combines great elegant design, ergonomic qualities, as well as its wonderful sound. What more do you need?

Best Budget Accordion: Hohner 1305

Now we’re going over to something for those piano accordion lovers. As already explained in this guide’s previous section, Hohner is one of the most prominent accordion manufacturers in the entire world. So it’s hard not to mention them on this list. While we’re at it, they’re also known for making good stuff in pretty much all price ranges. And here, we have a great budget option, Hohner’s 1305.

Its full name is 1305-RED Student Hohnica, which explains this instrument’s intended use. It’s a great accordion for beginner students. However, it definitely outperforms its price tag. With an instrument like this one, you’ll be able to perform way into intermediate and even advanced levels for some smaller performances.

Going over to its features, it’s pretty clear that Hohner did a lot of work to perfect this accordion model over the years. It has improved mechanisms which provide a better response from its keys. We also have a resonant construction, making this instrument fairly loud. In addition, we’d also mention tremolo tuned reeds as another great feature.

There’s a total of 72 buttons, 34 piano keys, as well as 5 buttons for the shaping of tone properties. It’s also worth mentioning that the range is from G to E, low to high.

Best for the Money: Hohner Bravo III 72

But with Hohner being such a great manufacturer, it was impossible not to mention at least another one of their great accordions on this top 5 list. Once again, we have a piano accordion on our hands. The model in question is their Bravo III, which goes more into the mid to high-level price territory.

This instrument has 34 piano keys, as well as 72 buttons. There are 5 switches, just like on the previous model that we mentioned. These provide you with 5 treble registers, 2 bass registers, and 3 different voices. Its keyboard length is about 16 inches, which gives enough room for comfortable performance on the right-hand side.

The instrument is slightly below 8 kilos, or about 17 pounds, which makes this instrument slightly lighter than average. There’s also a bigger version, the Bravo III 96, that features 96 bass keys and 37 piano keys. What’s surprising is that this bigger version is also relatively light compared to its size and performance.

The instrument also comes in a few different colors, which is another great addition here. A bit of a letdown comes with average straps, but that’s not much of an issue knowing how well this instrument performs.

Best Overall: Tulskaya Garmon Bayan Tula 209

We already talked about how great these accordions from Tula are, especially Tulskaya Garmon stuff. So we can’t help but mention another great product on this list. Although it’s a pricy one, Bayan Tula 209 is one of the best accordions, surpassing its price level by far. What’s more, many performers who are operating on a budget are looking for something more affordable, especially when it comes to button accordions. Sometimes it’s hard to find a good button accordion with so many features at this price level. But this one will do the trick.

Now, this is a great deal for all the serious players who prefer buttons over regular piano key layouts. And the best part is that Tula 209 has 5 rows of buttons on the treble side, with a total of impressive 92 buttons. On the bass side, we have another great setting, with 100 buttons.

To put it simply, this is one of the most reliable accordion makers in the business. Tula 209 is just one of the best examples of how great they are. It’s an absolute beast of an instrument and definitely worth checking out, no matter the kind of music you’re playing.

Best Electronic Accordion: Roland V-Accordion FR-1x

But, of course, we can’t avoid putting at least one of those great electronic accordions by Roland. There are a few great choices in there, but the one that caught our eye from their V-Accordion series of products is FR-1x.

As Roland explains, these accordions have “revolutionized” the world of music. While the statement might seem a bit too confident, it’s not that far from the truth when we look at FR-1x. The instrument is designed as a smaller and lightweight version of their other electronic accordions. It has 26 keys, along with 72 bass buttons.

Now, some may be discouraged to get such an instrument, especially when it comes to accordions since it might lack some expressive qualities. But you don’t need to worry about that with FR-1x since all the keys and buttons are velocity-sensitive. What’s more, this accordion also has an advanced pressure sensor that detects even the slightest movements of bellows opening and closing.

Now going to its sound engine, the accordion has a maximum polyphony of 128 voices. There are different settings on this instrument. We have 16 accordion presets, each of them including 14 treble registers, 7 bass registers, 7 free bass, 7 orchestra bass, and others.

This is a very potent and diverse instrument that can also be used as a MIDI controller. Some might feel that such accordions can do as well as the acoustic ones, but with the right setup, they outperform many instruments in this price range.

Best for Beginners: Hohner 3100GB

It seems that we can’t get enough of Hohner and their great accordions. But they’re just so widespread and there’s an abundance of great models to choose from. Now we bring something a little different, 3100GB. What makes it stand out on this list is the fact that it’s a diatonic accordion. This means that you cannot play all the notes in every key, but rather just the ones in the given key that the accordion comes with. While this seems limiting, diatonic accordions find their use. On the other hand, they’re a good choice for beginners.

Along with a few other features, this makes Hohner 3100GB a great choice. This accordion can play in the keys for C major, G major, and F major, along with their parallel minor keys. It features 3 rows of buttons on the treble side, with a total of 31 buttons. It also comes with only 12 bass buttons in 2 rows, as well as 2 sets of treble reeds.

Overall, it’s fairly cheap and relatively light, making it a great choice even for younger players. Of course, the build quality and tone are up to Hohner standards. There’s a hard chance anyone would be disappointed by the instrument’s qualities. At the same time, its simplicity and accessibility are what make it a great choice for those who are just starting out on accordions.

Things to Consider When Buying Accordions

When buying accordions, there are a few important things one should consider. After all, the instrument is actually way more complex than a beginner might think. When you look at it, there isn’t any other instrument out there that would be able to compare to accordion’s peculiar nature. But let’s see, what are the mos important features to look into when buying accordions.

Chromatic vs Diatonic

One of the most important divisions in the world of accordions comes down to chromatic versus diatonic instruments. In some way, we could argue that these are even completely different instruments, but that’s a whole different discussion.

Weight

It takes no more than one look to realize that accordions are bulky instruments, at least in most cases. This comes with its problems, most notably the instrument’s weight. This is one of the main things to consider, especially with beginner players. Whether you’re standing up or sitting down, you’re supposed to hold it on your chest, with straps sitting on your shoulders. In most cases, it goes anywhere from 10 to 25 pounds. But for beginners and younger players, this might be too much. The best idea is to go with something lighter, even below 10 pounds.

Build quality

Although bulky, accordion is a very delicate instrument. Improper care and storage can even lead to serious longterm damages. At the same time, it’s important to look into materials and how well accordions are assembled if you want a reliable instrument. Any of the accordions we mentioned above are a good example of quality instruments.

Acoustic vs Electronic

Although they’re not that common, electronic accordions are still an interesting concept that some players might prefer. Yes, it is in some way “controversial,” especially if we’re talking about classical and traditional music. Nonetheless, these accordions have been perfected and can often replicate many different tones.

But even though they’re versatile, nothing can still beat the greatness of conventional acoustic accordion. Their loud volume and specific sound come to mind as the most important traits of these accordions.

In the end, it’s an important distinction and you should think this through and make up your mind before making your first purchase.

Price

As you may already notice, accordions are kind of expensive. At least when compared to other instruments. This is not a surprise as a lot of work goes into designing and building these fine instruments. In addition, there are a lot of moving components, something that you don’t find with guitars or violins, for example.

So all the price standards are significantly higher with accordions. Cheap and simple accordions can be as high as $500, while some professional ones can go even way past the $2000 mark. So if you’re a beginner looking for your first accordion, you need to be ready to spend at least $400 or $500. Yes, it’s an expensive instrument, but that’s the price behind its unique sound.

How to Play Accordion

It’s no wonder that the accordion is considered to be one of the most difficult instruments to learn. While almost any other instrument out there requires coordination between left and right hand, things get a bit tricky with finding the perfect “flow” of the bellows with the opening and closing movements. It’s hard to explain everything briefly as it involves very complex and coordinated movements. Here’s a great instructional video for beginners.

Famous Accordion Players

Charles Magnante

(1905 – 1986)

Some may know Charles Magnante for his famous quartet. He’s considered to be one of the musicians who brought the accordion to other genres outside of traditional folk music. Charles dabbled in boogie-woogie, jazz, and even classical.

Pietro Frosini

(1885 – 1951)

Frosini was one of the first “stars” on this fine instrument. Born in the 1880s, his first recordings date from 1907 and were captured on phonograph cylinders. He’s one of the most important players in history.

Myron Floren

(1919 – 2005)

Known for his work on “The Lawrence Welk Show,” Myron Floren had quite a long career. In the 1970s, he became known as a bandleader and brought the accordion to a whole new level.

Lawrence Welk

(1903 – 1992)

Born in a German community in South Dakota, Lawrence Welk was kind of a “rock ‘n’ roll star” before rock ‘n’ roll was even a thing. To put it simply, he was a virtuoso on the instrument and has pushed it into some previously unheard territories.

Pietro Deiro

(1888 – 1954)

Italian musician Pietro Deiro is easily one of the most famous accordion players who ever lived. During his fruitful career, he also started Pietro Deiro Publications that collected numerous important works for the instrument.

Conclusion

As you may already know, accordion is not an easy instrument to learn. Nonetheless, it’s far more versatile than many might think, as it finds application in a lot of different styles of music. If you’re looking for ways to learn how to play the accordion, you should bear in mind that they’re a bit more expensive than other choices.

At the same time, they also require a lot of practice and maintenance. But this should not be a problem if you’re fond of accordions and the wonderful sounds that they produce.

The post Top 6 Best Accordions for the Money – Reviews and Beginner Guides appeared first on Musiicz.

Setting out to learn how to play an instrument is one of the best things an individual can do. This way, anyone can get an additional voice and find ways to express themselves through music. And the best thing these days is that you can choose almost any instrument that you like. But among the many out there, one of the most popular picks is the piano.

There are certain advantages that this instrument provides. First off, it’s intuitive and it’s pretty easy to figure out since everything is laid out in front of you. Second, there are plenty of keyboard-based instruments, including MIDI controllers that you’ll be able to use when you learn how to play the piano. And, finally, it presents a solid foundation if you want to play any other instrument later on in life.

However, in order to learn how to play the piano, you’ll need good literature. With this in mind, we’ve decided to cover some of the best piano books for beginners.

Piano for Dummies

We’ll start things off with one of the books from the classic “For Dummies” series. Among countless things these books covered, there’s also one about learning piano, simply titled “Piano for Dummies.” It is intended for a wide scope of different music enthusiasts. However, it may not be the best option for the youngest ones.

Nonetheless, the book provides very detailed information about the instrument, music theory, and technique. It also has a bunch of great exercises for entry-level players of any age. Basically, with this book, you’ll be able to go from a complete piano ignoramus to a beginner who’s capable of reading and playing entry-level songs and exercises. It’s more than enough to prepare you for further levels of playing and it will give you all the essential basic knowledge you need.

Alfred’s Basic Adult Piano Course: Lesson Book, Level One

There’s a common misconception about learning music as an adult. The thing is, many people think that it’s impossible to learn how to play an instrument after you pass a certain age. This is why many potential adult music lovers are often discouraged to start learning. But even though it’s definitely difficult to learn how to play an instrument as an adult, it’s most certainly far from an impossible task.

If you’re one of those people who are already in their 20s, 30s or 40s, a book like “Alfred’s Basic Adult Piano Course” can be a good choice to consider. Of course, it’s intended to work best with the assistance of a teacher or any other experienced pianist who can help you. However, it’s still a very useful resource for anyone from the targeted audience.

Lesson Book: Piano Adventures

“Lesson Book: Piano Adventures,” on the other hand, is for almost any age. The biggest advantage of this book, written and compiled by Nancy Faber, is its accessibility and straightforward approach. This way, even a complete beginner will be able to understand some of the much-needed fundamentals of piano playing.

For instance, you can find lessons on how to read notes, how to build chords on the piano, and even some essential info about scales. Of course, there’s also stuff about different fingering positions, techniques, as well as the implementation of these things in practice.

Overall, this is one of the favorite books among piano teachers working with younger students. It’s fun, it’s a very useful pedagogical tool, and – above all – it’s really fun to use. It’s one of the first books you’ll want to consider when finding the best one for your needs.

Piano Book for Adult Beginners

Another one designed for those who plan on learning piano later in life, “Piano Book for Adult Beginners” is a great resource for this particular age group. But compared to the previous example that we mentioned, the author Damon Ferrante focuses on music theory and its application in practice, no matter the genre that you’re interested in. And what’s really important to note here is that this is not just a regular book. There are also 20 online streaming video lessons that you get with it. Meanwhile, the book provides you with all the necessary exercises and sheet music for some famous musical pieces.

But the most important thing about this book is that it’s very systematized and layered, making it very useful for beginners. All you need to do is cover all of the lessons and make sure you fully understood the info before moving forward.

John Thompson’s Easiest Piano Course Part 1

For all those interested in buying their kid some of the best piano books for beginners, “John Thompson’s Easiest Piano Course Part 1” comes as a great addition to this list. Available both as a paperback and in Kindle format, this is a very comprehensive resource intended for the youngest generations. The book is filled with a few cheerful and colorful characters, an approach that can be pretty useful for kids who are trying to understand and memorize new concepts.

Aside from the very detailed and systematized step-by-step exercises, there are also sight-reading drills and different worksheets and assignments. With the help of a teacher or a parent, the child will be able to understand the basics and build the fundamental skills that are much-needed for any further musical development.

Big Book of Beginner’s Piano Classics

In case you’re a beginner who’s already familiar with some of the basics, or know such a novice pianist that needs some adequate resources, then “Big Book of Beginner’s Piano Classics” comes as a very useful tool. In fact, it’s more of a collection of famous piano classics rather than a regular book.

However, the important thing to note is that all 83 of these pieces are arranged and adapted for beginners. They’re also organized in such an order that will help any beginner pianist excel, with each piece being slightly more difficult than the previous one. The book also comes with downloadable MP3 files of some of its examples. Overall, this one can work well with the help of a teacher or any other experienced pianist. Yes, these arrangements are easy to follow, but you’ll need some help if you’re a complete beginner.

Piano Lesson Book: Complete Level 1, for the Later Beginner

Similar to the one described above, “Piano Lesson Book” by Willard A. Palmer, Morton Manus, and Amanda Vick Lethco is also intended for beginners who have mastered some of the basics. As the rest of the title explains, it’s for later beginners. Essentially, the book features a somewhat faster learning program, going through levels 1A and 1B at the same time.

This book was written for children aged 8 and up, or even younger pianists who show more interest and talent early on. With this said, it’s recommended that this book is used with the assistance of an experienced teacher. The thing is, a parent who’s not that familiar with some basic principles might not be the perfect guide in this case. Still, it’s a great resource for anyone remotely serious about becoming a professional pianist one day.

Piano for the Young Beginner: Primer A

We would also like to include “Piano for the Young Beginner: Primer A” on this list, since it provides very detailed methods and exercises for the youngest students, somewhere around the age of 5 and 6. Written by experienced tutors James Bastien and Jane Smisor Bastien, it combines some popular, traditional, and seasonal songs, all of which are adapted for beginners of young ages. It’s also filled with many colorful visual aids that make it easier for the student to memorize things. It’s just what the 5 or 6-year-old students and their teachers need in order to have successful lessons.

How To Play Keyboard: A Complete Guide for Absolute Beginners

Here we have something universal for all ages. However, what makes this particular book special is that it incorporates any form of electronic keyboards as well, not just the acoustic or electric piano. As described, you really don’t need any previous musical experience for using this book. All of the lessons and explanations are pretty clear and straightforward.

The main intention of this book is to have a laid-back approach. It’s a fun and brief resource for learning basic concepts and some exciting playing techniques and tricks. With the hands-on approach in this book written by Ben Parker, you’ll be able to implement any of these concepts in practice.

While it’s not a completely “serious” book or something that a future professional pianist would rely on, it’s still pretty fun and engaging.

‘Easiest’ Beginner Piano Method: Gordon Banks Method

While saying that it’s the “easiest” method is somewhat of a joke in the title, this is still one fairly accessible book intended for older kids, teenagers, or adults. There’s a very simple approach here, and that’s to start learning the piano by using your 10 fingers on 10 keys only. After all, when you look at the piano, it has the same pattern of black and white keys that repeats from the lowest to the highest notes.

In addition, all of the exercises and songs are written in five keys only – C, D, E, F, and G. It’s all about coordinating your left and right hand – one of the main issues for beginners – and building some technical and theoretical foundations for further advancement.

How to Use Piano Books Effectively as a Beginner

Learning with a Parent or a Tutor

You might have noticed that a certain number of these books is recommended to be used with the help of a professional and experienced tutor. While we also tried to include other stuff, like some very intuitive and straightforward books that kids below the age of 10 can use with their parents, even if they’re not that familiar with the piano.

However, if you want better results and if you want your child to keep being persistent while working on their skills, it’s recommended that you hire a piano teacher. The instrument is really accessible for beginners and is not as complicated in these stages as compared to the violin or the guitar.

If you’re an adult music enthusiast who’s looking to learn how to play piano, it’s somewhat easier to go through these books on your own. Yes, hiring a teacher and using some of these books as a reference and practicing tool is definitely a better option. But still, some of the books we mentioned are intended for those looking to learn to play the piano on their own.

Use More Than One Book

No matter the age, you should always be open to using more than just one book. This is the best and safest way for you to get the full picture. No matter how great one book might be, there are always some details that other books might have covered better.

Learn with Online Resources

Today, we live in a time where many resources are available for free, and you can use them in combination with any of these books. Just like with using more books, it’s always recommended that you use anything that’s at your disposal. And is there anything better than finding experienced pianists showing concrete examples on YouTube?

Conclusion

At the end of the day, the choice is up to you. Whether you’re somewhat familiar with the piano, or are a complete ignoramus, there’s always a good book that you can find. But before you go into it, you need to ask yourself what you really want to achieve. For instance, a book like “How To Play Keyboard: A Complete Guide for Absolute Beginners” is a great choice for anyone who just wants to have fun with a piano or any type of a keyboard instrument. A similar thing could be said about “Piano for Dummies“.

However, if you, or anyone you’re buying this book for, are more serious about becoming great pianists or keyboardists, then “John Thompson’s Easiest Piano Course Part 1” comes as a good choice. Another great example would be “Piano Lesson Book: Complete Level 1, for the Later Beginner” or “Piano Lesson Book” by Palmer, Manus, and Lethco.

But there’s one very important thing you need to bear in mind – it’s not just about the books, it’s about being persistent and patient with your learning. There’s no book or a method that will teach you how to play any instrument if you’re not motivated enough to keep learning and practicing new things.

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