[.ca] John W. Schaum Piano Course, A: The Red Book (ISBN 0769218148)

Great for Piano Beginners!:
The John W. Schaum Piano series is an excellent way to introduce children to the piano. Geared to the early grade school level, A-The Red Book is a follow-up to Pre-A-The Green Book. All the piano books in this series feature colorful illustrations, easy-to-read notes, and simple hand positions. The book progresses from very simple melodies at the start to more complex "melody and chord" songs at the end. Children love to sing along as they play the notes. I have found this to be a great way to for younger kids to learn to read music and begin their study of the piano.

Excellent for kids and adults:
I used the older version of this book when I was a child and it was excellent. Easy to read and understand. Perfect for learning to play the piano if you want to go at your own pace. I had a private instructor as well but the book was the key to my lessons. I have almost the entire collection but they are a bit out-dated so I plan to buy the new ones soon for my own review, and also so I can teach my kids to play when they are old enough. I loved the John W. Schaum series. Note: These books aren't really theory based so if you intend to teach yourself, you'll also need a book to really teach you the basics (Tip: I used the AB Guide to music theory by Eric Taylor, it's alittle difficult to find now though), once you master the theory, you'll be on your way to playing tons of songs. Fun fun fun!!!