From: Harrison Music Education Systems Publisher: Harrison Music Education Systems Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Harrison Music Education Systems Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 500 Publication Date: May 01, 1998
Product Description: This cutting-edge keyboard method is a total step-by-step approach to creating keyboard parts spontaneously. Rhythmic and harmonic concepts are applied in all keys, and are then used as a basis for developing specific solutions in rock, pop, ballad, funk, new age, country and gospel styles. Endorsed by Grammy winners, top educators, and Keyboard magazine.
Incredible tool This book works. I am an intermediate level pianist. My skills have quickly developed with the use of this book. The first thing I did was take it to be spiral bound. This really helps. I am presently on Chapter 5, and I have found that the progression through the material has been very natural. I recently purchased the MIDI files through Mark Harrison. These are also helpful. I recommend this book without reservation, however I would not recommend it for beginners.
The BEST Piano Book. . I gave this book to my father as a gift. Months earlier, he had called to sign up for a piano instructor he was going to pay $250 a month. He got the book and loved it immediately. When the piano instructor came for the first time (he was moving from New York), my father showed him the book. The instructor liked it also. However, this demonstration hardly compares with what happened next. My father decided that he thought the book so thorough, that he FIRED the piano instructor!!!
Great refernce for playing different styles This book is very helpful. Mark Harrison takes you through several styles of piano playing. In each style he starts with a sample song. It starts simply and then builds in complexity. Then he adds variations.
This book fills a void in the market for people who need to know how to approach different styles and then gives them enough material to become proficient in each of them; not just knowing a few generic licks for each one.
I can't give this book 5 stars because it doesn't include a CD. There is a CD available that you can buy from the author's website but these days it's very common to include a CD with the book- especially an expensive one. Plus there's a lot of references to the CD which makes you feel like you're missing out if you don't have it. I think the author should make the files available online for free. But that's just me.
I have another gripe that is really my own dilemma and I wouldn't hold it against this book: The author offers very little in the way of insight. While you have a systematic breakdown of each style there's no simple overall view of each style. He never shows you any tips or tricks to understand the style you're working on. In short, the book is like a text book.
Also you should know that without the CD and spending a long time on each style you should be a pretty decent player and reader to get results from this book. I'm OK and I felt like because my chops a so so the samples became tedious. This is due to my limitations and shouldn't reflect on the author but this is not a book for beginners.
Just The Book I've Been Looking For... I have been playing the piano for over 13 years, mostly classical, more recently jazz and pop, but I've never been very pleased with my contemporary piano skills. Most books that teach the techniques of contemporary styles assume the reader has little or no playing background and don't progress very far beyond the basics, clearly not much help for the serious player.
However, The Pop Piano Book is precisely the book I've been looking for!! This book is perfect for the intermediate or advanced player who aspires to be a master of contemporary styles. With this book you can learn how to interpret a song in numerous modern styles, and learn the subtleties that will demonstrate your total understanding and mastery of each style.
The Jazz Piano Book by Mark Levine is my jazz bible, and Mark Harrison's Pop Piano Book has taken a place right beside it as my contemporary piano guide. It is phenomenal!
Better than others! I have had some 20 years of piano lessons/experience. Unfortunately, like many, I was only taught classical music and every attempt of my teachers of young years to teach some "modern" music failt due to the necessity of having to learn about the theory behind. Years later I find myself wanting to improvise, and alas, there are not so many good books to learn from!
I already own a couple of books and recently bought this one. This finally bridges the gap which all the others could not! Harrison just tells you everything including some good tricks which would take some time for you to realise on your own! Ok, make yourself familiar with some basic theory first because I doubt you can find the necessary details here. Also, better get some technical skills, practise scales, Hanon, Czerny whatever. This remains important also in this genre! If you have the technical know-how you can really do without the MIDI files because you will be able to play it for yourself and get used to the sound he wants to create. Yes, and then it is totally up to you and make no mistake, this is serious brainjogging what you are asked to do! But I really think it is worth it and will give you some automatism later which will really pay off.
What I particularly like about this method is that Harrison teaches proper voiceleading which I am missing in nearly all the other books. If you are an experienced piano player, you feel there is something wrong without the correct voiceleading. Here this is not the case. It is hard work but good fun and will hopefully give some good sounding results and finally the ability to improvise in the near future.
Anything Goes Trivia
Last Kiss
Megaton Man
Trevor
