Exploring Latin Piano Book/Audio Online

Book is ok but there was no CD

Ever since I got this book and other 2 books on Jazz and Blues by the same author, I've been busy, and I'm having a super fun time learning. this covers so many different styles of Afro/cuban music and it's filled with facts about each style (has even a brief history). It is well organized and thorough. Majority of the pages contain new pieces of music with some sections that encourages you to improvise with suggestions on the type of scales to use. I love playing along with the CD which has a very live feel to it since it includes bass and drums. The Cd is even fun listening on it's own so I sometimes play this in the morning to wake myself up, and to feel happy. Definitely recommend this to anyone interested in exploring this genre on the piano

Like "Improvising on the Blues Piano" by the same fabulous editor, "Exploring Latin Piano" is a very profound study on Latinamerican Pianoplaying !!! At the same time, you can enjoy excellent pianopieces while learning !! It is real fun to slowly understand more and more about these styles to play the piano even though at times the pieces are difficult to play !! As the pieces are extremely rewarding, I didn't regret for a second to exercise real hard some times for this book !!

Product arrived quick, great book, I really like, has many styles and info, it's a big book. I just didn't like that the mail carrier folded it and shoved it into the mailbox bending the book, good thing the cd didn't get damaged. Maybe a do not bend notice should be written on the package.

Great. The three books of Tim Richards are great. There is nothing else better. Thank you Tim, from Spain. Thanks to your books I play piano. I prefer your books than a teacher.I go to a school music, but I can't wait to finish it to work your book.Thank you again.

I am a beginning pianist. To give you an idea, I was barely able to play with a metronome a few months ago. Since I was not interested in playing children’s pieces, that I have only a limited interest in classical music, but that I love Cuban and Brazilian music, I bought Richards and Crawford’s book. This was ambitious since the book is said to be for intermediate pianists. It turned out to be a strategic move. With the help of a teacher that knew and deeply appreciated Latin music (recording artist Paula Maya), I was able in a matter of months to work through many of the exercises and short pieces presented by Richards and Crawford and quite significantly improve my playing, while at the same discovering the logic and history of an extremely rich musical tradition. As noted by others, not all pieces are well-known (many have been written as exercises) and some of the proposed tempos are quite fast. The trick is to first practice slowly. Once you get up to speed, the exercises sound like Latin music and are quite rewarding to play. The theory and recordings on the CD are also fun and helpful. In my particular case, I could not have bought a better book, and I recommend it very warmly.

I must say that I was very disappointed with this one after buying the impressive two volumes of Exploring Jazz Piano by the author. I was expecting more Bossa Nova or Latin jazz from this latest collaboration. Of the 51 piano pieces (CD1-25, CD2-26) only 7 or 8 pieces from CD2 are probably worth studying and playing (including the familiar Mas Que Nada and Girl from Ipanema). Some of the rhythms just sound too manic or repetitive while others are just too short. Also, there seems to be no steady progression in level of difficulty as the easy and hard pieces are all jumbled almost randomly. The author could have just combined the 2 CDs into one and charged a lower price for the sake of the faithful students.

Such a great book to learn from and so handy to have the backing tracks for the rhythms

Still working my way through this but comprehensive and clear. Possible to work away at a little a day and consolidate before moving on to the next section. I will definitely gain from having bought this.

An excellent addition to the series. Blues Piano is also Fab and I'm looking forward to Exploring Jazz next.

Amazing book!!!! Definitely buy this one! So many rhythms and tunes! Great examples that can be learned and applied easily.

Superb book.