First Lessons in Bach - Complete Books I and II Piano Songbook | Schirmers Library of Musical Classics | Easy Classical Music for Piano | Bach Piano Pieces for Early Intermediate Players

I bought this as a fun challenge for myself. I am a musician but NOT a pianist and wanted something accessible that might prepare me for more serious study later. This book is great! The pages are clean, the editing is immaculate (very clear fingerings, and and helpful performance notes). My favorite thing is that each piece has a one-sentence description of what techniques and skills each piece emphasizes. Very helpful for focused practice time! I would not say this book is for beginners though. Perhaps if you're a young person who has been taking lessons for two or so years. But I think adult beginners would struggle with the material. The tempo markings are FAST(!!) and that's a little demoralizing for me. But if you just want some fun Bach to play with all of his charming melodies and intricate dovetailing phrases in an accessible package? This is exactly the book you want!

Importantisimo estudiarlo

I bought this book to teach some of my students who are past the little kid stage, but who still need assignments that will challenge them in accuracy and good piano mastering. I even found myself being challenged in some areas! The songs are chosen and compiled carefully and I appreciate the ordering of the songs. Very good quality and will be appreciated by those who want more than just learning songs, but want to learn about the "science" of music through songs.

Since many of you are wondering (like I was) what is included in this book, here is the Table of Contents: Book I, No. 01: Minuet in G major (J.S. Bach) Book I, No. 02: Minuet in G minor (J.S. Bach) Book I, No. 04: Polonaise in G minor (J.S. Bach) Book I, No. 05: March in D major (J.S. Bach) Book I, No. 07: Minuet in G minor (J.S. Bach) Book I, No. 08: Minuet in G minor (J.S. Bach) Book I, No. 09: March in G major (J.S. Bach) Book I, No. 10: Minuet in D minor (J.S. Bach) Book I, No. 11: Musette in G major (J.S. Bach) Book I, No. 12: Bourree in E minor (J.S. Bach) Book I, No. 13: Musette in D major (J.S. Bach) Book I, No. 14: Minuet in C minor (J.S. Bach) Book I, No. 15: Gavotte in G minor (J.S. Bach) Book I, No. 16: March in E-flat major (J.S. Bach) Book I, No. 03: Minuet in G major (J.S. Bach) Book I, No. 06: Minuet in G major (J.S. Bach) Book II, No. 02: Gavotte in D major (J.S. Bach) Book II, No. 03: Polonaise in G major (J.S. Bach) Book II, No. 04: Gavotte in G minor (J.S. Bach) Book II, No. 05: Minuet in F major (J.S. Bach) Book II, No. 06: Polonaise in G minor (J.S. Bach) Book II, No. 07: Gavotte in G major (J.S. Bach) Book II, No. 08: Minuet in E major (J.S. Bach) Book II, No. 09: Scherzo in A minor (J.S. Bach) Book II, No. 10: Sarabande in E minor (J.S. Bach) Book II, No. 11: Minuet in C minor (J.S. Bach) Book II, No. 12: Prelude in F minor (J.S. Bach) Book II, No. 01: Polonaise in G minor (J.S. Bach)

I'm in the late-beginner stage and found this book to be perfect for me. All of the pieces are really enjoyable. I'm going through the pieces in order, and find the difficulty level and progression to be just right. I'm only giving it 4/5 stars for two main reasons: 1. The tempo markings are waaay too fast, especially for a beginner. Granted, I've only made it 1/3 of the way through the book, but nearly every piece has a tempo marking that is unachievable for me, and would even sound rushed if I heard it played perfectly by a world-class pianist. My advice - pick a tempo that sounds good to you, and aim for that. 2. Minor nitpick, but I would prefer the original markings with mordents and trills as opposed to being "written out", like this book does.

Bach is a must have for all aspiring pianists! Practicing these songs an hour per day will do wonders for your skill set

It has been a while since I have played the piano, but after receiving a piano for Christmas I have been looking for books to work on becoming a better player. After reading the reviews of this book I decided to get it and I am feeling more confident in my playing. It starts off with a relatively easy song and works your way up to harder pieces. I am appreciating the way the book is laid out. Some books have really hard pieces to start and that can be intimidating for someone stepping back into it. Now I can play songs through without making any mistakes. If you are getting back into playing the piano and are looking for a good place to start I would recommend this book. If you are an advanced piano player this may not be the book for you; but it has many recognizable songs inside. I would recommend this book to anyone. It has been a joy to play and when other family members visit, they pick up this book and start playing from it. So far it has received a lot of use!

Good for beginners...

Good . Not too difficult and suitable for beginners

Love this. Clear print. Coated cover makes me to keep it more easily.

First things first: this is a relatively thin book (40 pages total) with two sets of pretty basic Bach pieces. The selection gets more difficult as you move through the book. The early pieces are suitable for late beginner to early intermediate players, while some of the latter pieces are for intermediate players. The variety is good, with many tempi and keys represented in the works, one or two pages in length, with fingering suggestions added where appropriate. There's no playing notes, really, just the music. If you like playing classical piano and are still in the learning or intermediate level on piano, this is a lovely little book of music.

The first half were easier examples of minuets etc, but the second part is for more experienced players. Well worth buying for Bach enthusiasts.

Clear pages. Easy to open. Good selection of songs.