WALDEN POND PRESS |
PO BOX 566 CRUGERS NY 10521 |
info@pianoiseasy.com |
800 707 2682 |
914 930 8512 |
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GENERAL INFORMATION |
Our stickers are easily removable, and include a very light gum which is easy to peel off, leaving almost no residue.
If there is any light residue left, it is easily removed using a common household solvent such as Fantastik or Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol and a paper towel.
Also remember to clean your piano keys before you apply the stickers, allowing the piano keys to fully dry. This will prevent the stickers from curling and becoming removed as you are using them.
Use a solvent such as Fantastik to create a clean surface for the stickers to adhere to.
1. If you require extra stickers, please email us at info@pianoiseasy.com and we'll be glad to send extra stickers at no charge!
2. If any part is defective, we will gladly replace it.
3. We do not give out any personal and email information to anyone: your privacy is assured.
4. For questions, please contact us:
General Information: info@pianoiseasy.com
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| Please click on the question below that matches your query. Additional queries can be emailed to info@pianoiseasy.com |
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| I have children between the ages of 4 and 7. What is the best choice of book for them? |
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| I have children between the ages of 7 and 12. What is the best choice of book for them? |
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| I have a 3 year old. Is she too young? |
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| I'm an adult. What are my choices for piano by number books? Can I use the children's books? |
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| What is the difference between PIANO IS EASY and THE BIG BOOK OF SONGS BY NUMBER? |
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| My child started with PIANO IS EASY. We want to get another piano by number book. What's the next book for him? |
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| What is the difference between a "book package" and an individual book? |
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| Are stickers included? |
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| I want to download a book. Are stickers included? |
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| Does piano by number teach a child which fingers to use? |
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| Are all your books "piano by number?" |
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| My child has taken piano lessons but quit because the teacher was so strict. Could we start again with piano by number? |
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| What do you suggest as a conventional piano method? Where do I go after piano by number? |
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| How long do I keep my child playing piano by number? When they be ready for regular lessons? |
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| Piano by number looks fun, but how do I get my child started reading music? |
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| Does piano by number work on an electronic keyboard, or an organ? |
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| I've tried to read music, but I can't. Can I just play piano by number and not read music? |
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| Does it matter which fingers I use? |
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| CHILDREN 4-7 PIANO IS EASY is an excellent choice for children 7 and below. THE CHRISTMAS CAROL KIT is a similar book with an identical format. |
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| CHILDREN 7-12 THE BIG BOOK OF SONGS is the best choice for older children. PIANO IS EASY has pictures and lyrics, whereas THE BIG BOOK OF SONGS has no pictures or lyrics so that as many songs as possible are packed onto the pages. Younger children like the pictures and lyrics, but older children just want to play as many songs as possible, and don't need pictures. |
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| MINIMUM AGE: The minimum age depends on the age of the child, and varies greatly. The most essential requirement is the ability to indentify the numbers 1-12. This means being able to identify the symbol, for example, 4, by themselves. Ask the child, " Point to number 4," and if they can, they can identify the symbol. Piano by number builds confidence with identifying numbers for very young children and is thus useful as a teaching tool for them. |
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| DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PIANO IS EASY AND BIG BOOK OF SONGS PIANO IS EASY has songs on only the white keys of the piano. (All piano methods start out with the white keys for the sake of simplicity.) THE BIG BOOK OF SONGS has some songs that use only the white keys, but also songs that use both the white and BLACK keys of the piano. Black keys are called "sharps and flats" and are easy to learn, and illustrated clearly in THE BIG BOOK OF SONGS. THE BIG BOOK OF SONGS also includes chord symbols, the letters A-G, for all songs. Chords are groups of three keys, played with the left hand at first. Beginners and the very young can use only one or two keys for chords if they prefer. Chords are the basic building blocks of music, and knowledge of them is the first step on the road to learning music theory. |
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| ADULTS Our books are of varying complexity to satisfy all beginner's needs. Simplest are PIANO IS EASY and THE CHRISTMAS CAROL KIT, which use only one hand, any finger, and only the white keys of the piano. Adults can and do use those books. But the older the "child," the sooner you'll want a challenge, so the next step is THE BIG BOOK OF SONGS BY NUMBER, which includes the black keys of the piano in some songs. THE BIG BOOK also includes symbols for "chords," which are three keys played with the left hand. See also TEACH YOURSELF PIANO STEP BY STEP, EASY CLASSICAL PIANO and PIANO CHORD DICTIONARY. Also FAVORITE HYMNS BY NUMBER. Any of the books mentioned are suitable starting points for adults and older children. |
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| NEXT BOOK AFTER PIANO IS EASY We suggest either the BIG BOOK OF SONGS, or I CAN READ MUSIC, depending on the age of the child. A younger child may benefit from going on to more PIANO BY NUMBER in the BIG BOOK, whereas an older child might be ready to start exporing reading music in I CAN READ MUSIC. |
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| THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN "BOOK PACKAGE" AND "INDIVIDUAL BOOK." An INDIVIDUAL BOOK is a printed book, in some cases with accompanying Play Along Audio CD. A BOOK PACKAGE includes the selected book, (and CD if applicable) plus another book, I CAN READ MUSIC, and the 56 minute DVD from TEACH YOURSELF PIANO. A book packge is a more complete introduciton to the piano, and is priced so that it gives our customers a savings of 12-25%. In addition, we have found that PIANO BY NUMBER acts as a perfect introduction to reading music, so the transitional book I CAN READ MUSIC is included in a book package. The DVD is a very useful overview of PIANO BY NUMBER, and will teach you how to play chords, which are groups of three keys played with the left hand. Chords are the basis of all music theory, and a study of them makes a fun piano game for children. |
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| ARE STICKERS INCLUDED? Pre-printed stickers are included with all shipped PRINTED VERSION books. This means that DOWNLOADED books do not include pre-printed stickers, but are available free by emailing us with your street address after you purchase the download. DOWNLOAD books include a templated so you can eiother print your own stickers, or use alternatives such as office supply products, or simply masking tape. Shipped PRINT VERSION orders have pre-printed stickers are included with the books shipped, and should you require additional stickers we are glad to send them free of charge. |
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| DOES PIANO BY NUMBER TEACH A CHILD WHICH FINGERS TO USE? PIANO BY NUMBER includes suggestions for fingering only for older students, specifically in the book EASY CLASSICAL PIANO BY NUMBER. Our books intended for younger children, PIANO IS EASY and BIG BOOK, etc., do not require children to use a specific finger for a specific note. We have found that introducing fingering too early confuses children, and it is better to let them get started using any finger they wish, and later intoduce the idea of fingering when they are comfortable with the geography of the piano. Click here for a detailed discussion of fingering. |
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| ARE ALL YOUR BOOKS "PIANO BY NUMBER?" All our books except for one use the PIANO BY NUMBER learning system. The one book that does not use it is the transition to reading music, I CAN READ MUSIC. I CAN READ MUSIC does not refer to PIANO BY NUMBER, but rather uses the experience the child has gained using PIANO BY NUMBER. I CAN READ MUSIC is concerned exclusively with introduciong reading music in the clearest, slowest possible way. Children find this approach find fun and entertaining. |
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| MY CHILD HAS TAKEN PIANO LESSONS BUT QUIT BECAUSE THE TEACHER WAS SO STRICT. COULD WE START AGAIN WITH PIANO BY NUMBER? Yes, PIANO BY NUMBER has been shown to rekindle interest in children who have been turned off to conventional lessons by a disciplinarian regime. The idea of PIANO BY NUMBER is to empower children to explore the piano by themselves, with only their own interest as guidance. This method shows very strong results with children resistant to reading music. We suggest you let your child explore PIANO BY NUMBER for as long as they like, and wait for more real instruction until they ask for it, and are ready to explore the piano with a more nurturing teacher. |
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| WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST AS A CONVENTIONAL PIANO METHOD? WHERE DO I GO AFTER PIANO BY NUMBER? Our books are designed as the missing step in piano lessons, the preparation for conventional study that has unfortunately been left out of conventional piano curriculum for today's children. Starting with PIANO BY NUMBER, a child progresses to I CAN READ MUSIC, the last book in the series. At this point, assuming you have found a sympathetic teacher, your child is ready for piano lessons using the old texts. If you were to do those piano lessons at home, I would use the BASTIEN series of books. Most piano teachers use them anyway, for they are colorful, easy to read and have entertaining pictures. Unfortunately, like all these conventional texts such as ALFRED or THOMPSON, they are desperately boring to children, practically poisonous, and they must be used strategically and carefully with children to have hope of success. Don't forget that you will need to feed your child, additionally, more interesting material than BASTIEN can provide, and this means songs they hear every day. To do that requires a very creative children's piano teacher. |
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| HOW LONG DO I KEEP MY CHILD PLAYING PIANO BY NUMBER? WHEN WILL THEY BE READY FOR REGULAR LESSONS? There is no "one-size-fits-all" answer to this question. A rule of thumb may be the child's age and the child's interest. You will find that younger children cling longer to the numbers. You can also gauge the moment to move on to reading music by watching the child's interest: when they need a new challenge, try reading music using I CAN READ MUSIC. But be prepared to back off and go back to numbers if the going gets rough reading music, which it quickly will. Learn to use the two elements, reading music and numbers, almost like straight man and comic, good cop and bad cop, until the CHILD decides it is time to move beyond numbers. Keep trying to find out if the y are ready to move on to reading music, but if they are not, stay with numbers. Remember, to the child this is a game, if you are doing it properly. |
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| PIANO BY NUMBER LOOKS FUN, BUT HOW DO I GET MY CHILD STARTED READIING MUSIC? You don't have to use PIANO BY NUMBER to prepare your child to read music. We've found, through experimentation in lessons, that PIANO BY NUMBER is the child's choice for the introduction, based on their enthusiasm and extraordinary engagement with the piano using this method. But if you wish to proceed directly to reading music, we suggest at least using I CAN READ MUSIC as an introduction with your child. The reason is simply statistics, common sense and observation: reading music, if launched from the conventional books, tends to be confusing at best, and frustrating to the vast majority of children. We didn't make this up, simply look at the results of such lessons: 90% failure. We developed a way of presenting the notes on the page, and relating them to the keys, that children readily understand. That involves giving the child a visual reference point on the keys (the stickers) that is connected to the symbols they see on the page. Instead of confusing children with the graphic symbology of musical notation, we simplify it so the child can easily navigate between the page and the keys. This visual reference point, the stickers in I CAN READ MUSIC, are what distinguishes our method of reading music from all others. |
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| DOES PIANO BY NUMBER WORK ON AN ELECTRONIC KEYBOARD OR AN ORGAN? Yes, it works on any keyboard instrument, acoustic or electronic. Most instrumetns have keys 3/4 inch wide, which is what our pre-printed stickers (free) are designed for. Even organs with 2 manuals can be accomodated, using an extra set of stickers. |
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| I'VE TRIED TO READ MUSIC, BUT I CAN'T. CAN I JUST PLAY PIANO BY NUMBER AND NOT READ MUSIC? What is important is that you play the piano, not by what means you learn the notes. Of course you don't HAVE to read music. Thousands of people learn to play to their satisfaction using methods such as by ear, by number, by rote. You should use whatever method makes you happy, and makes you want to play. We have created a huge library of books to feed your interests, and have more new volumes and genres coming out every year (RAGTIME BY NUMBER coming out soon!) Remember also that PAVAROTTI, one of the the greatest operatic tenors in the world, could not read music. While we do suggest that you try to learn reading music, it is YOUR hobby, and you should pursue it in a manner that makes you happy. |
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| DOES IT MATTER WHICH FINGERS I USE? PIANO BY NUMBER includes suggestions for fingering only for older students, specifically in the book EASY CLASSICAL PIANO BY NUMBER. Our books intended for younger children, PIANO IS EASY and BIG BOOK, etc., do not require children to use a specific finger for a specific note. We have found that introducing fingering too early confuses children, and it is better to let them get started using any finger they wish, and later intoduce the idea of fingering when they are comfortable with the geography of the piano. Click here for a detailed discussion of fingering. |
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BOOKS FOR YOUNGER CHILDREN |
| Our age guidelines are flexible because children's initial abilities at the piano vary so widely. As a rule of thumb, the books for Younger Children suit children who range in age from 3 to 8. |
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PIANO IS EASY 107 page illustrated book with 44 songs and Play Along Audio CD and removable stickers. You can purchase it as an indivdual book, or as part of a book package. A book package (pictured above) also includes the book I CAN READ MUSIC and the DVD from TEACH YOURSELF PIANO |
BIG BOOK OF SONGS 141 page illustrated book with 130 songs and removable stickers. You can purchase it as an indivdual book, or as part of a book package A book package (pictured above) also includes the book I CAN READ MUSIC and the DVD from TEACH YOURSELF PIANO |
GAMES FOR THE PIANO 78 page illustrated book with Play Along Audio CD and removable stickers. You can purchase it as an indivdual book, or as part of a book package. A book package (pictured above) also includes the book I CAN READ MUSIC and the DVD from TEACH YOURSELF PIANO |
CHRISTMAS CAROL KIT 107 page illustrated book with 44 songs, Play Along Audio CD and removable stickers. You can purchase it as an indivdual book, or as part of a book package. A book package (pictured above) also includes the book I CAN READ MUSIC and the DVD from TEACH YOURSELF PIANO |
FAVORITE HYMNS BY NUMBER 100 page illustrated book with 34 hymns, Play Along Audio CD and removable stickers. You can purchase it as an indivdual book, or as part of a book package. A book package (pictured above) also includes the book I CAN READ MUSIC and the DVD from TEACH YOURSELF PIANO |
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BOOK PACKAGE FOR PRESCHOOL CHILDREN |
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| PRESCHOOL PIANO BOOK PACKAGE 107 page illustrated PIANO IS EASY book and removable stickers, plus a second book, GAMES FOR THE PIANO, which includes a PlayA long Audio CD. Also includes 56 minute DVD TEACH YOURSELF PIANO. |
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CHILDREN'S MULTI-BOOK PACKAGE |
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| CHILDREN'S MULTI-BOOK PACKAGE 107 page illustrated PIANO IS EASY book and removable stickers, plus a second book, THE BIG BOOK OF SONGS, plus a third book I CAN READ MUSIC. Also includes 56 minute DVD TEACH YOURSELF PIANO. A good choice for families with both older and younger children. |
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BOOKS FOR OLDER CHILDREN |
| The following books are suitable for older children who range in age from 8 to 14. |
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| BIG BOOK OF SONGS 141 page illustrated book with 130 songs and removable stickers. You can purchase it as an indivdual book, or as part of a book package A book package (pictured above) also includes the book I CAN READ MUSIC and the DVD from TEACH YOURSELF PIANO |
TEACH YOURSELF PIANO 133 page illustrated book and removable stickers. You can purchase it as an indivdual book, or as part of a book package A book package (pictured above) also includes the book I CAN READ MUSIC and the DVD from TEACH YOURSELF PIANO |
EASY CLASSICAL PIANO BY NUMBER 141 page illustrated book with 130 songs and removable stickers. You can purchase it as an indivdual book, or as part of a book package A book package (pictured above) also includes the book I CAN READ MUSIC and the DVD from TEACH YOURSELF PIANO |
FAVORITE HYMNS BY NUMBER 100 page illustrated book with 34 hymns, Play Along Audio CD and removable stickers. You can purchase it as an indivdual book, or as part of a book package. A book package (pictured above) also includes the book I CAN READ MUSIC and the DVD from TEACH YOURSELF PIANO |
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BOOKS FOR OLDER CHILDREN AND ADULTS |
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| BIG BOOK OF SONGS 141 page illustrated book with 130 songs and removable stickers. You can purchase it as an indivdual book, or as part of a book package A book package (pictured above) also includes the book I CAN READ MUSIC and the DVD from TEACH YOURSELF PIANO |
TEACH YOURSELF PIANO 133 page illustrated book and removable stickers. You can purchase it as an indivdual book, or as part of a book package A book package (pictured above) also includes the book I CAN READ MUSIC and the DVD from TEACH YOURSELF PIANO |
EASY CLASSICAL PIANO BY NUMBER 141 page illustrated book with 130 songs and removable stickers. You can purchase it as an indivdual book, or as part of a book package A book package (pictured above) also includes the book I CAN READ MUSIC and the DVD from TEACH YOURSELF PIANO |
FAVORITE HYMNS BY NUMBER 100 page illustrated book with 34 hymns, Play Along Audio CD and removable stickers. You can purchase it as an indivdual book, or as part of a book package. A book package (pictured above) also includes the book I CAN READ MUSIC and the DVD from TEACH YOURSELF PIANO |
PIANO CHORD DICTIONARY 112 page illustrated book and removable stickers. You can purchase it as an indivdual book, or as part of a book package. A book package (pictured above) also includes the book I CAN READ MUSIC and the DVD from TEACH YOURSELF PIANO |
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ADULT PIANO PACKAGE |
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| THE ADULT PIANO PACKAGE Four PIANO BY NUMBER books selected especially for adults. Also includes the DVD from TEACH YOURSELF PIANO. Includes THE BIG BOOK OF SONGS, TEACH YOURSELF PIANO, I CAN READ MUSIC, and PIANO CHORD DICTIONARY. |
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THE COMPLETE PACKAGE |
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| THE COMPLETE PACKAGE Our collection of Six PIANO BY NUMBER books. Also includes the DVD from TEACH YOURSELF PIANO. Includes PIANO IS EASY, THE CHRISTMAS CAROL KIT, THE BIG BOOK OF SONGS, EASY CLASSICAL PIANO, TEACH YOURSELF PIANO and I CAN READ MUSIC. Includes all stickers and applicable CDs. |
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THE ENTIRE LIBRARY PACKAGE |
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| THE ENTIRE LIBRARY PACKAGE Everything we publish in PIANO BY NUMBER books. Also includes the DVD from TEACH YOURSELF PIANO. Includes PIANO IS EASY, THE CHRISTMAS CAROL KIT, THE BIG BOOK OF SONGS, EASY CLASSICAL PIANO, TEACH YOURSELF PIANO, I CAN READ MUSIC, FAVORITE HYMNS, GAMES FOR THE PIANO, PIANO CHORD DICTIONARY AND PATRIOTIC SONGS BY NUMBER. Includes all stickers and applicable CDs. |
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