I love pop piano: jazz, blues, gospel, ballads, and everything in between. It isn’t always easy to find a teacher that specializes in these areas so I decided to buy the Pop Piano Book by Mark Harrison and take it for a spin.

Mark Harrison’s Pop Piano Book demonstrates the essential techniques used to add spice to lead sheets, fake books, and printed scores. The first ten chapters are used to build a solid foundation and get you grounded in the basics of pop piano such as: review of scales, chords, rhythm, and notation as well as triads, four part chords, inversions, and more theory which will prepare you for the second part of the course.

The second half of the book is a stylistic approach. He covers ballad, pop rock and hard rock, new age, R’n’B ballad and funk, country and country rock, and slow and fast gospel. Furthermore, everything is explained with text, charts, and an interpretation of each style is shown as well.

I know it may sound cheesy buy this book is pure gold. It is a whopping 498 pages full of serious study. It covers tons of left hand styles that you can easily add to your fingers and if you play with a band it even covers comping. The book states that it is “A complete method for playing piano and keyboards in contemporary styles.” Well…it does all that and more.

Overall this is a great resource for any serious piano lesson addict. It might be a bit of a stretch for a total beginner…then again, it might be just what your fingers are looking for. If you have always played by sheet music and are looking to improvise then this will be a treat to your eight fingers and two thumbs. If you have just started learning how to play by ear and need some direction then this book will surely set your mind and fingers free. If you’re a total piano lesson addict like me you better watch out…this book will have you drooling all the way to the piano.

Conclusion:

Lesson Materials – This is a quality book that holds together well. After a bit of use it even sits at the piano well.

Rating:

Lesson Instruction – The instruction is great, very in-depth, organized, and easy to follow. It might be a bit much for the complete beginner but will keep the intermediate to advanced pianist busy for some time.

Rating:

Fun Factor – For a book it is great. I had a hard time putting it down the first time through. It is written in a very enjoyable style, contains some nice graphics, and is very organized in its layout and design. These elements make for a fun and exciting time.

Rating:

Value – If you don’t buy this you are crazy! If you honestly learn and apply the concepts here you will have 6-12 months of solid study for the price of a single piano lesson. All I can say is you better get this!

Rating:

I’m giving The Pop Piano Book a perfect 10! The amount of information packed in this book is phenomenal. Its massive size also allows it to double as a weapon….maybe even a shield!

Overall Rating:

To learn more visit The Pop Piano Book.

Popularity: 36% [?]