How to Play the Piano

James Rhodes

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Paperback

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English

Quercus
10 November 2020

Music; Keyboard instruments; Techniques of music & music tutorials

"'Internationally acclaimed pianist, author and all-round nice guy James Rhodes promises that this book can teach anyone with access to a piano or an electric keyboard and 45 minutes to practice every a day, the tools they need to learn to play Bach's Prelude No. 1 in C Major in 6 weeks' RED MAGAZINE

Learn to play one of Bach's most exquisite preludes in just 6 weeks, even if you have never played the piano before.

An

accessible and inspiring book by the pianist and international

bestselling writer James Rhodes, who promises that it gives anyone with

two hands, a piano or an electric keyboard and just 45 minutes a day the

tools they need to learn to play Bach's Prelude No. 1 in C Major in 6

weeks, even if they know nothing about music and have never even touched

a piano before.

How often do we convince ourselves that it's

just too late - too late to learn how to ride a bike, too late to know

how to meditate, too late to travel the world... As we get older and

time slips through our fingers like water, we become resigned, almost

defeatist, about abandoning our dreams.

For James Rhodes, after

the inevitable ""How many hours a day do you practice?"" and ""Show me your

hands"", the most common thing people say to him when they hear he's a

pianist is ""I used to play the piano as a kid. I really regret giving it

up"".

Where does this mourned and misplaced creativity go? For

Rhodes, it's still there to be tapped into by all of us, at any point.

This inspirational book gives us the means to do this, by breaking up

Bach's seminal Prelude No. 1 from the Well-Tempered Clavier into

manageable segments, teaching us the basics of piano playing - how to

read music, the difference between the treble and the bass clef, sharp

and flat notes, how to practice etc.. - and encouraging personal

interpretation in a way that is guaranteed to soothe the mind, feed the

soul and unleash creative powers we didn't know we still had. All of

this will culminate in an ability to perform one of Bach's masterpieces.

""If

listening to music is soothing for the soul, then playing music is

achieving enlightenment. It's going from kicking a ball around with a

few pals to playing alongside Ronaldo."""

By: James Rhodes
Imprint: Quercus
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 184mm, Width: 112mm, Spine: 12mm
Weight: 131g
ISBN: 9781529410518
ISBN 10: 1529410517
Pages: 64
Publication Date: 10 November 2020
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

James Rhodes was born in London in 1975. A keen piano player, at eighteen he was offered a scholarship at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, but went to Edinburgh University instead. James stopped playing the piano entirely and dropped out after a year. He ended up working in the City for five years. After a devastating mental breakdown that led him to be institutionalised, he took the piano up again. He is now a professional and applauded concert pianist, writer and TV presenter. His memoir, Instrumental, was published to great critical acclaim and became an international bestseller, as did his short book How To Play the Piano.

Reviews for How to Play the Piano

In our relentless pursuit of a fulfilled life, we've become a knowledge-hungry nation. The Little Ways To Live A Big Life series will feed your yearning for learning * Red Magazine *