A trip down amnesia lane..., What tutor books did YOU first learn from? Options

[linda.ff]

Several different ones way back in the mid-50s.

Certainly one which I now know to be J.W.Schaum pre-grade 1, though we used to call it Bone Sweet Bone because I think it had lost its cover and that was what was now on the front.

Plus a blue one whose name I forget but which said on the front that it was the Easy Way to Learn Piano, for Little Boys and Girls who Cannot Practise for More than Half an Hour a Day. I remember thinking "half an hour? HALF AN HOUR?" I thought ten minutes was hard work in those days!

I forget the rest, but certainly a couple of Melodyway books - Songs of Britain, all of which I can still remember, and carols, and Gilbert and Sullivan which I loved.

Gave up lessons when I was ten, though not learning music in general; my first exam at age 10, taught by my dad, was LCM general musicianship grade 4, which I thought at the time everyone did, and I got 96%. My piano playing was at about grade 1 level.

Didn't start proper lessons until age 15 and went straight into grade 6

[DaisyChain]

From 1974 until giving up piano in 1975, my teacher used the John Thompson Easy Piano Course.

Fast forward to 2002 when I started piano again, my teacher walks in with..yep...the John Thompson Easy Piano Course. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

[agricola]

At the moment I can't remember the title of my first book - well it was way back in 1950 when I started. I have often wondered which book it was and perhaps someone will recognise it if I say I can picture on a right hand page several little tunes -probably 8 bars in length and one of them, which turned around middle C position and was in three four time was called "On the Lake". I must have driven everyone mad by repeatedly playing it.

That rings a bell, I also started learning in the 50s and I think I might have had the same one -- wasn't it a small landscape format book and the first tune was " middle C is on this line..." ?

I also had Walter Carrol's "Scenes from a Farm" I think you can still get that one !

[oldnotes]

Carl Hemann - First six months at the piano. English fingering. 1945! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[lou24]

Walter Carroll...'Scenes from a Farm'...was that the title? It's a long time ago (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif) .

I'm sure I had two or three Walter Carroll books.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I had this book too, handed down from my dad, 1947 copy, still have it to this day. I also had Walter Carroll the lonely shepherd duet book. My first tutor book though was John Thompson.

[hammer action]

I started (unsuccessfully) with violin and although i can't remember the name of the book, it had a photograph of a small boy holding his violin wearing shorts (the boy was wearing shorts, not the violin). Gave that up as i was hopeless and began piano. I used John Schaum books, Fanny Waterman and something i think called "Mrs Curwen's pianoforte method" - would i be right with that?? An ancient book! I don't think i was on that long as my teacher left and i got someone else who gave me a book of technical studies that i can't remember the name of but thought i'd never get through, and an equally big book of Clementi pieces which i quite liked. My clarinet tutor book was some sort of Oxford Clarinet Method i think, the cover was tan and it was an excellent book which i believe has unfortunately gone out of print now.

[Aquarelle]

At the moment I can't remember the title of my first book - well it was way back in 1950 when I started. I have often wondered which book it was and perhaps someone will recognise it if I say I can picture on a right hand page several little tunes -probably 8 bars in length and one of them, which turned around middle C position and was in three four time was called "On the Lake". I must have driven everyone mad by repeatedly playing it.

That rings a bell, I also started learning in the 50s and I think I might have had the same one -- wasn't it a small landscape format book and the first tune was " middle C is on this line..." ?

I also had Walter Carrol's "Scenes from a Farm" I think you can still get that one !

No, I don't remember it being small landscape format. My book was definitely portrait and the pages were a little bigger than A4 - like they used to be before A4 standardisation. I'd really love to know what it was - I simply can't remember and certainly no longer have it.

[Pianotastic]

First time round (age 7???) John Thompson Easy Piano Course (this being despite the fact I was actually learning keyboard...)

Second time round (age 14 and now learning piano) Carol Barratt Classic Adult Course (which my mum then borrowed when she started!!)

[Piano Meg]

I'm another Jibbidy F and ACE learner!
My mum taught me to 'use all my fingers' with that and another WONDERFUL book called The Music People by Carter & Carter - Chappell. I looked for it recently because it was so good, but, alas, I couldn't find it anywhere on the net. I'd love to know if someone else used it.
It followed a cartoon note called crotchet and his home was the grand stave, with a cat for the treble clef and a snail for the bass clef. I get it out when I introduce sharps and flats - I just love the pictures of a sharp sign pricking poor crotchet in the bottom, making him jump high(er) and the flat sign using a mallet to flatten the poor little note. And then there was Scottish uncle semibreve...

When I started 'proper' lessons at 6, I used Scenes at a Farm, but the teacher didn't continue past the 6 week trial - said I was too young (otherwise known as fidgety!) - she was very old and formal, and gave up teaching children soon after.

A couple of years later, I started with a new teacher, who I stayed with past grade 8. She started me on the Suzuki books and tapes (made by my teacher (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) )and I loved them. We only went up to book 3 with those though - I understand it continues for a few more books after that.

That was all piano. I can picture the clarinet book, but couldn't tell you what it was called, though it was a very popular one so maybe the tune a day series. I have absolutely NO idea about saxophone, recorder was a book with a tape that was pink(!), flute was probably a tune a day (self-taught) and Organ started at Grade 5, so no tutor book there.

[ExpressYourself]

Omg The Music People sounds familiar!

Before I had lessons I was teaching myself from a cartoon book. When I had my kids I tried to find it but couldn't. I wonder if the music people is the book. Did it show the thumbs sharing middle C by putting little arms around each other?

I think it was a white cover hard back book with colorful cartoons.

[soccermom]

I'm another Jibbidy F and ACE learner!

Me too

This is C. Middle C. Left hand, right hand, middle C!

[Misterioso]

For violin, Twenty Tunes for Beginners....

....back in the days when you could buy a music book for 25p! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

[BabyGrand]

My mum taught me to 'use all my fingers' with that and another WONDERFUL book called The Music People by Carter & Carter - Chappell. I looked for it recently because it was so good, but, alas, I couldn't find it anywhere on the net. I'd love to know if someone else used it.
It followed a cartoon note called crotchet and his home was the grand stave, with a cat for the treble clef and a snail for the bass clef. I get it out when I introduce sharps and flats - I just love the pictures of a sharp sign pricking poor crotchet in the bottom, making him jump high(er) and the flat sign using a mallet to flatten the poor little note. And then there was Scottish uncle semibreve...

This one? http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Music-People-L...r/dp/0241104580

I found quite a few copies online, but all second hand. I've never heard of it, but like the sound of it! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

As for me:

Violin - A Tune a Day.

Piano - Roland pre-lessons; don't think I ever used a tutor book with my teacher. First pieces I remember learning in lessons were from a Diller and Quaile book. Anyone else come across them?

[linda.ff]

First pieces I remember learning in lessons were from a Diller and Quaile book. Anyone else come across them?

I think I had Diller-Quaile, and I also seem to remember the artwork of the Little Jacks and Jills book as well. AND Jibbidy-F whose cover I still show to children as a way of seeing the repeating patterns in lines and spaces.

This is as well as Schaum green book, which I definitely got to the end of. I couldn't possibly haver learned from all of them, as it would just have been repeating the same material, but I have an idea that my dad spread out a selection of them in front of me and asked what I fancied. I would have been about six. I must have grabbed the lot!

My teacher also gave me a book of duets which we were to work through. I can remember saying I was looking forward to doing them as I would only need to play one hand (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif)

[Stephen Barber]

I started with The "Wright Pianoforte Tutor". I've no idea what it was like, but I think it was pretty old-fashioned even when I started learning (about 1956).