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

[linda.ff]

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).

Sounds more like the Wrong Pianoforte Tutor in that case (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

[tetrachord]

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)

This brings back memories! I had a copy of this book throughout my childhood although I never actually used it to learn the piano. I've still got the book now... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Can't remember what book I did use to start off on the piano (so it must have made a great impression (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif) ) but when I started violin lessons I used String Builder.

[VH2]

At my first formal piano lesson my teacher gave me Smallwood's Piano Tutor, but at the second lesson, a week later, I could play everything in it (I had been playing "by ear" for a few years before getting any formal tuition) so we just started to learn selected compositions (Baroque/Classical/Romantic) from previous years' grade exams.

[HelenVJ]

Mrs Curwen's Pianoforte Method - not exactly inspiring visually, but some good duets. I remember being enormously impressed by my teacher's ability to play all those very small notes in her part. ( I think I also thought she was sight-reading them (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) )

Yes, I also had a bit of Diller-Quaile on the side - 'Fun, fun, oh what fun. Music lessons have begun' 'Ann, Ann, sister Ann, always plays the best she can' 'Up in the sky, ever so high, skylarks are singing as homeward they fly' 'Sing, sing, what shall I sing? The cat's run away with the pudding bag string'. I thought this was all one song.

Several decades from now, will all our PA 5-6 year olds fondly remember Little Kitty, and Snack Time, and all those? It's clear that one remembers one's first piano book for ever.

[ExpressYourself]

They'll never forget Monster Bus Driver (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Piano Meg]

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.

Yes, it does have a white cover with cartoons on it. I couldn't find two thumbs putting arms around each other, but there are two open fists (with eyes...obviously!) arguing "That's MY Middle C"..."No it's not -it's MINE" etc etc! It has lots of little cartoons inside too, with lots of speech bubbles. There's even a French spy in one of them, saying "Nous avons besoin d'ouvrir les secrets de la portee... et pour ca - nous avons besoin d'une CLEF". I thought it was so cool when I was little!

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)

Yes, that's it! It was SOOOO good for learning to read music. I don't understand why you can't get new copies now. If they were available, I think I'd make all my pupils buy copies!

Also I was wrong before, it wasn't uncle semibreve, it was great uncle semibreve. The longer the note, the older the cartoon note. I remember getting 'him' mixed up with great uncle Bulgaria on the wombles song!