DOC Phaethon by Alistair Elliot in Arts-Photography

Review

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Thorough and Very Practical. Very well organized. Almost like private lessons.By Daniel MarsaloneJust received this book the other day and had a chance to read through it. I have to say that I am really impressed with this book. It is very well thought out and very well organized.This is more of a practical book than a tome on theory or jazz styles. It is setup in the lesson format with there being 13 lessons that build on each other and which are progressive in complexity.The book starts from ground zero and includes a "prerequisite" group of lessons that start with learning the notes names on the keyboard; the Treble and Bass Clefs; note values; quarter; eighth; how to read and count rhythms; etc. The Main section has lessons that cover different styles; chord voicings; improvisation; playing standards; etc.Now here is where it is like having teacher. For the main lessons he basically gives you a lesson plan of items to work on for that lesson. Each lesson contains six elements to work on; Ear Training; Technique; Rhythm; Repertoire; Improvisation and Harmony. Novello says that all of these elements rely on each other and should be tackled simultaneously; so for each of the 13 lessons you get practice exercises for each of those elements.Novello encourages you to take your time with each lesson and suggests only moving on after you can play through the lesson material effortlessly. Having said that; Id say that the average lesson may take about 4 to 6 weeks to really master (if youve been playing a while and have some technique) and that the book could easily keep you busy for a year to a year and a half. For myself; Ive been playing for years in bands and solo and have studied with some great teachers but I am going to start working on this book to fill in some gaps in my playing and round out my foundation. From someone who has studied a lot and has taken lessons; I could see myself completing some lessons in a week or two but there are some areas where I am really weak and can easily see myself taking two months for a few of the lessons. For absolute beginners things will take longer since you are going to be building up your facility at the keyboard from the ground floor.The CD is nice too. It gives you audio of examples and etudes given in the lessons and makes it easy to figure out how something sounds. I am fairly weak with reading; so I am grateful for the CD. On thing that might rub some people the wrong way is the way that self-promotion is sprinkled throughout the book. There references to supplementary info after most topics in the the lessons and they all refer you to either one of Novellos other books or one of his DVDs. This isnt much of a problem with me since I do plan on getting the other material; but it makes you feel like you are going to be missing out on the full learning experience if you dont get everything Novello has out there (at least the prices of the DVDs and books are reasonable.)Bottom Line: The book covers a lot of ground and is well thought out and organized. Its primary focus is to get you playing; through exercises and practice routines (as opposed to something like the Jazz Piano Book by Levine which is more of a reference or book to study). The lessons give you specific exercises to work on and tell you where you need to be before moving on. A lot of direction on practicing is given. Although it has "Beginning" in the title; I think it has quite a bit to offer player who have been playing for a while. Definitely Recommended.6 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Great book from a professionalBy CustomerJohn Novellos book can take theory and condense it to some quick ways at looking at music. The book begins with basics. Then it takes giant leaps through theory. While the cover expresses that there are 13 lessons for "beginners;" it doesnt fully explain the time it will take to get through these lessons. For example; in one early section; John Novello has an Etude he wrote for the purpose of practice and mastery. He then suggests "transposing" this short Etude into all of the keys. He isnt clear as to how it should be transposed. Should it be transposed on paper or is he asking the reader to transpose it on the keyboard. Needless to say; transposing this short Etude into all keys would take a bit of time for the beginner. In addition; there are no samples showing the reader how to do it. The buyer of this book should be aware that while it is packed with very good and practical information; the buyer should not be deceived in thinking it is an easy way to master the keyboard. The book focuses more on setting goals and then spending a lot of time at the piano in actual practice. One thing is missing; however. That is the written out answers to the exercises he suggests. For a beginner; this is very important. The feedback to the beginner helps them learn. Without the feedback; the beginner will continue on with misunderstood concepts. I also didnt like the "essay" type questions that are posed. Thats too fuzzy. A beginner would appreciate complete and accurate answers to proposed exercises. John Novellos book is for those who want to devote most of their time at the keyboard to practice through his exercises. If you want an excellent pencil and paper theory set of books; go to Mark Harrisons set of theory books. He provides thorough instruction followed up by exercises at the end of each lesson to reinforce what was learned. The answers in the back are immediate pieces of feedback for those who want a thorough understanding of theory and harmony.0 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Piano bookBy RobSome interesting things in there; and awesome successful actions for any artist in any field.Best;Robxxx xxx xxx