The Complete Book of Scales, Chords, Arpeggios & Cadences: Includes All the Major, Minor (Natural, Harmonic, Melodic) & Chromatic Scales -- Plus Additional Instructions on Music Fundamentals

Supremely excellent book that teaches the reader how to play the scales, arpeggios and cadences. It demonstrates the major key, relative minor key and key signatures and which specific keys are sharp or flat for each major key. This book is a marvel because it spells out much in a chart format, then the Circle of 5ths and many other illustrations and notature...as famed Robert Schumann, composer, said: "You must diligently practice all scales".The spiral book covers: tetra chords, building Major scales, Triads, the second inversion of triads, the primary triads in major keys, the V7 chord, scale degrees, arpeggios, building minor chords, then, more on the 3rds, 5ths and more on triads. the primary triads in minor keys the diminished 7th chord and offers a guide to fingering. It progresses IN PART 2 to Major scales in sharp keys followed by the same for flat keys in PART3. Then,.. Part 4 covers the minor scales in sharp keys. Part 5 covers the minor scales in flat keys.Part 6 covers the Chromatic Scales and followed by "Enrichment options" in PART 7.... that is the menu. However, it must be noted the illustrations are clear and concise and come in, easy to understand formats and supplemented by graphs and fingering illustrations on the piano to make easy the understanding each student needs. I simply cannot overstate the importance of this book and bow to the compliments of world famed composers like Schumann, Czerny, Rubinstein, Rachmaninoff, Paderewski and Van Cliburn .. all of whom stressed the utter importance of learning each aspect of this book. You simply cannot go wrong with the purchase of this book. I wish you success and this book will give it to you.... Jesse jr.

Great curriculum for learning or relearning piano! It's also perfect for teaching others!

I like this book because of the bright white paper, dark printing and larger size of the text. My version of the book is bound with a thick, durable plastic coil. Also, there's information about circle of fifths, sharps and flats, tetrachords, intervals, and everything else promised in the description.The only thing I don't like is that some of the pages are off-center, and the print disappears into the binding ring. Not enough of a problem to return, however.Overall, quite satisfied. Works well for a renewed beginner with less-than-perfect vision. It's easier for children to read, too. Would purchase for others.

I read the reviews and found them to be very accurate. The book has some information in the front section that was very helpful. I've read music and was self learned on the piano starting at age 7. Played flute in band and Orchestra. And had music theory classes in high school and college, and yet there were things that I discovered for the first time by purchasing this book. Looking forward to learning more as I work my way through this book.

The one I received appears to be one nobody would buy in a store because it’s bound completely off center. Disappointed, but at least it’s still fully readable. Also has remnants of black writing on the cover. The contents themselves look very useful.

The Alfred Complete Book Of Scales, Chords, Arpeggios and Cadences is an extraordinarily well put together format. They spend the first dozen or so pages explaining the theory behind how scales and chords are put together. They do indicate that they are best learned by practice, but the theory at the beginning of the book is an excellent resource.They formatted the scales extraordinarily well. Starting around page 16 you start the key of C Major, with every major and minor scale following that as well as two pages of Chromatic scales at the end, a page on harmonizing the scales, a page with blocked scales and accelerating scales followed by Expanding scales, and scales in double thirds, double sixths and octaves. After that they have Scales in the Grand Form, followed by broken triads, triad chains and cadences. The back of the book finally has a scale fingering chart.Back to the format of the regular scales though. I'll illustrate what they do with C Major, which they do for the rest of the scales. All of C Major is listed on the two pages you have open when you turn there. First there are parallel motion in octaves, followed by contrary motion starting on the same note, parallel motion in thirds or tenths, parallel motion in sixths. On the following page (which you're already opened to) they have the C Major Triads: Root Position along with the primary chords, the C Major Cadences, C Major Arpeggios, and Dominant Seventh Arpeggios. This is an excellent resource for any student pursuing understanding in piano.I have been playing piano for several years and never have grasped such a great understanding of the instrument until purchasing this book. I find that songs come so much more easily now just as long as I practice the scales before playing. The brain is a wonderful thing, but you do need to give it some fundamentals to work with, and this book of scales are the answer.Well worth the cost, I would've been willing to pay more for this book than the $9 I payed for it. Highly recommended.