Best Beginner Piano Books PLUS How the Metronome Was “Stolen”!
More about the best beginner piano books later, but now the metronome news! I never wondered how the metronome was invented until I came across some information about it recently. I actually don’t like playing to a metronome at all because it is so relentlessly accurate in keeping a beat to a specific tempo (speed) setting. Part of the artistry of performing music on any instrument is taking pleasure in creating one’s own interpretation of the passing of time between the notes.
I don’t mean playing with incorrect timing, but adding stretches, pauses, or sections slightly faster that give interest and “conversation” to a piece of music, such as by Brahms or Rachmanioff. Of course, parade marches by Sousa would benefit from the use of a metronome.
But it does come in handy sometimes when I want to make sure my concept of a tempo is correct. So, what’s that M.M. on the metronome along with a number, such as M.M.♩ = 100? This setting means the quarter note is played to 100 beats per minute, making a moderately fast tempo. In order to change the setting, the pendulum is vertically slid up or down manually to the desired numerical setting.
This tool that helps musicians play to a certain tempo by clicking to a preset speed is attributed to Johann Nepomuk Maelzel, and the M.M. means “Maelzel metronome.”
Maelzel went to the trouble of getting a patent for his German metronome in 1815, but he had actually copied it from a Dutch inventor, Dietrich Nikolaus Winkel.
Winkel called it his “musical chronometer” in 1814 – but did not get it patented. His invention used a pendulum with equal weight on both sides of a pivot to produce a steady click sound of some sort.
Maelzel apparently liked the idea of the thing and added a scale to it to mark increments of tempo in order to secure his patent. It was well received, but Beethoven suggested the scale be lowered from 50 to 40!
Modern metronomes include boxy or rounded gadgets that run on batteries, have different beat sounds, LED indicators that are easy to read, volume control, and even headphone jacks!
Did You Know . . .
The Earth’s field of gravity is not the same everywhere on the planet. Because of these differences a pendulum (moving part of the metronome) will swing faster at low altitudes (at the Earth’s poles) than it does at high altitudes, such as at the Equator!
So how the metronome came to be includes a history of snitching and rebranding!
Want to Teach Yourself?
You’re not alone. Many parents, homeschoolers, and self-learners are choosing to teach themselves or their children piano from home. Whether you’re a music teacher looking for the best piano books for beginners or a stay-at-home mom seeking a creative, structured activity, Piano Revolution is a perfect fit.
Want to teach yourself or your child piano?
Want to hit keys on a piano or actually read and play piano music that’s written?
Join the Revolution!
Start reading music. Start playing with confidence. Let music be a part of your fresh start!
Explore Piano Revolution today.
Looking for a Homeschool Piano Method?
If you’re homeschooling and want a method that actually teaches your child how to read and play music, Piano Revolution is for you.
🎵 Ideal for:
- Homeschool families
- Busy parents
- Private piano teachers
- Self-taught piano learners
- College music major students needing fast, accurate piano skills
🎹 With Piano Revolution, students:
- Build true sight-reading skills
- Progress efficiently and confidently
- Develop real musical independence—no more relying on memory mnemonics, hand position fingering, or videos
The Backstory:
Why I Created Piano Revolution
Teaching Beginners to Read Music
Personal Reflection by Leslie M. Young, author of Piano Revolution
Leveled Piano Instruction Books in Four Series
Why It Matters
The writing and proving of the Piano Revolution books has been a decades-long journey for me. The longer I used the method as a teacher, the more frequently I saw the lasting benefits for students of various ages. This approach truly teaches learners—proven with ages 5 to 65—how to actually read and play written music from the very first lesson. It’s not just about pressing keys. It’s about unlocking literacy in music and having true independence at the piano.
Story about Actual Student #1
My new neighbor approached me about teaching her ten-year-old daughter piano. She had had two years of lessons previously, so I expected her to know quite a bit. I was so surprised to see she couldn’t read a single written note. So we started from scratch with my beginner lesson book 1. She said aloud each letter name as she played its key and used the spaces as starting points to find the line notes – using the Piano Revolution thinking method.
After three months, she was reading on a one-year level. This reaffirmed to me that its the method that makes the most difference in learning to accurately read and play music; not the teacher; not the age; not the piano; not past experience. This student continued and excelled beautifully.
Result: Method matters more than age or past experience.
About Actual Student #2
I met this lovely 65-year-old grandmother in 2017. She was quite accomplished in many areas, but wanted to learn to play piano. I told this from-scratch beginner that if she practiced ten minutes a day using my first lesson book, saying each letter name as she played its key, she would progress quickly.
She astonished me. After just four months, she played the original version (both hands) of Clementi’s Sonatina! Not quite up to speed, but accurately! She (and I) were quite happy with her accomplishments!
Result: The Piano Revolution method works for any motivated learner.
Story about the Frustrated Teacher
A very experienced piano teacher I know was having difficulty with a teen student who just was not making any progress. This student had come to her with a background of having had lessons for a few years, but he never made the connection between reading notes and locating their corresponding keys.
I could see this teacher’s frustration and heard her say perhaps the problem was with herself. I emphatically reassured her that was not the case. The issue was with the method book currently used and those previously used. They really were the same in their approach of orienting on middle C and using hand positions and finger numbers – just rote memorization.
I encouraged her to take a new approach. Start from scratch with my beginner book for older teens and adults. Just stop “cold turkey” with the hand positions and finger numbers and replace that with learning one hand/clef at a time and say each letter as its key is played. That is actual learning that cannot be faked by a student with a “good ear”.
Remind the student frequently that letters will not have to be said forever – just until solid long-term learning has occurred. That’s usually after lessons covering two books in the series. This teacher was certainly happier after our conversation, and I understand now that the teen has mastered notation-reading!
NOTE: The Piano Revolution method should be easy to use in homeschool lessons by parents with no music experience, as well as for self-teaching older students.
The Power of Instructional Design
In 1982 I found a course at the University of North Texas to be most enlightening! It was about how Instructional Design principles can be used to teach anyone anything in a way that should practically guarantee successful learning. That one experience reshaped how I thought about teaching. It showed me that learning doesn’t have to be rote copying tied to hand positions and finger numbers—it can be logical, clear, and empowering. That’s exactly how Piano Revolution is structured – now.
I realized in the 1980s that just marking out most of the printed finger numbers in songs would not solve the root problem. Those songs were purposefully written in “hand positions” so that only certain notes would be read and certain piano keys played. A student has 10 fingers. A piano has 88 keys. Instant problem.
To alleviate this problem in the beginner’s first book, I searched for recognizable songs in the public domain that would fit my new “thinking process” strategy. This also meant new songs would have to be written to provide enough sequential progress for the student. There were years spent writing and rewriting.
Then something fantastic was created . . . the Internet! . . . and with it the capability for self-publishing books! New notation software – print on demand – no inventory – the book in your hand three days from ordering – amazing! This new “thinking process” method could be in the hands of teachers, students, and parents – all over the world.
The Thinking Process: Step-by-Step
- Learn each staff separately to understand treble and bass clefs clearly.
- Identify spaces first, then use them to name and find line notes.
- Practice short, daily sessions (5 to 7 minutes).
- Self-correct mistakes using the spaces to name/locate the lines.
This process turns students into independent learners who can “figure it out” on their own—one of the most rewarding things a teacher can hear! The beginner learns each hand’s staff separately. This makes sense because each staff represents different portions of the piano keyboard—meaning that the lines and spaces of each staff have different letter names. After the spaces are gradually learned (and the location of their piano keys), the spaces are used to name and locate the line letter names and key locations, in a gradual and logical sequence.
This “thinking process” that the student acquires within a short time of repeated practice is exciting for a teacher to see in action and self-motivating for the students because they can self-correct any errors. I’ve had a student say, “I can figure this out myself, so why do I need a teacher?” That was very satisfying for me to hear!
Method that Empowers Students to Teach Themselves
The evolution of structured teaching to read written music and perform it has spanned about 150 years. The Bertini Pianoforte Method of the 1880s was more like an encyclopedia of everything piano rather than a graduated method for beginners to learn to read and play – but it was a start. In the years after Bertini’s book appeared, other method books were published, including Beginners’ Book of the Oxford Piano Course in 1928 and John Thompson’s Modern Course for the Piano in 1942.
There are certainly more that followed, but current modern piano method books seem to be organized in the same general way as that of the 1880s: Systematically gathering beginner concepts together, leading to more difficult, and then the even more difficult – this IS the methodology.
Piano Revolution gives students independence. It teaches them not just to play by rote-copying, but to understand. Not just to perform, but to logically think.
Here’s a fun and short
cartoon video that shows the Thinking Process used in Piano Revolution books:
Ready to Start?
📘 Explore sample pages and learn more at pianorev.com
View sample pages of all the books for students
ages 6 to teen:
View sample pages of all the books for students
4 to 5 years old:
View sample pages of all the books for older
teens and adults:
View the books on Amazon:
About the Author, Composer,
Illustrator, Educator, and
Eternal Optimist
Leslie Young is the author, composer, and illustrator of PIANO Revolution method books (originally titled as the Revolutionary Piano Method). She co-founded a K-12th grade charter school in Texas and has been teacher, administrator, and Curriculum Director. As a piano teacher for over 40 years, she has had experience teaching a variety of students tackling piano for the first time or as returning students.
Young believes that “learning to play the piano is more about diligence
and perseverance” – but would add that just as critical to success is
the method that is used, the pattern of critical thinking, and the instructional principles that promote immediate success.
She states: “In teaching piano to students of varying ages, what also varies is a commitment of time and the amount of dedication. Children of certain ages may do very well with a parent as teacher; others may need someone who is not family to instruct them. Some older children and adults prefer to make progress on their own, and this method is designed to act as a meticulous guide through new material. Some adults and teens insist on professional teachers, which also encourages continuity.
Because these books are self-explanatory, a new or experienced professional teacher will have no trouble using the PIANO Revolution method with students. It’s an easy and effective way to learn piano.”
This content will be of most interest to:
- Parents who homeschool
- Professional piano instructors
- Individuals desiring piano books for beginners
- Educators of Instructional Design for piano
- Adults desiring a self-teaching piano book
- Parents wondering the best age to start piano lessons for a child
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