In the informal style of a handwritten note to a friend, this book is unique in that its emphasis is on the scale (major and harmonic minor), but without the usual distraction of intervals and chords that accompany each scale taught in the more traditional beginning piano books. The student is free to focus on the simple, easy consistencies of the scale and develops, early on, a positive sense of accomplishment from the hard work it takes to learn piano -after which, learning intervals and chords is much easier. A great start for such a challenging instrument.

At any age the human mind can appreciate the refreshing experience of learning something new, and with piano there is much to discover. Although it takes a lot of work, reaching the point of actually playing the piano is a feeling of such satisfaction that words cannot quite do it justice. The first step is the interest, and anyone curious enough to want to 'understand basic piano' will do well with this book.