John Thompson's Modern Course plus Popular Piano Solos: 4 Books in One! (John Thompson's Modern Course for the Piano)

This is great value for a John Thompson (JT) music book. It include 4 complete books JT Modern Course First Grade ($7.99), JT Modern Course Second Grade ($7.99), JT Popular Piano Solos First Grade ($12.99), JT Popular Piano Solos Second Grade ($12.99). It also provides a CD with the mp3 for the Popular Piano Solos for each grade but no listening music for the Modern course songs and no online access to mp3 for them either It would be the greatest value for money ever if it also included the mp3 for the Modern Course in both grades.The content for the JT Popular Piano Solos First Grade includes:You'll be in my heartLove me tenderIt's a small worldEdelweissFly me to the moonOh, what a beautiful mornin'What the world needs now is loveLet's go fly a kiteThis is itThe rainbow connectionYou are my sunshineGo the distanceThe content for the JT Popular Piano Solos Second Grade includes:Alley catSway (Quién Será)My heart will go onNadia's themeDo-re-miA time for usRaiders marchI could have danced all nightMemoryThe Addams family themeThe masterpiece

From the picture showing 4 individual books, I assumed that this collection is a boxed set containing the 4 books. Instead, it is a single thick book combining the content of the 4 books. With Amazon's 4 for 3 deal, you can get all four books individually for the same price, and I should have done just that. The John Thompson books are famous for easy wear, with pages coming apart. The thick combined book means that it will be worn and torn by the time my daughter gets to Book 2. The CD includes only the 23 songs in the "Popular Piano Solos" books, and does not include the material for the regular Grades 1 and 2 books. If you buy the books separately, you have the option of getting the CDs with each book. Otherwise, the material is the same.I used this series as a child to learn piano, but have not played for 20 years. Now I bought this again to catch up. Here is a rough review of each of the parts:Grade 1: It has a few nice pieces, and I liked it as a child. However, most of the arrangements are no famous pieces but made for the purpose of teaching certain skills. Maybe I found it too easy, but it was far less interesting to play as an adult. The remaining books of the series use pieces adapted from famous composers, and hence are more melodic and enjoyable to play.Grade 2: My favorite book of the series. The printing here is far from optimal. The music notes are good, but the photographs lack contrast and the illustrations are fuzzy. You will be much better off getting the individual book, with or without the CD.Piano Solos 1: I found this ridiculously easy. The sings are so simplified you can hardly recognize them. Most are one hand only, with some chords to be used as accompaniment by the teacher. If you're playing by yourself this book is useless. The CD has two versions of each song - one of which is accompaniment only, so you could turn it on and play the melody, but it is hard to figure out the timing.Piano Solos 2: Some of these are interesting. They also drop the teacher accompaniment here and give you stuff to do with both hands.

I was a bit disappointed to see that there are many songs on the four piano lesson levels that are in the other John Thompson grade level piano lesson books--I already own them. I was hoping for different songs with different songs that would appeal to an adult.

Nice book. Wish it was spiral bound, rather than me taking to an office store to get it done to lay flat on piano.

Not enough songs in the book to do each grades one thru four.

recommended by our piano instructor. These are the go-to books for teachers and the kids really understand them.

Gave it as a gift to my cousin, who is restarting lessons after several decades away from playing piano. She and her teacher were both very happy.

Great deal ...one price for 4 books, just that it a bit too thick for flipping!

just what I was looking for