MUSIC SALES The Complete Organ Player Book One

Updatesd version of an established organ course designed to get you playing quickly

Kenneth Baker instruction and practice books for the learner, young or old, are probably the best of the beginning sight reading instruction courses. However these books are in very short supply. I have never found books 2 and 3. I would love to have books 1 though 5. Baker has several different books under similar title "The Complete Organ Player" and they easily confuse the neophyte. Some are Song Books, Bakers songbooks look like his instruction books but they are very different in purpose and content. The cover of the instruction book as seen hereon Has a big 45 font or larger title banner across the top. This title and picture of two hands on the two registers is on most of these books of different genre. The buyer must take a second look if "Songbook," "Keyboard,""Piano" or anything else appears on title page the book is not one of the Baker instruction books. However this is not some trick to foist other books on the unwary public. It is a trade or product identification strategem for marketing purposes. The buyer must read the complete Book Title, THE COMPLETE ORGAN PLAYER SONGBOOK (volume 3)is not the same as THE COMPLETE ORGAN PLAY with long subtitle "Teaches you everything you need to know in order to play modern style Organ."The subtitle is a good review of what you get from Ken Baker on instructions and a good conclusion to this all too brief review.

I ordered the first three books of this once so popular home organ method.I used to learn home organ style playing for two years some three decades ago before moving to a different city, and a change in priorities left me behind as a very incomplete organ player.Last year I had renewed interest in completing my education and picked up some other method books once popular in other countries. While all methods can teach you the basics and probably to the point where one could play any sheet music arranged for home organ more or less effortlessly, there is something about the Baker series that gives me the confidence it will have taught me even more techniques upon completion of Book 7 and the supplement books also available.Speaking of Book 1: I thought I was already beyond Level 1, but it turns out, some chords and their fingering are unknown to my muscle memory and it takes quite an effort and practice to use the correct fingering and to change from one chord to the next smoothly. So, I am glad I ordered it and can start from the very beginning, not leaving any stone unturned.As for the criticism raised by another reviewer regarding Baker's insistence on 4-notes chords early on: probably organ teachers back in the day would have made a choice there depending on their own taste, and certainly these chords are trickier to play with Baker's choice of inversion/notation than in my other method books. But it doesn't hurt to get Baker's approach under one's belt first and then decide depending on personal taste to play it differently.The selection of music is also more interesting than the two other methods I own. All in all, still recommended if you want to learn home organ style playing (which will always be more satisfying than just keyboard playing).

Excellent for beginning organ players and excellent seller.

Good price. Fast shipping