The Bastien Piano Basics books begin with the fundamentals of piano playing, including proper posture and hand positioning. Finger numbers for both the left and right hands are detailed in the Piano book, while the keyboard layout is explained in both the Piano and Theory books. The difference between white and black keys is thoroughly explained--a very helpful feature for beginners. Basic music notation and rhythmic fundamentals are also explained in the beginning of these books.
The books don't waste any time before they allow the novice player to start performing some simple sheet music. Songs like "The Balloon Man," "Three Little Pigs," and "Old MacDonald" offer a variety of note values and lengths. As songs get progressively more challenging, additional information is explained in the Theory and Performance books, such as the importance of time signatures, dynamics, staffs, and clefs. Beginners will get a chance to play in 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4 time while learning simple melodic tunes.
The Bastien method books also offer the opportunity for novice players to try their hand at sight reading and playing with an accompaniment. The sight reading book is entitled "A Line A Day Sight Reading," and as its name implies, it offers progressively more challenging passages to be sight read by players each day. Sight reading is an important aspect of piano learning, as it challenges the player to take their best shot at playing a passage without studying it beforehand.
An audio CD is also available for purchase to supplement the method books. This CD contains accompaniment parts corresponding to many of the songs included in the books. Playing with an accompaniment will help pianists to develop a steady tempo. The importance of musical accuracy is stressed by following an accompaniment, as mistakes and errors will clearly be heard.
The books are divided into five levels, including a primer, that scale progressively in difficulty. Each book is available for approximately $6. Audio accompaniment CDs are available for $13 each.