When I was younger we had a Kohler & Chase upright piano. It was stunning and my parents really hoped that I would take piano lessons. I did for a few years and participated in a recital, but unfortunately I really got bored of it. I don’t think I had the “ear” for it and eventually we sold the piano. Since then, I do remember a few songs, can play “Heart and Soul” and do a mean “Chopsticks.”
Released on March 30th, Easy Piano is a Nintendo DS game with a 13-note, full-octave external keyboard peripheral that teaches users how to play the piano. It is also a game, where users can have fun playing quick “Guitar Hero”-like games, but obviously in this case the play is geared toward the piano.
With schools cutting music from the curriculum right and left, Easy Piano is a great introduction to piano and music in general, and is packaged in a way that children can relate to, are drawn to, and understand. In addition to learning how to play the piano, you can also compose and record up to 3 songs using the keyboard or by placing notes on music scales.
* Available at Wal-Mart, Amazon and other online and offline retailers.
* Price for the game + the keyboard peripheral is $39.99.
Our Take: Okay, I think if you know us by now, the adults in the family love playing the Nintendo DS just as much as the kids! My husband has always wanted to learn the piano and this was his big break! He started in the Learning Mode. In order to continue through the process, you pass a level and you “unlock” the next one by finishing the mini-game at the end of each lesson. The digital tutor walks you through each lesson and you learn beats, reading the music scale, and tons of vocabulary related to music and piano. As of now my husband is frustrated on how hard it is because he’s starting fresh without knowing an ounce about learning an instrument or reading music. My kids are a little iffy on the game as they see dad struggling, but he isn’t giving up, just put the game aside for a while.
The game also comes with a mode be Star Pianist which is a bit like “Piano Hero” if you will. Also there is Creation Workshop to compose your own music and record it on the DS.
The game has great potential if you work at it and want to learn. If I know my kids they are going to be frustrated because they are perfectionists and slightly inpatient, hopefully my husband will get back to it and really get into learning the piano.
We were sent the game to try out for purpose of this review. The opinions are our tried-and-true experience and were not influenced by any source.
Thanks for sharing such a beautiful information here with us. Hope will share more quality stuff like tools and ways to play.