Bastien Piano Basics – Primer Level (James Bastien)

Description

The Bastien Piano Basics Primer Level book is a popular choice for children starting piano lessons around the ages of 7 and up. This book introduces the fundamentals of music reading and keyboard skills in a step-by-step, easy-to-follow approach, helping students build confidence and enjoy learning from their very first lesson.

Lessons begin with pre-staff notation, allowing beginners to focus on hand position, rhythm, and finger control before gradually progressing to reading on the grand staff. Each new concept is presented clearly, with plenty of review pages to reinforce what has been learned and ensure steady progress.

The music includes a lively mix of original pieces, folk tunes, classical themes, and pop-inspired songs, many with duet accompaniments that make practice more fun and interactive. Full-colour illustrations throughout the book help capture attention, making lessons visually engaging as well as musically rewarding.

For students aged 5–6 who aren’t quite ready for this Primer Level, we recommend starting with the Piano for the Young Beginner Primer A and Primer B books, which provide a slower, more playful introduction to piano basics before moving on to this level.

The Primer Level is perfectly matched to the Bastien Theory, Performance, and Technic books, forming a complete learning pathway trusted by piano teachers worldwide. For more information on the full Bastien method, you can visit the Neil A. Kjos Music Company website – the publisher of this best-selling series.

Check out our collection of Beginner Piano Books here!

Key Features

• Designed for beginners aged 7 and up
• Starts with pre-staff notation before introducing reading on the grand staff
• Logical, graded learning sequence with consistent review
• A variety of original, folk, classical, and pop-style songs
• Duet accompaniments for fun, shared learning
• Bright, full-colour illustrations to keep students engaged
• Part of the trusted Bastien Piano Basics method, correlating with Theory, Performance, and Technic books
• Links perfectly with Primer A and Primer B for younger learners starting earlier