Where to Start with Damon Ferrante
Damon Ferrante is an American pianist, composer, and music professor who trained at Juilliard and has taught piano at universities across the United States. He is best known for his series of beginner piano books that pair concise printed instruction with streaming video lessons, an approach that reflects how modern adults actually prefer to learn. His Piano Book for Adult Beginners was recommended by Rolling Stone as one of the best piano books for beginners and has become one of the top-selling music instruction titles on Amazon. Ferrante’s teaching style prioritizes getting students to play recognizable songs quickly while still building a solid foundation in theory and technique.
Start here
Piano Book for Adult Beginners
Damon Ferrante · 122 pages · 2017 · Easy
Themes: piano method, famous songs, music theory, video lessons
A modern, multimedia-first approach to learning piano. Ferrante pairs a concise 122-page book with 42 streaming video lessons, creating a course that feels more like having a private teacher than working through a traditional method book. The emphasis is on playing famous piano pieces from early on while building genuine theory and technique alongside the repertoire.
Why Start Here
Ferrante’s method is built for the way adults actually learn today. The video lessons demonstrate technique, hand position, and musical interpretation in ways that a printed page cannot. Each chapter in the book pairs with specific videos, so you alternate between reading and watching as concepts build. The result is a learning experience that stays engaging and clear even without a teacher in the room.
What to Expect
A compact book with 42 companion video lessons and 75 MP3 audio tracks. The course covers music theory, sight reading, technique, and a repertoire of famous piano pieces. At 122 pages, it moves faster than traditional method books, making it a good fit for motivated self-learners who want results quickly.