The Pocket Idiot's Guide to Piano Chords

I am one of those who used to play (classical) piano. I had lessons for 8 years in my youth, and continued to play for pleasure for about 15 years as I reared my children. Then.... the decades passed and I quit. Recently, at a friend's house, I discovered an old edition of Charles Cooke's "Playing the Piano for Pleasure." I read it on the train home and it has provided the motivation I needed in my retirement to bring piano pleasure back into my life. [That book, originally published in 1940 is still the best thing around for such as me who want to start practicing and playing again, building on what was learned previously.] Soon after, I began browsing the music sections of bookstores, and found this little pocket gem. All my life (or at least my piano-playing life) I had wanted to be able to play the piano to accompany tunes at sing alongs but never knew how to do it. I (mistakenly) thought you had to be able to "play by ear", a gift I (mistakenly) thought was restricted to a few. This little book takes the mystery out of how to accompany thousands of songs by knowing a few simple things about chords and how to pick and mix them. With not much practice and a good fake book, and following the advice in this little book, you will soon be able to switch back and forth from classical to pop. If you learned classical piano and want to be able to play along at family sing togethers, run don't walk and buy this little gem.

This is great book for me. This is for person like me who occassionally play the piano. This is not for the children whose parents yell at them to practice all the time. This is for person who owns a piano and plays whenever mood strikes.