A Dozen A Day Book 1: Primary | Pre-PracticeTechnical Piano Exercises for Beginners | Finger Strength and Flexibility Training | Technique Warm-Up Routine for Students | Piano Practice Workbook

Absolutely love this book — it’s perfect for anyone starting out on piano. The exercises are short, simple, and actually fun, which makes it really easy to build a daily practice routine without feeling overwhelmed. It’s great for strengthening fingers and improving coordination, and you can see progress surprisingly quickly. The layout is super clear, the illustrations are cute, and the step‑by‑step structure helps beginners feel confident from the start. It pairs really well with early grade pieces too, making everything feel more manageable. Such a classic for a reason — genuinely one of the best starter exercise books out there!

I have used this lovely book for absolute beginners at the piano. It helps to reinforce their knowledge of basic theory, understand the piano keys position and develop basic fingering techniques. The repetitive style of learning is wonderful for finger strengthening but also fun and tuneful at the same time.

I bought this book several weeks ago and have still not got to the end of it. It has been so helpful in helping me work out finger patterns and also with sight reading. Ignore the fact that it seems to be written for children. It is suitable for anyone really. Some of the exercises seem a little pointless but those are the fun ones. The ones which have you crossing hands in the first lesson might not be recommended by your teacher but those are the fun ones and all of it helps you to increase your confidence on the keyboard. One thing I found especially helpful is that it only uses a small selection of notes at first. You quickly learn these and the patterns that each exercise uses so there's more time spent actually pressing keys rather than trying to work out which note it means. Also there's a gradual introduction to a lot of different aspects of music notation and you absorb this almost subconsciously as you work through the exercises. They start very simple and gradually become more complex. Each section ends with a little song which gets a little more complex for each of the groups. If I am trying a new tempo or am trying to learn a new key I often go back to the beginning of the book and start with the familiar easy ones again. That makes this book well worth the price and when I finally outgrow it I will definitely buy the next one.

My 8 year old and I have just started with a 12 a day. It is such enjoyable practice. We are still on our first twelve but you can feel the improvement in dexterity.

This is an excellent series I have used for years. It is good for adults and children. Simple exercises that teach both quick recognition of patterns and muscle memory which actually improves confidence when move to recognized pieces. Illustrations are stick figure in design and there are no characters, hence the old fashioned nature of it.

A dozen a day hip hip horray....... I am starting to learn keyboard but i do remember my brother using this as a kid to learn how to play the piano. This is a book of exercises to get your fingers warmed up but also teach you some of teh techniques used in piano play so it is very good if you are larning to play the piano. But, this book brings back so funny memories mainly when my brother was lerarning to pay the piano. one day i came back from school and me and my mum were in the kitchen. my brother starts to play the song at the end of the book like he had done before except this time he belloowed and sang at the top of his voice "a dozen a day hip hip horray......" Me and my mum just creased up. the next time he sang it was at christmas when the tree was being put up. My day secured the tree to the wall with a nail not upto the job. Next thing the string snaps and the tree pins my nan and brother to piano with his still playing and singing "a dozen a day hip hip horray......" You could not make it up but the fun we have had with this book was wonderful and brings back to find memories..

Absolutely love this little book; totally agree with the reviewer(s) saying how it improves not only finger dexterity but sight reading, along with being quite an enjoyable set of exercises. I could have wasted loads of money trying to find more traditional tutorial books that wouldn't be nearly as beneficial. Perfect for my situation of having to learn how to read music written in both clefs as well as getting used to the action on my new digital piano. Cheers Edna-Mae!

My daughter has just started her Grade 1 journey and this book was recommended by her piano teacher as a 'classic (1950s!) technical exercise book (short, fun, achievable)' In the photos I've given the blurb about using these exercises as a warm up before the main practice, and I've shown the first and last page, as well as the contents page, to give an idea of progression through the book. My 9 year old is able to work on these by herself, and can see improvement, like getting quicker at the 'running' exercise, which in turn sets her up for a focused practice.