Money Waster
I learned nothing from the DVD or the Book that I already knew. He does too much talking and doesn't cover hardly anything. I don't even think it would benefit beginners.

Same as book....a lot more expensive
This DVD is pretty much verbatim from the book of the same title. In other words, there is very little substantive content. Houston is a marketer of hope and dreams, not an instructor of the keyboards. The mantra of "play chords with your left hand, and melody with the right" will get you nowhere. Get a good book and take your time. Playing piano is not easy; it requires practice. Houston would have you believe that you can play like a pro. Don't fall for it.

Scott Houston, a great and imaginative teacher
only play the piano to pick out notes for the song or aria and used a metronome for timing. I was thrilled to see how Houston could simplify the playing of a popular song and memorizing the chords for the left hand. I taped the program, and later bought the more complete VHS version of the TV program.


A niece, who was busy but made a half hearted attempt to learn to play the piano, gave me the book she had been using, "How to Play Popular Piano in 10 Easy Lessons" by Norman Monath. Using the theory that Houston taught, I used the Monath book as exercises for playing sample songs such as "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" advancing to "Autumn Leaves." This gave me practice in learning new chords as I progressed.

By this time, I did buy Houston's book, "Play Piano in a Flash!" Was I disappointed? I have to say I was, because Ihad progressed beyond the book.

The next book I was to learn from was "How to play the piano despite years of lessons" by Ward Cannel and Fred Marx." From this book I was to learn much including how to choose chords (from progressions on the circle - elementary classical harmony) and arrange a song after picking out notes of a song I knew by ear.

I was shocked to realize, upon looking into old cartons in the cellar, I had purchased this Cannel and Marx book years and years before, and found it too difficult to understand. However, with what I had learned from Scott Houston, the Cannel and Marx book suddenly became clear. Without Scott Houston, I would never have been able to play popular music.

I have purchased Houston's many additional DVDs: four volumes of "Cheap Tricks and Professional Secrets", book examples of his Audio CD. Am I a talented pianist? Absolutely not! But the joy and pleasure of sitting down and playing tunes on the piano is something I shall always credit to Houston.

Play Piano in a Flash
I purchased this item over two years ago and I have watched it several times. The DVD works great. I gave it a four star only because it really did help me get started. I was an absolute ground zero piano beginner at the time....and I was 55 years old.... I would have probably given up on learning had I not watched this DVD.....I give it a one star, or no star, if you think this DVD is going to teach you how to play a piano.....learning to play takes dedication and lots of practice......over two years ago I purchased several DVDs on learning to play the piano.....and they are all junk...what a total waste of my good money.....however, Scott's is probably the best of the DVD bunch.....but you're not going to learn anything in a flash......for me the DVD was more of a motivation thing because after watching it several times, I took the next step and got myself a very good certified piano teacher.....who was willing to teach me to be only a Piano Player using only a fake book. The one thing that this DVD did teach me is that there are really two kinds of people who play the piano.....there are the real Pianist, not me, who spend years and years learning the right way and who can read sheet music like a book and who can play classical music........and then there is the second group.....Piano Players, me......who just sit down at the keyboard and have fun playing the piano...we like to throw in cheap tricks and junk to really spice up the song, etc......real Pianist laugh and throw-up at us Piano Players.....which is what Scott Houston is trying to teach here....I have learned 50 songs in two years by practicing one hour every day.....Us Piano Players don't do much of anything right but at least it usually sounds good enough for my grandkids and we have a lot of fun......I have all the respect in the world for the real Pianist......but I also believe that some of them need to get a real life, loosen up some, and start really enjoying what they already know how to do so well......just play the darn piano and have fun....I recommend this DVD only as a motivation thing to help keep you trying to learn to be a Piano Player.....not a Pianist

Waste of time and money
There are many issues with the content. Scott would like you to believe that playing the piano is much easier than it really is. The message is play what you like and you will have fun. And so he goes on to playing Amazing Grace. How many people will have a blast playing one note to the beat Amazing Grace, with no harmonics whatsoever?
He would also like the audience to believe that music theory is plain useless, that classically trained player have been learning all of these scales for no reason. Well some theory certainly is useless. But you need a bare minimum. You need at least enough to be able to construct chords.
There is a part that keeps you somewhat entertained. It's what he calls cheap tricks. That's a good way to have fun for a little while. He will show you how to play a simple C Major arpeggio. That's fair. Unfortunately, he falls short of showing you how to use it in a tune. It shows you it can be used, but he doesn't show how...
Perhaps most disappointing, he will show you how if you listen to him, you can play a tune just like him. He picks Misty, a nice Erroll Garner's ballad. Beautiful tune. And slow, so you might be fooled into thinking what he does is easy, and you have the appropriate skills already. He even uses his cheap tricks. How nice. Unfortunately, he only taught you 2 chords, C major and F major. You have no clue what he's really doing there. Not only that but he re-harmonizes quite a lot, alters chord beautifully. He can play, no doubt about it. But I guarantee there's a lot more theory to what he plays than what he'd like the audience to believe.

I seriously doubt anyone will be able to start playing piano after sitting and listening to Scott's lessons. I don't even think you'll be entertained watching the video. It's that bad. He just talks too much.
If you are serious about playing the piano, get yourself a good teacher, one that will understand how to teach adults. The cheaper option is to pick up something like "how to play from a fake book" and start discovering music.