Well, I'm going through Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Course, and the songs are a tad boring.

But basically, does anyone have some simple-ish songs that can help me get more comfortable with the piano, get my hands moving to different positions, but not too advanced.
I'm currently stuck on another peice I'm learning, cause I just can't get my hands around, so I thought it'd be better to learn something more simpler.

Any links to sheet music or something?
Also, would be nice if the songs are quite well known, or known aha.

Thanks alot.

Hello!

Imagine by John Lennon is an easy but very nice song!

The melody of "Ode to Joy" is easy to learn, and also very pleasant sounding and familiar.

I'm a big fan of David Nevue's "Solitude" as a beautiful new age beginner piece myself.

Here's my recording of it:

http://www.uky.edu/~harris/solitude1.mp3

You can get the sheet music for it at www.davidnevue.com.

Whoa Monica, how long have you been playing the piano? That song is played very well!

I've heard that there's a simple version of Claire de Lune floating around somewhere!! :p

Monica's awesome!

Thank you, PianoN00b! I've been playing now for, uh, [counts on fingers, cross-validates against kids' birthdates] about 3 1/2 years, but I had 7 years of accordion lessons as a child, which gave me a huge head start.

But... it's also the case that "Solitude" is very, very simple, yet sounds very beautiful when played. Go check it out on Nevue's website; he lets you look at a sample page for free, and you will see that it truly is easy.

Wow, that is a beautiful song.
I've been playing for roughly a week, although it seems possible to learn it with some hard dedication =/.
How long did you take to learn it and play it as well as that?

Also, I completed Ode to Joy the first day I had the piano aha.
Thank you all for the suggestions.

If there is, I like to know where

Hard to remember... I was introduced to it here on the forum by Bob Muir, and I didn't join the forum until I had been playing at least a year. So I didn't tackle it as a complete beginner. It probably took me a month to get it that polished.

But if you're ready to start something like that after only one week of piano, I'm pretty impressed! After one week I knew where middle C was, but that's about it.

Visiting David Nevue's site may be dangerous if you have a sheet music problem (addiction)!!

It is dangerous. You got me Monica. I went there to buy the one song you played, and ended up liking packages 12 and 13 and got them too. Now to learn how to play the piano better. ( I hope )
Loved the sounds of the music on that site. I am still kind of new at piano though. Half way thru Alfreds Adult book 1, and learning from a couple of nice play by ear dvd's. Got them from www.thepianobyear.com
Monica, do you have all of those packages from David Nevue's site? I told them you sent me, so maybe they will give you a discount on any that you do not have.

Dale

I have almost everything he's released. (Er, have I mentioned my sheet music addiction lately? ) I wish he'd get around to releasing a bound book. He's got more than enough material.

I have never played a modern or new-age piece on the piano but recently heard James Horner's piano solo called "The Portrait" from Titanic - I thought it was great - I bought it; a slippery slope maybe...

This is true!

I have sheets of his that are way beyond my ability, but I like to try parts of them sometimes and also follow the sheet music as I listen to the piece.

I agree that Solitude is a great beginner piece. You couldn't get any more beginner than I was when I learned it and I found it very satisfying to learn and play. Just enough difficulty for me to really have to practice but easy enough to not cause much frustration. Right now I'm working on Song at the Speyer Cathedral, which I think is also a good one for beginners. Still scrambling to get it ready in time for the recital though!

Tina

Binding Thread...no pun intended...well, maybe

Nevue also rates his pieces as to difficulty...nice touch David
He really does have a very nice site...

Am I the only one who thinks the title of this thread is oxy-moronic?

Military Intelligence
Jumbo Shrimp
Simple Sheetmusic

Yea, all oxy-moronic statements.....

lol

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Monster M&H:
Binding Thread...no pun intended...well, maybe

LOL, good one

I reccomend "La Fille Aux Cheveux de Lin", or "Girl with the Flaxen Hair" by Claude Debussy.

It's not a technically difficult piece (some people would argue about the interpretation difficulty), but at the same time it will help you improve in certain areas if you can get it down.

It doesn't hurt that it sounds nice, and is generally recognizable.

The sheet music is available at sheetmusicfox.com.

I know what you mean about Alfred. You've not said whereabouts you are in the series, but you might like to take a look at
Easy Classics to Moderns - Denes Agay or his Classics to Moderns series. These are original compositions, graded in difficulty. I've only tackled a few but the compilations seem well regarded, and I am being introduced to composers I had never heard of.