Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Alfred's Basic and ALL in One Adult Piano Course Book #1

Ok, so I want to order the "Alfred's Adult All-in-One Course - Merry Christmas Book (Level 1)"
Here is the link to it...
http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/store/smp_inside.html?item=3658934&cart=34484116244870350&type=image&page=01&cm_re=detail-_-lookInside-_-thumbnail:inside

I was wondering if anyone has this book and if so...are all the pieces that short? Do all the pieces have those duet parts below the solo pieces? Or is that just for show?
I want to be able to play Christmas carols by...well...Christmas But, I want to be able to play the whole carol, that just seems too short. But something tells me it's not showing the whole piece. Can someone confirm this? Please...

Posting this quickly before I change my mind
Plaisir D'Amour

I had severe case of recordingitis, you know the symptoms, mistakes and playing mechanically, but I've been playing for 11 weeks now and want to keep this as a marker to see how I progress over the next year.


Things can only get better......

Ejay, nice, but why a midi file? That will cause it to potentially sound different to each listener.

Thank you for sharing and well done!

I just wanted to say hello to everyone and introduce myself... My name is Jeff, and I just started the Alfred's All-In-One Book 1 (with CD) about 4 days ago and am now on page 50 (G position).. Luckily, I had previous music experience in band and have most of the theory down pat. I just have to learn the pesky Bass clef. I also played piano as a child, although by ear never with sheet music.

I also purchased Book 2 (with CD) and noticed that Book 3 is rather hard to get ahold of. I also don't think they make it with a CD either, not that I care, the CD seems kind of worthless. Where do you go after you complete Book 3??? That's kinda confusing to me..

Anywho, I just wanted to say hello to everyone and introduce myself. Keep up the practice and talk to you guys (and ladies) later.

Jeff

Thanks Kenny.
My workstation records in midi or svq format. There is a way to merge tracks into one audio file, but I only recorded it once on the one patch and couldn't see how to make an audio file.

Welcome Jeff. I'm also a new player, 11 weeks in total and 3 on the Alfred course (I'm using the teach yourself book, which is very similar to book one). I have 3 songs to learn before moving to book two, but have decided to stop for a few weeks and just review pieces while I finish learning the major scales.
I learned classical guitar as a child and I play the hammered dulcimer, so like you I just had the bass clef to revise , as I have a fair understanding of theory and chord structure. I think this is why I progressed so quickly through book one.I believe the final two pieces are quite challenging though.

I think you can find the book 3 on amazon. If it is hard to get hold of I may try and order one sooner rather than later then.

Hey Jeff, seems we have similar issues with that pesky bass clef!

Welcome! As far as where to go there are a number of Supplemental Alfred's books and all kinds of other books and repertoire that you can work on. Many are working with teachers that are helping with all that as well.

Thanks for the info on the recording. All depends on your equipment as to what you can do. I'm not sure what svq is actually. See now you've got me curious, what workstation do you have?

I had a good practice session today. I played through Chiapanecas 6 times and got through it fairly well, will spend a few more days on it. O Sole Mio! also went well, I usually have trouble on the last section where the appregiated chord is but played it twice without mistakes. My first attempt at Jericho was going perfectly until at the end I thought to myself "this is going perfectly, I might get through it without a mistake" and then I made a mistake on the very last note!

The last thing I worked on was The Entertainer. I can play most of it slowly but have never been able to play measure 11 at all so today I just practiced that measure over and over until I had it memorized and was able to play it. I think I'll leave the sight reading for easier pieces ;-) The same thing happened with Scarborough Fair, I wasn't able to play it at speed until I eventually memorized the two measures I usually had trouble with.

Excellent Wrenn!

I'm still working my way through the first parts of the book myself. I'm pretty well up on Saints and am moving on through the instructional part and practicing/repracticing all the prior songs/techniques. I think I've actually been pretty close to putting an hour a day in.

I have jumped way ahead in one case, I'm working on Over The Rainbow which I hope to have ready for the recital next month. It doesn't seem as hard as some of the other things I had in mind and appears to primarily have to do with stretches and hand movement. I can come close to playing the parts hands separate but still have work to do there as well as the bigger task of putting the hands together. I'm having fun though, that's what matters, right?

Oh, and I just noticed on Rainbow - PEDAL! AIIIIEEEE!

Your book has "Over the Rainbow"????

yep It's great too!

This is in the "Adult Teach yourself" book, I actually had not looked to see if it was in the All in One.

oh I don't have over the rainbow in my book either.

Looking forward to hearing it Kenny.

Oh and I've figured out how to make my songs in wav. format..I can mix down even when there is only one track into a sample instead of a song. SO next one will be audio format.

I could maybe send it to you guys. I actually looked around the internet for a different version, but didn't find it. They must be keeping it "under cover"

and Ejay, that's good about the wave etc. Only reason I brought it up in the first place was because with midi a lot of how it sounds will depend on the listeners midi synth and some are pretty bad. Oh and if you have it in .wav format it's pretty simple to get to mp3 format from there is you want. Audacity is good (and free) tool to do that with (you do need to install the Lame MP3 encoder with it though.

"Over the Rainbow" is in my Pop Songbook. Actually, I think it's the first song. I was just surprised when you mentioned that you were playing it from your method book. I wonder if it's the same version of the song.

I'm STILL on "Good People" - I can play the first half of it, although not well. I'm also playing the RH of "Little Brown Jug", and plan on adding the LH soon. I will probably have LBJ down first.

Good for you mom3gram! I'm still working through the beginning stuff, I have a lot of new stuff to learn, but the process is a bit frustrating for me playing these "simple" tunes if you know what I mean. Not that I can actually play them yet, but by golly I got Jingle Bells and Saints down! Get down baby!

I've worked a bit on Lavender's Blue, but am still a long way from Good People.

Looks like everyone is moving along nicely...good to hear. I've been practicing "Lullaby" for the past few days...and guess what? I finally got it I then got "Rock it Away" pretty quickly but it's not that difficult anyways. I learned the C Major scale and now I'm working on "Joy to the World" It's giving me some problems but not as much as "Lullaby" and "Blow the Man Down"

Kenny...good luck with Lavender's Blue...and I mean that...I remember that took me a while to learn for some reason. It seems easy but it's tricky but I know you'll get it...

Remember everyone...practice makes perfect!

Thanks Kenny.
I'd really recommend working on scales as well as the pieces in the book, I find it really helps with both dexterity and fingering, but also a working knowledge of where the notes are without looking at the keys and a good supplementary exercise .

Well done Romolo, I'd also recommend working on a two octave scale of C. It makes Joy to the World really easy as it is very obviously based on that scale.

True Ejay, I'm not quite in the book to where it is doing full scales, but I have in fact at least been doing C Major work. I'll definitely look at adding that as well .... particularly since I'm kinda jumping around a bit anyway. I definitely need any exercises that improve my dexterity. There's this great ending in Over the Rainbow that goes through three octaves.

Thanks!

Been working on "Over the Rainbow" today but also on Lavender Blue in both Bastien and Alfred, not quite there with it yet.

Messed around with Alouette a bit as well.