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

Hi all

Do you guys learn each song to a point it is memorized complete in your mind?

Or do you practice it until you can play just play it well and then move onto the next one?

Because I can't even remember how to play jingle bells now. Well unless I have the sheet music in front.

I have a week to practice my pieces and if my teacher is satisfied we move on which averages one week sometimes 2 depending on the piece and if it's giving me trouble.

I don't memorize them because we work on 3 pieces and to me it's not productive to memorize them especially since they're method book pieces and so early into the learning process.

I did start memorizing a repertoir piece she gave me though and those I will memorize as they come along and as I advance more.

When the time comes for serious repertoir memorization I'm planning on a small list

2 classical
1 pop
1 religious
happy birthday
wedding song

and i'll carry another 5 pieces of music sheet of well learned pieces with me wherever I go just in case.

I play the songs with the sheet music. Just memorize the technique to play it up to speed. It takes some time to get them up to speed without errors. I do the entire book each day and it keeps the songs fresh as I slowly add more songs from the book...

How do you find the time?

For me they get "memorized" just from being played so many times.

For titles I haven't played in awhile I would need the sheet music to refresh.

I work on about five from the Alfreds's book and get "checked off" one or two per lesson when they meet the teacher's requirements.

Initially it didn't take too long, but now about an hour...

Where do you buy your book from online?

I bought mine on Amazon, but if you do a search there are tons of places.

So how is everyone doing? My teacher has stopped me at Scarborough Fair till we clean up and go over the rest of the book to make sure I didn't miss anything. I just started lessons with her about a month ago.Its amazing the little hints a teacher can make that makes the learning process so much easier.

Many of the songs are starting to fall into place with the daily practice. On the side I'm still working on Moonlight in Dm.

Mark

Hi Mark737 (are you a pilot?). I am using the Alfred Book 1 also, but my teacher has me on 4 different books: Piano Town Book 2, Faber & Faber Adult Piano Adventures (a title that always makes me titter) and a really great collection of Carl Orff pieces. I like having the very different songs, arrangements and philosophies to keep me interested. For instance, the Alfred and the Fabers don't introduce different keys that quickly, but the Piano Town has me flying all over sets of sharps and flats with different fingerings. And if I'm not doing that well on one of the songs, I can always try a different book to build my confidence. And then I go back and attack the other one.

btw, this is my first post. I've been a lurker since I started playing the piano, which was in July of last year. I'm 31 and I have 2 signs above my piano: HOW OLD WOULD YOU BE IF YOU DIDN'T TAKE PIANO LESSONS? and try|umph. The last one is from Happy Feet. Jeepers.

Pilot... , no just the thread starter.

Welcome to the forums glad you finally posted. Using 4 books must keep you really busy and give you a great variety. I'm going to ask my teacher what she thinks will be the best way to proceed when I'm done with book one. I like the idea of different formats as you mentioned.

Were are you in book one by the way?

And finally, I like the age sign...it works well for me.

I'm exactly where you are, I think. I'm memorizing Greensleeves and learning Scarborough Fair this week. I smiled at what you wrote about Chiapanacas, because I had the HARDEST time with that, too. And I played Can-Can for a few days before I realized, oh, it's the CAN-CAN! Like with the dancing legs! I know that song! Like, four or five days, I'm telling you.

I really like the Piano Town book, though it has a picture of 2 little kids on the front and they're standing in a big amusement park with piano keys as the frame and everything's in bright colors. I think there might even be a dinosaur. So yeah, I have to laugh at myself whenever I see it. But it has nice little songs and exercises different skills.

Is it the Can Can song or is it the Shoprite commercial?

With the teachers help Chiapanacas is finally sounding good. That and solo meo. Scarborough's fingering needs lots of work, but all in time.

I'd really be happy to finish book one by late June or so. I'm trying to accelerate my learning curve...:lol:

OK, I took the plunge....

I bought the book today...

Wish me luck!

-angelojf

Good Luck! Let us know how you like it. The thread has lots of info on the different songs, so use it as a resource.

Mark

choppin here you go. couldn't find the donkey though

http://www.box.net/shared/5vprn2k8l3

Mark737

Thanks for asking. I am kind of a drop out from this board (and my desire for piano has dimmed).

I was in the Alfred Adult All-In-One Course. I liked it, and can relate to a lot of these posts. However, as I neared the end of the book, I was just overwhelmed (just a bit past p. 100). I just couldn't seem to get it any more.

I told my teacher that I wanted to start over with another book. My theory being that I wanted to review what I had already learned but do it in a slightly different form. We chose Nancy and Randall Faber's Adult Piano Adventures.

It's going so-so. I think I started too late in life (age 58 -- no previous music experience) and am not practicing enough (not enough time). But, I still go to lessons weekly and practice when I can, but not daily. Now that Lent and Easter are over, I'll have more time to practice -- I hope. We'll see.

Im confused, the ABAPC book Im in I think is somewhat different than most of yours. For instance, my book one ends with Cafe Vienna and Lullaby and runs 149 pages. Book two began with On With The Show then went into the tetrachord. Well, Im just starting Take me out to the ballgame and its going a bit slow, but fun as always.

hmmm zoso what does the cover of your book say?


Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Course

or

Alfred's Adult All-in-One Course

John,

it's never too late. It takes practice and if you don't practice regularly it'll take a little longer for things to fall into place.