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.

Loly, the cover says 'Play Piano Now-Alfreds Basic Adult Piano Course'. As far as I can tell it has pretty much the same song list as the other two series of books, just not as many. It has alot of away from the piano material as well as sight reading exercises. Im going to follow it until the end of book three then pick up with the all in one course on whatever song my series cuts out on, probably somewhere in the all in one's book two.
To John, hang in there, youre doing great-youre past wehre I am!

ya zoso, it is different in the way that you say it is.

if you know what songs you're missing out of the book 2 I can post them up for you. that way you won't have to buy the book just for those few songs.

Thanks Loly, I'll let you know when Im getting close, it could be awhile though as Im staying on each lesson to really absorb it.

Pals! I bought Alfred's course beginner book in Amazon. Mine did not come with CD. Is there any way to buy only the CD? Are there any websites which sell only the CD?

I don't think its ever too late. Its just about having the time to practice. Making it to page 100 was excellent. The songs at the end get tough so I expect it to take some time. Let us know how you make out with the new program.

Mark

John WI - your learning style seems to be like mine - go until I hit something way over my head (or, as I do, start with something way over my head), try for a little while, and then go back and nail the stuff I've been learning - as you say, consolidate. I call it learning in spirals. I have lately, for some reason, started going thru a transition of some sort which I haven't figured out yet, and it's involved *lots* more piano playing, but for sure for adults finding the time is problematic. But it's the *learning* that's fun, and frankly, it never occurs to me it's taken a couple of years to learn something that it might have taken someone else 2 weeks to learn - I've just had so much fun, and while I'm learning time stops. As I said in another thread - it's a good thing I've got a quarter of a century left to live, because I've got a quarter of a century worth of things left to learn on the piano! More - so now I'll have something to do in my next life

Cathy

I'm not sure where to get only the CD, but if you go through this thread loly has kindly uploaded most of the CD'd songs...

Mark

Thank you Mark. Let me dig and find it out.

Hi. How is everyone doing in the book now? I'm playing through Amazing Grace, and I really love the arrangement. It's better than I think I should be able to play. Really, really gorgeous. How's everyone doing?

I ordered this book a few days ago and I am SO ANXIOUS waiting for it, but I wanted to get the version with the CD so I had to order it from some little weird website.

How many of you used this book on your own without a teacher? Where you able to learn on your own with it?

Yes. You are right. I also order the CD and Midi Dics from an unknown website. Since I am also a beginner using this book, I'd also like to get the expericences of other people with this book.

I started with this book as a self teacher while I was looking for a teacher. It took me a couple of months to find a teacher and I moved through book one at a good clip for a while...page 55 ish. Then things slowed down. More difficult pieces. When I started lessons at the end of February. We went over my work up to page 70ish. She needed to correct some errors I was making and has helped me with a lot of issues I didn't see. We have been cleaning up everything up to Scarsbough Fair and I expect we are now ready to proceed with the rest of the book.

Can you do this alone? Yes, but you can miss some nuances of the learning curve without a teacher...

You are just about done with book one. Well done! How long have you been working on it and are you going to use book 2?

Mark

nrrdgrrl wrote

ohhh mark, book 2 is so easy so far.

fabers book 2 for adults is a bit more difficult, i'm on swing low sweet chariot and it's all chord inversions. yikes alfreds doesn't go into chord inversion till later in the book but then alfreds has book 3 while faber doesn't.

Today I got my Alfred's level 1 CD and MIDI disks. I am in page 35 now. I have a question lingering in my mind.

I know I am a bit slow in note reading. I can practice (am practicing) to learn piano myself by using Alfred's All-in-one level 1 book for around 1 hour everyday. If I go at this pace, how long will it take to complete Book 1 comprehensively?

Please advise.

Oh good luck Vljay! I'm still waitng for mine and have done some online tutorials in the mean time.

Thanks Pixie. As per my research , all good online tutorials are based on Alfred's adult Book. Good luck for you too, Buddy.

Everyone's abilities are different. And Alfreds songs do get increasingly more demanding. I'd say a mimimum of 8 monthe to a year or more...

Thanks for the reply Mark. This statistic will be helpful for me to define short term piano goals.