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

Just wanted to say hi,

and ditto Mark's comments

though I don't have an ounce of experience to base them on as I'm not much further ahead in the book than you

Asked the same question myself

Blackbird

It depends on your teacher.

My piano teacher was passing me off on pieces a lot faster than my carillon teacher who expects a lot more. I think part of that is my piano teacher doesnt have any other adult students. I havent seen him in months.
My piano teacher is pikier about correct rhythm than notes. Counting out loud is big with them. Carillon teacher is picky about both.
I currently am working on a piece that will take me months to learn,. I have the hand parts down. Its the pedal work that kills me.

Hi and welcome. I'm self-teaching so I don't know what the best and proper way to determine when one should be moving on to the next song, but it varies quite a bit for me. It depends on how difficult a piece is in terms of fingering and timing. The more difficult, the longer I spend the time on it. Until I feel that I can comfortably play it with zero or minimal mistakes, and with good timing, I won't move on. It would varied anywhere between a couple of hours to a couple of weeks, with non-consecutive practice days.

And on the few occasions that I get bored practicing and hearing the same song over and over again, I would simultaneously work on it and the adjacent few songs above or below it.

Good luck to you.

Key Notes

Welcome and good luck to you.

Key Notes

I've just made the mistake of being a voyeur on the book 2 thread and read some of their comments and listened to their excellent efforts. I want to do that one now

Lots of incentive to crack this book, if I needed any extra.

Would you believe my partner suggested I may have to move my keyboard to make way for the Christmas Tree next month.

I've compromised, I'm selling her dogs instead, they take up as such room, sound worse...just and they're hers

I knew I’ve come to the right place! Thanks for all of the helpful feedback. I tend to not go for perfection and move on but I don’t want to shortcut the learning and develop bad habits. As Key Note mentioned going back to past pieces is a good test to see if the right skills have been learned.

Hey Blackbird, Your definitely not alone feeling like you have the memory of a mouse. Why do you think I picked the name Piano Monkey? I guess slow and steady gets the job done…


Jim AKA Piano Monkey

I just started with a new piano teacher. I had been taking a community college class, which was using Alfred's. I just got Alpine Melody to sound nice, too.

But the new teacher will have none of that. She said she's going to push me. So here comes the Bach.

When I get a chance, though, I'm going to sneak in working on Cafe Vienna, I like that one.

Blackbird - I can fully understand you wanting to "do" Book 2 now - although the skill and technique required to do most Book 2 pieces is somewhat advanced over that needed for most Book 1 pieces, the "musicality' of many Book 2 pieces is significantly advanced over many found in Book 1 - in a few words, they are a little more challenging (as you would expect), but a lot more enjoyable (as you would hope) - but be patient - all good things in time - work your way slowly but steadily thru Book 1, "mastering" as much as you can each new technique and each new piece as you go - you'll need this solid foundation to build on step-by-step - there's no quick & easy way, just alot of time and consistent practice - one extemely important word of advice: do much review of older, previously studied pieces as you move forward on new pieces - this is one of the keys for constant improvement.

Good luck and play on!

Regards, JF

Pushing the envelope is always nice Gary. After all, if we don't believe in it, we wouldn't begin this incredible journey anyway.

When I get a chance, though, I'm going to sneak in working on Cafe Vienna, I like that one. [/QUOTE]

Don't worry we won't tell. Just make sure that I never meet your teacher.

Definitely words of wisdom. Thanks JF.

That's spooky that's just what I'm playing the moment.

And for everyone else thanks for all the good advice. No short-cuts for me. I'm going through Book 1 page by page and to be fair thoroughly enjoying it.

I am however secretly practising a couple of other pieces in addition, one a long term project.

.........don't tell anyone

I think we all work on other things besides our Alfred book once in a while. Those who are lucky enough to have a teacher generally get assigned other pieces to supplement and to build a repertoire. Some self learners have mentioned getting bored with Alfred and finding other pieces to keep their interest up. And I assume that there are some, like me, who hit rough spot from time to time and need to find some pieces at the same level to hold our interest until we are ready to move on. Most of my additional pieces right now are Christmas music. :-)

OK, I managed to submit a short piece for the recital. Now, I can start again with Alfred where I left it, about to start Little Brown Jug.
I can't avoid working on the side lines either, so I am having fun with Anna Magdalena Bach Notebook ( and the piano handbook by Humphreys I must admit), there are a few short pieces not too difficult when you overcome the fear of big jumps (OK they seem gigantic at first, but doable with practice)for L and R hands.

We won't tell. What's your long term project?

She picked a good one to push with. Minuet in G Major is giving me fits. So far five hours of practice and just now the first 6 bars sound OK.

Not only that, she wants me to play it in a recital next month!

It has been a few weeks since I posted my progress, now past Lone Star Waltz and working on Cafe Vienna. I spent rather a long time on Lone Star Waltz, ironing out different things.
I am also working on Londonderry Air (Danny Boy) out of the Alfred's basic adult all-time favorites, in places a little tricky but to me well worth learning

Looks like we're at a similar spot. I've just moved on from Cafe Vienna though my Alfred journey is now being slowed somewhat as I get sidetracked by other music

I am thinking you will be well past me soon my progress has been slowed somewhat over the last couple of months, my new teacher really wants to keep me at a particular piece until he is satisfied and is big on scales so I do allot of practicing of scales now. I too have been sidetracked a little but that's OK as I do want to play the pieces I like and not just the course music, and I am feeling confident enough to do that now

Sounds like you've made wonderful progress Dave123, especially with learning pieces from your all-time favorites book as well. I don't have that one, yet. Perhaps I'll get it as a treat and reward for myself after I finish up book 1, or maybe another one that I also wanted pretty badly.

Thanks keynotes, your words means allot, great encouragement for me. I do have a tendency to get down on myself on occasion, with no real justification. The all time favorites book doesn't have to many recent music scores like other books, many of them I probably won't try but there are a few I would like to play