I agree about the "breezing thru" comment. I never wanted or expected anyone to take my posts as meaning I am running thru book 3 at a fantastic pace. I am not. I have dropped many of the pieces before polishing them to "performance" quality. But I do think I have learned something from all of them. There are many that, even if I could record, I would not, because they just simply would not be worth listening to.

I have played through it. But I've worked on it years ago when my son was taking lessons. It's a very nice piece, I'm also very closes to getting prelude in D completed. I really want to record that one.

Don't feel bad about the Classy Rag. I may never get it to speed either...

Count me as there too. In fact I recently told my teacher we need to stop at Steal Away because I'm falling behind and need time to get some pieces cleaned up. And there are a few I might just play though and never polish.

Hech, I'm still working on Canon and a few other book 2 pieces...

Threatened? Something tells me that it will be more like a "treat" than a "threat"!

Regards, JF

I must confess, I am still working on the last page of Canon. That 4th finger of mine was killing my timing until I realized I had to lift my hands. What a difference!

The "breezing" comment was a little flip and I apologize if I gave the wrong impression. On thinking about it, I realized that I'm on page 36 because I already knew the theory from my lead-sheet days and I've skipped 2-3 pieces. But I'm slowing down now because of new fingering configurations.

Mark, do you remember the speed at which you played the Prelude in C Major?

Ah, JF, you are a real optimist. You might live to regret your suggestion.

My sons digital had it programed into it and It sounded like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KHycdHbz6w&feature=related

I never did get it to speed back then...

I sounded more like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdSlu06gDy8&feature=related

Hope this helps...

Mark...

Mark, thanks for the recordings. My speed is more like the second example, except that I still make a lot of mistakes. Your left hand seems to be a lot more confident than mine is. I'm still guessing at some of the positions.

Bob

Those recording weren't actually me. Just examples. I did play something like the second one a while ago. Looking forward to tackling it again. Also I see nothing wrong with the slower speed. I like it better in fact.

Mark...

I can't believe how long I've been struggling over Classy Rag....

Of course, with 2 jobs and and online courses-I don't have the time I'd like to have to practice, but still!

I keep telling myself that it will be really cool when I finally get it because I'm working so hard on it.

Fitswimmer, I feel the same way about the Unfinished Symphony piece! It still sounds so measured and mechanical, but if I don't count very, very precisely and slowly, I get lost immediately! My teacher says the first page is "getting better," but I'm not entirely convinced!

IrishMak, I'm just starting The Unfinished Symphony. Thanks for the tip to count it out carefully.

I've finished my lessons for this year but hope to keep going in Book 3, but I probably won't get very far without my teacher.

Sometime ago John Frank asked us for some recordings and I've been trying to do Danny Boy, but I'm suffering the Red Dot fever. It's the first time I've tried to record my playing and it was a very good lesson because I realized that I was making mistakes but just sloughed them off. I'm going beyond cyberspace for awhile, but I hope to get at least one recording done before I'm gone.

I have conquered you, Classy Rag!! You did not beat me-although you tried. I have mastered your tricky passages and repeats!

After this pause for rejoicing...I get to start polishing the dynamics, but boy it feels good right now.

Congrats...its a tough one. I hit it everyday waiting for it to come to speed...

An American Hymn...just a great book 3 piece...

You're getting ahead of me again! LOL

I'm still trying to straighten out the last couple lines of Come Back to Sorrento in Alfred's. And working a couple pieces in the Romantic Impressions first book, and one in a Jazz, Rags and Blues book. I will never, never be a blues player, I am afraid!

It's not that I perfected the previous pieces. But when I get a piece close, we move to the next piece while I still clean up the older stuff. Eventually the older stuff gets finished...

But I think you will just love "An American Hymn"...

double post...sorry

Hi everyone! I have just started in this forum and have just started Alfred's Adult book #3 and I am just loving it! There are easy pieces that are a bit rhythmic and Iam still learning to play music at a faster tempo when needed. My question to you is this: When finished with the Book 3- would it be easier" to go with classical or pop or is it at the musician/instructor's discretion? Thank you

Hi everyone! I have just started in this forum and have just started Alfred's Adult book #3 and I am just loving it! There are easy pieces that are a bit rhythmic and Iam still learning to play music at a faster tempo when needed. My question to you is this: When finished with the Book 3- would it be easier" to go with classical or pop or is it at the musician/instructor's discretion? Thank you

piano4, well my teacher started me on the john thompsons grade 3. i just started it so i cant give much information on it. seems challenging enough though:) i am still working on the chopin piece and the moonlight sonata at the end of alfreds 3 though. maybe i will get some practice in so i can pass them soon:) i am guessing when you are done with alfreds 3 you should ask your teacher what happens then?? find out what you want to do etc. and see which way you want to go.

I started this book a while ago..... I'm only on Calypso Rhumba though. I will actually be giving up this book for a while to work on my Royal Conservatory grade 4. I'm doing the exam this summer. I've just returned to lessons after having my second child.

John Thompson reminds me of the Helen Curtis series. It's not like the modern methods with chords and simple arrangements. These courses are more difficult and move quite a bit faster.

Welcome to the challenge Funburger. It's a whole new ball game.

Hi funburger,

I used JT as a kid, went through 1 & most of 2. I had three and picked up the first piece for the fun of it. (must have had just as weird a sense of fun then as I do now.)

Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen - WITH CROSS HAND PLAYING!

I loved that arrangement! I thought it was so much fun and I was doing it on my own. The other pieces I remember playing for myself was I'd Like to Teach the World To Sing and I had a couple of books of classical pieces by some composers I don't remember any more and I loved to play the first pieces in that set.

I didn't really practice for my lessons. I didn't really enjoy my teacher, but if I could have harnessed what I found in those few pieces - that might have made such a difference.

Unfortunately, I quit piano lessons to go to a private high school and the homework load was so heavy that I never picked it back up.

I'm looking through Book 3, and I've been playing a fair number of the pieces in there already - Bach Mussette, Schumann Melody, Clementi Sonatina 36.1 (first movement), and I just finished Bach's Prelude in C (from the little preludes).

The motto on the cover of JT's books is "Something New Every Lesson." It should be 20 things new every lesson!

Ask your teacher about the Robert D Vandall Complete Preludes. That would be a perfect set of pieces in every key for the level of JT 3.

Rich

I've been working in 3 different series-Aaron 3, JT3 and Alfred 3. Out of the 3 of them, I would say that JT3 is the most challenging. I do love some of the pieces though-particularly Dona Nobis Pacem.

Well, I'm feeling "Super Special" this week as I finally started book 3. Like others, I'm still finishing up on Canon from book 2. I was wondering how your teachers are using the "just for fun" section...are you just going through the book consecutively or do you jump around from the "regular" pieces to the "fun" and some of the more difficult pieces in the back of the book? My teacher has never had an adult make it to book 3 (patting myself on back)and she hasn't really looked through the book, just opened it and started me on the first song, so I am curious about other teachers' methods...

Char

I've glanced at the "Just for Fun" section, but have too busy with the regular stuff. My guess is when we reach the just for fun area. We will just go right through it to the "Ambisious (sp) section"

PS: You will really like many of the pieces in book 3. There are a few "dogs" but for the most part very enjoyable...

And congrats making it to book 3...

We've been playing the Just For Fun pieces as they show up in the book, but not skipping to the Ambitious stuff yet. Holding on to that till we get thru the book, then she will let me pick what I want, or move on to something else. I know she's got Clementi sonatinas hiding up her sleeve somewhere!

I've already been working on OP 36 No. 1 for what seems like ages. I have to admit, I sort of feel like I'm close to getting it down (how's that for being vague?), but of course it always falls apart when I try to play it for her. You'd think that after over two years with her I would lose the jitters whenever I play!

Char

Thank You, Funburger for your insight. I have a ways to go, particularly with this Alfred book#3. The Serenade is a bit tricky, but I'll learn it

And to reply to the others within this group, my instructor looked at the book but we haven't chosen any thing in particular. She told me that we weren't going to do all of the pieces but i know we will be doing some of the "ambitious" ones!

OK guys - I'm on the next to last piece in Book 2 - so, what are the best pieces to look forward to in 3?

Regards, JF