Don't know if he can, but pretty sure he wouldn't. Mitch is the most nasty-tempered beast I know! LOL

Does that include your spouse?

Regards, JF

Definitely! The BaldMan is the most easygoing person I know. He just LOOKS scary! LOL

Thank you for welcoming me. I have completed American Hymn and hope to finish Adagio in A Major at this week's lesson. I enjoyed working on the Clayderman piece Souvenirs d'Enfance. If interested, I can give you info re: obtaining the sheet music.

I read the comment by Mamawatchman on page 6 with amusement since I suffer from the same anxieties. Even though I am always well-practiced, I still fall apart at lessons. I think part of the problem is that I have difficulty transitioning from my digital piano at home to a grand piano.

Anyway, here are a few general questions for all--How long are your lessons? How much time do you spend practicing each day? How much memorization do you do?

Hope everyone had a great weekend.

snowyday - glad to hear you're moving so well thru Book 3 - keep up the good work!

I don't have "lessons" (except what I give myself since I self-teach) - I usually practice in 2 or 3 separate sessions each day (each session devoted to different music sources) totalling roughly 3-4 hours - I memorize every piece I study (the Canon in D at the end of Book 2 being the longest I've attempted to memorize so far).

Regards, JF

Hi snowyday! My lessons are 30-45 minutes each week, except forthepast two( my instructor was recouperating from surgery). I try to practice for two to three hours each day, a bit at work and the majority at home. And the most difficult piece I have tried to memorize has been ( like John Frank), Canon in D at the end of book 2. I find that if I don't go back to a particular piece, that I have to relearn it!
I am also trying to memorize "Serenade in book 3 because I am planning on playing these two pieces for a group in November. take care, Karen

My lessons are 30 minutes each week. I do my best to get in about 2 hours practice a day, some days less if things get in the way, as they are wont to do. I really don't try to actively memorize things now. I find that, after a while, I have most of the pieces I play regularly "memorized" to the point that the music is just a reference. I'm not really reading note for note anymore, but I still need it there.

Funny you mention this. I'm the same way. It's like a cross between memory playing and sight reading but can't do either by themselves.

I don't try to memorize any more. I have one piece that I can play from memory. Make that: one piece that I must play from memory. When I did memorize it (and it was not a conscious decision to do so), it was purely muscle memory. I have no idea what notes I am playing, and if I try to think about it, I can't play the piece at all. If I pull out the music, that just completely messes me up, because I now have to stop and read the notes again. It's hard to explain. So I don't even try to memorize now, because I don't want to lose the small bit of reading ability I have acquired.

On pieces you play often with the sheet music, do you read individual notes or use it as a guide in general? That seems to be the way I do it. Not sure if this is proper or not.

The All in one Adult book 2 has this little Irish one that is so easy to memorize. It's called the magic piper. I inadvertently memorized it almost immediately and it's a really neat tune.

I'm going to play it every other day to keep it as part of my repertoire. As a matter of fact someone has it recorded on youtube. take a listen it's so nice and very easy to memorize.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJFgV5Ie6Sg

I used to not be able to memorize until my teacher had me memorize a little waltz in order to have something memorized if someone asked me to play.

It's become easier and easier by doing small parts at one time while learning to play it. If you play it alot and start to look away from the sheet music on the easy sections, pretty soon you'll learn the next section and so on and so forth.

I prettu much just use the music as a guide. At least, I am not consciously thinking "C-E-G" or whatever. I just look at it and "know" what to play. Which is, I guess, a kind of memorization.

Yes, that's the key - constant repetition - if you practice a piece long enough and hard enough (especially by dividing it up into sections) sooner or later you have it mostly or totally memorized, That's how it happens with me anyway.

Regards, JF

OG - I commented in your recently initiated thread about improvement.

There are a lot of good points here. I am getting away (somewhat) from looking at the notes, trying to figure out what the individual notes are and am trying to read them as one.
I am also finding out that what JF has said, constant repetition" That is so true!

piano4 - yes, it's constant repetition - yes, it's constant repitition - yes, its constant repitition - yes, . . .

Regards, JF

LOL! Thank you, Thank you, THANK YOU :-)

I finished the Serenade from String Quartet! Now I'm moving on to "A Special Day" which is rather pretty! I may add this on to play for the senior group in November.

piano4 - Thanks for updating us on your progress - keep up the good, steady work - hope to hear you soon in one of the Recitals or Monthly Piano Bars.

Regards, JF

Thank You JF. That means a lot! I would very much like to do one of the recitals or piano bar. I have to buy a web cam for starters!
Take care

Okay, I knew singing the "Star Spangled Banner was difficult enough! But playing it?? Oh my!
Especially the tremelo! When did that originate?

And what is the best way to play that?

Thank you in advance for the advice!
Oh by the way, I figure if you're playing an instrument, you're a musician:-)

I thought I'd share my new baby with you guys. I have a separate thread on the piano forum otherwise:

New Baby

Mark, where is the original thread for your piano?? I think its simply beautiful. I love the way its setup in your home. When do we get a recording of it now?? congratulations on a wonderful purchase!!

Thanks Funburger, it's right here:

http://www.pianoworld.com/ubb/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?/topic/1/24007.html

I don't have a recording device. And wont be able to afford one for a while either...

Oh Wow! Mark, it's beautiful!!! Congratulations on such a magnificant instrument!

Excellent instrument Mark - but where are you in all the photos?

Regards, JF

OMG I missed that thread. I am soooo happy for you Mark, I know you've been waiting for this for a while now.

It is absolutely gorgeous. I can't wait to hear something played on it. Anything even if it's chopsticks.

Nice piano, Mark! I'm sure you will thoroughly enjoy playing it!

On the lesson side of things, we are skipping "Laredo" in the Alfred's 3 book. I tried, and can't get a thing to even like about it, nevermind to sound like any sort of music. My teacher played a few measures and said that she has never really liked it, either, so let's just take a pass on this one. No sense in playing something I don't like at all. But "Shenandoah" is beautiful and the "Jazz Ostinato" piece is going to be fun, I think, once I get that left hand part down cold.

Other than that, "Jingle Bells" is starting to pick up speed a bit, and we figured out a new left hand for "Joy to the World." The book I am using ( Jazz, Rags and Blues Christmas )has this left hand part in one section that honestly sounds like it should be in a cowboy song, not JTTW. Even my husband thinks so. And I just could not get it to sound right to my ears, so we figured out a "better" way to do it. I will have to practice some to get it down, but I think it's going to go much better now.

And I started learning "Angel" by Sarah McLachlin.

And I will be out of town for 6 days, starting next Wednesday, so I have no idea when I am going to get all this stuff practiced! LOL

Congratulations on your new piano, Mark! It is gorgeous! I must admit I am jealous.

I have been moving around quite a bit in the book. Since my last post I completed Shenandoah and Laredo. Right now I am working on Moonlight Sonata and King Williams's March. Moonlight Sonata is VERY challenging! Has anybody here attempted it? I am struggling, but determined to stick with it.

After reading through a few pages of this thread it doesn't appear that I have the same Alfred's level 3 book that you all are working from. I will be beginning in a few weeks Level 3 of Alfred's basic piano library. First song is called Goodbye Old Paint. Is anyone using this book? This is what my teacher gave me. Actually my first two books were Alfreds Chord Approach from the basic piano library series.

I've found out that there are quite a few of the Alfred's series. On the back cover of your book, should list (it looks like a flowchart), the different series. Some include recital,theory, " all in one". The one I have is Level three Adult and it has some challenging and good ones.
Hope this helps!