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

I'm back, I stopped playing about 8 months ago (hangs head in shame!) for various reasons. Partly because I lost a bit of the buzz I got from playing and partly laziness!

I dug out my keyboard just before Christmas and I'm hooked again! Surprisingly my playing didn't suffer that much from the lack of playing though my reading is back to non existant.

I've dived back into Alfreds at Blow the Man Down which gave me such a hard time first time round, this time it's was much easier! I'm also working on some Classical pieces from this site. A bit of Bach, a bit of Beethoven and the odd carol.

I'm thoroughly enjoying playing again and I'm going to do my very best to finish the book this time!

Welcome back! I'm glad that your 8 months off didn't hurt your playing too much.

I have downloaded quite a few pieces from that site. He has a lot of beginner stuff. Have fun!

Thanks mom3gram! That midi site is great isn't it? which level pieces do you work on from there? I tried a few level 1 then started on level 2. I find the level 2 pieces quite challenging but manageable so I'm mostly working on those at the moment.

I think I've downloaded and printed most of the level 1 and 2 pieces. I use them for sight reading, so after I go through them I put them aside for a while. Those that are way too easy I remove from the pile. When I find one that I would like to work on more thoroughly, I keep it with my lesson book so that I have it for daily practice. I also play the primer level of Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, because I really like the music. I think there is a level 2 version that I should replace it with.

Good idea! I should probably try that myself as my sight reading needs all the help it can get lol! The level 2 Jesu Joy of Mans Desiring is one of the pieces I'm working on at the moment, it's beautiful, especially after the dull tunes in Alfreds!

I have been working on Bach's Gavotte and some
Czerny beginner stuff. I only have gone to page 4 in czerny but it makes you read more than 2 or 3 notes at once and play them
alfred's gets you to read chords as one item,handy in a way but uselss if you need to actually read the bass clef stuff. I honestly have not seem much of the alfred's stuff latley. I will bite the bullet and go back there in a week or so. I have to head to florida for 2 shows and back to my Roland d-10 with the stiking B key.
That free sheet music site is great. There is also a good medieval music site in canada that has some good stuff. I will try to find the address and post it to if you would like.

My sight reading is still non existant.
I did after months of trial and error discover that counting aloud DOES help even thought I feel like an idiot doing it. I spent close to amonth doing nothing but rhythem exercises.

Nice! Well beyond my abilities at the moment! I'd be interested in that Canadian site, medieval music sounds like it might be interesting.

Hi baz,

I can not find the Canadian site now..musicaviva has some good stuff.
Site is in Spanish. Has medieval, romantic and baroque as well as modern stuff.
Some if it is e z some is "forget it"

ERROR FOUND?

FYI; if you are using the Adult All-in-One Level 1 book with CD-

On my CD, "Lavender's Blue" is actually Track #52 (not Track #51 as written in the book), and "Kum-Ba-Ya" is actually Track 51 (not Track 52 as wriiten in the book).

Do you have the same issue with your CD's?

Hay Baz,
Page 1-3 are simple on the czerny. gets tougher after page 5. I do it on carillon to attempt to learn pedal but my pedal work sucks and the notes are half notes that I use as whole ones. one note per paw,one note per hindpaw. it takes a while for me to find them on pedal. octave and a half down there. 4 pedals would be far easier! 3 would be ez. having my hindpaws touch the ground would be nice. (not gonna happen)teacher is requiring some pedal stuff. Hey at least I can read the bass clef as long as its in the staff.
HOnestly have not pulled out the roland since I got back. I will not be able to play my toys on the road so I am getting as much out of them before I leave. Then its the little roland and back to the alfreds for me. I have my last lesson tomorrow so I am gonna get offline and get to working on the 3 pieces that are supposed to be ready for my teacher...I have worked on one since Sept.

The site was looking at was not a Canadian one. Its an SCA baronial site's link to a site in the UK. Anyway here is the addy,www.Servicemusic.org.uk/anthem/gaudette.html. Gaudette is a piece that I heard sung by Steeleye Span. Just learned it the way they sing it. (if you are not playing it for a teacher follow Maddy Prior. There are a lot of time changes in teh song. They actually exist to make stuff we normally would not look at but they have a lot of good Medievel stuff. Just ignore the bass clef stuff and use the melody section. Most Med stuff is mono toned anyway execpt sparingly used drones.
You can get some great music on cds from the Dufay Collective on the chondos label.
depending on your insanity level you can find some great stuff by St Hildegard Von Bingon as well.
Irish stuff sucks on piano. dont even go there.

Ooo the carillon looks like hard work! I'll stick to my little keyboard lol!

Thanks for the link, looks like a good site, I was a big fan of Steeleye Span in the 70's!

angelojf,

Yep!!! My cd has the same problem but I just adjust accordingly. And I like to use the youtube videos better. It sounds more like a piano than the cd does.

How is the playing coming along???

KaylaX,

Thanks for asking: I'm working on that "Kum-Ba-Ya" song presently. I'm also working out of this book: "How to Play From a Fake Book" by Michael Esterowitz. I can't wait to get to Alfred Level 2!

angelojf,

Me too!!! I think I would like the pieces in level two a whole lot better. Im on "Blow the man down". Its a tricky little piece. You are almost there.

I am also working out of Fabers book. Well, at least thats what my teacher had me doing but I dont have that teacher any more. Im going to try out a new teacher on thursday. I also work from just random pieces I print from the internet.

Speaking of fake books. I have one of Scott the piano guys books. It has just kid songs in it. But its fun. My kids enjoy hearing songs from it.

KaylaX

Kum-Ba-Yah was a nice one - not too difficult and it sounds good.

I have a fake book around somewhere. I couldn't do anything with it when I bought it, but maybe I can play something from it now. How do you like the "How to" book?

mom3gram:

Too early to tell. Right now, I'm just learning my major chords with both hands. I figure the "How To" it can help me play songs, and the Alfred's stuff can help me play those cool piano pieces.

Hello folks. I just joined this forum. Since I accidently discovered it two days ago I have spent more time here than with my wife! Really helpful thread.
I'm new to piano and just began Alfred's self teaching adult level one book about five weeks ago.

I'm up to pages 79 to 89. I move on when I feel I have hit all the notes without agonizing over the tempo/rhythm. I have found that the timing aspect starts to fall into place in earlier pieces that I replay.

I am having a bit of a problem with the D7 chord for the right hand and was wondering if anybody else encounters this. I feel like a contortionist trying to get my fingers in place. I've tried moving up on the C and D and my fingers just wedge in and I hit two notes doing that. Anybody else going through this?

HI dukeofhesse,

Welcome to the forum!!! I havent given the D7 chord much thought. I had to look at my book to see which one you where talking about. My big beef is with the G7 chord in "Blow the man down". I think any of those 7th chords are going to be tricky. And you are right about the contortionist part!!!!

How is "Blow the man down" treating you????

KaylaX

Welcome to Piano World!

You might try moving your fingers towards the fall board. With some cords you need to move deep into the keys to play cords easier...

Also you might try asking in the teachers forum, where you can get real expert advise...

Mark...

Thanks for the kinds words of welcome.

KaylaX, I am about twenty pages short of getting to Blow the man down and have also read the stories of woe from others about the piece. I don't understand why it is such a difficult piece since it involves broken chords similar to Beautiful Brown Eyes,that came earlier in the book, but I guess I'll learn soon enough what the issues are.

Mark, thanks for the welcome. I did try moving my fingers forward but they just get wedged in and then I sometimes hit two notes at once. It's hard to believe that some people consider me to be an athlete with great eye-hand coordination!