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

yes, it's pretty quiet here. I got a pass on Raisins and Almonds from my teacher and we'll be starting the Entertainer next week. I really don't care for "He's got the Whole World" and want to skip it. My teacher couldn't care less, but I feel a bit like cheating and I really want to finish this book. So far I haven't skipped any songs. Go Down Moses is very nice one and easy. Nice to have an easy song now and then. I'm also working on a lot of supplemental songs so my progress with Alfred's is a lot slower now.

@BarbVA: I was wondering the same thing, when I took a peek at ABF a while ago and couldn't find our thread! I was on vacation since Friday last week so didn't have much to report. It's good to see everyone progressing. I didn't get to practice at all during my vacation but I hope I can get a pass on "The Entertainer" from my teacher tomorrow.

I love the sound of Greensleeves and can play it pretty much flawless about half the times now, so I'd say its down and maybe some little bit polishing.

Go down moses, was pretty easy, easier than Greensleeves for sure. Only problem was to changing positions fast enough and correct which took some time to grasp otherwise, easy so glad its out of the way.

O Sole Mio I haven't even worked on much but trying to just get it out of the way as soon as possible.

The Stranger, need to start soon.

Also tried to make a go for Scarborough fair (The song I think I might have been looking forward the most to play.) So far seperate its easy but putting them together is really hard so just trying to slowly make it better and concentrate on the early parts first and master them. I think it should take a while to get this down, and I might start on raisins and almonds after O sole mio, since it looks just a bit easier.

Starting to get much more fun now that the melodies sounds a bit..I guess harder and better as well. So looking very much forward to The Entertainer in some weeks, but not looking forward to Amazing grace :p

Hi all, I have been learning Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Book 1 for 6 months. I am now at Greensleeves.

I post my Jericho on
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLQTNN4TR58

Appreciate if you guys can give some feedback

Regards
Andre

Andrelie1,
Sounded good but I think your right hand is playing at an octave higher than what it should be...
I'm not too sure though...I could be wrong
But other than that...it sounded good

Yeah, what Romolo said, your right hand seems to be an octave too high, other than that sounds good. And welcome!!!

This is a weird question, but I was wondering if anyone has heard anything that reminds them of "A Friend Like You" (on page 31 of the shorter book 1, not the all in one).

There is something about this that I ADORE and was really hoping that it had been cribbed from something longer that I could learn to play. I love the bass on my piano, and it really draws out its beauty. I read that this was an original written for the course, but if it reminds you of anything, esp. the bass line, please let me know!

Hi, Andrelie1

I don't know the piece that well, but you're playing is good. I have done a bit of research on the web and also from my own library here, and the only thing I noticed, is you have a tendancy to keep your non playing fingers high off the keys. I could recognize the Alfred page in the book you have. I also use Alfred, I just don't have the exact copy as that one.

I have this same problem, and I find I have to concentrate on relaxing and focusing my movements to try and get my hands to move like I see teachers and pro players do on videos. I don't play anywhere near as good as you do yet, as I have the same problem as BarbVA. I have carpel tunnel syndrome and tendonitis, but I saw a video from a link posted on the forum of a guy with braces and forearm bands on and he could play very well. So there's hope for me I think. I am new here too, but welcome, and I hope to get to know you all better in the near future.

I don't have the ability hardware wise to post audio or video of me yet, even if I did, you might run for the hills at my present level of proficency lol.

Romolo, BarbVA, BlueNotes, thanks for the advice. I see the same play by PianoNobleAxleMan on YouTube and just realize that I am playing one octave higher for the right hand. Look forward to playing it on the right octave

Rgds

lvp, I don't think it necessarily reminded me of anything, but I really liked "A Friend Like You". Simple, but pretty.

I'm nearly done with this level, but am having a brain freeze in the last section of the theory book. For those of you that are working in the separate theory book, could someone give me a bit of help on the bottom part of page 54? The 3rd exercise says to write the chord symbol above each chord... So would that be A for the first one listed? And D for the next measure?
Anyone?
I never did much theory back when I was taking lessons-and that was 15 years ago...
I'd sure appreciate some help! Thanks!

@marimorimo: wow, you are already done with the Entertainer. That was fast. One more song and you are done with the book! I can only do the right hand reasonable fast. But I was working on all my supplemental pieces and didn't have time to work on it. My teacher said we can start next week.

I'm still plugging along also. I'm polishing O Sole Mio, and now starting up Greensleeves. My teacher and I decided to skip Jericho, because she's got me working on a bunch of other tunes from other books (Faber & Faber kids Book 2B.) Also I just picked up "Very Easy Classics to Moderns," which is the easiest in a series. I'll start into that one this week too.

I'm still loving it though. Best wishes to all...

I'll be joining tomorrow! My piano arrives and I can't wait to start book 1. Just a silly question. I get impatient so know I'm going to have to hold myself back and not be tempted to rush to the good bits in the book, and just do one lesson at a time in sequence. So when do people move onto the next lesson? How many times over do you play a lesson? Until you feel comfortable, have it memorised, or do you just keep going until it gets too hard and go back and re-do the last few over and over?

I normally move on the next lesson after I am comfortable with the current one. i try to practice everyday 15-30 minutes while during weekend i practice more.

What piano do you get?

Kawai K-3, it's just 26 hours away - not that I'm counting
Think I'll spend most of the weekend playing seeing as I have 25 years of built up wanting to play in me. Then I'll be aiming for an hour a day during the week and more on weekends also.

I dipped a toe into the water and started playing "The Stranger" tonight, even though I've not really nailed "O Sole Mio" or "Jericho" totally yet. So far I've only done the RH and I kind of like it.

Oz Leikela, I play a piece until I can play it reasonably well, and then I move on, but I continue to play the previous three or so pieces for a while after I've moved on. I also have a playlist of favorites that I try to play a few times a week so I don't forget them. Some of those are from other books.

Oz Leikela - you are the same as me!!! I hope to join everyone here tomorrow as well, as my piano is arriving in 25 hours!!! It is Clavinova CLP-240, and I have received my book from Amazon yesterday. I guess, our plans for this weekend are very similar

Congratulations Oz Leikela and gintarec! Great to hear that the new instruments are on the way! You must be very excited.

I found that I was able to work through the first 80 or so pages of the AIO Book 1 in a few hours, since it's mostly intro theory and simple pieces. I had had some exposure to note reading and key signatures and stuff already, so the first sections moved pretty quick. Like so many in this group, Little Brown Jug was the first song that made me stop and practice for several days, maybe a week, before I felt confident enough to move on.

I found I was much harder on myself before I started with my teacher. She generally has me demonstrate proficiency, not perfection, before moving on. But I'm also doing lots of little tunes other than the AIO book.

Have a great weekend with your new instruments!

This book is fantastic! Has been a while since I've had to work out intervals etc. (in fact not since school) so the theory refresher is excellent and the step by step gradual building up of the pieces is also really good. I was wondering how I'd go putting two hands together without a teacher, and whilst I'm at the BASIC BASIC stages having just started, I'm pleased with how you are guided through it. Just got Jingle Bells done. Can see myself staying up late tonight with my silent pedal on.