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Well, had my lesson tonight, passed on everything from Greensleaves up to(but not including) He's Got the Whole World, she gave me a couple of pointers on that one, The Entertainer and Amazing Grace and said to keep working on those, that they were almost there. She's ordering Book 2 and I'll get it next lesson in two weeks.

Because of the holidays coming and my lessons falling on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month, for November and December I'm only going to have one lesson each month, which is just fine. I'm going to take that time to work on some Christmas songs and do the early review portion in book 2 and be ready to get into some serious work on book 2 come January.

@ gintarec: Unfortunately there is no quick-fix solution for learning to keep a steady rhythm aside from counting, clapping, tapping, mnemonic syllables or whatever system works for you. You could try asking your teacher. I tend to 'get it' faster when my teacher demonstrates for me. If you have prior experience with another instrument it may come easier, but for an almost-total beginner like me it's absolutely essential.

I think that not having a way to check the rhythm is the biggest pitfall a self-learner can make. In the Teacher's Forum, the teachers often say the top 3 issues self-learners tend to have are rhythm/fingering/posture problems. Heck, even people with teachers have the same problems so it isn't so surprising. "Playing the rhythm by ear" is so much easier and natural instead of the drudgery of counting and the metronome, but I don't think it's advisable especially for us beginners. This is just a word of caution because it's a mistake that I myself am prone to do and regret it 90% of the time. I made the same mistake with "Lullaby" - it turned out that the first the rhythm was slightly different somewhere in the first couple of measures and I had to rework it all over again for my teacher. Almost every time I decide to quit counting and play by ear instead, I end up having to do more work to correct the mistake.

I am still struggling to keep counting/using the metronome, but I trudge along with it because if I don't learn how to count now while the pieces are still easier, I reckon I'll have an even harder time when the pieces get more complex and you just can't easily fake the rhythm.

Thanks marimorimo! I KNOW I need to keep counting. I try to, but then at some point through the melody I give up. If I am using metronome, I seem to 'forget' about it at some point... It was easy to follow the counting when the teacher was counting, but I just can't listen (I do hear it!!!) to the metronome! I suppose, because it can't tell me off...

Oh well, I think I will need to increase the volume on my metronome to the point it can't be ignored!
And as for another question - what speed on metronome do you use for Lullaby (and other songs)? How do you do with half beat notes? Do you count 'and one, and two...' or have another tip how to get through?

I think I managed the Lullaby all right last night, and sort of there with Joy to the world, and moved all the way to the blues pieces (like the first one, but not the other two - will have to look for them online to listen to first, so I know what it is all about). But, I know I need to get back and work on the rhythm.

@ gintarec: That's funny, I'm the exact opposite with the metronome.. in fact, I turn the volume down because it keeps distracting me with its unrelentless beat. As to tips on counting, my teacher taught me to use the "and" counting with a slight variation, like "one....two-and.three...." (I only count the "ands" when necessary, like an eighth note or dotted quarter note). As to what metronome speed, I usually just choose what's comfortable for me (but I start slow then gradually bump it up). It's probably better to ask suggestions from your teacher.

Oh, I have an announcement...
I've graduated from Alfred Book One!!!

I had my lesson a while ago and my teacher gave me a pass on Amazing Grace. We even worked on the first couple of pieces on Book 2..they are several degrees easier than the last few pieces in Book 1 so I almost sight-read them (but not quite )!

It's been an incredible journey with Book One and I'm thankful for all the support of the community in this forum. Finishing at just shy of 6 months (23 wks), I was slightly frustrated at myself because I originally set my goal to finish it in 4. But life, a bunch of non-Alfred pieces, and a teacher who insists on polished pieces got in the way, and all for the better I must say. Somewhere near the end, I stopped being so preoccupied with finishing the book and just enjoyed the pieces I was playing. I feel that the real journey has just begun.

There have been a few things going on in my mind while doing the Alfred course, like its advantages/disadvantages/ strong & weak points (as perceived by me) so if anyone is interested to know the musings of a not-so-total beginner, I'll post them here

Have fun and keep practicing everybody! I'll see you in Book Two

Counting is like foreign language for me, I've never done it or attempted to. I probably should care, but I don't :p and I never bothered to understand how you are supposed to count anyways. Maybe some day, maybe ill bother with it.

Gonna miss my piano cause ill be gone all until Monday gonna try and order book 2 before then if I can find a place since I don't think ill be more than a few more weeks left in this book. First page of amazing grace is perfected, but the Arpeggios on 2nd page..I just can't do them.

Congratulations, marimorimo!

I use the 'and' in counting, but I am afraid that if I only use it when needed, then my rhythm won't be even... I'll give it ago again. Yes, the metronome is annoying me, but if I turn it down, then I just ignore it. I also keep looking at the blinking dot, but then I can't see the notes at the same time!!!! I think I just need someone standing behind my back and counting 'one two three...'

I am thinking to order book two as well, although I am no where near finishing book 1 yet. The reason being that I want the one with the CD this time, and Amazon UK doesn't sell any!!!!! (So I wouldn't have to try and find the pieces online to listen how they should be played)

Congratulations, marimorimo! Great news. Very encouraging. Good luck with book 2.

Hi everyone! Congrats, Marimorimo! Good luck with the next book!

I personally don't like counting, either... I am still fairly early in the book (just about to start the Harp Song) so haven't gotten to 1/8 notes yet. I tend to just play be ear which is pretty doable when it's just quarters or longer and I check myself with the metronome. I play better with the metronome since it's one less thing to concentrate on... Without the metronome I go off-tempo sometimes but generally I can hear it and realize it and try to correct it.

I probably should start counting more, though, so it doesn't bite me in the butt later...

On another note, I got Alfred's Greatest Hits #1 and am really glad that I did! The pieces seem significantly harder than the corresponding sections of the All-In-One book but still doable (just requires more work to learn) and so it's very fun and rewarding. I have Love Me Tender down pretty well and it was very rewarding to do so.

Congrats Marimorimo, I'll see you in Book 2 thread shortly. In fact, I'm probably going to start reading now so I have a heads up on anything that might be coming along that needs some special attention.

I have to ask....... Did your teacher sign your certificate in the back? I already told my teacher she had to sign mine when I get there and she laughed.

Fantastic Marimorimo! Well done. Your progress in 6 months is quite amazing. You must be a "natural"!

I started around May, and I just finished Greensleeves. I expect I have about 3 more months, since the pieces at the end of the book are more substantial. But that would put me at a total of 8 months or so. We'll see how it goes.

It's fun (in a way) to run up against your limits, and realize there is no substitute for putting the time, effort, and hard work to progress further. At least for me.

Tonight I will begin "Amazing Grace," so that it can be ready in time for the recital I am participating in end of November. Then I'll circle back and finish the other 4 or so tunes towards the end of the book.

Barb - I am definitely going to have my teacher sign the certificate. Heck I will probably frame it and hang it up next to my digital, to make me smile!

I just finished up "Raisins and Almonds". The only problem I have with it now is playing the left hand so much softer than the right; That's extremely tricky. Hard to believe I only have 3 more songs in this book and 3 in the Greatest Hits.

I got a pass for the Entertainer and 2 of my other pieces. I told my teacher that I'd like to finish the Amazing Grace but she thought it would be a waste of time and money for us to do it. She thinks I can do pieces much more challending than that (and more musical as well) Which is funny because I have a very hard time making the Amazing Grace musical, it seems hard enough for me. But my teacher has been giving me pieces that are a lot more complex. She is not going to go through Alfred 2 with me. On the one hand it's good because I didn't like most of level 2 pieces, but I'll miss this forum for sure. I don't post much but I read a lot, the support and encouragment I've got here is tremendous. I'm sure if I didn't have a teacher I'll be staying here, but for now my path will be different. Keep up the good work, guys. Good luck!

Nice work Leon. Let me tell you, its even more challenging when your dominant hand is the left

Congrats to Kanadka on finishing book as well, and Marimorimo as well hope you'll still peek in once in a while. I also ordered book 2 yesterday, so hopefully in another 2 weeks I can also try it.

Well, I can't seem to be interested in doing anything else just playing at the moment (no good, as I can't be bothered to do my work either!!!!). Last night I managed to play 'reasonably' well all the way to the Cancan, so I was rather happy!

This morning I have received one of the books suggested by my teacher (manual of scales, broken chords and arpeggios), so will have to give that a go!

And decided I wanted to try something different, so I took out my 'Beginning Bach for Piano', and decided to give a try to the first melody - I am enjoying it!

There might be a show-off next Saturday around my house, as I have couple of friends coming around, and one of them plays piano to grade 6, I think, another one has bought a keyboard a few weeks before me and has started to learn playing, so I better get practising and polishing some pieces! I don't want to come last in this!!!!!

My progress:
"O Sole Mio" - I'm still struggling with this one.
"Jericho" - This one is done and on my keeper list for now.
"The Stranger" - I've got the first half of this down pretty well, still working on the second half.
"Greensleeves" - I can play this one slowly all the way through without error.
"Go Down Moses" - I just learned the first bar of this one.

I am beginning to hate "O Sole Mio" because it's taking me so long to get it. I know I shouldn't have moved on without nailing it, but I was getting bored (and I'm getting so close to the end of the book). I am still working on it every day though, along with the others. Maybe I should just leave it and come back to it later.

My favorite out of this group is "Greensleeves".

Hi everyone, Marimorimo congratulations on finishing the first book. It must be a great feeling of achievement. Maybe I'll see you in Alfred's book 2 thread (in about a year LOL).

Oz Leikela, I'm looking around Bentleigh area. I've contacted a teacher through the website you provided, thanks for that. He teaches in Mckinnon. So just waiting for an email back. I'll let you know how I go when i start lessons. I'm only looking at fortnightly lessons (cost and don't want a big commitment at this stage with weekly lessons, just taking it slow).

On page 65 now 'Beautiful Brown Eyes'. Almost perfected it. Moving through the book slowly.

Chopin, have nailed 9 bars out of 17. Adding one bar every few days.

Getting there...

Hey all, just started with this book yesterday!

Just completed song "What can I share" it annoyed me quite alot.

Sightreading isn't as diffucult as I imagined, at the moment, all I need is a note as a reference point.

hi, i'm also using this book in my course ;p
i believe it's a very good guide to start with..evry piece in that book always remind me of something i heard in my childhood and i am much more of a player by ear than something else...
but i want to be able to sight read and im taking lesson for it ;p

Welcome to new pupils!

Well, I haven't got anywhere further in the book, still polishing the songs up to The Cancan (don't like that one!). Well, I am having my second lesson tomorrow, so will see how it goes then. I am really enjoying the melody from the Bach book I have got - I keep trying to make it to the end! Well, it is still a long way away...

Still here and polishing up He's Got the Whole World, The Entertainer and Amazing Grace, I'm to the point I'm not spending much time on them, just give them one go over each time I set down. I've started working on some Christmas pieces which are quite fun. I let my 3 kids that still live at home pick the first pieces I'm working on (since they will have to listen to them for 2 months, lol), so my 16 year old picked The Little Drummer Boy, my 7 year old picked We are Santa's Elves and my 14 year old picked the most challenging, probably because its a song I've never heard before called The Night Before Christmas Song, but it is quite nice, so I've got my work cut out. When I get those down I'm going to pick a few for myself:=)