Great idea, Mark..., I look forward to finishing off Book 2 come Christmas time.

Well I graduated that back in 1997! Does that count?

Book One Graduate here. (Do I have to give you my recording of Amazing Grace as some sort of comp exam?)

I had hoped to be a book two grad this year, but it ain't happenin'. Maybe some time in the spring.

What a neat idea! Put me down for graduate of #1 & #2 please (currently on 3 of course)
- SC

What a neat idea! Put me down for graduate of #1 & #2 please (currently on 3 of course)
- SC

You are on board buddy...

Thanks, so you're like, going to add yourself yes?
- SC

Mark, why not add it to the first page of each of Alfred's threads, to make sure it's always there?

Mark, I completed Book 2 about 18 months ago and finished Book 3 late last spring. For my purposes, the two books were excellent as I can now read music for both hands, Here-to-fore I read the melody line and chords, and filled in the left hand, very poorly I might add. They also provided the vehicle by which my teacher was able to get me to play with more musicality. Amazing! I've now moved on to Lee Evans' "Easy Jazz Arrangements", and this fall I hope to convince my teacher to help me learn stride piano.

Thanks you for initiating and monitoring the Alfred's threads on the PF. It was very encouraging maintaining a dialogue with other players as we progressed through the books. I am a little saddened to not have such a group to interact with as I move on to my new interests.

Bob

Mark, we should have a grad-student thread, but it would probably take us forever to agree on a curriculum. You and I seem to be the only ones interest in deviating from the "standard repertoire".

If it is the sound of jazz piano that you love, in the sense of open voicings with inverted b5 and 9th chords, then you would probably enjoy the Lee Evan's arrangements. Fortunately all the notes are written out so one doesn't have to think about jazz improvisations, at which I am quite pathetic. I am particularly impressed with his ability to make an arrangement which uses a sequence of inversions that are quite close aurally, but yet have movement to them. So far I've learned to play Early Autumn, That's All, I'm Beginning to See the Light and Manhattan, although I find the latter piece difficult because the chords and melody fall on the "and" as in "one-and-two-and-...". I had learned "That's All" well enough that I was going to try to overcome my fear of the Red Dot and post a recording, but then I went away for three weeks and now I have to re-learn it. Have we already started a post-Alfred thread based on Lee Evan's?

Thanks again for your attention to the Alfred's threads. I hope we can somehow keep in touch.

Bob