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

Thanks for the fast reply and site! I've just finished Money Can't Buy Ev'rything and I do notice a trend (so far at least) with the left hand strictly doing chords. Already downloaded couple pieces to accompany me with the upcoming songs in the Alfred book. And i appreciate your counting advice. I used to play percussion for a few years a while back so the counting isn't so foreign to me.

I guess a couple more questions if you don't mind. Any reasoning behind self studying beginners shouldn't pick up this same book you're studying? I looked around the teachers forum and they all seem to side with Frances Clark's Keyboard Musician and wondering if this would be another good book/series to toss back and forth with Alfred. Lastly, I picked up Hanon as well and didn't realize the mixed reviews behind it. Any thoughts?

mom3gram, enjoy your time away, it'll be refreshing. And your grandsons are probably doing a pretty good job of entertaining you?

I'm now at page 72 where the middle C position is explained. It says you're supposed to put both thumbs on the middle C. I don't quite see what advantage having both thumbs on one key is supposed to give though, it just feels awkward.

Hanon exercises do come up later in Alfred, you'll see I have a neutral view of them, and do some quick warm ups with Hanon when I feel they'll help me. The Frances Clark Keyboard Musician book is different from the one I'm using. It's a method book, while mine is a collection of beginner Contemporary Literature repertoire. Since it's just a collection of pieces, there are no explanations whatsoever. Some pieces use a technique that I think is hard to figure out by yourself, and the lack of explanations doesn't help at all. And lastly, Contemporary Literature tends to have a lot of quirks (like having a confusing melody ). I think it's a book designed to be used with a teacher.

mom3gram: Don't stress too much on not having a piano to practice on. Enjoy your vacation! I'm sure you'll come back refreshed and maybe even have some new 'revelation' when you come back to the piano

Physics: You're not the only one who finds it weird. I have to do the same thing (both thumbs on the same key but not middle C) on the Brahms Hungarian Dance #5 duet I'm working on (gosh, I've been working on that piece for what seems like forever!) So my point is, you'll probably encounter a similar situation later on, so get used to it

Good job Andre!
I play the A with my 2nd finger for the "to" and the 3rd finger for the second A "one" who lives there.

Sat down today to try out Amazing Grace, finished it perfectly on first try and it felt so great. When I was getting near the end I was getting worried I'd mess up somewhere like I did a bazillion of times when playing the entertainer. Get through the hardest parts, mess up the easiest parts it just never fails. This time however I survived

Though I couldn't repeat it while trying a 2nd time. The next times I tried playing it was a bit mixed ranging from horrible to OK. So I would say that I'm done with the book now, but ill practice it another hour or two later tonight to make sure it wasn't just a lucky shot earlier.

So now its on to 2nd book which I'm waiting for to arrive here, could be days or weeks but I hope it'll arrive soon so in the meantime I guess its supplemental time. Took me shorter time to finish than I first thought so I'm pleased with that hope ill see rest of you in book 2 in a while as well.

Congratulations on nailing Amazing Grace, and on moving on to Book 2 Quaggles!

Congratulations Quagles, and farewell!

I'm currently working on 'Why Am I Blue' (I know why I'm blue, because I'm working on this horrible piece of music). Don't like it, at least this book gives you a feel for different types of music. I know I won't be going onto Jazz/Blues music in the future. Much prefer the pretty melodic pieces. The timing on this one is awkward I'm finding... my main motivation for getting through though is some pieces coming up! I think once I get past this piece and the next one I'll enjoy most of the rest of the book. Can't wait for Greensleaves!

The Can Can was fun, I really enjoyed that one (my neighbors may be sick of it by now though if they can hear it at all). I first played the CD to hear it and it seemed really fast, so I kept playing it and playing it to try and get it fast. Thought I better play the CD again, and suddenly the CD seemed slow, I was pushing myself to go too fast then. Fun piece though.

My piano finally got tuned etc. yesterday for the first time since purchasing it new a month ago (the tuner was away on holidays then he had to try and fit in with me, only being able to do Saturday afternoons) so now if something sounds off I have nothing to blame!

Just a tip to anyone using the Alfreds CD - I just used Youtube to find someone playing "Why Am I Blue" and gave me a far better idea as to the timing, it makes sense now! I'm finding the CD a little confusing for some songs that I have no clue as to how they go.

And actually, now that I have it flowing reasonably, I quite enjoy playing this piece now. My poor neighbors have heard the same few pieces over and over again throughout the day. Also started Edelweiss from the Greatest Hits book, I love that song, although not the way I play it yet. Didn't realise the Greatest Hits book really is a supplement to the all in one, it even tells you at what stage you can start playing the songs in the book, based on where you are in the Piano Course Book 1. So anyone else starting out, I'd suggest you get this also, it also makes a nice change when you are stuck on a few pieces to play these ones.

Hey.. Well done to the graduate

I'm on the Can Can now. It does seem like it has to be played faster than a lot of what has gone before.

The book has a good idea to show the scale before learning this tune, it helps a lot.

Congratulations Quagles!

I am on the Raisins and Almonds now. Still trying to play it with both hands without pedal

Yeah, feels awkward to me, too. I didn't start the Middle C section in the All-In-One book yet, but Love Me Tender in Alfred's Greatest Hits involves both thumbs on D (it doesn't say this directly, but based on the fingering numbers I don't see any other way to do it).

In that case, both thumbs need to be on D because certain measures use D in the melody and other measures have harmonic intervals played by the left hand that involve the D. So keeping both thumbs on D means that I don't have to move my hands around as much.

So basically I assume that keeping both thumbs on a single key is awkward but less awkward than having to move your hands every other measure.

Hello Everyone,

I have been following this thread for a month or so now and finally register. I feel I shouldn't be lurking around and should get involved.

First, I'd like congratulate Quagles and all the graduates. I'm on Chiapenicas (is that how you spell it?) and it's hard so you all deserve a pat on the back. Well Done!

Anyway, I have been working on the Basic Adult book since April if I remember correctly. After going through this thread, it seems everyone is doing the AIO book so I ordered that last week, hopefully it'll arrive sometime this week so I can follow along with everyone easier. The Basic book has pretty much the same songs but p# and order are a bit different I think. It's not easy to figure out where I am relative to everyone else. I can't wait for it to get here.

In regards to Middle C position. Well, to my experience that is, and it's very limited thus far, so I hope my 2 cents worth something. Middle C trains us to use our fingers in certain songs that involve moving from the Bass Clef to the Treple Clef smoothly (Legato?). Without Middle C, I think the transition isn't as smooth. Maybe there are more to it. I really think it teaches us something. Practice requires a lot of hardwork and patience. Some songs are boring, dull, awkward, and exhausting after a half hour at it. But I guess that's why we call it practice. If it's too easy, we probably don't need to practice to get it right. I realized that when I went through "Blow The Man Down" so I tough every song out no matter what after that song. If I don't get a song. I'd do that same song day after day, some even weeks until I'm satisfied.

Hope this helps with your Middle C & "Why Am I Blue" when you get there. I don't like the Blue Songs, but after I was done with those Blue songs, I kinda like them now. This Piano adventure is getting me somewhere. It's nice too that this entire Forum is with me heading into the Unknown.

Happy Playing everyone.
Nguyen

Thanks everyone for all the congratulations

Nguyen once you're at chiapanecas you're actually quite far. Other than Amazing grace and the entertainer I thought this was maybe the hardest piece. Next songs on your list is a bit of a mixed-bag some quite easy like Jericho and some harder one's but at least I can almost guarantee that the pieces near the end of the book sounds better than those earlier, and much more satisfying to master.

Cool Quagles.

Following this thread, I have heard/read all about the dreaded Entertainer & AG. To me, they are all hard. Some song take me weeks to master. And the feeling once it's become musical under my hands? Ecstetatistical$#!%^&()+), if there is such a word. *smiles*. Chiapenecas looks like Greek a few days ago, but it's becoming somewhat a little english here and there now. By weekend, hopefully it's legit English.

Thanks for your insights on the middle C position, it's still uncomfortable for me though, so I hope there aren't too many songs that require it. I seem to be getting pretty close to Blow the man down now, which from reading this thread appears to be a big challenge. Just listening to piano music on youtube is a pretty big motivator to keep going though. As a matter of fact, I'm just gonna play some right now before going to bed.

My frustration is rising again. I've been stuck on "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" from the Greatest Hits book for a while now. After a week, I can play the first half of it pretty well, but I feel like it would take a month to get the second half down and I don't feel like spending that much time on it. I'm still having a lot of trouble recognizing notes quickly and I seem to just be memorizing. I guess I'll just work through it; not like it hasn't happened before.

I;m pretty sure I'm not the only one that feels like this, but some of these songs feel like a drag to play (just finished Beautiful Brown Eyes). I know it's all stepping stones but some of these songs are just uninspiring. Lol

Anyway, I also want to say congratulations to the new graduates! It's nice to see the people who I've been reading about in the older pages talk about their fair share of troubles with the book and are now leaving this thread onto the higher levels.

Physics,
There are at least 3 songs I remember playing in Middle C position. If I remember correctly, it's a bit awkward at first, but once you get it down, it's not too bad. One of the songs in Middle C I really like but I forget its name and I'm at work so I can't look up. Another one we are all familiar with is "Happy Birth to You" also plays Middle C. It'll be fun rewarding once you get those songs down. It was for me and well worth the effort.

Leon,
What song are you at in the Method book? I don't have any of the supplemental pieces so I don't know how hard they are. It's probably worth your effort though cuz towards the end of the book, the songs are tough to nail. I think the more practices you put in now, the easier it is to tackle those tough ones. But if it takes a month then I'd pass. Recognizing notes is tough. That'll take time. I can read the right hand notes but my left hand almost always play by memory. Try do what the book suggest:

1. practice Count/Clap the beats/rhydm of the song.
2. play the songs as you count its notes.
3. Once that's mastered, play the songs as you read its notes.
4. If there are lyrics, play the songs as you sing its lyrics.

I don't always do this but if a song is really tough. I do all of it, slowly at first for a few days until i am comfortable then increase tempo to my standard. It helps a lot with rhydm and reading but I agree, some part of the songs, especially the difficult parts, I almost always play by memory.

fanatik,
I feel your pain. They are like that until you get closer to the end of the book if you're not there already. The better and more musical a song sounds (I found) the more difficult it is.

Happy Playing Everyone.

After "San Francisco", I've got (in order between the two books), The Entertainer, Blue Suede Shoes, Amazing Grace, and Part of Your World. So the end (and beginning of book 2) is in sight!

I know I've said it before but I highly recommend getting the Greatest Hits book. Obviously, the more playing increases your ability but also I just feel like they're more "real life" related. The left hand in the lesson book usually follows some sort of pattern in order to learn certain things but in the Greatest Hits book, it's more "all over the place". Actually, I'm sure there are patterns there too but I'm just not good enough to really recognize them yet.

When I really step back from myself and look, I think I've made amazing progress in the almost 10 months since I started this journey and I'm certainly going to continue. I'm just the kind of person who gets frustrated and impatient easily and I've got to fight through that.