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I just wanted to share with you guys how much i'm LOVING piano! I've been re-learning from scratch for 5 weeks now but i've only had 3 lessons because my teacher was on holiday for 2 weeks. I've just got lots of enthusiasm at the moment, my teacher is really pleased with me and i'm enjoying it so much

Anyway, aside from my excitedness i do have a kind of question! My teacher says i'm progressing really fast and she's worried that the beginner stuff will lessen my enthusiasm if i get bored with it. She is talking about maybe learning some other things that i want to learn, obviously while still going through the course but she thinks its a good idea for me to pick music that i might be keen to learn to keep up my enthusiasm.

As i am still very much a beginner, i have only had 3 lessons and while i used to play when i was younger there is very little i remember so i'm back to square one really, i dont know what sort of things would be within my reach if you know what i mean. Are there any books or music that anyone can recommend? I was actually thinking about maybe disney music or something, i just want to learn things i know.

Anyway thanks if you've got this far! Please if you have any suggestions or even know where i could find some music i would be grateful.

Or you could just rant about how much you love it and join in my fun

Glad to hear your enjoying your return! Ive only been learning myself for 3 months.

I bought two books along with the Alfred All in One Course that im not really ready for yet but may suit you better.

Its called "Tunes You've Always Wanted to Play" and "More Tunes etc" by Chester music. They have tons and tons of simplified but Intermediate rated classical pieces you might enjoy.

http://www.musicroom.com/se/ID_No/07665/details.html

Welcome to the forum, Kells! And may I say that I absolutely LOVE your avatar! It is perfect for this forum.

It sounds to me like you've got a wonderful teacher. I've gotten into more than one catfight spirited debate over in the teacher's forum about the importance of letting students have input into the kind of pieces that they learn. This is your opportunity to learn a song or piece you've always wanted to be able to play, so don't let it slip by. It would help us in making recommendations if you narrowed down the genre for us: popular music? classical? If it's new age, I've got a gazillion recommendations I can give you. You mentioned Disney; I know I've seen at least a couple of "Beginner Piano" Disney collections. Try browsing Sheetmusicplus.com. They will show you a sample page so you can see if it's the right level of difficulty for you.

Monica, Was this really necessary? "I've gotten into more than one catfight spirited debate over in the teacher's forum about the importance of letting students have input into the kind of pieces that they learn."

Does that define your definition of a "wonderful teacher?"

But, it puzzles me that you don't have and don't want a piano teacher as you enjoy your own self-teaching. Fine. But, what is this "cat fight" and qualifying what a "wonderful piano teacher" is all about? In my mind you are among the very last to be able to make a recommendation of what a wonderful teacher is like.

Kells is one very enthusiatic returning student and he deserves every warm greeting coming his way.

Introducing the Piano Teachers Forum and some of the piano teachers as "cat fights" is not really a good thing to be saying, I don't think. I don't appreciate it at all.

Betty Patnude

hi! i love piano too, ive been playing self taught for three years now and im realy becomign obsessed with it.lol
anyways here is a few videos of me playing and improvising if you would like to see my where i am with my playing

~VIDEO1(pachelbels canon improvosation)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c59XKgp5SI8

VIDEO2 (Improvisation NO.16)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGe6asixUQ4

Hmm... well, I love beginner stuff! It's easier to be expressive when you're not struggling to play the darn thing :P

There is a ton of music available at all skill levels for all music styles. If you (kells) could give us an idea of what you would like to play, then I'm sure someone could chime in with a recommendation for similar music at an appropriate difficulty.

And just a gentle nudge toward classical music, I never realized how much I liked it until I tried playing it!

huh?

Cathy

Betty,

1.) Monica simply stated a fact, that she has been in more than one catfight over in the teachers forum. So what! No names were mentioned and there was no ill-will or even bad intent towards anyone. I've personally made *generalized* statements like that many many times intended as facts and not directed towards anyone personally. Again, who cares?...... Strike one.

2.)"Wonderful teacher" comment. While replying to this concern, all I can say is your just being too sensitive. Seriously, I've "goofed" on monica so many times I can't tell you saying things like "all she plays is goofy new-age music", referred to her as Monique, headliner at the Carpet Kitten mens club, and even recently hinted of our (nonexistent) online affair. What I'm trying to say is when she is presented with an awkward situation, she always handles it like a champ and comes out smelling even better afterwards. Something you may consider right about now!..... Strike two.

3.)"Introducing the Piano Teachers Forum and some of the piano teachers as "cat fights" is not really a good thing to be saying, I don't think. I don't appreciate it at all".

Thanks for your opinion. I don't recall anyone asking for it ....unless your speaking for the ENTIRE Teachers Forum. I need to know this before my final call......the dreaded strike three!!


MMMuuuuaaaHaHahaha !!!!!

Come'on, stop the competition for Queen Bee. How's THAT for a comment?!

Everyone chill.

Strike 3, you're out!!!!

Kells,
Your teacher does sound wonderful. My wonderful teacher allows me to choose some of the music that I play too. I really enjoy it. Recently I have been playing some Purcell pieces from "Easy classics to moderns." It is a very nice collection you might try it if you like classical music.
Congratulations on making such great progress.

super-hunky, you're a sweetheart. Even if you *did* dash my heart cruelly to the ground with that "nonexistent" comment.

Kells, I'm sorry your thread got sidetracked. How long did you take lessons as a child? Even if you feel you are back at square one, you may surprise yourself by finding that it will start coming back to you. I'm sure that's part of why you're progressing so fast.

Ad hominim attack deleted by moderator.

Monica was one of the first people to welcome me to this forum when I joined, and at no point did she make it her business to badmouth the teacher's forum. Perhaps this is all a misunderstanding. Her comment about getting into spirited debates sounded rather self-depreciating and it was not a personal attack on anyone. I can see the validity of students having to play pieces they don't like for the purpose of learning. If you want to debate that point, I believe there's a thread on this forum where it would be more appropriate to do so. If you have issues with the wording of her posting, you could have PM'ed her instead. To someone objectively reading this thread, your comments look very out of place.

Kells - welcome to PW! A good place to start looking for manageable pieces might be a browse and listen of the past AB recitals. There are some lovely beginner pieces there from all styles, and you can even message the performers to ask for tips on how to play them.

Hi, Monica,
I saw your Tube, it was so wonderful. i would like to learn to play this song, can you tell me where i can buy the book?
Thank you.
Emily

Hi Kells,

What I do is go on you tube and type in the name of a beginner classical piece - you can google the ABRSM syllabus and get the names of the grade 1 pieces - then listen to them to see if I like them, then just keep clicking away on related videos, which will expose you to a great deal of beginner classical pieces. Mostly played by children but some of them play very nicely.

Another thing I do is go to my local sheet music store and ask for the beginner classical stuff, and again have a listen on youtube.

My teacher is very open to me suggesting pieces which I definitely appreciate.

-Bolt

Hi Junyukim, thank you so much for your kind words. Which YouTube recording in particular did you look at? I have recorded music from several composers, most prominently Ludovico Einaudi and David Nevue. If you tell me the name of the piece I can tell you where to find the music.

Oh dear, this isn't what i expected from my thread at all!

Thanks to those of you who left encouraging and helpful posts though

Monica - i took lessons for around 2 years but i don't remember anything really which is why i say i'm starting from scratch. I do think it's probably in there somethwhere and that's maybe why i'm picking it up faster though!

I'm going to have a look on amazon for some easy piano books, thanks for the suggestions and welcomes everyone,

Kells

Kells--Congratulations on getting back into piano! You will probably remember a lot more from your early lessons than you think.

As far as taking on more difficult pieces, I think it's a good idea as long as you don't look at it as a commitment you can't break. Sometimes people will force themselves to finish a piece they start, no matter how hard it is or how slowly they're making progress. You can always pick it up again later if it's dampening your enthusiasm.

I feel exactly like you about playing the piano. New pieces get me very excited, and I've been taking lessons for around 15 years!

Nancy

Hi Kells, I'm new here too. I can't really offer too many suggestions as the books that are available to me (in Italy) are for the most part quite different than what is available elsewhere - but I do want to jump in and share your wild enthusiasm for getting started (or in your case re-started!)

I got my piano on Christmas day , and I haven't missed a day of playing.

I feel I've got an addiction!

My teacher feels I'm making good progress - I am a beginner to piano but not to music (I play clarinet and guitar). So, she gives me lots of exercises for developing technique and then .....really varied stuff.

She's good at giving me pieces that are challenging without being frustrating -but she is also great at accepting my polite refusal to go with certain pieces. There have been a few with some fairly strong dissonance - and it just gives me the heebie jeebies! She has found other pieces that help me achieve the same technical objectives. I'm sure that later she'll edge me back to try the ones I really didn't want to touch.

She has told me that her goal for me is to provide me with a lot of exposure to different types of music. I'm loving the things she presents me with (99% of the time!) and she certainly gives me things I never would have thought of trying myself. I love playing something that I don't actually know, and the feel of it taking form as I practice.

I've downloaded a lot of freebie stuff - there are tons of sites.

I'm playing 2 pieces by Vinciguerra - Verde Smeraldo and Lilla ( you can find them on you tube)... They are beginner pieces, but hey, I am a beginner, and they are really pretty little pieces.

It is just so darn satisfying to finally be doing something I've always wanted to do , but never thought I would.
I'm delighted to join the "loving it " club!