I agree - He's got the Whole World..... - all that banging. I was glad to get the gist of it and move on. No way to get that one to sound musical. LOL

I dislike the banging too but for me it's a good exercise in controling the volume between my right and left hands and I kind of like the sound of the change to the key of C.

OK guys, we fell to the second page. Let's start chatting it up.

What's everyone working on?

I had a lesson yesterday and it went pretty good. Only got passed on Go Down Moses but am happy to be rid of that one. Scarborough Fair just needs a little fine tuning with the pedal as does Raisins And Almonds. I didn't get time to play He's Got The Whole World because we ran out of time but it's almost there. I just need to smooth out the chord changes. I keep hesitating between them. I have just started Memory from the Greatest Hits book and it's coming along but I have a ways to go on it.

I am planning on starting The Entertainer this weekend. My teachers going away for a conference for a couple weeks so I'll have some extra time to work on my material. I may even get to Amazing Grace

I am struggling with the pedalling in "On Top of Old Smoky" -- the last unpedalled note of each of the three bar segments of arpeggiated chords sounds awful to me. (Raising the pedal just before playing that note sounds so abrupt, as the ringing notes end.) Does anyone else get this to sound OK?

I had my first piano lesson on Monday July 5 and then the 2nd one this past Wednesday. My teacher had me play the songs I felt "I had passed" on my own..and she backed me up a bit. I sort of glossed over "Jericho" because I'm not doing so well with the bass clef notes. So, I'm working on that--I have made progress though with that. She told me to write all sorts of notes in my music notebook and then go back and name them. Or just name the notes I'm working on. That has helped. I haven't used my keyboard cheat sheet all week!

I was passed though on Scarborough Fair, O Sole Mio, and Go Down Moses (although I need to watch my music instead of jazzing it up like I try and do with that one!!)

I'm working also on Finlandia in the Hits Book. And scales. I had no idea what working on scales were! I just meant that you knew how many flats/sharps were in one and could play them. Well..she has me doing left and right hand scales together and then opposite!! Back to C for me!!! She did show me how to use my third finger as a base in which to cross over...and promises me that I will be able to do it automatically..when now it feels like my fingers become entangled.

So, that's my world in a nut shell. Still looking for someone to come and tune me up and clean my piano.

Hope everyone has a productive and piano playing weekend!!

Nancy

Pianomaly, the pedaling on that song is ridiculous sounding. I just did it that way and moved on.

Working on He's Got the Whole world, Entertainer and Amazing Grace. Entertainer is giving me the most problems. I just need to devote some time to it.

Supplemental pieces I'm working on is LaCandeur op 100, (Burguller). Also working on finding chords to I'd Need a Savior, by Among The Thirsty in hopes that I might be able to play it at church along with the guitar player with someone singing. I probably won't feel comfortable with that, but I'm going to try. Can't hurt to try...

completed "blow the man down"!!
took me 2 days :-X

I'm working on Little Brown Eyes now. Day three.

This is where I am while working with my instructor. Pages 84-93 most difficulty is the rhythm otherwise I can play it but this is only the second time I tried to play it. I keep counting aloud to improve my rhythm. Oh and also working on a non-book Bach Minuet .

I don't have a teacher but I have passed myself up through Lone Star Waltz. I have Cafe Vienna down enough to where I can usually play it through but not consistently. Lullaby is still no where near ready. I'm also working on the "Rainbow Connection" from the Greatest Hits book and will probably be putting it on Youtube some time this week.

I'm still working on "The Entertainer" and "Amazing Grace" although I've become somewhat disenchanted with the latter. Those triplets are a bit overdone ...I get the point! I've already got Book 2 on the stand ready to go!

While I work on the last 2 songs, I'm practicing some of the Christmas carols from "Top50 Christmas Hits" by Dan Coates, an Alfred's book. Be prepared is my motto! The songs are listed as "Easy Piano" and are about at the "Greatest Hits 2" level, meaning that if you're near the end of Alfred's 1 and like a particular song, you'll be able to get through it without too much trouble and learn some "new tricks" too! You have to check out some of those "easy" piano books carefully before you purchase them. "Easy" is a relative term. I've seen some material that's listed as "easy" only if you're an "intermediate level player".

To all of the folks new to Alfred's book 1: Hang in there! It's well worth it. I used to look at the end of the book when I was half-way through it, and think that those last pieces looked so hard! Well now, I'm playing them! It's a great feeling!

Banjoman - sounds like you're doing fine! You did nice work on "My heart Will Go On" from GH 1. The version in GH 2 sounds a lot better with some riffs from the movie thrown in! Nice guitar and vocals on those old songs! It's refreshing to hear old traditional material. I'm in Monroe, so we're nearly neighbors!

Congrats Emmisary--you are almost done!!! We will miss you!
And the others too that are almost ready to move on!

I agree with you regarding the progress. I never thought I would be able to read my notes on the bass clef, but I'm doing it now....new people...just hang in there and practice, practice, practice. Every day. You will get those songs. Read all the posts (or a good portion of them) from this thread and you will find others in the same boats and great advice on what to do next.

I'm still working on Jericho, Whole World, Raisins before moving on. My teacher gave me a couple more too--Finlandia in the greatest hits book, which I SHOULD be able to play...but it just isn't coming. And Minuet in G from another book...which is coming along nice...but making stupid mistakes. That is the frustrating part. Making the same mistakes over and over. I slow down, and do fine, but when I try and speed it up to regular speed, I mess up. Guess I just got to keep on plugging away!

Congrats to all on your achievements!!!

Nancy

I'm down to only needing to finish Entertainer. Still have a ways to go yet. I haven't been able to play Amazing Grace consistantly enough to record, but I'm to the point of where I start adding in some extra stuff of my own to make it my own. I have family coming to stay for the next 5 days so I won't be practicing as much.

I have managed to not look in book #2 yet. It's calling my name though.

nancymae, are you enjoying your lessons?

Hi Gracie! Sorry you won't be able to practice as much with guests coming. I really missed playing when I went down to see my Mom a couple of weeks ago. I was anxious to get back. My teacher asked me if I have to push myself to practice...and I said...NOOOOOO!! I have to push myself to STOP and make dinner, clean the house...etc. I hope my enthusiasm stays with me!

I have just completed my third lesson and she has passed me on all except "Whole World" (I hate that banging too). We are on to The Entertainer, which I had begun before my lessons, so I think I will be able to complete it by next week. She has been giving me lessons in my All Time Favorites book too, and I think I'm going to get a Christmas book to start practicing on.

I really love going to my lessons, except for one thing. My nervousness at playing for someone else. I can do it in front of my hubby and his nurse, and I feel comfortable with my teacher, but for some weird reason, my brain goes on shut off mode and I can't even remember the simplest chords. OY!! So, I have to work on that. She isn't that concerned, but it makes me mad that I can't show her where my accomplishments are. (PS>>>>>I feel the same way about my recorder!!!!--which I REALLY want to get rid of..so I can record some songs and put them on a CD for my Mom to listen to. She loves music, and is in bad health and I think she would get a kick out of it. So maybe I should just practice with the recorder on???? And stop thinking about it??

Hope everyone has a wonderful day playing piano!!

Nancy

PS: I'm getting mine tuned and cleaned on Monday...I'm so excited!

I loved having my piano tuned for the first time. I had some sour notes and it was so nice to play after it was fixed. The man only charged me $60 (which is cheap) and I gave him more in hopes he come back the next time. My piano is on old 1956-57 spinet. It'll be a nightmare to ever be worked on. I love it though! Let us know how your tuning goes.

Hello, I'm Jeff from Madison, AL. I have been wanting to learn how to play the piano all my life but never made time. I am a complete newbie at 41 years old having never had lessons, unless you count music class in 7th grade. :-)

I bought a Casio Privia PX-330 and two courses. The first Alfred's Basic All-in-One thanks to the forum here. I just started today and I'm on page 13 (Ode To Joy).

Looking forward to a lot of fun and hard work as I learn!

Welcome Jeff - You're in good company here! I really believe that learning to play the piano is a great exercise for the brain, no matter what your age! I'm at the end of the book and probably will continue to post here, since it feels like "home". I just wish I started at 41 instead of 57! It's not an easy task and you'll probably get frustrated at various points, but when you master some part of a musical piece you thought you'd never get, it's a great feeling! You made a wise choice for your starting instrument! Maybe someday we'll all have Steinways but keep working away on what you have!

Thank you Emissary52. Regarding the starting instrument, I researched it here.

Back to practice - page 16 now. Left hand practice. I think it might be a little easier since I am left handed. I am noticing that I have a little more strength and dexterity in my left hand vs my right.

Welcome Jeff! I just turned 44 and am pretty much at the same stage you are. About two yrs ago I bought a Casio and set about trying to teach myself with an on-line course. Things were going pretty well for nearly a year. Then life's little problems started getting in the way, and admittedly frustration and lack of commitment took over and I fizzled out. Last month I restarted my education, this time with a professional teacher. Part of his curriculum includes the use of Alfred's.

Best of luck and enjoyment to you!

Thank you Emissary52 I appreciate the encouragement. I just managed to upload "The Puppet Connection" from the Alfred's Greatest Hits book and I've moved far enough along to begin work on What a Wonderful World which I don't think is as hard.

And thanks for the kind words regarding my folk singing. The Charlotte Folk Society has just booked me to play a set on there stage at Festival in the Park coming up at the end of September. It should be a fun gig.

Banjoman - Playing another instrument generally is a great aid in learning piano. You'll have quite a leg up on the average beginner with it. I'm so glad that you'll be playing in Charlotte this September. I'll probably make the trip to see you! Remember us "little people" when you're playing in Ovens or the Belk. Hey, James Taylor can't hog all the NC publicity forever! Here's a nice little ditty from 1854 that we could duet to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YrfLnlrquo&feature=related

Jeff - I'm left-handed too! At least we'll never have "weak bass" notes!

Coriander - Welcome, and may you find a "piano home" here as well. Life sometimes "waylays" our plans, but we can all find our way back in time! Congrats on finding a teacher too!

I am working on Strangers in the Night right now, just after having finished "When the saints go marching in" at tempo and by heart (teachers decission!). My teacher main assignments are Prelude in C (BWV 846 Bach) and Solfeggietto (Bach) out of the book, but they are nice pieces.

So things are going slowly with the book, but they go forward anyway!

I got passed on the Prelude in C and the Saints so now I will try to go for the other two...

Welcome to the thread Banjoman, Coriander, and Jeff. Welcome back GustavoF, haven't seen you in a while.

I have finally started working on The Entertainer and Amazing Grace. Amazing Grace seems fairly easy to me but The Entertainer is a challenge to get through so far. I've only tried it a couple times though. I like both pieces so I won't mind working on them.

I have several pieces waiting for my teacher to pass me on. Scarborough Fair, Raisins & Almonds and He's Got the Whole World are ready for approval (He's Got was actually ready at my last lesson but we ran out of time). The only problem is my teacher is away at a conference for a couple weeks and the lesson I should be having this coming Wednesday has to be rescheduled and I don't know yet when that will be. So I keep playing them. The extra practice wont hurt but it takes time away from new pieces.

I'm also working on Memory from the Greatest Hits book. It's pretty easy and sounds nice but there is one little spot that gives me trouble. I am zeroing in on that spot and doing it over and over but when I try to play the whole thing through I get stuck there again.

I'm also trying to find time to start working on Christmas pieces. I have Alfred's Christmas Piano Book 1 and they all have duet parts. My son's girlfriend is a very good pianist and she want's to play the duet parts with me. I think that will be fun and will provide me with some practice playing in front of people (shudder!!). More Eggnog please.

My work in the book is going really slowly as she is mainly giving me work from outside the book... but I don't mind, I feel I am progressing, so that is a great feeling!

But I keep an eye here.

Thanks for the welcome Coriander & Doug F.

Coriander - Finding others pursuing the same goal is very encouraging. Right now, just having the muscle memory kick in on the very simple left hand / right hand exercises is thrilling.

Doug F - I can relate to your tag line at the bottom:

I have a great memory, it's just short.

I really like that.

What a difference a day makes!

After stumbling through a completely unrecognizable rendition of The Entertainer a couple times yesterday, I have the right hand just about beaten into submission today. This one might not take me as long as I thought it would at first pass.

Yippee!! My weekend will probably be spent working on the left hand and then hands together. It's supposed to rain here anyway.

Hi! Enjoyed my trial lesson so onward I go! Made it through Rock-Along on page 13. Homework is pgs1-13 and the corresponding sections in the coordinating theory and finger aerobics pages.

hi. I started the AIO book about a week and a half ago and am having a lot of fun learning to play with both hands. I used to play the violin during high school, so playing an instrument that can do chords makes music sound so much richer. Anyway I'm up to When the Saints (both versions) and am working on getting the chord changes on LH and RH nice and clean without hitting wrong notes. Cya!

Welcome singalfromzero and agentmorgan. It's nice to see some new people getting started. Keep us updated on your progress. Lots of new people getting moving in book #1 now, and several other people have made it to the middle.

For me, I'm half-way finished Entertainer. I do pretty well until I hit the 11th measure. I've played that stinking measure over and over and it's still like hitting a wall when I get there. I did finish Amazing Grace but I haven't had a quiet enough house so I can record it.

Looks like Doug, Emissary, NancyMae, and AimeeO are just about ready to get into book #2. When do you guys think you'll start to book #2? I'm thinking about 2 weeks for me. I still want to work a little more on a few things before changing books.

A big welcome to singalfromzero and agentmorgan from me too!

GracieCat I think it will probably be at least late August before I am ready for Book 2.

I am well into The Entertainer and play both right and left hands separately fine and can do HT very slowly. Amazing Grace is a little further behind, I am still working on it HS.

I still have to get passed on Scarborough Fair, Raisins & Almonds and He's Got. They have been ready for a while but my lessons are only every 2 weeks and my teacher is away this week. I normally would have had a lesson tomorrow but it will have to be rescheduled and I don't know when yet. I have to keep playing those 3 pieces to keep them fresh and am kind of tired of them. They take up precious practice time.

I am coming along pretty good on Memory and may have that one finished too by the time I have my next lesson.