Great insight 4ever on both the recording stuff and on Clayderman. Wow this competition looks interesting ... I'm about to watch it now (I think it's over an hour long!)>

You want technique? Check this one out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYfVyPwo76k&feature=related

Nice posts 4everbeginner, you seem to know a lot about these songs in Alfred's, keep sharing.

I see you skipped to Divertimento in D. If you want to mainly focus in on learning the "nice" classical pieces that are not too difficult, I recommend giving "Night Song" a try. It is one of my favorites from the book. It teaches the first inversion, looks and sounds difficult (as is indicated), but really isn't that hard to play.

I know you are a returning player, so maybe skipping makes sense for that reason, but I would at least give each page a glance to make sure you are familiar with what is introduced, and maybe attempt certain measures which focus in on that particular skill. Alfred's really is a progressive skill building method book. But I will be the first to relate to your sentiment of not liking many of the pieces in the book.

Quick update:

I gave myself the pass on Danny Boy tonight! I have now officially begun Canon in D

Danny Boy was extremely tough, and it thoroughly frustrated me. When I woke up this morning and began to practice it, I knew I now had the ability to play the entire thing. The hard part is actually playing it from beginning to end without making an error which I do before I move on. I spent probably 3 hours today, off and on, trying to pull it off. I had several good runs, from beginning to end, but every time I just felt "something was off". Finally, tonight, I was able to play it acceptably, once, and thus gave myself the pass.

Canon in D looks much more intimidating, and involves fancy finger work, but it, as pointed out earlier, has obvious patterns and consistency. I mean, so far the left had does the same simple pattern over and over, while the right gets down to business. I've only practiced it for around 30 minutes, but it seems as though the right hand is playing the same sequential chords but in a progressively complex manner. It is sort of A B C D, then more complex version of A B C D and so on and so on. I think this piece will probably be easier to learn than "Danny Boy", and I am excited to be finally on it. Danny Boy had nearly no consistency, it is more of a roller coaster type thing, at least for the beginning pianist (or whatever).

Best,

W

Canon in D isn't hard. Practice the first couple of lines of the left hand (before it changes) until you can do it without thinking about it. This will let you focus on the right hand better; and combining the two if you choose to practice it by itself (which I recommend). When you get to where the left hand changes again, do the same thing - practice the left until you can do it without thinking or looking much. The first change on the left hand has you doing the same notes an octave apart, but it's the same part.

I haven't passed myself on it yet, as I need to finish it up by working on the dynamics, and I'm still a little bit rough on the final page. But I've moved onto a slightly more complicated version by Dan Coates that's still 4 pages, but more complex to start. The pattern of notes is still the same though. (D, A, B, F#, G, D, G, A)

And here's a hilarious comedy bit on Pachelbel (originally seen here on the forum, but another thread somewhere - and worth sharing again):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM

Good job Waltz, sounds like you nailed the beast! This is one of the songs I don't recall trying before, but I look forward to the challenge of playing it.

The good news is that I got a hold of Alexander's Ragtime Band, which now after the fact does not look too hard! A few upcoming songs should be a breeze for me as I tried them before, some will be very challenging like La Bamba, and I hope to be near Danny Boy by summer end.

Hi everyone.

I've been away from the forum for a while. I've been trying to upgrade from my console piano to baby grand. It's been a full time job, almost, but it gets delivered this afternoon . I settled on a Kawai RX 2.

Hey Waltz congrats on passing Danny Boy. I hear it's hard but it's not in my version of Alfred 2. You must be almost done with book 2.

I'm almost done with Aloha OE and America The Beautiful. I have started working on Pomp and Circumstance.

Nancy that video is hilarious!!! I had never seen it before.

Nancy,

Thanks for that advice. It really is probably the best way to do it, memorizing the LH so it can go on "auto-pilot" . That is what I will most likely have to do. How did you find Danny Boy in comparison to Canon in D?

MIM,

Thanks . Congrats on mastering ARB, what are you tackling next?

HBG,

Thanks to you too, congrats on the new piano, let us know how it plays

I'll try to record DB sometime or another

"Danny Boy" is on my list to go back to - I skipped ahead to get to Canon in D (at my instructor's direction) Based on my initial playing around though - I think Canon is easier because the patterns are so prevalent.



Oooh - I'd love one of those. I bought a Kawai K-3 upright last year and I really like the way the action on it feels; and the sound is great.

Danny Boy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fltATQTQWbE

I noticed that I increased my speed after the first part, and there were a couple of spots that weren't smooth and some poor transitions. I did not realize I did this while playing, it is difficult to catch such things. Let me know what you think.

Sounds good! I think you're right about the transitions and speed; but while listening to it, I very much enjoyed the music. Thank you for sharing

(I'm working on sprucing up Canon in D enough to record it)

Thanks Nancy ,

I actually just finished a practice session with Canon in D and Danny Boy. I made corrections to my tempo and other problems and played Danny Boy correctly from beginning to end. I feel like I am really getting the hang of the piece, but it's still really difficult.

Canon in D is so pretty to play, even during the learning phase! Generally, pieces sound like crap until you become somewhat "fluent" at them, but CiD isn't one of them. I took digital photos of all 4 pages and uploaded them onto my computer. In a day or so I'll print them and attempt to arrange all four pages to fit on my piano stand. It took a bunch of attempts with the camera to make the lines and notes clear from top to bottom but I finally got it. If you (Nancy) or anyone else needs/wants the pictures let me know and I'll email you them.

sincerely,

Good job on Danny Boy Waltz. I can hear what you were talking about with the speed but it still sounds really good.

Thanks for the congrats on the piano Waltz and Nancy. It truly is my dream piano and as soon as I polish Aloha OE and America the Beautiful I will make my first recording on it.

Sorry for my absence here. I am exactly where I was since my last post in this thread, which is that I am essentially done with... what was it... The Mexican Hat Dance? My piano time these days is dominated by work on my ABF Recital piece entry, which I am truly enjoying. I'll be back before long.

Thanks

I would especially like to hear America the Beautiful on your new piano. I would also like to hear your thoughts on the differences of feel between your digital and baby grand pianos.

Seriously,

I mean,

the hardest part of playing Canon in D thus far is the key it's in. I've been playing in either Bb major or Eb major (or hell, G minor (the relative of Bb maj.)!), for a LONG time in Alfred's 2. These keys are all very related/similar. Then, of course, the final piece is in a completely different key, a 180! It is so difficult to switch "off" the automatic move my hands make to play all B's and E's flat much less to play the F's and C's sharp.

Oh, and I play on rerecording Danny Boy, I really am unsatisfied with the first attempt. . .

The first time I played it through with my instructor (sloooooooooooooowly. so slowly it didn't sound like music at all), I kept making the same mistake. She was very patient with me.

I find that when I'm switching keys I like to find all the sharps or flats and play just those a few times to remind myself that those are different. Thinking about it now, I should play the scale for that key a few times before starting the piece; that way you could see how the progression goes. (Hmm... I think this is a great idea - one I'll have to implement).

Yeah, D-major was like the first part of the book. You think he did that on purpose just in case you forgot it by the end.

btw, I'm playing Night Song as suggested and really liking it.

Even way back when I had a teacher, I remember I didn't play the whole book, so I don't think it's absolutely necessary as logn as I play something from each section with some newly covered material like the introduction of a new key. My main goal with Alfred is to learn how to read music again, which I have forgotten.

Hi Waltz.

Before this I had an acoustic console piano. But I did start out on an old digital that someone gave me. It was an old Clavinova 411. I really enjoyed learning on it. It was nice to be able to control the volume or use a set of headphones. The sound quality of it wasn't great but it wasn't terrible either. The touch....hmmm..... I always struggle with explaining these things. Of course the digital was very even and consistent but, if memory serves, the touch was lighter and there was only limited control over dynamics. On the Kawai the touch is lighter than some pianos I played but heavier than the digital and still very even. Control of dynamics is MUCH more sensitive on the Kawai.

The pedals are completely different. When using the pedal on the Kawai I can feel that it is moving a mechanism inside the piano and therefore I can feel when it is engaged. On my Clavinova the pedal was either on or off.

This is all based on memory and I am sure there have been HUGE changes in digital pianos since then. I would not be where I am in my piano journey if I had not had that Clavinova.

I am working on America the Beautiful today and hope to have a recording to share either today or tomorrow.

This is a great idea Nancy. I always have trouble remembering sharps and flats.

I am on page 28 in book 2 and doing grade 2

Here is a very crude rendition of America the Beautiful. My piano and I are still getting to know each other so my pedaling is a bit choppy and I messed up the ending but here it is.

http://www.box.net/shared/j91uyo0cbt

Your piano sounds beautiful; and I think you did a pretty good job on the song. I'd give myself a pass to the next song if I had it down that well

Heirborne,that piano sounds good, I like it. I have an upright Yamaha U1 but I do most of my practice on the digital one for convenience. I should start hitting the U1 soon, I like the genuine sound.

Two thumbs up from me! Sounded nice

Did you improv that ending or is that how it is written? It was very expressive

Nancy, Thanks for the advice on CiD. Once the LH starts doing octaves on pgs 3 and 4, the piece becomes much, much more tricky... This one may still take quite a while

Thanks everyone

The ending is written that way. It was the hardest part of the whole song. I still haven't got it down perfectly.