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

Back after a classical guitar break. I decided to change my major to music and I needed something I could audition for local Community Colleges music school with. Anyway I am through the Auld Lang Syne and I've started working on O Sole Mio! I also have recorded Beauty and the Beast from the Greatest Hits book and put it up on my youtube site.

New user checking in. Forced to take piano lessons from 9 until about 15 years old. Hated every minute of it. My older sister got to play popular music; I was forced to stick with classical (and perform like a monkey at teacher's association deals...they gave us awards, so maybe it was a competition after all? I used to have quite a collection of faux ivory composer busts...hahaha). Dropped it like a bad habit as soon as my parents gave me the option (read: I had bitched and moaned long enough and worn down their resolve!).

15 years later, I wished I had never stopped. Since then (and that was nearly 15 years ago!), I've owned a couple different keyboards, currently working on a K2500XS which I absolutely dig. Before this old behemoth I had an original Yamaha Motif 8 which was cool, but ultimately 'meh.' Never should have let that Roland Alpha Juno 2 go...not so much for the piano, but man that thing had some awesome bass sounds! I should point out that I enjoy messing around with synthesizers and guitars, too.

In early December, I learned the first section of Christmas Time is Here (again, I do this every year, or have for the last four or five; always just the first section, though). Recorded it and thought, "You know, I should really shake the rust off the sight reading and work on this a little more." I used to be able to sight read like nobody's business. Now I have to work at remembering which notes are which...well, on the bass staff, treble isn't so much of a problem.

Picked up the Alfred's AIO Level 1 last week and have worked all the way through whatever page When The Saints is on or just a little past (F chord in the right hand work; some sort of C-F-G7 waltz thing). Most of the pieces so far are easy enough to read, but I have discovered that I need to get my edge back on that left hand/right hand independence thing, too. I'm having a blast, though. So much so that I ordered AIO Level 2.

I figure I'll get through these and then start looking around for some jazz tuition books. Maybe a little Art Tatum or Bill Evans style. Oooh, or maybe Bud Powell...ooh ooh ooh...Red Garland! This time around, I get to decide what I'm going to play, eh?

Hi, all thought I'd check in.

Beautiful Brown Eyes - just have to add the pedal
Alpine Melody - Same for this one
Waltz Time - Done
Good Morning To you - Done
Happy Birthday - Done
Standing in the need of Prayer - Done
Alouette - Done
Lavender Blue - Thought I had it done and realized I was playing it wrong. REDO
Kum-Ba-YAH - Done
London Bridge - Done
Micheal, Row The Boat Ashore - Started yesterday

And the infamous Blow the Man Down – I started yesterday using the tips from this tread and surprisingly a got the rhythm down today. Only measures 14 – 16 are tripping me up now. Should have it worked by week’s end.

I also have been using supplemental books like Alfred’s Masterwork Classics and Catherine Rollin Pathways to Artistry Technique / Masterworks / Repertoire books. The Latter has been the best money I’ve spent on a book. There’s an Arm to Arm Independence exercise in there I had performed that helped me pick up BTMD so quickly. It has also helped me play my pieces with more musicality.

I hope everyone else is progressing fine.
Happy belated holidays
MartinJB

Welcome to this thread kreinhard.

MartinJB, your progression is very good. Pieces with pedal does not sound the same without pedal. You should try them with pedal. Pedal is one more thing to learn.

I am in "Good Morning to You". This is done, and I am making a revision of all pieces from Jingle Bells before start "Happy Birthday". I am a little disappointed with myself as there are pieces that I needed to re-learn (not from the beginging of course) to play them.

Unless you play all the pieces you have learned frequently, you WILL forget them and have to re-learn them. This goes for most,if not all of us. But the good news is that they come back a lot faster the second time. Review is good, but don't beat yourself up if you can't play old pieces on the first try.

I've not posted since before Christmas so thought I would again! I've been very busy with my Master's Degree and also the holidays. However, I am up to 'Blow the Man Down'. It doesn't seem as hard as I thought it would be, luckily. When the book first had me break out of normal hand positions my brain hurt for a day but it seems ok now. I think the song is great!

I also quite enjoyed Kumbaya, My Lord, even though I hated that in music class as a child.

Unfortunately I'm at school next week so no piano at all for me. I'm going to see if there are pianos on campus somewhere that I can play after 7pm or so when lessons are done. At least I've noticed you don't seem to get worse if you take time off (amazingly I'm usually better when I come back :o), but I don't like pausing for so long.

Another post holiday update. I'm currently working on The Entertaining and looking ahead to somewhere over the rainbow. The last 3 songs I've really enjoyed. I enjoyed playing in D minor Scarborough fair and Raisins and Almonds were both fun to play. My teacher showed me some helpful tips on raisins and almonds to get the left hand playing mp while the right is mf while still accenting the first note for each measure on the left hand.

He's got the whole world in his hands was the hardest of the three to get down but the easiest to polish off. I'm enjoying The Entertainer so far hopefully Amazing Grace is as enjoyable.

Awesome, nipo! I can't wait to get to those songs.

I found the Music Centre on campus and have been there twice this week. As much as I like my CLP-320 I would definitely own an acoustic piano if I lived in a detached house. Also, even these cheap ancient uprights have better keys than my CLP-320 (which seemed better than cheaper models I tried). I must resist spending money until the end of the year, though! This is what I've been playing on this week - http://www.pianospares.com/john-broadwood-and-sons-upright-piano/default.htm.

I've pretty much got Blow the Man Down in about 2 hours of practice. It's very fun if you play it at a fast speed!

Hi Nipo,

I really enjoyed the Amazing Grace piece. I think it has a lot of flexibility it that you can make it your own. Play it fast play it slow etc. Just remember the triplets. I over looked them at first.

Enjoy!

denjin, nice you can practise in campus.

I am in "Standing in the need of Prayer" and playing Hanon exercises. How much time did you spend in Hanon Aerobics before start the next one (Alouette)?

I played some pieces of "Christmas Book - Level 1" in Christmas (at up "Suzy Snowflake"). It is an easy book, good for starters play something at Christmas.

Now I am planning to start the first piece of "All Time Favourites" book.

nipo, The Entertainer is one piece that I would like to play. I will arrive there sooner or later...

My self-teaching one hasn't had Hanon exercises in it yet...how odd. I think they'd be more useful before Blow the Man Down (or the ones just before it) due to a lot of extended range playing outside of the normal 5 finger stuff. I got a Hanon book recently maybe I should go through it since your book seems to have it.

That is great you have a music centre you can practice on at campus that must make the practice/study balance a bit easier to maintain. I'm in an apartment myself and owning an acoustic just isn't feasible for me either. I look forward to my lessons and getting to play on my teachers acoustic as often as possible.

I did the same thing with Blow the Man Down playing it faster and faster. I'd repeat it ad nauseam slightly increasing the speed each time until I'd lose it then start over. I think i nearly drove my girlfriend insane. I had a problem keeping a nice legato in it though as i preferred pounding it out in more of a drunkin tune manner.



I started looking at Amazing Grace a bit today to break up The Entertainer practice. I see what you mean about the triplets as it really changes the feel of the song if you don't follow that notation. I'm already finding it more of a challenge with the amount your hands jump around. Overall it is a nice sounding piece.



I was feeling the same way. This and Singing in the Rain were the two songs I wanted to learn most from book one.

Just starting out again (after a long time away from my keyboard) and am beginning with Alfreds BAPC 1. Im going it alone as I dont have time for lessons and I guess I just like doing things my own way. I would also like to learn chords and am in need of a good source for that.
Wish everyone well, Steve

I just started on BTMD two days ago, but have only had time to (barely) get practice time in (have to stick to that MOYD promise, so I shoot for 10 minutes minimum). In the few attempts I've made at it, I find I tend to play the left hand almost staccato, against legato in the right hand. Pretty sure I do that only because I find it amusing. Probably not a good idea, technique-wise, but...not like I have a teacher to worry about.

Do you have the "Alfred Self-Teaching Piano Course" (Yellow Book)? I thought that this was the most complete Alfred Adult Book.
http://www.amazon.com/Alfreds-Self-Teaching-Adult-Piano-Course/dp/0739052055/
Maybe they decided that Hanon was not needed.

I am impressed with those of you that are playing BTMD without too much problems.

Yeah I have the self teaching one but don't see Hanon in it. I actually went through the whole book just now and there is no Hanon in it. However, I got a Hanon book separately anyway, so it's no biggie.

I can't wait till Tuesday's lesson as I've been playing the same 5 songs for like 2 weeks now and can't wait to get passed to go on to more.

I have a question for all of you. I am just getting into the pieces that require you to move your hand position (ie. Cafe Vienna) and am finding my hands just don't want to move sometimes, it's as if they are rooted in only playing 5 keys per bar. I was wondering if besides straight up practice you guys and gals had any tips making your hands/arms be more mobile.

The first exercise of AIO 1 book seems the same of the first of the "Virtuoso Pianist - Hanon"

Virtuoso Pianist - Hanon link:
http://imslp.org/wiki/The_Virtuoso_Pianist_%28Hanon,_Charles-Louis%29

I did not find the second exercise of AIO 1 in Virtuso Pianist.

I decided to practise both exercises before continue to "Alouette".

I started the first piece of "All Times Favourite". It is not hard and is funny (it is a German sond I do not know it). But the second one is much harder imo.

Hello, all!

I just registered on this site today, and excited to know that so many piano buddies are using the exact same book!

Here is what I recorded today. Hope to hear yours too!

Cockles And Mussels

Sounding good, Wish4Thing! "Cockles and Mussels" was one of the pieces that I really liked in Book 1 - probably because I liked the sound of moving the chords up a step with each measure, and because it was one of the few pieces that came relatively easy to me. You are doing great - keep up the good work, and welcome to the Alfred threads.