Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Alfred's Basic and All in One Adult Piano Course Book #2

Thank you for the warm welcome, malkin and sinophilia!

Tumbalalaika turned out very well and today I have started on Light and Blue. Funnily enough, several months ago I recall watching a few youtube videos of this particular song and thinking to myself, "I'll never be able to play that!"

As it is, my progress after only a few hours has been very encouraging. Just goes to show how perseverance does pay off.

It really is a wonderful thing to notice you're progressing, isn't it?
Pieces and techniques that seemed impossible a year ago just start coming together. It's almost easy.

I really liked Light and Blue and I keep playing it - the polishing stage actually took a long time. Further in the book you will find Frankie and Johnnie, another very nice bluesy tune.

I liked Light and Blue also. It was one of the few "Blues" pieces that I liked. If I recall correctly, the hardest part for me was keeping the rhythm in the left hand even.

welcome to the forum Piano Martin! I'm 50 and started on the piano last april, so I'm a late starter too. I have just started out on Light and blue, and I like it too...

And Happy New year everyone!

Wow! What great posts! If you folks need any help or suggestions, please shoot us an email or give us a call. I am a piano teacher and longtime performer and I love helping people have fun at the piano while building great skills. Pianists are healthier and happier people! keyboard@alfred.com or (818) 892-2452. Just ask for David. Keep making that music!

@ Alfred Piano Team: Wow! Welcome and thank you for joining us David!

@gahdzila: Where are you? Perhaps studying the Canon in D?

I struggled quite a lot when I started book 2 - probably because I hadn't spent enough time on book 1 - but now that I'm approaching the end of it I'm feeling I'm learning new things much faster. I'm having more fun, for sure. I'll be starting the part on diminished and augmented chords tomorrow but I think it'll take me another month to finish the book, as the pieces in the Eb major key section look pretty daunting.

I'm doing lots of work on Musetta's Waltz.

correct rhythm, land both hands together on beat one, move left hand under the 16ths and keep hand position and pedal, pretty arpeggios.

Doing most of that some of the time and some of that most of the time, but still working toward doing all of that all of the time.

I found this one really hard, especially the pedaling! I think it took me 3 weeks to get it right - actually there are still a couple of places where I stumble. But I want to try to do a decent recording of this one.

Light And Blue is a fun piece. In fact, today I played it better than ever. Presently, I am working on Morning Has Broken (pages 12-13) and specifically the broken chord "Example 2" at the foot of the page. I initially found it a tad tricky, though it is beginning to take shape. I just have to keep reminding myself to slow down!

Oooh, yah, those broken chords pushed me to a new level.
I wonder if I could play them now...might have to go and revisit some of those pieces.

Hands together Bb major scale is my current neural path stimulator!

HA! Not quite. I'm moving along, but the holidays really ate into my practice time.

Waltz in G minor was actually a pretty nice piece. I would have been willing to polish it a little more, but my teacher called it good enough, so we moved on. Skipped the Tchaikovsky symphony theme, and started on Fascination this week.

It's funny how different people do on various songs. I had great trouble with the rhythm of Light and Blue, while songs like Morning Has Broken come automatically. I've worked up to Brahm's Lullaby now. The pedalling is a bit tricky; you really can't use brick mode. My ankle tires from holding up the foot for extended times.

arrgh I'm stuck at olympic procession. I started out on that a couple of weeks ago, and can't get it right...

@cfrederi, I also worked on that one for two weeks, I think you can stop practicing it as long as you have your chord inversions right, the song itself doesn't sound very good...

After spending several weeks on the Bb major/G minor scales, I had such a hard time switching my brain back to D major to learn the Symphony theme! A nice exercise, in the end, but ouch, it gave me headaches! My fingers kept hitting Bb and Eb instead of C# and F#. Now I have to do the contrary and go back to flats with the Eb major scale and Loch Lomond

Thanks sinophilia - sounds like good advice - I'll follow it. I have no problems with the chord inversions as such, and you're right - the song doesn't sound that good.

Good luck with Loch Lomond!

I wasn't a fan of the Olympic Procession either.

I am kind of looking forward to Ballin the Jack because of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXXjGjhjTus
and this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2r_v2hGtIQM

So I am inspired to work out He's got the whole world in his hands.

Just wanted to give you all encouragement. I did the Alfred 1-6 series (the longer version of mostly same songs). Survived them all and now can go back and play ones that I liked and ignore Wash Day Boogie and Olympic Procession. Some days I just pick up book 5 (about where the Adult #2 is) and enjoy it. Wish I could tell you that I'm a brilliant pianist now but I can tell you that I still love to play and many technical aspects are easier now. Just enjoy the learning. Love hearing about your piano journey.

Someone asked me about my PW name "Wisebuff". It actually comes from my other life. A professor should be wise (ha ha) and I'm a Colorado Buffalo fan. Maybe I should change to one related to piano.

*putting another log on the fire and opening a new bottle of champagne to share with everyone who stops in to welcome Becca to level 2!*

I'd love a glass! Thanks Malkin! It's sure nice being here. hehe