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And how many hours did you put in a week?
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It takes as long as it takes. Are you in a hurry?
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If I can remember correctly about 7 months. But I practiced at least 2 hours a day. The first third goes fast and then things slow down. I have no natural talent, so I have to work twice as hard to get half as far.
Take your time, learn it well, get a good foundation and you will build mighty sounds. It will pay off with a lifetime of great music.
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It didn't take me long to get through book one but I already knew most of the pieces from taking lessons a long time ago. Book 2 is another story (no pun intended). I'm struggling, going back and forth between a few books to hold my interest. La Raspa ATM is a chore.
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And how many hours did you put in a week? In the beginning, I practiced 3 hours a week, maybe 4. I think since you had trumpet lessons for 3 years as a child, you already can read music and should be able to cruse through book 1 fairly rapidly. I would not be at all surprised if you are able to finsih it in 3 months, especially if you have good coordination. Piano is really easy in the beginning, unlike a wind instrument. But it does get harder in grade 3 to 4.
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It took me 5 months, practicing between half an hour and an hour a day, but I skipped a few songs I didn't like. Looking back, I should have lingered a bit longer on some parts.
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It took me nearly a year but I studied theory at the same time (having no previous music ed) I became terribly bored with the constant "folk" songs but they all had a purpose wrt different techniques so I slogged though it anyways and glad of it now. Book 2 started out as a rehash of the same and not very rewarding until about halfway through it I still return to it occasionally.
Ragdoll At first, she only flew when she thought no one was watching.
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It has taken me about 6mths. I practice about an hr a day. I hope to start Book 2 next week. I have lessons today.
Currently in Albert's Adult Basic Piano Level 2 Working on: Light and Blue Hungarian Rapashody Bagatelle Minuet by James Hook Little Prelude First Lessons in Bach- Minuet in G Major Czerny Opus 599 Exercise 2
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I think it has taken me about 8 months, split into two separate periods of time. Most recently I've been playing about 4 months, with a 2 year break before that when I was not playing. I do not polish all the pieces to performance level, but for the most part have the rhythm and song to a point where I feel I have learned the lesson.
It would be interesting if people would comment on how well they polished the songs in the book, as a factor in the overall time they spent. It may be that some people that move on quickly are leaving the songs less polished than others, like me.
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It took me 8 weeks. I used it in a community college 8 week group piano course. When I started with a private teacher, first thing she did was toss it in the circular file. From then on it was Bach, Burgmuller, etc.
Gary
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It takes as long as it takes. Are you in a hurry? I <3 this reply (and wish pianoforums supported likes or upvotes). I... wish to sit down at the piano and have beautiful, flawless music just flow out of me. It don't. So what's a musician? If you define it as the set of elite people who sit an instrument and intuitively understand it and hone it to expert levels through years of diligent work, you end up with a vanishingly small subset. If you define it as stubborn people who sit at their instrument because they can't not sit at it, despite all evidence that they will never be part of that elite and who, through diligence, end up being able to play music from such effort, then the subset is much larger. It takes what it takes. Hours don't matter and hours do matter. You don't want unproductive hours. But even if your hours are productive, you definitely need hours. The "how long" question isn't constructive. Either you pursue it with whatever mindfulness your nature permits or you don't. It takes the time it takes.
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It takes as long as it takes. Are you in a hurry? I <3 this reply (and wish pianoforums supported likes or upvotes). I... wish to sit down at the piano and have beautiful, flawless music just flow out of me. It don't. So what's a musician? If you define it as the set of elite people who sit an instrument and intuitively understand it and hone it to expert levels through years of diligent work, you end up with a vanishingly small subset. If you define it as stubborn people who sit at their instrument because they can't not sit at it, despite all evidence that they will never be part of that elite and who, through diligence, end up being able to play music from such effort, then the subset is much larger. It takes what it takes. Hours don't matter and hours do matter. You don't want unproductive hours. But even if your hours are productive, you definitely need hours. The "how long" question isn't constructive. Either you pursue it with whatever mindfulness your nature permits or you don't. It takes the time it takes. Yes!!! What whizband said!!! I honestly can't remember how long it took me. But the piano has taught me to enjoy the journey and not focus on the destination. There's always another destination to travel to anyway.
~ Heather Knabe WMV247 “When you play, never mind who listens to you.†― Robert Schumann “The piano ain't got no wrong notes.†― Thelonious Monk
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I completely disagree with those who say the OP shouldn't worry about how long it takes. For many people, setting specific goals is an integral part of their learning and achievement process. Now of course, people come to the table with different experiences and strengths as well as different responsibilities (which can determine how much time one has each day for practice). But asking how long it takes an average person to get to some milestone is not an unreasonable question. It's a question that if answered can help someone set a reasonable goal.
In fact, many very successful people attribute much of their success to setting very specific goals, writing them down, and reviewing them often. For many people, that's something that can help them to maintain motivation. And if they're not getting closer to their goal, it gives them feedback that they need to change their approach.
People want to say that it's the journey not the destination, but for some a journey is simply a series of destinations, each of which can be enjoyed in turn.
Warm Regards
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I completely disagree with those who say the OP shouldn't worry about how long it takes. For many people, setting specific goals is an integral part of their learning and achievement process. Time and goal setting are two different topics. Setting goals is important. But this is not a race, such that everyone needs to hit page 50 in four weeks. It may take someone eight weeks or more to cover the same material. There are so many variables. I caution anyone when comparing themselves to others. Progress is an individual process. You see this everyday in the classroom or at the piano bench at a piano teacher's house. In my opinion, the quality of practice and physical and mental development is vastly more important than trying to finish a book in the same amount of time as others.
Kawai MP11 : JBL LSR305 : Focusrite 2i4 : Pianoteq / Garritan CFX
We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams. -Willy Wonka
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Okay I'm going to be the bad kid. It took me 3 years at least. Now, I have health issues, didn't practice and my teacher and I took a lot of detours. I do wish I had been more focused, but I am now.
Last edited by KBS1607; 04/02/13 01:28 PM.
Alfred Adult Level One graduated 2010 I've been taking lessons since 2005
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I can understand the question since it's one I had in my mind when I got the book (I actually bought the 3 levels at the same time, a proof I was confident in my desire to learn). I think it's a legitimate question, it doesn't meant you plan on rushing through the course or you see it as a chore you have to accomplish, an unpleasant but necessary step. There are plenty of good reasons for asking it: - If you are new to music and you have no clue how to read it, then you want to know because the last pages look scary. - If you are a bit "older", you want to know because you are aware of the fact that this is very easy stuff compared to the music you dream of playing one day and you start to wonder if you won't have to ask to the guy with the hammer not to close your the coffin because you are just a few months away from playing the Goldberg... - If you learn on your own you want to know (especially if you are not used to self-teaching) because checking how you do in comparison to the other student is a reflex you acquire during your study and it's often how you evaluate how well you study. But it's a very hard question to answer because the answer will depend on a lot of factors: - Previous experience with music. - If you learn by yourself, are you used to teach yourself things (if you are, you know how your brain works and it really helps) - If you have a teacher, it will also depend on how good she/he is (yes, some are very good, some are very bad) - How efficiently the study hours are (there has been a lot of discussion about that, books have been written... and it's true an hour is not a reliable measurement, not as a meter or a foot would be) In the end, what matters is starting the journey, enjoy it as much as possible, and when the path is step, when it rains (figuratively), remember that this aimless journey has a lot of wonderful landscapes to see, and even if the most remote ones are supposed to be the most beautiful ones too, don't forget to look at them all, you might discover hidden treasures
- Please, forgive my bad English Jean-Luc
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pianotimo, if you're going teacher-less you might want to have a look at Graham Fitch's website http://practisingthepiano.com, there's plenty to learn even without buying his ebooks. It will boost your practice 'productivity' big time.
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I completely disagree with those who say the OP shouldn't worry about how long it takes. For many people, setting specific goals is an integral part of their learning and achievement process. Now of course, people come to the table with different experiences and strengths as well as different responsibilities (which can determine how much time one has each day for practice). But asking how long it takes an average person to get to some milestone is not an unreasonable question. It's a question that if answered can help someone set a reasonable goal.
In fact, many very successful people attribute much of their success to setting very specific goals, writing them down, and reviewing them often. For many people, that's something that can help them to maintain motivation. And if they're not getting closer to their goal, it gives them feedback that they need to change their approach.
People want to say that it's the journey not the destination, but for some a journey is simply a series of destinations, each of which can be enjoyed in turn.
Warm Regards I think, in that case, you've missed the point of many posts, and certainly mine. If one is so concerned with how much time something will/should take, and so concerned with goal-setting in order to measure and maximize achievement, one should get a teacher. It will reduce the time and greatly enhance the results.
Every day we are afforded a new chance. The problem with life is not that you run out of chances. In the end, what you run out of are days.
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It took me 8 weeks. I used it in a community college 8 week group piano course. When I started with a private teacher, first thing she did was toss it in the circular file. From then on it was Bach, Burgmuller, etc. Sorry to hear you're only allowed to play boring stuff now.. Took me thirteen months.
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Derulux, Are you trying to suggest that people who don't have access to a good teacher are incapable of learning to play the piano and should just give up? Because it seems that you're suggesting that they are incapable of seeking ways to improve and be more efficient, or to set goals which is essentially the same thing. If that's what you think, I think you're terribly wrong. Of course, working with a good teacher is going to help someone progress faster than working without one. If that's your meaning, it's incredibly arrogant of you to suggest that someone who simply can't get a good teacher (for whatever reason) is wasting their time (which is clearly the implication of your suggestion that they shouldn't seek ways to improve if they don't have a teacher).
And by the way, The original question, and my comments about goal setting, are perfectly valid even if one has a teacher. Of course if the OP (or anyone else) has a teacher, they can ask their teacher about what progress rate is reasonable to expect, but perhaps they want a second opinion to see if their teacher's approach is typical compared to the approach others usually take. If my teacher told me it would take two years to get through a particular method book when most people get through it in less than a year (everything else being equal), I might be concerned about my teacher's approach. That doesn't mean the teacher's approach is wrong by the way, but it would be something worth talking about with them.
Warm Regards
Last edited by fizikisto; 04/03/13 06:32 PM.
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I started lessons at age 56 in late September last year, having absolutely no previous knowledge of music or the piano. I am on page 67 (of 95) of the Level One book. When my teacher gave me the book, I had originally set a goal to finish it by the time lessons stop for the summer in June, but that probably isnt going to happen now. I'm moving along through the accompanying basic theory and sight reading books. I have not yet revised that goal, but I am thinking that I should be able to finish sometime this fall. That may depend on how much time I'd like to spend working on Christmas music.
For what its worth, I'm also trying to learn to play the comparable songs in Alfred's basic adult Country, Sacred, All Time Favorites, and Duet books. Some of them are considerably more difficult for me and just take me longer to learn. I cant use the word "master" because I'm not certain that I do, before moving on.
I practice between 30-60 minutes per day, at least 5-6 days per week.
Being that I'm older, I've been looking to gain proficiency quickly, and make hay while the sun shines, but I havent found that silver bullet yet. Please pardon the poor use of metaphors.
Hope that helps.
Bruce
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Derulux, Are you trying to suggest that people who don't have access to a good teacher are incapable of learning to play the piano and should just give up? Because it seems that you're suggesting that they are incapable of seeking ways to improve and be more efficient, or to set goals which is essentially the same thing. Why is it that people always try to infer what you mean, instead of simply reading what you wrote? I wrote exactly what I mean, without inference. If you are concerned with how fast you are going to learn something, there is no faster way to learn it than with a teacher. If you are concerned with how well you learned something, there is no better way to check than by getting a teacher. So, if you're looking for "the best possible measuring system" to improvement, step one is getting a good teacher. If you're more concerned with the journey than the goals, then the question is entirely irrelevant.
Every day we are afforded a new chance. The problem with life is not that you run out of chances. In the end, what you run out of are days.
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I found the responses interesting, with a range of three months to three years. The median is about at 9 months for those that worked consistently towards the goal. I am guessing that this likely skews short of the real world because slower folks tend to be less likely to post on a message board. It is mostly enthusiasts that post online. So perhaps one year would seem a realistic target for a true beginner willing to commit to one hour per day. Though of course, some people will be faster, some will be slower, with the faster people more likely to report.
I'm not sure what the original poster is going to do with the information, but I found it interesting.
Going back a year ago, to when I started, I had little desire to do a method book. I probably would have boosted the average time had I gone that route, because I tend to take a long time to learn pieces.
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Derulux, Are you trying to suggest that people who don't have access to a good teacher are incapable of learning to play the piano and should just give up? I'm going out on a limb here and saying no, that's obviously not what he meant - and probably also no to the rest of your proceeding questions, which I didn't bother to read.
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I have Alfred's books 1 and 2 with the CD, but I can't find Level 3 with the CD. Is it even available?
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Derulux, You wrote "If one is so concerned with how much time something will/should take, and so concerned with goal-setting in order to measure and maximize achievement, one should get a teacher." The clear implication of that statement is that anyone who doesn't have a teacher shouldn't be concerned with maximizing their achievement, setting goals, or having any kind of benchmark with which to compare their progress (i.e. knowing how long something should take). Whether you intended it or not, I think your comments are insulting to those people who don't have a teacher. Not everyone can afford a teacher, or has a work schedule that lets them have a teacher, or even live in areas where good teachers are available. Just because someone doesn't have a teacher doesn't mean that they're not serious about their learning (i.e. wanting to find other ways to maximize their achievement). And regardless of whether they have a teacher or not, many people will be helped with their motivation by meeting realistic goals. If one doesn't have a teacher (again, something that simply may not be possible for some people), they may find it useful to ask others about their experiences to help them set reasonable goals. And, even if they do have a teacher, they may simply want to assess their teachers style, to see if their progress under that teacher is comparable to other people. Not every teacher is a good teacher, and a beginner may not have enough knowledge to tell the difference. So knowing how other people progress might be useful under some circumstances even if someone does have a teacher. So I found the OP's question to be perfectly reasonable.
Now, I have no desire to get into a flame war with you over this. I'm happy to agree to disagree. I was rubbed the wrong way by your opening statement that I must have misunderstood many posts rather than simply disagreeing with them. What I wrote above explains how I found the rest of your post additionally insulting. So I was a bit put off when I responded, and my response to you had more snark than it should have. I apologize for that. I should not post responses when I'm annoyed. Or at least I should insert a hypothalamic pause before doing so.
Warm Regards
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fcescgb, I don't think a CD is available for the Alfred's level three. If there is, I've never seen it either. However, if you search on youtube for Alfreds plus the name of the piece, I think you'll find several recordings of how each song is played. While some of those recordings may be imperfect, they can at least give you an idea of how the piece should sound.
Warm Regards
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All I know is if I converted my piano practice time into college time I'd have a couple of Phd's by now, or even an MD.
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Derulux, You wrote "If one is so concerned with how much time something will/should take, and so concerned with goal-setting in order to measure and maximize achievement, one should get a teacher." The clear implication of that statement is that anyone who doesn't have a teacher shouldn't be concerned with maximizing their achievement, setting goals, or having any kind of benchmark with which to compare their progress (i.e. knowing how long something should take). Whether you intended it or not, I think your comments are insulting to those people who don't have a teacher. Not everyone can afford a teacher, or has a work schedule that lets them have a teacher, or even live in areas where good teachers are available. Just because someone doesn't have a teacher doesn't mean that they're not serious about their learning (i.e. wanting to find other ways to maximize their achievement). And regardless of whether they have a teacher or not, many people will be helped with their motivation by meeting realistic goals. If one doesn't have a teacher (again, something that simply may not be possible for some people), they may find it useful to ask others about their experiences to help them set reasonable goals. And, even if they do have a teacher, they may simply want to assess their teachers style, to see if their progress under that teacher is comparable to other people. Not every teacher is a good teacher, and a beginner may not have enough knowledge to tell the difference. So knowing how other people progress might be useful under some circumstances even if someone does have a teacher. So I found the OP's question to be perfectly reasonable.
Now, I have no desire to get into a flame war with you over this. I'm happy to agree to disagree. I was rubbed the wrong way by your opening statement that I must have misunderstood many posts rather than simply disagreeing with them. What I wrote above explains how I found the rest of your post additionally insulting. So I was a bit put off when I responded, and my response to you had more snark than it should have. I apologize for that. I should not post responses when I'm annoyed. Or at least I should insert a hypothalamic pause before doing so.
Warm Regards No worries; I think I know the genesis of your ire. (And don't worry about flame wars--I don't do that.) It seems, based on your response, that you're under the impressions that many people (including me) said, "It is impossible to see progress without a teacher." Not so. It is entirely possible. But if you want the best progress, with the highest possible results, step one would be to hire a professional to train you. Similar arguments: You want to sculpt your body into a more athletic figure. Best way to do it is to hire a personal trainer who can coach you on how to do it. You want to learn how to cook. Sure, you can throw some slop on your stove and go at it solo, but the best way is to take cooking classes. (I'm a slopper on this one. ) You want to learn how to dance. Pull up YouTube and spin around in the privacy of your room, or go to a dance studio for professional lesson? Can you do it by yourself? Yes. But if you're really concerned with goal-setting, achievement, maximizing results, and minimizing time, you should seriously consider investing in a professional trainer (teacher, coach, etc). If you're not in it to reach that ultimate, top, highest potential, then yes, you can do it on your own. You may even be very successful at it, but you won't reach your peak potential going it solo, and you will certainly be at a disadvantage if, some day, you wish to compete against others who've had those years of training. Now that we've gotten all of that out, I do want to address the first part of your reply: You wrote "If one is so concerned with how much time something will/should take, and so concerned with goal-setting in order to measure and maximize achievement, one should get a teacher." The clear implication of that statement is that anyone who doesn't have a teacher shouldn't be concerned with maximizing their achievement, setting goals, or having any kind of benchmark with which to compare their progress (i.e. knowing how long something should take). The clear implication is what I've said above: that if you want to reach your ultimate peak potential, you should get professional training. Otherwise, you're a power lifter who can't afford weights so you lift rocks instead. Will you see results? Yes. Will you see peak results? No. This is why I say the question is irrelevant: there are too many variables. Even with a professional trainer (teacher), there are dozens of variables. Now, without that coaching, you have no way to measure your own ability, particularly from a technique standpoint. So, everyone says, "It should take three months." Okay, so the person learns the notes in three months and thinks they're on track. But they could be so far out in left field technique-wise that they may cause injury to themselves, or may not be able to progress any further than they've just come. Now, when they move on to "step 2", they may find they have to go back to "step 1". And that is just one example of one of the many variables that stand in the way. If you want to measure your progress, most people can't do it themselves (particularly at the beginning). This isn't the long jump, where you can place a stick in the sand and see if you jump past the stick on your next attempt. This is art. And you can't objectively measure your own art, or your own technique to produce that art--unless you already know what it is you're trying to quantify and measure. Further, when you don't see the results you want to see, you will have no direction with which to determine what actions to take in order to see improvement. I would also like to add that, next time, before you think someone is intentionally (or unintentionally) trying to offend you, consider that anyone who responds to a post is, in most cases, trying to help. You may not like what they have to say, but when you at least consider that they're trying to help, it takes some of the fire out of your stress levels.
Every day we are afforded a new chance. The problem with life is not that you run out of chances. In the end, what you run out of are days.
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fcescgb, I don't think a CD is available for the Alfred's level three. If there is, I've never seen it either. However, if you search on youtube for Alfreds plus the name of the piece, I think you'll find several recordings of how each song is played. While some of those recordings may be imperfect, they can at least give you an idea of how the piece should sound.
Warm Regards Thank you fizikisto !
Kawai CN-24
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All I know is if I converted my piano practice time into college time I'd have a couple of Phd's by now, or even an MD. You could change your user ID to Dr. Mark...
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pianotimo,
I have read your post, here:
And how many hours did you put in in a week? Those with awesome memories, can run though a piece/lesson and considered it learned while most of the world are in a different class of learning.
Some people just want to get the idea of the piece/lesson and others want to want a good gasp before they move on. Everyone has a different definition of learned before they move on.
Like most things learned, it is based on the foundation and if you personally don't develop a solid foundation, you run the risk of getting stuck halfway through and unsure how to proceed.
Stated in most method books, it says:
Review Be sure to spend at least ten minutes a day reviewing your old pieces. You gain smoothness and ease from review work that you cannot acquire if you only practice new music. It is a good rule to devote one-third of your daily practice period to review.
None of the posts that I read ever mentioned how much time had been spent on reviewing.
Last edited by Michael_99; 04/05/13 04:41 AM.
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Book 1 - 6.5mos; 1hr a day Book 2 - 7.5mos; 1hr a day Book 3 - not finished yet the 1hr a day is really what I try to set aside for the Alfred lesson material since I practice more than that working on other things i.e. scales, other books/scores etc. while it's good to set time-frame specific goals, the goal is not to rush through the books however. it could have an adverse impact on your playing since you didn't absorb the lessons. a perfect example just happened a week ago while working from book 3 "a very special day". i played it fine but my teacher didn't give me a 'pass' since i played it with no emotion. i had to work on it for another week. book 3 should take me the longest i imagine since my teacher has me doing harmonic analysis on the pieces. so i spend a little more time on a piece as opposed to only just playing it properly.
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Book one - 1 year Book two - so far 2 years
There's no rush.
Book 3 does come with a CD.. I have it and there are some great pieces on that.
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Please step aside. You're standing in your own way.
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Book 1 about 6 months. I'm at the end of book 2 but have been working at it sporadically now for I'd say 2 years.
music to me is kind of like putting together pieces of a puzzle i call it the paino because its where i put all my pain
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I worked on Book 1 right up to the Blues section. That's about the same time I started taking lessons. My instructor does not really like Alfred's too much so I stopped (he did not suggest one way or the other). This week I decided to revisit the book. I am surprised at how much I have learned since working with an instructor and how easily much of it came to me!
I think I am going to do both....work on what he gives me AND finish the book. There is nothing conflicting from what I can see.
Started Playing May 2010 at 51 yrs old, Some Self Learning, Lessons X 3yrs
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Are we all talking about the same book? I'm a week in and am almost halfway through the book. The full name is Adult-All-In-One Course by Alfred (Palmer, Manus, Lethco). It's 160 pages with a CD.
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Are we all talking about the same book? I'm a week in and am almost halfway through the book. The full name is Adult-All-In-One Course by Alfred (Palmer, Manus, Lethco). It's 160 pages with a CD. Pianotimo, learning to play 10 or more beginner pieces a day is a remarkable pace. I am guessing one of several scenarios: you had a couple of years worth of lessons when you were a kid, or have 12 hours a day to work on the project. A third explanation might be that you are an exceptional talent, like 1 in 100,000, to be able to learn and play 10 new pieces a day as a true musical beginner with no prior training. At that rate you will complete the book in about two weeks, which would be by far the fastest. The next fastest, in a high achiever group was at three months with a median of nine months. Whatever the case, it looks like you will be moving to book two, and then three in short order. I look forward to hearing some of your recordings on the piano bar or the quarterly recital. Cheers.
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I am at the end of Book 1, and started it last August with a teacher. I try to play every day, but some days that might be for only 15 minutes, and other days 2 hours. Life gets in the way sometimes. I am impressed with those that can make it through the book without a teacher. I started with some free online lessons June of last year, with no prior experience, and then figured out that if I really wanted to progress I needed a teacher. I am completing the last few songs in Book 1, and like some my proficiency on some of the songs is not to performance level; but I am happy for the most part with how I can play most of the songs. I am finishing with "Singing in the Rain," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "Chattanooga Choochoo." In "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" there is a f-a-c-e arpeggio at the end. I am really having a hard time getting my fingers to work on that one. Also, "Chattanooga Choochoo" is a tough one for me. Starting on the second page you really have to stretch your fingers to get the four descending notes. I will stay after it though, and hope to start the second book in a week or two.
Best wishes to everyone. Isn't it great to finally be tacking something you always wanted to do!
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Obviously "tackling" is what I meant to type, not "tacking." Sorry for the typo...
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How long it takes to finish a method book should not be the question, at least the main question, IMHO.
Instead, the question should be, "What is the quality of the product (playing and learning) that results from working thru the book"?
I have seen people who, almost regardless of the time spent, have levels of playing and learning that range from poor and spotty to outstanding and thorough.
Blues and Boogie-Woogie piano teacher.
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If you don't have a teacher to either sight-read the pieces and/or give you objective advice on each piece and to tell you when and if to move on, I assume you have access to youtube or, far better, a cd of recordings - use these as a goal for determining rhythmic and interpretive correctness (but not as a crutch for poor notation reading). Record your own playing and listen to that for and when comparing to others as you'll find you "hear" better when you're not focusing on playing at the same time.
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Are we all talking about the same book? I'm a week in and am almost halfway through the book. The full name is Adult-All-In-One Course by Alfred (Palmer, Manus, Lethco). It's 160 pages with a CD. That's great, you must be quite gifted, and your age helps you. Anyway, I soon found out that piano playing is not just about hitting the right notes, there are plenty of details one needs to take care of, evenness, tempo, dynamics, tone, pedal, voicing etc., which makes it a true nightmare for a perfectionist. Take some time to record and listen to yourself once in a while, just to make sure you're not rushing it a bit too much.
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Originally Posted By: pianotimo
Are we all talking about the same book? I'm a week in and am almost halfway through the book. The full name is Adult-All-In-One Course by Alfred (Palmer, Manus, Lethco). It's 160 pages with a CD.
Not always the same. The AIO book speaks briefly on theory but has no real lessons on the subject. The Adult basic is meant to be used with the Adult theory book concurrently and has more in depth theory lessons including various exercises. That's great, you must be quite gifted, and your age helps you.
Anyway, I soon found out that piano playing is not just about hitting the right notes, there are plenty of details one needs to take care of, evenness, tempo, dynamics, tone, pedal, voicing etc., which makes it a true nightmare for a perfectionist. Take some time to record and listen to yourself once in a while, just to make sure you're not rushing it a bit too much.
Yes indeed, if you are self teaching from a method book who will correct your inevitable flaws in reading, technique and rhythm? What's the rush, it takes more that just hitting the right notes as sinophilia has said don't cheat yourself of the experience of learning correctly. HTH
Ragdoll At first, she only flew when she thought no one was watching.
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I wouldn't consider myself a talent but I have had experience in trumpet back when I was younger. My pace has slowed a bit since school resumed but I'm looking forward to finishing Book 1 in the next month and moving onto Book 2. Thanks for the inspiration
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Yeah, I am always a bit taken back because even though the music sounds nice, I don't know if I'm doing everything else correctly. I really enjoy the piano so I can sorta feel what I'm playing so it's definitely not simply hitting the right notes. I have some friends are helping me at the moment but I'm hoping to get a teacher once I finish all three books and go to college (I'm 17). Thanks for the encouragement!
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Yeah, I am always a bit taken back because even though the music sounds nice, I don't know if I'm doing everything else correctly. You could always post videos of your playing, posture, hand positions, etc. for feedback here. As far as maybe learning better fingering and things like that (I never learned this directly from a teacher), learning to play scales and arpeggios are invaluable - you could pick out a major scale (and the arpeggio that goes with it) to work on one per week, learning to play the proper fingering and working towards being able to play with both hands at the same time through maybe an octave or two.
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Piano
by Gino2 - 04/17/24 02:34 PM
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Piano
by Gino2 - 04/17/24 02:23 PM
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