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

I applaud you guys for working with a teacher. I don't care how many times I play a song, once I play it for my hubby, my fingers get all tied up. Guess I should be playing for him more often!!!

Since I am a self-learner--along with help from this site as well as reading and watching You Tubes, I don't try and put alot of stress on myself. I couldn't get that song BTMD for nothing!!!! I was so frustrated, I wanted to throw the book away. But then I just decided, I'm moving on. And so I went, some pieces are easier than others....Greensleeves, I picked up right away, Scarborough Faire looks like a toughy, but when I got to Can Can, I remembered that BTMD had a similar left hand pattern to it, so after I could play Can Can blind folded, and really rockin'!, I went back to BTMD and low and behold, I got it! So, my beginner advice is to not beat yourself up Gracie on anything...you do what you can do, learn what you can learn, and you will improve and "get it", those terrible 4 month songs, one day..and it will be a great accomplishment! I play with alot more style after slowing myself WAAAAAYYYYY DOWNNNNNNN to get Can Can. Now, I play them all together. Can Can, Mexican Clapping Song, and O Sole Mio...just for an international set!

I pick up some of the songs that I want to play so badly, and think they look just hideous...then put them away and go back to my Alfred book or the other supplements. There is a time for everything!!!

Happy Playing with Graceful Fingers!!!!

Nancy

Your comment about slowing way down rings true for me, nancymae. So true.

Began learning The Entertainer this past week. Wow, I am awful at it right now. But I do love it. I love it because I am focused, thinking and playing at the same time. I think it is challenging to me. Learning difficult pieces is both brutal and rewarding. The more you invest the more the reward is my way thinking. Crazy.

I went back through the pages of the entire book and found a common thread. Every second or third piece has teacher’s notes to use metronome, count, slow down, play slowly, not too fast, play slower. Maybe I am not so fast on the uptake – I decided to make a concerted effort to just slow everything down this week. Play everything slower than I have been, and then go slower. Hey, it works! I have a bad habit of trying to play everything just as fast as I can and then get out of rhythm because I am not even throughout. Some section is harder than others and I have to slow down or make mistakes. If I am already at a pace I can deal with the harder section, it sounds not so difficult. It is just the same steady pace. By concentrating on keeping my speed in check – everything seemed to be so much smoother and even. Obviously, I habitually play too fast. I need to work on that.

Working on several pieces from Jazz, Rags and Blues. Talking to the teacher she says the young students call this the ‘fun’ book. They think Alfred’s is homework but the supplemental is the good stuff. I get that. I don’t disagree. Currently I am still trying to make musical sense of boogie woogie. It doesn’t sound good yet, but playing those showers of eight notes is building my stamina. Getting strong. I feel like a sewing machine at times. That may be my learning barrier. It is the rhythm I am missing, not the notes. It should not be a sewing machine pattern – it should have a rhythm and a groove. I am not there yet.

The entertainer is fun to play. And, the composer himself tells you to take it slow Just the piece you need!
I sounded atrocious in the beginning too. Interestingly, I improved a lot more quickly than I thought I would. Ultimately, the 11th measure is the one I struggled with most. I played it hundreds of times hands separate. In my lesson, I played it with some hesitation (after working on it for two weeks), but fortunately my teacher isn't sadistic and passed me on it anyway!!!
I got passed on Amazing Grace too!! So....I am done with Alfreds!! I am really happy and super motivated to play my new pieces!!
Have fun with the entertainer.

Well done, my happy and super motivated friend. And thank you for the encouragement.

GlassLove, GracieCat, Mom3> thanks for the words of encouragment girls. dont know what id do without you x

Glad you acknowledge me as a girl now, smokestack...at least I won't any longer be accused of having the "hots" for my piano teacher!
How is it going for you?

I realised you were a girl when you mentioned you were reading Middlemarch lol

Its going better this time. I dont know that im going any slower, although im trying, but its definetly sinking in more. Reinforcing what ive already covered is a big help. might do a few of these 'reviews' actually. might take me longer to get through the course that way but I think I'll be better for it.

You going to abandon us all then when you stop using the Alfred books ?

No, I certainly won't abandon all of you. You are my piano support system. I do very much like the new book I have, the songs are just more "musical." Maybe more flowing? I am going to start working on my "expression" while playing (according to my teacher). Sounds promising!!!
Perhaps what I am reading now is less "girlie?" I love Javier Marias (I think he should get the Nobel prize). The title is Tomorrow in the Battle Think on Me!

I'm up to Raisins and Almonds now, after a break to work on some supplementals; "Hello Dolly" from Alfred Greatest Hits and "The Happy Farmer" from My First Book of Classical.

Back to Alfred Book One now

Nice to see so many people still enjoying this thread and working on the book!

Captain Zero,

I feel the same as you about beginning pieces. It IS very rewarding. To stumble through the first time...knowing that you are learning and creating. It's awesome! I played the guitar, clarinet (when I was a kid) and the Irish pennywhistle, but the piano sure has taught me alot about music...how the chords all come together, the harmonies. It's so very cool!!! I enjoy the learning process myself...and am excited to move onto something new!

Good luck with the Entertainer..I'm not there yet...I really love the Alfred series...it is awesome!

Happy playing everyone!

Nancy

I'm happy that my last lesson is OVER. This past week I did a ton of practicing out of Alfred's in hopes of getting as much passed as possible today. I didn't practice anything but the method book all week.

Got passed on Chiapanecas, Auld Lang Syne, O Sole Mio and Jericho. I was surprised she passed Chiapanecas because I stopped when I got to the 2nd ending and still hit the wrong notes. I think she was just being generous.

On the other hand, everything else that I played out of my sacred and classical book were absolutely awful. Then again, those are the same songs I've been playing for months and I'm sick of them. Both of those books are going into my bench, not to be touched for a long time.

I do want to keep fresh on how to figure out the minor scales and then how to turn them into harmonic minor scales. (P 126) Probably a page I'll copy and tape to my wall so it's in my face often.

This week I want to work on only The Stranger from Alfred's and start in my jazz book. I'm going to slow down in my Alfred book now that my lessons are over. I've gotten behind on my Bastien book so I'll do some work in there. I also have a video series I'm going to start in about 2 weeks.

Took a long break from Alfred's since I was already swamped in other pieces I was learning. Just concluded my practise session by opening up the book again, made significant progress with little effort on When the Saints go Marching in.

I recall that one being quite troublesome when I last used Alfred's some weeks ago or so.
Guess I just progressed quite a bit overall during that time, huzzah!

I LOVED playing the stranger, GracieCat.

Hey everyone!
Been lurking for a while, but am ready to join in!

I've been teaching myself off and on for years - and finally started lessons a month or so ago.

I'm using the Basic Adult Piano Course, and am up to Scarborough Fair. We started at Little Brown Jug, since I kinda knew what I was doing. We supplement the lessons with Hanon (I'm up to 8) and easier sections of selections from The Library of Piano Classics. Right now I'm working on the beginning of Mozart's K545, the beginning of Liadov's "The Music Box," and Bach's Minuet in G Major.

I'm having to spend another week on Scarborough Fair - my fingering seems to be okay, but I need to tweak the loudness and softness of it.

Looking forward to going through Alfred's with you all!

Aimee

Welcome Aimee,
I am playing Bach's Minuet 114 & 115 now too. I am really enjoying them.
Glad you joined our group. Its a great group of people.

Welcome aboard Aimee!

Sounds to me like you've been doing very well! Keep it up!

I dont know Glass, stil sounds fairly girly to me, but I'll let you off with that since you are actually of the female persuasion

and welcome Aimee Scarborough Fair is one of my favourite tunes and im at that piece right now aswell. Good luck !

Hello everyone!
I have been reading your posts jealously for months, but now it is my time!

(Insert Evil Laught)

At long last I got my teacher and my first lesson to start learning Piano. We are going to be using Hanon and a book that has most of the songs you have on the Alfred book... just everything in French. It changes a few songs but not many for what I have seen. (I have compared it via google books!)

Let's hope for the best. And remember, "It is the journey, not the destination".

Welcome GustavoF!!!
The most important question......Do you have to play Soufflez l'homme vers le bas? I sure hope not!!!!

Welcome Aimee and GustavoF, you'll find much help and encouragement here.

GlassLove, that was a good one. I had a feeling I knew what that was but I had to run a translation on it to be sure and yup, I was right. I took French in school for a couple years but that was decades ago!

GracieCat, congratulations on your progress. I'm jealous. The lesson I was supposed to have next Wednesday has been postponed until the Saturday following so I still have over a week of practicing Chiapanecas, Auld Lang Syne and O Sole Mio!. I should have enough time to get them far enough along to get them passed but you flew through some challenging pieces. Bravo!