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Yea book 2 seems to be moving on pretty smoothly. The 3/4 time songs seems to be the easiest, I took a sneak peak at the German "du" song and it seems to be a lot easier than the one I am working on. Funny because in book 1 I found myself struggling with the 3/4 time and now I like it best. I have a Casio keyboard with the "touch response" and seems you can't hold the notes as long as a regular piano, but then again mine is a wk-200 cost me about 150 dollars. I will probably get something nice when I am finished with book 3.

Wow. That does seem like a lot for the $$$. I'd looked a bit in the DP thread and had assumed you needed to spend upwards of 1500 to 2000 for 88 weighted keys. Thanks, sounds like I need to do some basic research.

By the way, the tip on simultaneous stac/legat worked fine. Now, if I could solve the problem in Overture of my left and right hands wanting to smash into each other.......

Hello everyone! I'm jumping into the Book Two thread as I've just graduated from Book One during my lesson I while ago

My teacher and I worked on the first couple of pieces Down in the Valley and Bridal Chorus and seeing as they were just reviews in the Key of C and much easier than Amazing Grace from Book 1, I almost sight-read them. I'm supposed to polish them until next week's lesson. My teacher switched my DP to "pipe organ" setting while I was playing Bridal Chorus, which elicited quite a few laughs I can't wait for the more challenging pieces in the book - around where do they start?

@ JimF: I think you need to spend around $500~600 for a decent Casio entry level DP. I initially started with a Casio CTK-800 keyboard with touch response (more or less $200) and thought I was happy with it until I played some acoustics at a music store and realized how weak my fingers were (plus the PW people convinced me to get something with weighted keys). Even though my Casio PX-720 was less than $1000, it was a major decision for me but I never regretted the purchase (though I do regret that I don't have enough money to buy something better ). I also don't have to worry about running out of keys, especially since my other non-Alfred pieces require the keys at the upper/lower end of the treble/bass.

Congrats Marimorimo on your graduation! I envy your having a teacher and think its time I really gave some thought to that issue, especially if I'm going to treat myself to a new "toy". When I get to little things like the triplet in Amaz Grace which begins with d#eg arpeggiated chord and ends with dc, its pretty obvious that having a teacher show me how in the world I'm supposed to play that would really be a lot easier than trying to work it out myself. I've no idea what I would do if youtube examples were not available to hear and look at.

I'm on third day of Overture and its finally starting to come together. Does anyone else ever have what I call "happy hands?" Thats when one hand or the other which isn't doing much tries to move for no real reason.
When I watch the accomplished players on youtube their hands always seem so "quiet" to me, very controlled and relaxed, and certainly not wanting to move for no reason at all.

Marimorimo,

Welcome to the Book 2 thread. The challenge will pick up fairly shortly, but if you can nearly sight read the first two you're off to a great start.

To all newcomers to the Book 2 thread,

Feel free to post recordings of yourself playing on this thread. It's a great way to have a "tangible" product once finishing a piece and to receive feedback. Personally, I find it very enjoyable to hear everyone's interpretation and personalization of the songs, it's fun.

I don't have "happy hands:, but I have "runaway hands." That's when one of my hands isn't doing anything much and tends to run away from the keyboard! Sometimes, I even end up thinking "Huh? Where did my hand go?"

@Waltz: I'm planning to post recordings, once I get over the laziness of bringing the laptop to the piano and connecting the midi cable to it!

Introduction and Dance (combined with some serious buildup of activity with work) delayed me for a few weeks. I am currently at a reasonable level of polish on that, Streets of Laredo, and Plaisir d'Amor (pardon the spelling there, it's off the top of my head... in fact, I may not even be close... it's that Elvis piece). But until I can grab a reasonable recording, you'll have to take my word for it.

House of the Rising Sun is next. Still can't believe I am only 40 something pages into this.

The half note has an augmentation dot - making it 3 beats long. I bet im not the first to mention this - but hay ho.

I had to go back and take a close look, and sure enough there is a dot in there! Amazing how I just didn't see it at all. Thanks for the heads up on this one.

Introduction and Dance... mercy, did I ever dislike this one.

http://www.box.net/shared/gskt2a0or7

And Streets of Laredo

http://www.box.net/shared/izntbmdn9l

Those were great, AW2PP! I am SO far behind you now. It takes me weeks to get a song to about half the level that you do. I was hoping to get to Book 2 before the end of the year, but I don't see that happening.

Well played! It's a tough piece, but it has a nice sound.

What is everyone working on now? Status updates

ETUDE opus 10 no 3.... I had been pretty much flying through book 2, but this one stopped me dead in my tracks. I'm glad because this song seems to be worth figuring out, The only song I skipped was Aloha Oe, I just cant sit there and spend hours trying to get that song right. Black Forest Polka was pretty easy once you get the pattern down, and it seems to be pretty much the same lesson learning about 1st and 2nd inversions? Is there any benefit to Aloha Oe that I will miss by skipping it? ETUDE seems to be worth trying to make a recording when its done because of the complexity.

Aloha is simply playing triad, 1st inversion, 2nd inversion, repeat... It's an exercise in inversions, so if you can do those without issue, you didn't miss too much.

How long have you played piano bobjr? You are a very quick learner regardless

And, by all means, make a recording of 10/3. I'd love to hear it! A thread earlier was debating the usefulness of simplified arrangements but I think you'll find this one rewarding.

Got started on Light and Blue this morning. Just read it through, noted the repeats and harder looking spots, clapped it, and started casually picking at the right hand notes. Suspect I will like it because I have a lot of piano blues ipod tunes and really enjoy that style. Polishing Overture and Guantanamera. Your tips on Overture were very useful and it now seems almost a trivial little piece. You can't beat that feeling when what once seemed insurmountable suddenly gels - when you know its all downhill from there.

Most of my practice time recently has been in piano stores!! Decided my little unweighted keyboard will eventually hold me back, so its time to step up. Have test driven 4 or 5 manufacturers and models from the very low end to the highest. Trying to decide between a Roland HP207 and a Yamaha CLP (looking at 330,340, and 380). If anyone can provide insight to these or other digitals it would be greatly appreciated.

AWtPP, good job on those two pieces... I know Intro & Dance is a bit hard and fast too. The important thing is to capture the technique they want you to try, and later on you can go back to it to make sound better. I should follow my own advice actually as I seem to spend too much time trying to "perfect" it so I can record it, which I really don't think is necessary. I think you played it just right.

Waltz: on status update, I paused at Olympic Procession as I got busy with chords and piano accompaniment exercises. I'm hoping to get back on the horse early next week.

JimF, sorry can't help with the piano search (I did that a few times and I know it's painful), I suggest you search the forum, there is lots of info on all kinds of pianos and keyboards.

Thanks, MiM. As to the technique, I wonder if anyone else noticed while they learned this... I got the sensation that my hands, especially my right hands, were moving vertically quite a bit. That I had to go up and down to fit fingers between the black keys. I mentioned this to my PT, and she said the unfamiliarity of jumping in between the black keys is the reason for this... but I thought I would throw this observation out to the rest of you.

Hi:

I would like to share my experience with DP's (digital pianos).

I started out with a Yamaha unweighted $299.00 keyboard. A year later I purchased a more advanced weighted/graded key Yamaha $1200..still not happy a year later. Then I purchased my Kawai acoustic Grand, I found it on Craig's list. Extremely happy, except my husband didn't like the loudness of it. Then the problem became finding a DP that touched like my Grand but could be practiced with head phones to keep the husband quiet, I ended up with a used Kawai MP9000 stage piano and I love it. I only have $1300. invested including a new amplifier (Peavey KB4). You definitely need weighted & graded keys its the only way you will learn touch control or at least that's what I call it. Check out your local Craig's list. My Piano Teacher has a Roland and I like it also but the touch is better on the Kawai. The reason I'm sharing this is to encourage you to not cheat yourself. "New" isn't always better. My Kawai DP was the top of the line when it was produced 10 years ago. I got a great buy on it used, so it cost me less than Yamaha's midrange weighted/graded new Digital pianos & It has better touch. I will be sending my Kawai DP after the first of the year to be serviced and lubricated just because I love it so much and I want to ensure I get the most out of it.

Good Luck shopping