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

Thanks...something about that simple piece I really like.

Its a lot of work getting a clean recording, even on short pieces. but a by product of doing it is that it improves your piano skills.

So come on...lets hear something. I can add it to the opening page. I'm trying to get all the Alfred songs uploaded to the thread to help others...

Mark

I am in book 2 and on the last song, "Cannon in D." Wish me luck!!!

Congrats on finishing book two. Thats a major accomplishment!!

Canon in D is a great piece. Funburger has it on video and did a masterful job playing it.

Will you be going to book three?

Mark

Well, I'm finally back on track with Alfred's Book 2. I've been sidetracked by numerous things, but I'm going to really try to continue on with this book each week. So far, I'm up to Brahms Lullaby, which I started today, and it looks like I'll be finishing it today as well.

Well the timing and rhythm on the "Hokey Pokey" is driving me nuts...

I know what you mean. I wasn't sorry to let that one go when my teacher told me I could move on. Hang in there...

Char

Hmm...La Raspa's driving me nuts. It's not hard or anything. It's just annoying. I started Scherzo today too (I only work on about 2 Alfred pieces a week cuz I have a bunch of random stuff). Really, it's the first song that I really liked in this book. The lyrics are fun!

That was very nice Mark.

I've been wondering how you guys define easy! :rolleyes: I found Guantanamera {number 3 in the all in one}a bit of a struggle, those beginner stutters all too obvious.

I've just started looking at Light and Blue - RH. I like it. Help please! How do I play the tremolo on the last chord? I've never come across it before. Is it simply playing the notes as written in the explanation very fast and is that the meaning of the extra beams? Similar to an arpeggiated chord but not holding the first note(s)down when playing the second?

The tremolo is an option. I'm not familar with the term. (I'll check with the teacher) I just have been playing it as written. Its one of my favorite pieces in book 2 by the way...

Thanks Mark. I've been working on it today. It's fun and not as difficult as I expected, and fun isn't a word I've applied to many of Alfred's pieces. The work on the blues pieces in book one paying off methinks. I think it is going to be one of my favourites too.

Just got done with Village Dance! That was a fun lil' piece! I learned it my first way through. Probably my fastest learning a new song!

To do the tremolo, you have to alternate between the notes really quickly. I can't quite explain it because the book isn't right in front of me. But, if I recall correctly, in the little diagram they provide they have one note of the left hand corresponding to one in the right and then the other left hand note corresponding to the other two in the right. So you play those groups together, only really quickly. I think. If that makes no sense, then please ignore me. My excuse: it's 2:15 in the morning.

sundew, funburger recorded light and blue on google video and it should be on this thread. she did a great tremolo and a great job. she's so talented

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6893189391630880037

i'm back on alfred's but not as heavy as I want. I asked my teacher if we could continue since I like to finish what I started and she said "yes", so I'm on space shuttle blues right now aside from the other 5 things she has me working on.

oooo I love space shuttle blues. i loved it so much I kept at it last night to polish it up and neglected my "meaty" pieces. I'm going to be in trouble. ooooooooooooooooooo

Good to hear, I'm almost there...and I also like the night song too

Pianoluvr - thanks for the explanation.
Oxfordsgal - thanks for the link. I had read the thread through but had forgotten about that.

Nice to learn something new, if only the how. For now I'm sticking to the basic chords but will give tremolo a separate practice. Oh to be able play that fast! Some day.....

I've just about memorised it, which is not something that comes easily, and it has made me think about how liking a piece makes such a difference to what I achieve with it. I do like the blues so am looking forward to Space Shuttle, sometime next year probably.

I'm now struggling to avoid playing staccato with both hands in Hungarian Rhapsody. A snail could move faster!

I found "Night Song" on You Tube...Its done very well. So if anyone needs to hear it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0GxhPkY4Ho

Wow Mark - I am playing this way too slow if that was how it should sound.

My ear likes it slower (perhaps because it's the only version till now), so I will need to listen to this a lot.

Thanks.

I was playing it slower too. I also like it slow too. This comes from a studio and I believe this is a teacher playing. So I think we need to speed it up...

My teacher will be going over it today, so I'll know for sure later...