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JF,

Yea, I must of put a lot of subconscious pressure on myself for my formal recital. I think it was negatively affecting everything pertaining to the piano. Of course you read in my other thread on how that all turned out.

I'm definitely planning on participating in the quarterly ABF recitals from here on out. I plan on purchasing a camcorder this week that has good video and audio capabilities. I'm hoping this will help me archive my work and progress. I don't know if I will participate in the monthly piano bars since I'm not for sure what all of that consists of. I'll go look at the threads and see.

"La Donna" is in fairly good shape now. I would have it ready for this week's lesson if I had one. So it will have to wait for two weeks. I'm debating on whether to tackle "Frankie and Johnny" on my own or to spend the extra time on my other assigned pieces.

The monthly piano bars are a good way to get experience recording pieces and getting polite, helpful feedback from other Forum members - it's a lot less formally structured than the recitals, so I hope you decide to submit some of your recorded study pieces.

I'm currently working on Fascination and reviewing the Etude, Op. 10.

Regards, JF

Finished Fascination - starting on Deep River (4 more to go after this)- also still reviewing the Etude & hoping to get a good recording of it for the next recital maybe?

Regards, JF

I should be finished with "La Donna" this week for sure. I decided not to pursue "Frankie and Johnny" on my own since I had two additonal pieces assigned to me from other books. Either way, it's nice to finish a piece up and move on.

I've been working on "Memory" from the solo book for the past two weeks. Shockingly, it sounds decent with the short amount of time I've been working on it. I remember about this time last year my teacher gave me this book to start working through and it would take 2-3 months to make it through one piece. When I think about this it makes me realize and appreciate the hours of work that I've put into this piano thing has really paid off.

In addition to bumping this thread back onto the first page, I wanted to let you know that I’m still progressing through Book 2. I’m currently working on “The Hokey-Pokey” and “Night Song”.

I was away on vacation for a week and this was the first time I’d missed even a day of practice since I began. I was worried about how much this week away was going to set me back. As things turned out, it actually seemed to help me more then it hurt me! Not only was I able to pick right up where I left off, but I found I was actually doing better on one piece.

Undone - Glad to hear you're still with us marching thru Book 2

I had the same worry when I first went on vacation after starting to learn piano and even took a small portable keyboard along on several trips. But that got to be a pain so I thought I'd try a vacation without playing, and it worked out pretty much as you say your experience was - it only took me one practice session to get back up to speed and the time away refreshed my desire to get back into it ASAP!

Currently starting on "Loch Lomond", finishing up "Deep River" and still reviewing the Chopin Etude 10.3.

Cyborg - "Memory" has such a beautiful melody - hope to hear a recording of it by you someday soon!

Regards, JF

JF,

I finished "Memory" this week. It took me only three weeks (record for me in this book) to get it to a point where my teacher said it was good enough so let's move on. It's not super polished but I might work on it some more and try to get it recorded. I really enjoyed working on this piece.

This week I was given "Nadia's Theme" to work on from the same book. After working a little with it last night I think it will take two to three weeks to get it down. Then it's only "Cruella de Ville" and I'm done with the Solo book!!! The next book in the Alfred Solo series doesn't look to be as good but we'll see.

Also, I was assigned "Frankie and Johnny" this week after having a week off from Book 2. I hope to have this one down by my lesson next week.

I'm also working on another piece from a more advanced book that is keeping my busy to say the least.

Cyborg - Frankie and Johnnie is a fun song to do - it's an old folk song that goes way back. here's two versions, one instrumental and one vocal in case you never heard it before, just to get an idea of how it should sound:


Frankie and Johnnie - hot piano


Frankie & Johnnie - Elvis


Just finished "Loch Lomond" in Book 2 - 4 more to go.

Regards, JF

JF - Thanks for the links!

I finished up Frankie and Johnnie this week. A fun piece indeed, so it's too bad I got it down so quickly. My teacher went ahead and assigned to me, "Black is the Color of my True Love's Hair". I could half-way sight read the piece at 1/2 of its intended tempo. I'm slowly getting better at sight reading.

I think I can have this piece in great shape by my next lesson, along with "Nadia's Theme". I can see the end of the book is approaching.

Finishing up "Love's Greeting" (Salut Damore) this week - only 3 pieces remaining to "conquer" in Book 2 - still reviewing from about the halfway point.

Regards, JF

I’ve been bogged down for awhile with Hava Nagila and Olympic Procession. I’m close to done with Hava, but the left hand jumps in Olympic are still pretty rough.

Undone

JF, good job!

I know I'll be glad to be out of this book. I'm rather sick of looking at it. I'm aiming to finish up around Labor Day at my current rate. This is assuming my teacher doesn't decide to take me in another direction for a couple of weeks here and there.

It's going to be lonely in this thread once a few of us finish up.

Undone - I had a great time with Hava Nagila - really enjoyed working on that - a real fun piece - I have a fairly good recording of it I may submit to a future recital (although I think I can improve it somewhat until then).

Olympic Procession was a bit tough for me too - I posted a recording of it back on page 1 in the Original Post.

Keep up the good work - nice to know you're still with us here!

Cyborg - thanks and the same to you. Funny, but I'm shoting for a Labor Day finish for Book 2 also - although I'll still spend some time after that reviewing select pieces before heading into Book 3.

You're right about this becoming a lonely thread - unless some of the rather nice group currently working thru Book 1 move over together, which it looks like they will. They seem to be a close-knit, suppotive bunch.

Regards, JF

I finished up "Black is the Color of my True Love's Hair" this week. Now it's onto "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" along with other things this week!

Hello book 2ers. I've been playing almost a year now and I'm a month or two into book 2.

I'm now starting the Mexican Hat dance. I have trouble with anything that requires my fingers be between black keys. Maybe I have fat fingers, but its hard for me.

I previously use to move on and practice only my new material, and I've now realized I've forgotten everything from book 1. I'm relearning Amazing grace and the Entertainer.

And btw, I enjoyed the JoAnn Castle video on youtube. I moved on from there to her playing the Beverley Hillbillies theme.

Looks like I'll be the only one left in book 2 soon.

Hi all, I'm still a book 1er but was hoping to get into 2 while this thread was still going strong, but that looks like that may not happen. I'm still in book one, starting on O Sole Mio so I still probably have another month or 6 weeks in book one.

Are all you book 2 soon-to-be graduates planning on moving straight to book 3? How does/did your experience in book 2 compare to #1?

Ok back to the piano, see if I can't get O Sole Mio going shortly...

Zak

I've just started Book 2, I romped through the first pieces...easy peasy, but I'm on Overture (page 13) now, it looks easy on first glance but then I noticed the staccato dots, trying to play staccato in one hand and legato in the other needs practice, I think I will be on that page for some time.

Hi bperry & crusader, welcome to book 2! And hello to Muzak, looking forward to having you join us on this thread. I don’t think you have to worry about being alone in book 2 land; only three of us have been posting for a while now, and here we already have three new comers (not to mention the fact that I have a long way to go before I’ll see the end of book 2).

So far I have found book 2 to be quite a bit more challenging the book 1 was (I guess this is to be expected). You’ll get a couple of pieces that are relatively easy, then some that will take you much longer to perfect, then another easy one or two thrown in, and on it goes. In some cases, the “easier” ones are introducing techniques that you will need for the harder piece just around the corner.

Anyway, great to have all of you here; I was afraid I was going to be left all by myself before long.

Undone

I'm glad to see some new Book 2 posters. I was concerned about Undone being here all by him/herself.

BPERRY,

I have big hands and have some trouble fitting them in between the black keys too. I'll say that it will get easier because you acquire the knowledge/skill/memory that you know how your hand/fingers need to be positioned to fit. I still have a ways to go in that department but it isn't as bad as when I started Book 2.

MUZAK,

I didn't use Alfred's Book 1 with my first teacher, so I can't comment on it. I've gathered from my teacher that we will move immediately into Book 3. She said we will probably skip through some of the pieces.

Zak - I'll definitely be going into Book 3, and I'm really excited and anxious to get into it, but I'm going to delay it slightly while I finish my review of select pieces in Book 2 (just to polish them off to my satisfaction).

Book 2 continues the Book 1 pattern of gradual technical progression combined nicely with music across a fairly wide spectrum of the musical genres (a big positive aspect of the Alfred Adult series). And while the pieces in 2 become more difficult they also become much more interesting and enjoyable, musically speaking. In other words, if you liked 1 you should really like 2 even more.

Welcome to all the new people here in 2 - and remember that even when we move on to 3 some of us will still monitor the 2 thread to offer encouragement or answwer any questions we can.

Regards, JF