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

Hi Guys,

Its been sometime since I posted in this forum now. I am currently in Page 88 of "Alfred's All-in-one course" working on "London Bridge" and "Michael, Row the Boat Ashore".

Working with six or more notes for the right hand (using Right Thumb for C & D) looks a bit tricky for now as against to C, Middle C and G positions which were easy to play with intervals. Anyway, I will keep working my way through it.

Anybody in the same boat as me??

Also I need to ask u guys something. Currently I am simultaneously working with the pieces of my level from Alfred's and Bastien's course books. I would like to play some easy classical pieces. Could you suggest me some?

You might try Moonlight Sonata in Dm. Its an easier version yet has a very nice sound none the less. Its three pages. Its taken me a few months to get it down, but it's worth the effort.

Mark

Here's my very first recording ever on this forum. It's from my faber book and extremely short. sorry, I did it on a whim and by take 9 I got a recording I felt I could post.

criticize me (Mario I hope you see this. teehee), as I mentioned on the alfreds 2 thread, I have no talent, not gifted but I do love to learn so any criticism will be well received.

I did set my camera up last night and hopefully I'll be able to record something on tape for Mario to see.

ps I have an appt with a russian teacher who graduated from music in russia tomorrow and another appt with a teacher who is retired but still wants to teach on monday. her backround is playing for 40 years, plays for church and does voice in choir. Both are strong on teaching technic, yay. wish me luck, I still have 4 more to go through after these 2.

http://www.box.net/shared/kbzkpr08ty

That was nice loly...you should put it in the June piano bar where more will hear it...

good idea Mark, I'll do that

Well here is my first post the the forum and I am so happy I found a thred that dont make me feel completly dumb. Mark737 it is helpfull to see how others are cooping. I for some strange desire decided to take another shot at learning piano at age 60 I tried it a few years back but gave up. I am using The Older Beginner Piano Course by James Bastien. It sounds like the Alfreds book is similer . I have yet to get a teacher but I might some time. Right now I am some place in the Key of G and F . I look forward to folowing this thread.

Welcome to Piano World Don. There is a thread here called "Its never too Late" which is so true. So don't let a delayed start get you down. It's all about enjoying your practice, being patient and getting better each day, week, month and year.

In regard to a teacher, I personally recommend one, although many self teacher very well. In my case I started with a teacher in February and she has helped me get though some tough areas.

So don't be a stranger and enjoy Piano World...

Mark

I guess I am just about at the same level as Don with my return to piano playing, or should I say learning to play, except I'm 63...but please don't spread it around. . I had piano lessons in my early teens when it was considered necessary, or compulsory, to learn to play a musical instrument; I think I gave up at 14 or 15. I played Classical Guitar for several decades so I'm fortunate to have the rudiments of music theory to help me a little. I've found great inspiration by lurking around this site and am using the Alfreds method too. I bought a low end digital piano which I will change up once I'm sure I'm truely addicted. It's slow going at the moment but I just keep taking a rest then going back to it and find things are beginning to sink in. A great site, thanks Folks.

Welcome Redcoat, it sounds like with your back-round you should progress pretty fast. Keep us posted with your progress and any questions.

Mark

yay more newbies Welcome all glad to have you here. It's never too late, just enjoy the journey and keep us posted.

redcoat All I can say isn't it great to be young.Now if I could just get so I change cords to what the music says, instead of what my mind tends to want to do I might make it to the next page . Hang in there with me.

Mark737 and loly,

When you get a chance, let me know the URL of your YouTube channels if you got them. I'll then send out a "Friend Invite" so that we can start our "Private" YouTube piano lessons. I probably won't be able to record anything for you guys in the next couple weeks. But I will likely have time starting in July.

Ok Mario, I'm hoping to record something this weekend. I keep trying but my new little puppy has different ideas. I got the firecracker of the litter and he eats up so much time. he goes full blast from the time I get home till almost bed time.

he's usually down for some serious napping on weekends because we have so much time with him that it wears him out. I have it planned out pretty good for tomorrow. we bought him a good sized pool and after he swims he goes down for the count, so i'm setting the camera up before his pool time so I can record while he's napping. wish me luck!!!

I took delivery of the CD to accompany my Alfred’s Method yesterday. I actually ordered it before loly kindly uploaded some of the tracks earlier. I ordered it online from the USA so the shipping was longer and our customs probably held it for awhile. Anyway, my decision right off is - I’m glad I bought it, I’m trying to self teach so any help I can get is good. I found I had been cracking on through the book at too fast a pace and the CD has persuaded me to slow down a little. I hadn’t been paying enough attention to dynamics and tempo…I was playing far too slowly and when you speed up playing things gets harder, so I’ve back tracked to the earlier part of the book and started again. Thankfully I had only been playing a couple of weeks so I haven’t wasted too much time. A teacher would have picked me up on a number of points which the CD has helped me with. The CD is recorded in two parts, one stereo track is the student part, the actual song written in the book, and the other stereo track is an accompaniment, which would normally be played by the teacher. If you use in-ear headphones you can plug just the side playing the accompaniment into one ear and play along with it on your piano, there’s nothing like having to keep up with someone else playing for sharpening up your timing. As mentioned earlier in this thread, it’s disappointing they used such a tinny, electric, sounding piano to record the student part but the plus side to that is it makes my entry level digital piano sound great .I guess I shouldn’t advertise but I bought my CD from www.music44.com .

good job redcoat, glad it's working out for you.

If you have a vhs recorder that you can record yourself, it would be awesome for you to upload the videos so that Mario, can critque them.

BTW Mario, I recorded the 3 pieces I'm on. There are some mistakes especially when my neighbor was mowing his lawn outside my window. going to upload them to youtube this evening. I'll give you the url and I'll make it private.

thanks so much for doing that. You rock

Thanks loly but I'm afraid it's way too early for me to commit my playing (fumbling?) to recording, but once I think I've got something useful to put online I'll connect my piano up to my PC. Anyway, I'm enjoying playing my piano at the moment which is the object of the exercise for me.

Hey Don , how're you doing? One thing I've discovered is I need to get a new eye test as my present reading specs aren't up to reading the music for too long before I need to rest my eye's, that's a job I need to get sorted next week. Apart from that I'm beginning to make steady progress, I'm just fumbling around page 59 now.

Well I did it. I started lessons last night. I am not sure how it's going to work out yet as I felt the instructor was distracted by her cell phone and in a hurry. I will give it and her a fair try however it was only my first lesson at least in a lot of years and it was more of a get to know each other and for her to figure out where I am at. I am sure it will help in the long run. :Redcoat talk about fumbling I was a case of nerves last night and could not play much of anything right. My hands were shaking.
Good luck on the new eyes. :rolleyes:

I'm making good progress so far with my lessons.

My second lesson was almost 2 weeks ago (third lesson will be this Friday). In the time between the 1st and 2nd lessons, I managed to blast through most of the first half of Alfred's book 1 (up to "Lavender's Blue" on page 52).

My pride got the best of me at my second lesson, and proudly told my teacher how far I got in the book. She asked me to play the song, which I did with no real problem, and then quickly put my pride in check by having me play the songs on page 54 and 55 (the progress "brick wall" which I am now noticing in a big way)

"London Bridge" was quite manageable, but Michael wasn't able to Row the Boat Ashore, as for some odd reason I made the weirdest of mistakes (forgetting to play the left hand notes, next try I forgot the right hand notes of the second line, and more). And no, I couldn't at all Blow the Man Down.

However, I've been practicing those songs as well as the following songs ("Lone Star Waltz" and "Cafe Vienna"), and I feel like I'm figuring things out little by little. A good feeling.

When I get brave enough I'll post a recording of an attempt (I know you're not laughing at me, you're laughing with me)

Hi perplexed, I think I must be using a different Alfred's Method book, page 52 in my book has a song called "The Bandleader". I also picked up a second hand piano method book the other day called "The Older Beginner Piano Course" Level 1 by James Bastien, it follows much the same way of teaching as the Alfred's but without a lot of the additional theory, intervals, etc., which I find confusing. Although, I'm sure the Alfred's is more comprehensive and a lot of people use it, so it must be the better way to learn. I'm musing on getting a teacher at the moment, I'll have to see if I can get one recommended by someone.

Great news on the lessons.

And you are so on the money about the page 52-55 page brick wall. From here on things will slow down.

As I stated earlier in this thread, it took me about 4-6 weeks to get to page 55 and then 5-6 months to finish the book, which I still visit today. I don't think I could of done it with out my teacher too. She got me through some tough spots.

So don't let the harder and more difficult pieces get you down, its all part of the process. Keep up the good work

Mark