Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum The Alfred Adult Users Supplement Pieces Thread

Hi All,
loly, aka Oxfords Gal thought it would be a good idea for those using the Alfred method series to have a supplement piece thread. This is for pieces that we are currently working on the side. So feel free to post, chat and upload the pieces as well as anything else related to your side work. Enjoy

Mark...

Just as a reference, here are the Alfred method book threads:

Alfred Adult Book One
http://www.pianoworld.com/ubb/ubb/ultimatebb.php?/topic/32/3619.html
Alfred Adult Book Two
http://www.pianoworld.com/ubb/ubb/ultimatebb.php?/topic/32/4340.html
Alfred Adult Book Three
http://www.pianoworld.com/ubb/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?/topic/32/4504.html

To start I'm currently working on the following side pieces that my teacher thought I'd like.

Downtown Beat. This is a nice Jazz piece (2 pages)that at first glance would seem too hard, but it amazingly fell right into place...

Blue Iris, (3 pages). Best to describe it as a contemporary piece. Love the sound...it has Monica written all over it... Its going well too.

The Swan (3 pages), having a very hard time with this one, may have to put it on the side for a later date. Nice piece none the less...

This from my wish list:

And finally Ludovico Einaudi's "I due fiumi", (3 pages) which I can actually play, but can't record clean...ugghh...

So what are you working on...

Mark...

I'm working on "Moonglow" in my Best Songs Ever (for easy piano) for class. I just finished "Yesterday" from the same book. I also am slowly working on Christifori's Dream (And I do mean slowly)on my own. I just ordered a Jazz/Rock course book for class, so will be starting that soon.

Char

Nice idea.

I'm not working on anything above the level I'm at with Alfred. I'm happy dipping into the following.

Dozen a Day prelim book
Barratt Classic course Book 1 - Don Giovani
Faber Adult Adventures Book 1.
Pam Wedgwood Upgrade for grades 0-1
Chester's Easiest rags

I've just acquired and started:
Bastien Classic Themes by the Masters.
Denes Agay Classics to Moderns Book 1. This appealed because they are the original compositions, not the adaptions so common in the early books.

Grade 1 books: Sight reading; Scales and Arpeggios; Theory.

I'm slow and far from perfect, but I see improvement and I'm thoroughly enjoying myself.

I'm presently working on CPE Bachs Solffeggieto and Beethovens Sonatina in G Major.

Soffeggieto is going very slowly, I don't like it too much right now but that's because I've listened to people playing it and mine sounds nothing like it at the moment. he he

My other piece is Beethovens Sonatina In G Major. I should start the second movement on that pretty soon.

Right now I'm trying to speed it up and it sounds totally different and it's actually fun because it sounds like a whole new piece.

Once I get it up to that speed and don't choke recording it, I'll record it.

My biggest thing is once I press the record button I start fumbling. I'd like to get past that.

I am working on (Beside's the Alfred's stuff):

Traumerei by Robert Schumann- Lovely piece. Just about ready to wrap it up. A couple little details to iron out, but should be calling it ready soon.

Oh Holy Night- this is for a Christmas party we are going to where I have been told I MUST play one carol on the hostess' piano!

Darn That Dream from the book The Best Jazz Standards Ever

And scales and chords and Hanon....

CPE Bachs Solffeggieto

anybody want to tackle this? It's very easy. the challenge is in doing it up to speed. I'm no where near there yet will take me a while

I stayed home all day yesterday and played trying to keep my mind off things for a while and I just couldn't muster this one.

here's someone playing it on youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1S8SLLGx2Lg&mode=related&search=

loly, if you learn this at speed, I'm kicking you out of the Alfred threads...lol

I think Z32 would be able to do it by next week he he

That guy on youtube worked on it for 4 months until he got it at that speed, that means that it'll probably take me a year.

That sounds like a great song Oxfordsgal. I might try it at some point. Right now though, I'm swamped. I'm afraid I might have to ask my teacher to put one piece on hold for a while. I have:

Hanon: 3-4 exercises weekly
Alfred 2: La Cucaracha, House of the Rising Sun
Suzuki 2: Cradle Song, Mozart Minuet, Mozart Arietta
Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach: Polishing Mussette
Easier version of Debussy's Reverie (Polishing)
Chopin Waltz 69.2
Beethoven's Ninth Symphony (Alfred arrangement)

My favorite of these right now is the Chopin. It is SO beautiful. I had to put it on pause for a while when school was particularly hectic. But now I've begun again and am trying to put hands together on the first page. Such a pretty piece....

I can't wait to tackle something by chopin too luvr.

I'm in pretty deep too. 4 scales, their arpeggios and cadences, trill exercise, chromatic scale, czerny exercise, and a little legato exercise from helen curtis.

on my pieces

helen curtis book 1

Grace Waltz smoothing it out


helen curtis book 2


beethovens sonatina in G major smoothing out last 8 measures of the first movement.

beethovens sonatina in G major starting second movement today

helen curtis book 3

solffeggieto which I abandoned for 2 weeks but I have to take it up now that I'm back on the horsey


beethovens minuet in G starting this today as well


alfreds book 2

olympic procession starting it today (pardon my spelling)

If I have time I'm going to try and squeeze another alfreds in since I do the all in one adult course it has almost double the amount of the regular one and I want to move into book 3.

You seem very pleased with the Helen Curtis books. Is there somewhere online where you can look at them? I've tried searching on Sheet Music Plus but have obtained no results.

let me tell you about helen curtis books they're nearly impossible to buy but i was lucky and one gal who came to the forum mentioned them briefly and at the time I wasn't studying with the teacher I'm studying with now, who teaches out of them.

I personally wouldn't have even ventured there but my teacher is a stickler for this method. I would have been content with alfred's. i do have to say that my teacher plus this method has changed me dramatically in the 2 months i've been with her.

she sent them to me but she had given me the info on the store where she purchased them and i had contacted them and they were willing to ship.

helen curtis takes you through the paces it's a very fast course. by the end of book 2 you have pieces that IMO aren't even in most book 4's. It's very intense but with her guidance she makes it possible.

let me see if I can dig up the info


yay I had saved the email


Yes we do stock all levels of the helen curtis
fundamental piano series. I am currently on the road
at the music trade show but I beleive the price is
$7.95. If you call the store at 888 327 4266 toll free
we will be glad to hold or ship the item for you. Ask
for eric.

Wow am I excited!!!!

I had so much fun in class yesterday, but in thinking I do every week. God Bless my teacher she is brilliant and teaches with such enthusiasm.

I'm headed into Beethoven Sonatina G 3rd movement. 1st and 2nd movement are about ironed out, I need a week more of tweaking provided this week is good for practicing.

Grace waltz is finished. We added the pedal to it and it sounds even nicer.

soldiers march will be finished, just needs minor tweaking on the timing. She wants me to do this and the minuet because of the 16th note rythym. The first note of the 16th is dotted half and the second note is regular time so it has a completely different rythym she wants me to get accustomed to.

minuet in g is going to be ongoing. it's more of an exercise in timing and building strength in my 4th and 5th fingers.

aloha will be finished. i played it too fast for her liking so have to slow it down but it's done note wise and dynamic wise

starting Black Forest Polka in Alfred's 2 this week.

Much to my delight yesterday she's starting me on my first Chopin Prelude 16. A simple Chopin but extremely beautiful and popular. I can't seem to find the one that's in my book by that name. the only one I can find is Prelude 16 which is way advanced and fast as blazes.

Even more to my delight she announced that we were going to start different rhythm's soon. She brought out a book of Spanish music and much to my delight, I have those books so no trip to the book store for me. teee heeee

I have just purchased a very interesting book that my teacher and I will soon embark upon: The Sonatina Album by Alfred. Does anyone else have any experience with it? I have looked through and am really looking forward to beginning. It's basically a collection of sonatinas progressing from most simple to most challenging; and of course it includes the classic Clementi pieces and Beethoven and Kuhlau and so forth. Personally, I can't wait!

Just to bring this thread some life.


I'm currently spending most of my time in early book 3 doing two page pieces that are very nice for the most part. I'm also cleaning up and playing stuff in book 2.

Not a lot of time for side work. My wife did give me a piece from the TV show "Lost" which is simple yet very nice...

Swinging sevenths, (this is so easy it's a breath of fresh air for me.) Musette from English Suite by Bach, Clementi opus 36.1 first second and third movement, opus 36.6, Chopin Waltz in A minor, and speeding up Lynes sonatina first, second and third movement.

No pressure, no pressure at all. I'm thinking of playing hookey tomorrow

I agree that this thread is very useful to all beginners. I hope to get feedback and guidance about good pieces to work on in addition to Alfred's.

I'm still working in Alfred's Book 1, so there is not much I am capable of playing. My supplemental practice right now is some scales, exercises from Hanon, and I am want to select one or two easy exercises from Czerny. In the Alfred's, I stick to the method book to work on the techniques they want mastered at each point. For supplemental pieces, I am more forgiving on my technique since I plan to try lots of easy pieces a few times each so I can also develop my sight reading skills.

So far, working on easy, new pieces without the "perfection stess" of mastering the method book challenge of the week is a nice change of pace.

I have aquired a few Grade 1 and Grade 2 repertoire books and a few of the "easier" classical compositions so I can begin working on stuff outside of Alfred's lovely tunes. Although many pieces are still beyond me, I am trying to make a list in order of progressive difficulty so I can begin working on them.

Here is the music library I am working from. If you have played any particular pieces you recommend for someone working in Alfred's Book 1, any suggestions would be welcome.

- Czerny: Practical Method for Beginners, Op. 599
- David Carr Glover Piano Repertoire (Lvl 1 and Lvl 2)
- Favorite Melodies The World Over, Level 1 by Jane Smisor Bastien
- Streabbog: 12 Very Easy and Melodious Studies, Op.63
- Bach: First Lessons in Bach (Selections from Anna Magdalena's notebook and his easier inventions)
- Berens: 50 Piano Pieces for Beginners, Op.70
- Burgmuller: 25 Easy and Progressive Studies for the Piano, Op. 100 (Doesn't look easy to me!)
- Clementi: Preludes and Exercises
- Music for Millions - Easy Classics to Moderns (Vol 17) by Denes Agay

Have a great day!

good choices..

i'd also suggest some popular sheet music with chordnames written in (or hymnal type music) to reinforce the the theory you are absorbing.

that will help you understand the chordal structure of the keys you are playing in..

i really like the Alfred's Adult Course

if you are really serious about learning quickly i'd focus intensely on exercises, scales and arpeggios... they're invaluable.

Sounds like your really working with a plan and a purpose. Way to go. Hope you join the recital.

Mark...