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I would like to let everyone know about some books and videos done by one of the regular members here at Pianoworld. You can see what she has to offer on her site at

Learn Piano With Rosa

I am starting a thread about her books because I know that others have purchased them and that Rosa will give help to anyone that asks for help in the thread.

Here are a few things that may interest some of you about the work that Rosa has done.

There are things in her method for everyone, lots of different rhythm patterns, fills, and just everything that anyone, beginner or intermediate, can use. Theory is also explained so you don't miss out on any of it. These are demonstrated on hymns, but Rosa also has a video that shows how they apply to all types of music.
She has a book for playing by ear that will go nicely with her Color Chord Improvisation Books!
She stays on a rhythm or pattern long enough that there is no doubt left in your mind as to how to do the things she is teaching....and all her videos in the book are like this. Just a great learning tool!

She also has a Virtual Piano Score on the DVD that makes it easier to read melody notes and play on the keyboard.
One of the many things in Rosa's methods is the Asian Notation method that she uses in her Play By Ear book. It makes music so simple and easy to play in any key you want. It's such a simple way to write out the melody line, using the scale degrees and a simple method of notating the note value, with the chords written above in our own Roman Numerals that we are used to. You can use this Asian system to write out a lead line and then it's so easy to play in any key you want to.
Check out her site. Rosa is a fantastic person and is doing some great things in teaching Piano.

Dale

Sounds like you are enjoying the book Dale. Are you using the Playing-by-ear Book or the Color Chord Improv book? (Or both?)

I know that Rosa is in the process of establishing a forum for her courses, but it's not quite ready yet. Until it's up and running, I am sure she would answer people's questions via email.

I am using both Rosanna. Alene wrote a message at Piano Magic about how much she liked the Arabic notation in the Play by Ear book, so I purchased it and I am glad that I did. I can see very early on that it is a great way of teaching that will keep students from being afraid to play in any key after you learn the numbers.

Dale

Hehe Dale, it's the "Asian" notation system, not "Arabic"!!

I had Asian in the first post and messed it up in the second one. Thanks Rosanna for keeping me straight.

Dale

I'm so glad Rosa's books are now ready and they can either be downloaded or get the physical product. Just wish someone would have written these books years ago as they are SO thorough in the presentation.

The Asian Notation system applied to playing piano is wonderful. Rosa taught it to me a few months ago and I use it for any song.....as Dale says, just write out a lead line using this system and you can easily play it in all keys which is a lot of fun and makes it so simple. Rosa has a gift of being able to explain things very clearly plus all the mp3's, dvd's, and midi's in her books that you can't possibly miss what she is teaching. The Play By Ear book teaches the Asian Notation and the CCI books make a great companion because they teach all different kinds of rhythms and patterns you can use with a regular lead line (fake book) or write out your own in the Asian system and play easily in all keys. I've never seen any course so complete as her's are.

Alene

Thanks Dale for your kind words and I am thrilled that you are enjoying the course. I am so excited that my books went online because so far I am only able to teach my present group of students locally and the program is working well for them. As you know, initially all this began as I was trying to figure out how to train up church pianists to play for the church within half a year. I am still actively following up on them on a weekly basis to build up their confidence to play publicly for the church. I hope now my goal is not so limited and can reach worldwide online.

Oh about the Asian music notation, I understand why you put 'Arabic' cuz I was constantly telling people to differentiate the Arabic numbers from the Roman numerals. As Alene says, some months ago, in our private casual conversation, I mentioned this Asian notation to her, and I was shock to hear that many people are not aware of it. I thought everyone knows about it. It is so simple that you can just learn it in one day. I didn't have someone teach me this, but about 19 years ago, when I saw some old men singing songs using these numbers and how easy it was to think in numbers to play in all 12 keys that I trained myself to do this notation. People can actually teach themselves to do this so when my students wanted to learn this, they asked me to do a set of videos for them to follow, and that's how all those videos in PBE came about, so that they have a set program to discipline them to improve.

For those who ask about whether there is ear training for 'play by ear' in my PBE book, there are only some sketchy exercises to show what ear training is involved. My exercises are only some examples for you but there are not enough drills if this is what you are looking for. If you really want ear training, the books put out by Mark Harrison is useful because he goes into detail on ear training drills. I am not specialized in this area.

Mine basically shows how you can play the 20 hymns that I have chosen plus a few Christmas and folk songs by ear and once you master the skill, you can learn to play songs quickly in 12 keys. You need to first rely on the notation to gain some competence. Once you get a hang of it, you can throw away the notation. The Asian notation is just one way to escalate your learning process. There are other ways to learn to play in all 12 keys, mine is just one possible and quick way and that's why I teach it.

Some dedicated people are helping me out to set up a forum, and I thank them because I am not able to manage how to use all this computer stuff. I hope to be able to answer more specific questions in that forum.

In the meantime, I am just so THRILLED I can contribute and share my approach with other students who are also wanting to play well at church, or for themselves at home and at parties.

All my experiences are from playing at church. There is nothing new in the music theory part, maybe the Asian notation, but actually that is not new. It's been in existence since the 19th Century and people in China use them a lot because it is easy. You need no musical staff. You just write numbers. It is great for composers as the numbers are independent of key. But I want to say that even that is not new; I never made that up. I just used that simple notation to see how to teach my students here better so that they don't have to spend years to learn music and to play well.

So for people who are getting my course, the music theory is not new. It's just my approach that students find new because they have never seen it. For those songs I chose, I did some research and tried to give a one page background of the composer and the song writer so that they know why the song was composed. For eg. we sing Silent Night a lot but we have no idea of the background, so I included a one page story plus some spiritual teaching there and it is not really piano related but it's good for piano players to know cuz that's how I teach them at church.

The program works great at my church because I see them here and I give them help when they get stuck. I follow up when I see them play. For online, I am trying it out cuz I don't see my students online, so I don't know whether a course like this without a live teacher present can make the program work as smoothly, thus the thought of using the forum as a follow up.

Anyhow, I want to thank you for sharing in my excitement and the emails I have received for encouraging me. I am no music expert as I just want to share the program that worked so greatly at church that I don't want to keep it to myself and want to share this with more people. The more the merrier.

Rosa

Thanks for posting this. I would have never known the course existed.

I just placed my order and can't wait to get it!

Rosa!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow I'm thrilled and impressed, I didn't even know you'd done that!! and that Asian notation may be just what I need to help me with other keys?

Good luck with it


best wishes


Lee

:)Thanks Lee....pretty kool eh? Can't believe this is happening. Yes, that Asian notation will get you playing in all keys.

Rosa

Hey Rosa: Congratulations on a great looking website. I wish you all the best in your endeavor.

Just wanted to let people know that Rosa's forums are now up and running and available to all people that have purchased one of her books. Several people have joined and I think it will be a very interesting forum for people playing by ear or by chording with or without lead lines.

Would love to have people join us!

http://www.learnpianowithrosa.com/