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Hi Romolo - congrats on Little Brown Jug!!! How long did it take you?

Thanks dee180...I'd say about 4 days

Wow, Romolo, that was quick! I'm still stumbling through it, although it IS getting better. I don't mind the occasional missed note, but there are still way too many pauses. Still, it's coming along WAY easier than "Good People". :-)

I can play of those pieces but at a okay pace...still working on both of them, trying to increase the tempo...especially LBJ.

Wow, I'm really happy for the people who got "Little Brown Jug" down. I'm still on "Money Can't Buy Everything" so I'm still a long way off from you guys, but I'm already looking forward to LBJ! I started a couple of weeks ago and I'm glad I decided to get a teacher instead of striking out on my own. First, she was the one who introduced me to Alfred which I think is a great method book and her advice on playing are things that I would never have figured out on my own! So for those who are self-studying, I recommend getting a teacher or at least a good pianist friend to critique your playing. You'll be surprised at the little things you never noticed were wrong!

Wow Romolo that was fast!!!!! How many hours do you practice a day? I do a half hour a day, more on the weekends.
I'm finally getting LBJ - lots of pauses though. It's the notes that I can't read that slow me down. I have to write the notes on the book otherwise I forget them. Ah....a true OLDER beginner.

Working on On Top Of Old Smoky.
Nice these first broken chords: these arpeggios are simple, but effective.
In a couple of hours I hope to play OTOOS a little faster at a OK pace.

I'll practice about 20-30 minutes a day...but sometimes twice a day. My girlfriend, who's been play for years, tells me it's better to practice for about 20-30 minutes at a time. As long as you're practicing the right way. She says to go as slow as you have to make sure you're hitting the right notes. Then it'll just stick in your brain and you'll be able to play at a faster pace. Even if it's really slow where you can't even identify the song you're playing, it's ok as long as your hands and brain are introduced to it correctly, it'll stick. So I usually practice for about 20-30 minutes a day, but usually twice a day, sometimes 3 times a day if I have time. More on the weekends too. Perfect practice makes perfect she says.

I just started with "Chiapanecas"...it's not so bad...fairly easy compared to "Little Brown Jug" but fun to play. I woke up this morning and tried to play both "Good People" and "Little Brown Jug" at an increased pace and I did it. It really seems like the time between my practice sessions are a big help. Cuz yesterday I couldn't play either pieces at a fast pace, but then this morning, I could, on the first try. It's weird...lol

That's good advice, Romolo. When I start a new piece, I'm painfully slow - you wouldn't even know what I'm playing. Then I get the notes down and then I speed it up.
LBJ is getting better and better. Still hate it though

I'm working on O Sole Mio now. It looks a little easier than LBJ and Chiapanecas. I still have trouble with measure 5 on LBJ. For some reason I often substitute measure 9 for measure 5. It is good to have someone else hear your playing occasionally. They can point out trouble spots or help polish other areas.

Measure 5 of LBJ also gave me trouble...so I practiced that separately for a bit...very slowly...over and over again.
MarkInBayArea...I did the exact same thing with substituting measure 9 for 5. I still do it sometimes. I was wondering if others did the same.

Yep, me to... drives me crazy! Maybe someone who knows why will chime in.

I do it too, because the rest of both lines are the same, and my hands just go on autopilot.

Yup, me too

I have just started the Alfred's Sacred Book 1.
The first pieces are very easy, but the music and the words are so inspiring that I do love them.
I think I am going to have a great time with this little precious book!

I miss the being at the beginning of the book when it only took a 15 mins to get through a piece and move on to the next page.

That's for sure! The last two took me/are taking me forever. I think the last several pieces in the book are going to take me longer than everything that I've done so far.

I played "Good People" and "Little Brown Jug" for a friend yesterday. She's the only person I would play them for. We bought our first keyboards together, and she is struggling with hands together and says she is giving up and going to just play RH melody and LH chords. So she knows where I'm coming from and didn't laugh at my playing.

Aw...she can't give up now.:(

I am done done done with LBJ woooohoooo!!!!!! Teacher says I have the right melody and the correct finger positions, now to just speed it up. But, I'm on to the next one - the Mexican hand clapping (forgot the name). I discovered that I really love the broken chords. That's why I didn't mind practicing On Top of Old Smokey.
Anybody else like the broken chords?
And I agree with Romolo - back in the day - when I could play a "song" in 10 minutes Of course, it's really nice to look back and see how far I've come.
Gram - tell your friend not to give up!