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Joined: Jan 2008
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That's awesome, Angelojf! I can't wait till I get to Amazing Grace. I love that hymn, and have played a couple of easier versions in various method books.
Congrats, greel, on finishing Book 1. I haven't looked at Book 2 yet, but there are a lot of people on the Book 2 thread that seem to be enjoying it, and you can always supplement with music of your choice too.
I'm still hangin' in with "Little Brown Jug". I can play it without errors, but it's not even close to being smooth yet. I have a short list of older pieces from Book 1 and from the Pop Songbook that I play about every other day, and I started playing a few Christmas carols yesterday. I know it's early but I always enjoy playing them. I also picked up "Religious Favorites" from Bastien, but I haven't done much with it except sightread the first three or four hymns.
mom3gram
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Funny you mention Christmas songs mom3, I had just been thinking that the next book I buy is going to be a Christmas Book as I'd like to have time to have a collection ready for the holidays. Of course by the time I practice them every day for months, my family will be so sick of hearing them they won't want me to play them during the holidays, lol. I think I'll wait at least until September to start working on Christmas songs.
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Joined: Apr 2009
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Hello All!
Well I officially mastered "Blow the Man Down" last night, so I figured that it was now or never for me to introduce myself and just jump in and start getting serious about daily practice.
I am a 43 year old beginner, never had piano lessons ever, always loved music. My wife and I are raising our kids in western CT, having moved to New England from California 6 years ago.
For the past four years I have been helping my son daily with his piano study (he's 11 now). As I have begun taking up the Alfreds book myself, I am happy to discover that some of those hundreds of hours have sunk in for me as well!
So far my main challenge is practice time… life is full of family activities and it’s really hard for me to break away. But in some sense I think that finding the 20 to 30 minutes a day just for me, I have felt upbeat and energized… I’d like to think it's the result of this creative outlet.
Anyway, great to be here, and I'm looking forward to joining in the conversation. Best wishes…
Ben Toby Newtown CT
Piano Adventures 3A, Alfred AIO 2
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Good for you Ben, sounds like you are progressing and balancing everything well!
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Welcome aboard Ben, you will have lots of company here.
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Well I'm back to the the book, still trying to nail down Saints. I'm pretty close but still can't play it right except once in a blue moon, it is getting better though. Went back and reviewed Jingle bells and New World and did okay. Will keep pushing ahead slowly but surely like the proverbial turtle. Oh and I can pretty much play the first section of Over the Rainbow (and will continue to work on it) will shoot for the NEXT recital.
Last edited by kennychaffin; 05/28/09 09:18 PM.
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Joined: Oct 2008
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Congratulations! I say just throw in the towel and forget it! Seriously Major congrats from someone just at that beginning of this one. Have you looked at book 2? What about supplemental works? Looked at them? What did you teacher suggest? Thanks! I haven't actually done any of the supplemental works and my teacher never brought them up. In the first place my teacher only started me on book one because she didn't know where I was at as far as piano experience (which was zero) and just wanted to give me a very basic start. The first book was great to begin with, and I'm sure I would benefit from the second book as well, only there's this little voice inside my head telling me that I'd be cheating myself if I were to start on book two because I know I can progress faster than I already am. So, one part of me just wants to take it easy and go with book two because I know I won't have to push very hard to get through it in reasonable time. And that would be my lazy side. haha. I don't know yet what my teacher is going to do, but I have a hunch that she'll just skip it and get me started on something else other than an Alfred's book, mainly because I have a decent knowledge of piano theory and don't need all the instructional parts of the alfreds books. I'm mainly working on sight reading and technique at this point.
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Well keep us posted in any case!
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Well somebody should congratulate me - I finally got LBJ down! It's smooth and without mistakes. I still hate it. Thanks for the piano tips, welcome to Ben. My teacher is going to start me on theory this week. She hasn't given me any supplemental pieces to play - I find them on my own and then bring them to her. I want to start some Christmas music also. I think if I start now, I'll have it mastered by Dec
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Well since you insist. CONGRATULATIONS DEE!
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Good job dee180. That is a good one to get by. I still go back to it- even though I don't like it- because it is hard to play.
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Congrats on your new keyboard. Let us know how it turns out.
I think Hanon addresses the physical hand weakness in a person's ability to play. For that reason I do think it is initially, important to address this weakness. Eventually, you will have to decide how to devote your practice time and if there is room and or time for such practice. I just got my new DP (Casio PX-720) delivered a while ago It's great! I love the minimalist design, the weighted keys, and now I can finally use the pedals! Then I tried a piece I know well, "Alpine Melody" and my fingers were stumbling...I was expecting the extra weight, but the keys still felt very alien to me. And my hands quickly got tired (aching actually). Argh.. I think I'd have to go back and redo the previous lessons I've supposedly 'mastered' with the unweighted keyboard. I can now totally see the necessity of Hanon exercises! Good thing I've only had the keyboard for less than a month so there isn't much I have to go back to and relearn all over again. Another thing, my foot starts aching when I position it over the pedal. What is the proper way to do it? I just raise my toes with my heel on the floor and hold it in position, which I think tenses and stresses my foot. Should I rest my foot on the pedal? I'm afraid the weight of my foot might depress the pedal, though.
Working on: Schumann Album for the Young, Clementi Op 36 No. 1 (all movements), Various Bach, Czerny 599 + CASIO PX-720 and PX-730 +
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Congratulations to Ben for mastering BTMD, and to Dee for mastering LBJ.
mom3gram
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I think you will adjust quickly to the weighted keys...so relearning previous pieces should not be a factor. I would think you will have to rest your foot on the pedal. Keeping it suspended above the pedal would be painful- and mess up your timing as well.
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I have been messing around with "O Sole Mio" and changed up the ending as well. Did I jazz it up too much? What about the ending? http://www.box.net/shared/ovo3j5hs9c
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Sounds great to me Carl. There seemed to be a slight hesitation just before that final phrase, not sure if that is in the score or if it was just that a hesitation in the playing.
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Thanks, Kennychaffin. That arpeggiated chord at the end has a birds eye above it which means to hold longer. I believe it is the discretion of the player as to what longer translate to... maybe a bit too long?
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Thanks, Kennychaffin. That arpeggiated chord at the end has a birds eye above it which means to hold longer. I believe it is the discretion of the player as to what longer translate to... maybe a bit too long? Hmm, no what I heard (and I may just be part of the tune) was a definite space (quiet, no note) just before the final phrase. Maybe I was just just hearing things I'll go and listen again and see if I can get a time-marker. I guess it's not that big a deal just bit off temp or pause about 1:06 or so... Not a big deal at all.
Last edited by kennychaffin; 05/29/09 07:41 PM.
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Nice job Carl... I hate to say this, but I think the left hand rhythm is a little off. Starting in the second measure it is a dotted quarter note, and eighth note and two quarter notes. It finishes in the next measure with another quarter note then two rests of a quarter and a half. So its Dahhh, di, dah dah dah. Count 1 and 2, and, 3 and, 4 and, 1 and, rest 2and3and4and. dahh di dah dah dah
I didn't notice the pause before the arpeggiated chord too much. Otherwise a really great recording.
wj3 2010 Roland KR-115m, Yamaha clp-430 Working on Alfred Adult AIO 3 Super Special sorta song,Simply Joplin Bethena,Solace,Burgmuller
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Hi Marimorimo - Congrats on your new DP - When I received my Roland DP I did the same as you - went back to songs that I had already mastered and found that I couldn't play them worth a damn. After a while, I got used to the new keyboard and now all is well again. You'll get the hang of it.
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