Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Teachers Forum Question regarding Alfred's All-in-One

Hi, do you know when upon the completion of the Alfred's Adult All-in-One Piano Course Level 3 Book what grade level does that coresponses to the National Music Certificate Program's Piano Syllabus?

I am a former student, and I would like to use something for review before seeking formal instruction again. Also, which series is appropriate for review after Alfred's level 3?

Thanks!

The last book in any adult series would typically put you at
approximately intermediate level--particularly if
you played as a child. "Intermediate Level" is a broad
category that can imply different things in different
contexts. Generally speaking, this would mean that
from then on you'd be capable of pretty much going
in any direction that you chose. For example,
into real classical repertoire, or jazz/popular, etc.

Or you could continue on in other series. For example,
book 4 of the venerable John Thompson Modern Course
for the Piano.

My personal view on this is that a person in your
situation--particulary one who played as a child--
should just dig in and play whatever he wants to
most, no matter how difficult. For example, if
you always dreamed of playing the first movement of
the Rachmaninoff 2nd Piano Concerto, now's the time
to start on it, even if it is much too difficult
for you right now. The reason I say this is that
I believe that piano repertoire does not flow
in a smooth continuum. That is, from beginner's pieces,
to intermediate pieces, to advanced-intermediate
pieces, to advanced pieces, to concert repertoire.
For example, the pieces in that Alfred's Series tend
to be rather user friendly, for marketing reasons.
Transitioning to real classical repetoire is therefore
going to be abrupt and difficult. If you were to
sign up with a teacher now, you might be given Bach
2-part inventions, or sonatinas, or Chopin waltzes
as your first classical works. But real classical
pieces like this make no attempt to be user-friendly,
and even pieces like this are not easy to play well.

Moreover, "introductory" pieces like this are not
really preparatory for anything, in my view. They're
darned difficult in their own right. Therefore, the
idea that you can start with such pieces and then
gradually progress to more and more difficult pieces
is not valid in my view. The standard line is that
you start with such pieces, then go on to WTC, then
to Beethoven sonatas, then to so-called starter
concertos, and then you're ready for the big stuff.

But people who try to follow that route typically
fall flat on their faces at around Beethoven sonatas
and can make no more significant progress. That's
because, in my view, each "stepping stone" in the
process is not actually preparatory for the next:
each step is already darned difficult in itself.

Therefore, in my view, a Bach 2-part invention is
not really preparing you for "the next step up." This
is already a very challenging piece. So that's why
I say that you should just dig in an start on
even very difficult pieces right now, because years
of "preparatory" work is not going to really prepare
you for anything more difficult.

When you start on something like, say, movt. 1 of the
Rach. 2nd Conc., you'd have to take if very slow
or you'll fry your nerves and burn youself out big-time.
For example, you might be able to do only one measure
a day very slowy initially, which would mean that you'd
take maybe a yr. to get throught the movement a first
time. Then go right back to the start and proceed in
the same way. The second time around you might be
able to do two measures per day, which cuts the time
to cycle through it a second time in half, and so forth.
What you want is to get to the point where you can play
the whole movt. in one sitting, although slowly and
with errors, because when you can do that, it's
essentially just like any other piece.

Thanks for the feedback, Gyro. I am a bit hesitant jumping back in with both feet (hands). Besides, I think I threw away, uh lost, all my old music.

I was not assigned the Rachmaninoff 2nd Concerto; listened to it enough played all different ways, not sure if I want to tackle that sort of thing anymore. My professor told me one day 20 years ago, "you'll never make it to Carnegie Hall". Old men are so mean some times. I was young and probably took that the wrong way, especially after 16 years of lessons at the time. He's been dead for years, but I still hear his words and see his face in my head all the time. That man might have impacted my life more than my own father.

I find the Alfred Adult All-in-one books pretty good, nice and easy at the receiving end. I don't expect to spend too much time on the three books. I started with book 1 reading every word on every page; did all the exercises, and played every song to recital level (if there's such a thing for these little songs), cover to cover. Got through it in 3 or 4 days, 20-minute each day. I'll go through book 2 next week. Book 3 would take longer, but the series shouldn't take more than a month or two. I'll replay all three books a few times before moving on.

After that I need more review in a systematic way. If I start with where I left off, I probably couldn't play one measure. I discovered I had forgotten everything. I had put music completely out of my mind; these series book are really helpful. I am also learning systematically from scratch in order to support my children's lessons, to answer their questions properly. I will slowly work my way back to Grade 10.

My goal is not to get back to where I was before. I used to practice minimum 3-4 hours a day 7 days a week, many days longer. Some of my school friends used to practice 6 hours a day, especially if they were working on a concerto. I don't need to go there anymore.

Your comment about Alfred being easy for marketing reason is a good one. I hadn't thought of that. That explains why my children's books from their teacher also seem harder. They use the Noona Comprehensive Piano Library but that series end at Level 4. Also, I don't want the children to hear me playing their music before they learn it for themselves. I am looking for a more capable series, possibly contemplating going through the Celebration Series Perspective books maybe starting at Level 4.