Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Alfred's Basic and ALL in One Adult Piano Course Book #1

Welcome vandier! Enjoy the journey. You will find that you will make great improvement away from the keyboard (sleep). Let it come to you, don't force it and/or sit and struggle. In general, this is a slow process. If you focus your practice each day, you will see improvement.

Congratulations, Vandier! There'll be many more brick walls but, remember, the Moonlight Sonata's getting closer every day.

I have learned so much since I started this eight months ago. And of course, if I knew then what I know now, I would have tackled Book 1 differently. Knowing how to practice is just as important, if not more so, than the practice itself. I wasted many hours sitting at the keyboard just playing a tune over and over. Well that just prolonged the process. To save yourself time, I encourage new self-taught players to seek out the practice threads on PW; there are some great resources, links, books that address this specific issue. Here is the current thread with helpful dialogue: Focused Practice

For me, I am at a crossroads. Projecting out eight months, I don't want to reflect on missed opportunities (similar to what I am doing now). I am working to revamp my practice routine and curriculum. More importantly, I have started the search for a teacher. I have come to the realization that I need help to get where I want to be with the piano. For me, a third party is required to maximize my investment of time; money; and physical and emotional energy. I have enjoyed this process, but I'm starting to feel like I am playing in quicksand.

My point here is this, go about this endeavor smartly with eyes and ears wide open; work to limit frustrations; attach realistic goals to your expectations; enjoy it, and have fun with it. Thank you.

Thanks everyone for this charming welcome. By the way, when I play, I can't get the rhythm as steady and perfect as the records, maybe I'll just have to give time like Scoprio said, and one step at a time is what I have to keep in mind.

up to jingle bells tonight, think I'll stay there for a couple days until these two hands dance together better. The right hand little pinky AKA #5 is the weak man in the bunch. I guess years of playing guitar has strengthened the others (chording with the left ,finger picking with the right) So Ive assigned military work outs to the little guy. I have a squeeze ball I plan to employ also.

vandier, you might consider getting a metronome soon. You don't need to fork out money as there are free apps & online options. Start with quarter note = 1 beat and set the metronome to the slowest bpm (40 probably). Use it for small sections and speed up gradually.

New word for me: metronome. I just checked in google and, indeed, there are some free apps. Thank you Moonraker.

I find really hard to change from C major chord to G7 chord, I can do it 3 times in a row but then I make mistakes, I guess a good night sleep and some practices will help.
By the way, I'm starting Slur and Legato and I'm schocked because I was playing everything like slur.

And one last thing, how do you change the way to read notes from c-d-e-g-c... to up 2-up 2-up 2-up 3-down 5...??

vandier, your keyboard might have a built-in metronome.

True, but I believe it is only for the song bank, because I can't find a way to activate it. I guess I'll have to use my phone as a metronome.

Mine has a rhythm section but no actual metronome. Lots of freebies online but I plan to buy one eventually

My opinion is that it is very beneficial to the learning curve to get used to playing with a metronome and to learn pieces by using the metronome at very slow settings, for example, half speed.

I often find that playing at normal speed without the metronome, I will, without realizing it, slow down on the tricky parts to less than half speed on those parts, so it kind of makes sense to slow it all down and try to play it in time until you get it down, and then you can speed it up. I'm not saying to constantly use the metronome, but it is definitely a helpful crutch.

You may also make little pencil marks in your book for which notes come on the tick or beat. I did this on Lavender's Blue so that I could get the rhythm right, marking the eighth notes that hit the beat, and then knowing the other eighth notes came halfway in between the ticks (beats).




By the way, if anyone is interested, I have a Korg TM-40 metronome/tuner which is pretty decent.

This is the most recent version: Korg TM-50

vandier: Do you mean reading the intervals between notes rather than the names of the notes?
If so, look at the staff and you'll see the notes E and G on the treble clef, for example, are on lines & there is a single space between them. This means that you leave a gap of 1 white note when you play the 2 notes on the piano (Ignore the black notes for now). This gap is called a 3rd as, by convention, the start & end notes are included in the interval. Similarly, A & C are a 3rd apart (both written in spaces but with a line between representing a gap of 1 note). With practice, you will be able to recognise 3rds instantly, and automatically jump the required distance without needing to know the name of the note. The same goes for 4ths, 5ths, octaves etc. It's much quicker to read intervals than to work out the name of every note. You'll need both skills eventually, though, to sight-read effectively. Keep practising ...!

I had to work on Lavender's Blue to get the rhythm right. It's one that really bugged me. Had to get it down.

I think much of a metronome depends on the student. My teacher wants me to use one minimally. She is extremely perceptive. She knows I have good rhythm. Putting it to work is another matter. She wants to build the tools for music in me. Instead of me depending on other things. But then....she is an extremely experienced music teacher. If any of you are thinking about it. If you can find one of these retired band directors from the school districts. Go for it! Many, like mine; piano is her instrument. Even though she teaches all instruments.

I have been progressing quite a bit, especially in sight reeding, I feel it Though I am very slow at changing D7 chord for example and with the Hanon exercises proposed, I can't do it with both hands, I take more than a minute to make one single line with the right tones, wrong tempo but at least I hit the right keys.
My impression is that from half of the book the level has increased, isn't it??

vandier from previous posts it is common for people to be able to get halfway through book 1 fairly quickly but slow up in the second half. Which is something we learners have to get used to; periods of time where nothing seems to be progressing as we hope and then a sudden shift and we jump another hurdle.

Our problem is that the lack of sophistication using both hands has been trained in us for many years. We have to train that in us. Some call it creating a new link in our brains. I like to call it training my base/autonomic mind and nervous system. It is something major for us to pick up and learn.

There is no way to avoid increasing the level of difficulty at this point in the book.....for adults.

Learn it now. Learn it well.

Hi all;

Bump, the thread seems to have fallen to page 3!

I have finally finished Chattanooga Choo Choo, sort of. Not to the level I would have liked but I think it's passable enough to move on. It was the hardest piece for me in the book, hands down. I worked on it for close to 3 weeks but still it was not smooth and I was missing the rhythm here and there. Anyway, here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7o_MOPMgkMM

So, with this piece done, I have also completed Book 1, yay!

Some statistics for those interested: I started the book at the beginning of March so it makes a little less than 7 months in total. When I checked the upload date of my videos, I noticed close to half of that 7 months (3 months and 1 week) was spent on the last 6 popular selection pieces. I am still wondering whether skipping them and working on them in parallel as supplementary pieces would be a smarter move. There was a total of 10-15 days or so when I was away from the piano (holiday etc.), other than than I worked daily, between 40 minutes to 2 hours per day.

Good luck to all Alfred 1 threadies and see you at Book 2 thread!

Congrats Sydnal...

Good luck on Alfred Two

Great stuff sydnal, I can see why Chattanooga Choo Choo was hard, pretty difficult piece. Good luck on the next book.

Congratulations, sydnal! Very nice work. My hat is off to you.