Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Alfred's Basic and All in One Adult Piano Course Book #2

Last spring, my son's interest was waning, and I scoured for something to spark it again. I looked around for SMB theme arrangements, but like you said, the ones I found were a little difficult (he and I are about the same level....I'm maybe a bit ahead of him now). We settled on the theme to Spongebob Squarepants and a bribe and he's doing better now

Yep, the PX-120 is weighted, full size 88 keys. It actually has a much better feel and more weight to the keys than my old clunky acoustic. It's a cheaper one, not a lot of bells and whistles, but suits my purposes perfectly. I got a pretty deal on it, I think. The current model, the px130, runs about $600 with the stand and pedals, and I got this very lightly used px120 for $350. I maybe could have talked him down a little, but it was in such pristine condition and I was so excited I bought it for his asking price on the spot.

Up to triads, 1st & 2nd inversion section.. The Hawaiian piece is clever. Sounds great + Arpeggio practice

Just completed Black Forest Polka

I guess it's natural that book 2 has less adherents, I can't even see the book 3 thread now.

Calypso Carnival is done. Divertimento in D is done (I liked this one). Started on Brahm's Lullaby and Lonesome Road today.

Recital is Sunday! Time to start freaking out!!! I'm playing Silent Night for 4 hands with my son, and Bach's Polonaise in G minor Anh 119. Should be OK. Silent Night was easy....the hard part is playing with someone....and that's even harder when that someone is an 8 year old that doesn't keep time as well as me and stops and says "wait...back up two measures" every time he makes a mistake LOL. But it's coming along. Polonaise is good and polished, and actually memorized...the only hard part about it is playing in front of an audience. That's hard enough on its own, isn't it?

Hey, Starbug, I'm glad that you revived the Book 2 thread. I've shelved my Book 2 for now, but I still like reading about how the rest of our "group" are doing, and who knows, maybe reading about it will spark my enthusiasm for picking it up again.

I too am disappointed to not see the Book 3 thread anymore, but I think there were only about three regulars on that thread, and all three were pretty much at the end of the book. It really sounded like there were some great pieces in Book 3, but I suppose that a lot of people at that level have just decided to skip the method books and branch out into regular repertoire.

Gahdzila, I love that you are doing a "Silent Night" duet with your son. I've frequently thought about how much fun it would be to do duets with my granddaughter, but she lives too far away for us to get frequent practice in. Good luck with your recital. It sounds like you are ready. :-)

Just finished arkansas traveler and Musette at my lesson today. The second half of arkansas I never felt comfortable with. Trying to play the 16th notes at speed with fingers 4/5 was very hit and miss. My teacher has me working on hanon which should help with the strength/coordination issues. Onto theme for Musetta's waltz which sounds relaxing from the a quick check of others performances. I'm also starting some non-method book peices (mozart piano sonata 16 / gymnopedie 1) both of which are challenging and ultimately more interesting than poor old alfred. Still haven't accomplished a solid trill yet for the mozart piece. My teacher was showing me today, and blew me away with how smooth and fast she could play them. "Here just slowly like this...." followed by a perfect trill like a hummingbird.

I will definitely finish book 2. As far as book 3 is concerned I'm undecided. Actually I never really planned to do book 2 but didn't have anything else to play at the time so just did it. On the one hand they're a bit boring and I find it hard to connect to the music, but then it's nice to always have something there to work through in a linear fashion and they seem to be pretty effective in building skill.

Did anyone actually fill out the little certificate in the back of book 1?

I did not, it would be interesting to see how many did.

I didn't fill it out, however I evidently wrote the date that I completed the book on it. LOL

Currently working on Fascination and Deep River. With Deep River I've been practicing the two "parts" HS and HT. The second part has some (for me) challenging hand movement in the left hand. Last night I took a first look at Loch Lommond and will likely break that down into practice sections today. My goal is to have at least begun the remaining pieces in the book by the end of the month. Then on to Book 3 and some other pieces I've been collecting (ahem, my eyes are bigger than my skill, I fear).

I am still working on Chopin's Etude Op. 10 No. 3 in Alfred and have been for a number of months. I'm getting much better at playing it all the way through with the correct notes and no pauses or stutters and am starting to work on the musicality. This is probably my favorite piece in Book 2.

I also enjoy (and play from memory) Theme from Raymond, Night Song, Hava Nagila, Swinging Sevenths, La Donna e Mobile, Theme from Symphony No. 6 (Pathetique), and Frankie and Johnnie (good warmup piece).

Looking back on Book 2, there are some (for me) dud pieces in there, but also a number that I will continue to play for the foreseeable future (see above). Even the dud pieces have their place (usually to demonstrate something new)so I go through them, but I don't have to enjoy them.

mom3gram, how are you doing? Are you working on anything special as far as Christmas music goes?

I'm doing okay. I had a little episode of high blood pressure (even with my meds) last week, and a couple of dizzy spells, but seem to be back to normal now. My eyes have improved enough that I'm getting back to practicing more regularly.

For Christmas this year, I've started working on David Nevue's "O Come, O Come Emmanuel (Postlude)", after hearing Monica play it in the Holiday Performance thread, and I'm learning "Ukranian Bell Carol" from my new Faber Christmas for All Time Book 2. There are a lot of really nice pieces in there. Plus I'm polishing up last year's pieces from Alfred Adult Merry Christmas Book so I can play them with my granddaughter.

I was going to wait until after Christmas, because there is just too much going on right now to start something new......but I was stuck at home today while workers put up a new roof and gutters. I got bored with my Christmas music and started "The House of the Rising Sun". It doesn't seem too bad. (Famous last words! LOL) The only things I can see that might trip me up are the last measure or two where you play some bass notes with the right hand, and of course, adding the pedal. But I know I can do this one.

I'm new to this forum, but will likely be joining this group once my books get here (my mother had them and is shipping them out lol) I was given a piano a couple months ago - just paid the movers to bring it in and have been playing some pieces in the books I have, but they are far too advanced for me now as they were the pieces I was playing when I moved and had to give up my piano. I went through all three alfred books about 11 years ago, but haven't played in about 6 years. I find that some of the playing memory is still there, but I need a refresher. I can't wait for them to get here. Hopefully getting books 1, 2 and 3 back some point in the next few days

Welcome, AmandaJ, and let us know how your playing goes.

Welcome, Amanda! You should be able to pick up the pieces in the Alfred books pretty quickly since you've played them all before. Hope your books arrive soon.

Welcome, Amanda!!!!

I made a mistake in my last post. I actually had not started Lonesome Road yet (and still havent, for that matter). Still working on Brahm's Lullaby.

The recital went ok. Silent Night with gahdzila jr went very well. Polonaise went ok. I actually had it memorized and played from memory. A few mistakes, more than I should have made, but not too bad I suppose. I got so nervous that my hands were shaking! It was only the second time I've played for a crowd since starting back with lessons as an adult, so I guess it's normal to be a little nervous. Maybe I'll start another thread to request suggestions.

We had another (smaller and more intimate setting) Christmas recital last night at the Biedenharn museum. The Biedenharns made their fortune by bottling coca cola. I think they were the first ever to bottle it? jr and I played Silent Night on an old rickety Steinway that had a strange feeling action and sounded to my ears to be slightly out of tune....but what do I know.

Since I'm done with the Polonaise, I started another Bach piece. Sorry I can't remember the name of it offhand, but it's from the Anna Magdelena notebook and it's a minuet in a minor key. It sounds quite lovely, and I think it's actually going to be a little easier than the Polonaise.

Still working on Für Elise. And just figured out how to make that "u" with the dots over it on my iPhone keyboard LOL! It's coming along ok.

Thanks for the welcome! I found that I like alot of Bach pieces previously and I'm working on Invention in F right now while waiting for The Alfred books lol

Don't know how I'd feel about playing for a crowd. Maybe once I have my books back and have songs I know. All books I have now were ones I was just starting on or had only learned half a song here and there and I can't play anything through yet haha

Turns out she didn't send the Alfred books, just my other ones haha. So I guess I'm going out to buy book 2 tomorrow :p

Good LUCK with that LOL

It's Minuet in D Minor, Anh 132. And it is most certainly NOT easy. LOL. But I am to the point where I can muddle through the whole piece HT, so it's coming along.

As for Alfred's, I finished Brahm's Lullaby. I really enjoy the tune, but this arrangement just didn't hit home with me. As memory serves, I think I actually liked the arrangement in Book 1 better. Maybe I'll dig out Book 1 and see how it sounds. My teacher decided to skip Lonesome Road. I glanced at it, it looked pretty simple and boring, so I guess I'm ok with that Started on Village Dance Thursday. Trudged through it a couple of times, and all of a sudden it just seemed to click, and it's nearly finished already!

Fur Elise is coming along nicely (I'm typing on my computer, and I have no idea how to do the "u" with the dots. sorry LOL). My teacher is already tossing ideas around on what I'll start on next. I've been mostly looking at my hands while playing it and only glancing at the music occasionally...two days ago, I decided to see if I could wing it, and to my amazement, I've actually got the whole piece memorized! It definitely still need some work, but I wouldn't be embarrassed to play it for a couple of friends or something should the situation arise.

To be brutally honest, I *hate* it. It would be easy for me to cop out too, as it's not really why I started taking lessons. But music is made to be shared, I think...and I'll probably actually want to play for people one day. So, in the grand scheme of things, I think it's good for me to play in the recitals. They say the more you perform for people, the easier it gets. So onward I trudge