Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Level of difficulty The Entertainer vs. pop-rock songs

Hello everyone,

I'm learning piano by myself with Alfred's Adult Piano method. The end of book 1 teaches how to play "the entertainter".
I don't know if it makes sense but I'm asking you this: which are some pop or rock songs that can be played by a person who knows how to play songs with the level of difficulty of "the entertainer"?
Is this level of difficulty enough?

Thanks guys,
L

If this is the piece you're talking about:

http://ks4.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/8/89/IMSLP130674-WIMA.e04e-Joplin_The_Entertainer.pdf

I'd say 'yes'. Definitely.

But I'm pretty sure what you're talking about is a very simplified version.

Well, the second one..a simplified version

Alfred's has a Greatest Hits series to accompany that AIO set for adults. Those would be comparable in difficulty to the Entertainer in Alfreds. The better sounding arrangements of those pop/rock pieces elsewhere (like MusicNotes maybe) will be harder.

I've been playing piano just over 3 years, focused on pop, rock and American songbook. Just started the 'advanced'
Entertainer version.

It is challenging with the stride jumps, as I haven't done any songs with that type of left hand. I've done plenty of other left hand stuff,
boogie, blues, walking, arpeggios etc. So, will take some time for sure.

I'll mention the site I started with, www.playitpiano.com, it worked for me. (no affiliation) May help you with your pop/rock

Best of luck!

If its the one I think it is, yes, its a VERY simplified version.

I do however find the pop/rock selections on MusicNotes vary a lot within the "Easy Piano" category.... Some on par with the simplified version of the Entertainer, and some more challenging. The OP is probably best off sampling a variety and learning them as he can.

This is very good advice! Supplemental books from the same method book publisher you are currently using should be at your current sill level.

The easiest books of pop/rock songs that I know of are these. I have listed them in the order of how difficult I think they are, though they are all quite easy to play:

1. Dan Coates - 100 Pop Hits of the 90's
2. Dan Coates - Classic Rock Sheet Music Hits
3. First 50 Pop Ballads You Should Play on the Piano
4. First 50 Popular Songs You Should Play on the Piano
5. Hans-Gunter Heumann - Hits for Kids

Just a bit higher level than these are a series of books by Hans-Gunter Heumann called 50's Hits, 60's Hits, 70's Hits and 80's Hits but you'll want to look at those after you have been playing a little longer than what's on the list here.

I'm no expert; this is just my opinion on how difficult these books are to play based on how easy it is for me to just sight-read through pretty much anything in it. And I'm no kind of an expert piano player, either.

I learned the original version of The Entertainer three years ago (as said above so : http://ks4.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/8/89/IMSLP130674-WIMA.e04e-Joplin_The_Entertainer.pdf)

It is difficult. The left hand movements (stride) isn't the main problem. There are some little sections (one or two bars) really very difficult.
Mapple Leaf Rag is way easier despite the number of flats.

But it is fun to play, and you learn a lot.

Speaking of pop songs, there is no level, strickly speaking, because you will only find transcriptions scores. Pop songs are not written for the piano. Even if it's a pianist singing alone. The best scores you will find generally is three staffs that must be reduce to one. And the pianist, while performing on stage, plays what he wants (no score).

In order to have good scores and level indication, I suggest this site : https://www.noviscore.fr/ (I don't have any price and pay as anybody...)
There are 4 levels : 1 to 3 and expert.
You can listen the scores.

I always choose the expert level (or 3 if there is not). Because for the same price you have more music work for your money.

For example, look at the expert version of "My baby just cares for me" :
https://www.noviscore.fr/partition-piano-my-baby-just-cares-for-me
(a pleasure to play)

This is not singer and piano, it is a transcription for piano solo. Very difficult to find and very difficult to find well written.

I worked also on https://www.noviscore.fr/partition-piano-georgia-on-my-mind-ray-charles (expert level)
it is delightful. The transcription is fabulous (for my ears)

Just for fun I work also on https://www.noviscore.fr/partition-piano-when-the-saints-go-marching-in-gospel-traditionnel
You must listen to it ; choose expert level (wait untils it begins really...).

Of course, if it's too easy, one can play it upside down:

I played that version of the Entertainer last year. I think the Alfred level one supplemental books are good, they have a greatest hits book, a sacred church type music book, and a Christmas book. Also piano adventures has supplemental books that go along with their method books. You might be a level one or level two in those books. They move a little bit slower than Alfred. I also like the Simple Songs, the orange book is easier in my opinion than the blue book. I have both. I could play the orange in my first year, I can play the blue now in my second year of playing. A lot of the music that is described as "Easy Piano" isn't always that easy. I'm in the second Alfred book now and the Easy Piano is getting easier, but I still wouldn't consider it easy. The method book supplements are much easier.