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

First week of Book 2 went well. Straight forward so far, nothing new or noteworthy to speak of.

I have been working through Alfred’s Jazz, Rags and Blues series. I do really like that series. It gives up a lot of cliché musical phrasing, but nice context and presentation. It is very payable. That series is a lot of fun. One piece, Surfboard Boogie, has a repeating run of 12 right hand quarter notes, to be played in boogie rhythm. I started this the first of May and have just not been able to sustain the pace, tempo and rhythm. I just couldn’t get the boogie rhythm, like a hundred times in a row, maybe a thousand. That was like six or seven weeks of repetition without getting it right. Until last night. I finally did it! I managed to hear and feel and play the rhythm just like it should be. Finally I got it, and I knew I had it when I did it just right. I was there. That was very late last night, so maybe I was dreaming. Then I got up this morning (literally ran to the piano) and I still had it. I am boogie man.

YAY BOOGIE MAN!!! Congratulations!

How absolutely AWESOME!!!! Good for you!

Isn't it great when you get a breakthrough!!! Congratulations Capt0 aka Boogie man

Congratulations, Captain Zero!

Thank you for the congrats people. You are so nice. That makes me glad I shared. I am also a realist and am prepared for the next long learning plateau.

After much frustration I decided to rewind back to this book, its not as fun but at least I know it will learn me the tricks I need to advance. Haven't touched it much, but I haven't made much progress the last months so a bit frustrated so I'm just gonna sit down, suck it up and do this.

Figured I'd start around hungarian Rhapsody nr2 which is surpisingly difficult even if it looks very very easy...on the first lines, is that staccato markings or does it mean I should hold it slightly longer than a quarter note? Just can't get the tempo right, feels very awkward.

In the first bar, F# & G (dots underneath) are staccato, then land on the F natural & it's a bit longer.

Still hanging in there with "Solace". It actually sounds pretty decent most of the time. I'm working my way through "La Bamba" the same way I did with "Solace" - one phrase at a time, stringing a few of them together after getting them down solo. I'm working on not letting myself get frustrated, and just focusing on the notes. Timing comes later. In little bites, I can make better progress.

I also choose one piece from Book 1 to review every day, and one piece from either Greatest Hits or Pop Songbook, just to keep things interesting.

Hiya !

I'm going to join everyone in here now as I begin my adventures in book 2 in the morning.
I spent 3 months last year learning major scales and completed up to O Sole Mio in book 1. I then had to postpone piano adventures for a year.
I was relieved to discover last week that I could still play up to the point I had left off. I started The Entertainer last Friday and have now also memorized Amazing Grace and it is nearly at tempo.

I will take things slowly with book 2 . I have still to do level 1 greatest hits, but will do this alongside book2, rather than finish it first.
I'm also doing a lot of scales, arpeggio and broken chord practice. I love playing them 3rd and 6ths apart. Just starting on some Czerny exercises too.

Welcome, Ejay!

That's amazing (to me anyway) that you were able to pick up right where you left off after a year. You must have great muscle memory. Learning both Entertainer and Amazing Grace in a week is also impressive. You should do great with Book 2.

Hi!

I just recently came back to piano after a couple of years. I was able to basically skim through book 1 and I started on book 2. I am teaching myself to play again. I am doing La Cucaracha but I find I'm having a little bit of trouble with the second page with the timing. especially when i try to play with the cd. Has anybody else had trouble with this song?

Thanks mom3gram. I put it all down to scale practice in first 8 weeks or so of learning piano. Its lovely to see you here , still progressing steadily.

Nice to see book 2 starting with a sight reading piece.
Bridal chorus today.

Welcome aboard Dat77

Okay on to Guantanamera now.
I am not looking forward to this at all, not one bit. Making this sound musical will be a challenge as I know this tune as a football chant......

Guantanamera wasn't one of my favorites either. LOL

You might try listening to some YouTube versions (& you're right, a lot of them do sound like football chants!) For me, the definitive versions are all by Pete Seeger, and I find them quite musical:
Very early version
1993 version
more recently posted version

It took me quite a while to get Guantanamera down, but once I got it I really enjoy it. I still play it at least once a week. I've gotten Alexanders down (still need to record it) and also Solace (still need to record it also) and am working on La Bamba.... This one is going to take awhile....

-found an entire thread for book one

Thanks for the links Carol.
I still just keep hearing in my head;
"One Henrik larson, there's only one Henrik Larson "

or Neil Lennon or John Hartson or ,insert footballer of choice.. hehehe

I hope I will eventually overcome it, I managed it with O Sole Mio, which I hated at first because of the Ice cream commercial, "Just one Cornetto, give it to me, delicious ice cream from Italy...." LOL

One Hymn I just cannot play at church is Bread of Heaven .. again the words spring to my mouth " Glasgow Celtic, Glasgow Celtic, we'll support you evermore "..

WJ3 sounds like you are making good progress.

The more I play this, the more I hate it ! LOL
I don't like skipping songs but boy is this one tempting me. I absolutely hate bar4 it is the ugliest sounding collection of notes on the planet. Horrid horrid dischordant, sending shivers of disgust up my spine, rottenness !! It just sounds like I am hitting the wrong notes, its driving me up the wall.


I am now going to try and improve it so I can still practise. I am going to play the right hand up an octave, so the notes don't clash against each other so badly.