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

CYborg - if I remember correctly there's a version of "The Star Spangled Banner" in Book 3 -eventually you'll be able to play both back-to-back just for the sake of variation. Could be interesting.

Regards, JF

I haven't been here in a while, because I found I was killing more time in Pianoworld than I was practicing.

I'm working on Those were the days and I thought I would see if JF had a recording here. I do remember a version on my older sister's album that I was sure was done by Melanie. I just searched and see that it was actually by Mary Hopkins. I suppose I should be happy I remember it at all.

Anyways, I got on here and sure enough I've killed an hour.

JF, I heard your Chopin in the recital and your Loch Lomond somewhere else here. Great job on both. The Loch was really pretty.

I'm going to practice now.

bperry - I have a recording of "Those were the Days" uploaded several places here in the Forums, most recently in a new topic I started, which you'll find

here

Please note however that this version is slightly modified from the "book version" (I added some short runs in the beginning & middle and a 2nd full chord at the end not shown in the sheet music).

Also - thanks for the kind words on "Loch Lamond" - it's a good arrangement and a fun piece to play.

Regards, JF

P.S. in case you're interested I recorded a number of the Book 2 pieces which you can find back on page 1 of this thread in the Opening Post (thanks kindly to Mark).

Hi gang - with the "Canon in D" piece under control I just finished my study of new pieces in Book 2 - will be moving on to Book 3 sometime in the fairly near future, but will still visit the 2 thread often - for more about all this see this thread

JF\'s Annoucement

Regards and have fun in your studies, JF

Congratulations JF, I envy your dedication and progress, I'm still struggling at the early part of Book 2, but I fear my time at a piano is going to be greatly curtailed, next week we leave to visit mainland Europe, back here by Christmas, but Mrs Crusader wants to spend Christmas in India!!, February off to the USA again for two months, but I will take some music to the Guitar Center or Sam Ash and practice, until they throw me out.

Thanks crusader - for the congratulations and the laugh!

Best Regards (for safe, enjoyable travel and continued piano studies), JF

Congratulations to John Frank for moving on to Book 3!!! You were dead on with your Labor Day prediction.

I was going to say this thread is MINE now...but I'll be done with Book 2 myself in a couple of weeks and on to Book 3. Unless "Hanna" decides to make my life a mess for awhile.

Well we ditched Alfred's this past week. I saw no point in doing it anymore and I felt good about ditching it as opposed to 2 months ago not wanting to let go.

Onward we go!!!!!

Did you get to look at any of the book 3 pieces? Some are very good.

Yes we did Mark, although they're nice they weren't challenging me enough (not to sound pretentious or anything) so we decided to just continue with original pieces.

Wow...even the ambitious stuff at the end of book 3?

...you must be playing great

One of the ambitious pieces I played about 8 months ago and is part of my repertoir. It's nothing really. The alfred arrangements aren't challenging for me but the music she gives me is. So I wouldn't say "I'm good" based on that.

If you learn to play originals that challenge you a bit you advance a bit quicker. Anybody can do it, it's just the way she teaches and the material she uses.

I still have a long way to go, I don't think I'm good but I believe I will get better.

OG,

It sounds like it was for the best that you decided to ditch the Alfred's 2 book. Are you going to be working in Book 3 any further?

I'm on "Theme from Festive Rondeau". Finally, I was formally introduced to trills. I love trills and triplets!!!

After that there is "Canon in D" and I'm done with Book 2. I'm pushing myself to finish Book 2 because we have been working on Christmas music since the end of August. So I don't think I'll be moving into Book 3 right away but we'll see.

Cyborg - The "Canon" should be a little bit of a challenge, especially the 2nd half or so, but it's manageable (and can be a delightful piece if practiced enough and played with feeling) - I'm reviewing selected pieces at the end of Book 2 exclusively at the moment (just to "polish them up") and will start on Book 3 when finished with that (maybe sometime in Oct.) - just had an 8 day layoff for vacation, but surprised at how fast it all comes back now (with almost 3 years under my belt) - used to worry about "down time" while on vacation, but not any more (even makes the vacation more enjoyable!)

Keep up the dedicated study, JF

Just writing to say I’m still here in Book 2. I’ve just started on Etude, Op. 10, No. 3. Progress has been a lot slower recently. Part of this is due to the longer selections taking exponentially longer to finish, and then on top of that I’ve been spending more time (about equal parts) on some supplementary pieces.

It had been bothering me that while I could enjoy playing some of the recent pieces in Alfred’s, only a few were pieces I’d want to “add to my currently limited repertoire”. Adding these supplemental pieces has helped in that regard and brought back some of the fun that had been waning in my practice sessions.

Undone

Undone - good to know you're still with us and plugging away on Book 2 - the Etude is a little difficult but well worth the extra effort it requires - it's a shortened and simplified version of the "real deal" but still an excellent arrangment - some of us consider it the best piece in the 1st 2 books - I submitted a recording of it for Recital No. 11, which, if you're interested, you can hear here (see No. 9):

Etude, Op.10, No.3

Regards, JF

Hi All - I have just began Book 2 and I'm excited about it, after 9 months of playing Book 1. I'm not playing the last tune in book 1 perfectly but I decided to move on. New stuff keeps me interested and at this point I think remaining excited about learning is more important than being perfect. I plan to go through Books 1-3 with a teacher then stop taking lessons and practice on my own for a while before resuming lessons. I used the same approach with guitar except that I found that once I got better with guitar it became more difficult and a lot more expensive to find an instructor.

Middle_pedal:

I'm at about the same point. I finished the Basic #1 snd am now starting the #2 all-in-one. I've got the bridal march runnin' scared and am about to get serious with Guantanamera spelling?) -woo hoo!

Good luck.

Thanks jrcallan - speaking of the "bridal march" - I know one should play the music as it is written but there's an F note (RH in 3rd or 4th bar) that sounded so out of place (based on what I've heard played at weddings)- so I play an E note instead.