But like primary school, we need to lay the groundwork and learn the basics before we get to a grade 1 level. For example, there are several teachers who have youtube channels that are completely dedicated to Alfred's and have every song posted for you to view for free. If you're able to make it through all three levels of the method you will have an excellent foundation for playing the piano. Gets you playing melodies straight away by labelling note-heads with note names, which are then phased out to encourage fluency.

and thought I'd try and learn from scratch properly rather than the other ludicrous home-spun method I invented. The left hand doesn't get developed properly, it just plays chords, and the book moves at an unrealistic pace.Brother John * Café Vienna * The Can-Can * Chiapanecas * Cockles and Mussels * The Cuckoo * The Donkey * The Entertainer * A Friend Like You * The Gift to Be Simple * Go Down, Moses * Good King Wenceslas * Good Morning to You! Not because the material is easier (it isn’t), but because most students who haven’t given up are used to the constant new challenges, and the material is starting to sound like real piano music. When Morty joined the company, he had recently received a business degree from City College of New York. One other note: My teacher has been using Faber for quite some time, but does not recommend the "Adult All-in-One" series. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice.

This comprehensive course adds such features as isometric hand exercises, finger strengthening drills, and written assignments that reinforce each lesson's concepts.

This means that you’ll be completing 1-2 pieces per week if you’re planning on completing the first book in a year. Includes a "Just for Fun" section and an "Ambitious" section for the student who will devote a little extra effort toward learning some of the great masterworks that require additional practice. Today we’re going to take a look at what Level 1 offers and there is a link at the bottom of this blog where you can purchase this book along with the other two in the series. The second book has more diversity in selection and includes a healthy mix of contemporary, Classical and original pieces.

In general, I think any method book that you select is going to have some songs you really like and some songs that are less interesting to play. Certainly the pieces in Book One are "corny" and there's a lot of block chord playing in the left hand, but, the method is a guide for Adults who don't have to stick rigidly to it. Put the two together (Alfred's and Fundamental Keys) and you have a spectacular combination that will give you the opportunity to develop real skills at the piano. This first book is considered a preparatory level (what I affectionately refer to as “musical kindergarten”). I’ve been asked about this method time and time again, since it’s one of the most popular method book series for adults.You’ll also notice that as you move through the book the amount of information being introduced will increase. The first Adult book roughly corresponds with the RCM’s Preparatory A level, and the second Adult book roughly corresponds with the RCM’s Preparatory B level.

The downside of a chord-based approach is that your left hand won’t be as equipped to deal with Classical music if you’re headed that route. It contains outstanding songs such as "The Entertainer," "Scarborough Fair," "Greensleeves" and "Amazing Grace. In the first Alfred Adult method book there are 12 chapters (plus an introduction) and about 63 pieces (in addition to a variety of exercises and lessons).The only reason I could attempt it was the left hand doesn't do too much on the twiddly diddly front. The good thing is that Moonlight Sonata is played on a loop in my GP surgery (very badly) on a sort of 'doctors hits album to drown out patient's screams' sort of an album, along with that tune that used to be on a well known cigar advert in the 1970s. This course has a number of features that make it particularly successful in achieving this goal, among them are smooth progression between concepts, the thorough explanation of chords and outstanding song material.