Loufrance Posted February 24, 2006 Share Posted February 24, 2006 Ok I'll admit I'm far from a great player, but I'm (still) working on book 1 of alfreds adult piano course, I want to be able to progress through the book because I am getting better because of the way the book progresses. But I kind of find the books material well, boring doe's anyone have any advice for anything else I should practice while still trying to finish this book? I'm trying to break up some of the boredom I go through working solely out of this book but I can't play more advanced pieces. -Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jode Posted February 24, 2006 Share Posted February 24, 2006 Try to play every musical phrase you hear on the piano. From commercial jingles to TV theme songs to children's songs to radio hits, try to pick out the notes for whatever song comes into your mind or your ear. Turn everything you hear into practice material. "I had to have something, and it wasn't there. I couldn't go down the street and buy it, so I built it." Les Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben One Posted February 24, 2006 Share Posted February 24, 2006 Lou, I've used the Alfred's adult book and find that working through it with a teacher is a great way to make them go faster--I had a teacher who had me do one song a week in the book and it got done fairly rapidly. Also, I would recommend jumping around a bit in the book--if there's a song that you don't like, simply try the next one and go back to that one later. Anyway, kudos for pursuing the piano seriously, as it sounds like you're doing! Ben Eddie Jobson Tribute Projects Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loufrance Posted February 24, 2006 Author Share Posted February 24, 2006 Originally posted by BenOne: Lou, I've used the Alfred's adult book and find that working through it with a teacher is a great way to make them go faster--I had a teacher who had me do one song a week in the book and it got done fairly rapidly. Also, I would recommend jumping around a bit in the book--if there's a song that you don't like, simply try the next one and go back to that one later. Anyway, kudos for pursuing the piano seriously, as it sounds like you're doing! Ben Thanks! My goal is to be able to play sheet music, from what I've heard about this book is that once I make it to the lvl 2 book I should be able to play from sheet. (no offense to anyone I'm just rating the average difficulty) my plan works out like this numbered from 5 being the lowest to 1 being,well you know. 1.Classical Pieces (highest difficulty) 2.Jazz (and infuse myself with Jazz chords) 3.Pop Music 4.Alfreds adult music theory books(lvl 2) 5.Alfreds adult music theory books(lvl 1) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben One Posted February 24, 2006 Share Posted February 24, 2006 The level 2 book is my favorite--I like it even more than level 3. It's really true that your sight reading improves as you progress in those books! Eddie Jobson Tribute Projects Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessica T Posted February 24, 2006 Share Posted February 24, 2006 Congratulations for your efforts and indeavors on that journey of study that we all know so well! I'd take the advice of Jade above and just intersperse your book study with trying to play some of your favorite musical phrases by ear, even if you must simplify them quite a bit. My teacher has been taking a quite eclectic approach to my study. He wants me to work through a book designed for toddlers so that I can "start anew" and erase some of the bad technique I may have acquired floundering around on my own for a year. But he is also teaching me about chord progressions and encouraging me to use them in songs I learn by ear. Along with all of that, he likes to give me little insightful lectures about the history of composers, instruments and the periods in which they existed. You may try learning 2 or 3 unrelated areas and sort of progressing from a multiple-sided approach. Just my oppinion. Regards, Jessica http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=33304014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loufrance Posted February 25, 2006 Author Share Posted February 25, 2006 Originally posted by Jessica Tomlinson: Congratulations for your efforts and indeavors on that journey of study that we all know so well! I'd take the advice of Jade above and just intersperse your book study with trying to play some of your favorite musical phrases by ear, even if you must simplify them quite a bit. My teacher has been taking a quite eclectic approach to my study. He wants me to work through a book designed for toddlers so that I can "start anew" and erase some of the bad technique I may have acquired floundering around on my own for a year. But he is also teaching me about chord progressions and encouraging me to use them in songs I learn by ear. Along with all of that, he likes to give me little insightful lectures about the history of composers, instruments and the periods in which they existed. You may try learning 2 or 3 unrelated areas and sort of progressing from a multiple-sided approach. Just my oppinion. Great idea! Thanks Jessica In a way It justifies what I do sometimes e.x check out different music styles at allmusic.com , read about various instruments at wikipedia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IvoryPlayer Posted February 25, 2006 Share Posted February 25, 2006 Check out ultimateguitar.com and find some chords to a favorite song.When you listen to the song,play the chord progressions with the music and then start improvising from those chords to kind of make your own little ditty of it.It's fun to do and helps get a break from those "book blues!" Have fun. Currently abusing Yamaha DGX-200,Roland Juno 1,Juno D,AX-1 with a GK 1001 RB II Amp and GK 210/115 cabs for the major sound element! http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f191/IvoryPlayer/barry1.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IvoryPlayer Posted February 25, 2006 Share Posted February 25, 2006 I'm sorry.that's www.ultimate-guitar.com I forgot toput in the ol' hyphen thingy! Currently abusing Yamaha DGX-200,Roland Juno 1,Juno D,AX-1 with a GK 1001 RB II Amp and GK 210/115 cabs for the major sound element! http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f191/IvoryPlayer/barry1.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Horne Posted February 25, 2006 Share Posted February 25, 2006 Try playing something that is not too difficult in different keys. No guitarists were harmed during the making of this message. In general, harmonic complexity is inversely proportional to the ratio between chording and non-chording instruments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loufrance Posted February 25, 2006 Author Share Posted February 25, 2006 Originally posted by Dave Horne: Try playing something that is not too difficult in different keys. As usuall good advice Dave Horne, but thats another problem I don't know how to transpose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Horne Posted February 25, 2006 Share Posted February 25, 2006 Originally posted by Loufrance: Originally posted by Dave Horne: Try playing something that is not too difficult in different keys. As usuall good advice Dave Horne, but thats another problem I don't know how to transpose That's just it, you don't transpose, you analyse the piece and use that information in the new key. The melody starts on scale degree ...? The first harmony is a I chord? ... or a ii chord? When you break the information down to numbers (and functions, ii - V7 of IV, for ex.), you simply apply that information to the new key. Jingle Bells starts on scale degree 3, correct (the 'jingle' part)? You don't transpose that information, you simply start on scale degree 3 of whatever key you want to be in. Transposing is the least preferred method of playing in another key. Think numbers for the melody and think I, ii, iii, etc. (or harmonic functions) for the chords. This is the hard way, but saves time in the long run. There are only 12 major keys at the keyboard (14 or 15 on paper) and each major key only has seven diatonic triads. You get that stuff under your fingers and between your ears and you'll be playing in all keys in no time. No guitarists were harmed during the making of this message. In general, harmonic complexity is inversely proportional to the ratio between chording and non-chording instruments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.