Adult All In One Course Piano

Focus Of The Alfred Series: Chords

Both Alfred Adult method books have a focus on chords. This is both the methods strength and weakness.

Chords are great because they allow your left hand to get in the action early without too much struggle. Chords are a way you can make your pieces sound pretty good even from the early stages. And chords are hugely important if youre interested in learning any type of contemporary music.

The downside of a chord-based approach is that your left hand wont be as equipped to deal with Classical music if youre headed that route. Classical music requires a more dexterous and independent left hand, which is initially more tedious to develop.

If youre only used to playing chords with your left hand, itll be a rude awakening when you attempt your first Baroque or Classical dance piece, where the left hand makes big leaps and follows its own path .

Alfred’s Basic Piano Course : Adult All In One Course With Comb Binding Click For More Titles

Alfred’s Basic Adult All-in-One Course is designed for use with a piano instructor for the beginning student looking for a truly complete piano course. It is a greatly expanded version of Alfred’s Basic Adult Piano Course that will include lesson, theory, technic and additional repertoire in a convenient, “all-in-one” format. This comprehensive course adds such features as isometric hand exercises, finger strengthening drills, and written assignments that reinforce each lesson’s concepts. There is a smooth, logical progression between each lesson, a thorough explanationof chord theory and playing styles, and outstanding extra songs, includ ing folk, classical, and contemporary selections. At the completion of this course, the student will have learned to play some of the most popular music ever written and will have gained a good understanding of basic musical concepts and styles.

Two Course Books With Companion Books

Ideal for the beginning adult or as a refresher course for the returning Adult, the All-in-One Books give skills to play hundreds of familiar melodies. 3-Minute Theory and Technique pages integrate musical understanding with skill development.

Companion Books are offered at each levelChristmas, Classics, and Popular. A wealth of online support allows the adult learner to explore music on their own time and in their own way.

Advance to Basic Piano Adventures

After completing Adult Books 1 & 2, students advance to the Basic Piano Adventures series, starting with level 3B.

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How Alfreds Basic Adult Piano Course Works

Ill give you a brief overview on how to go through Alfreds Basic Adult Piano Course if youre a complete beginner, and then well get into some of the finer details.

*see correction above

In 2.5 years to 5 years, youll progress from an absolute beginner to an early intermediate student. Some people will move faster or slower, but this is the pacing I observe and recommend.

Most students wont be learning from the Alfred method books exclusively theyll also be learning supplemental side pieces and technical exercises . Because of that, the lessons in each of the books can be stretched out comfortably to a year .

Would I Recommend Alfreds Basic Adult Piano Course

I absolutely recommend this series to students. Its stood the test of time, and Ive personally seen it get results. The chord-based approach is appealing, especially for students who arent particularly interested in getting into Classical music, though there is some of that as well.

However, I tend to use the Piano Adventures adult series nowadays. I havent used it for as long, but I think it has a slight edge in that its more balanced in its pop/Classical approach, and its less hokey.

The next adult series Ill be talking about on this channel is the Piano Adventures one, so stay tuned for that.

My rating for this series would be A-, and my rating for the Piano Adventures books would be A. I havent yet found a series that I consider A+, but I havent done too much exploring something I plan on doing more of this year.

Overall, its a great course solid, effective, affordable, and most teachers are familiar with it.

Let me know in the comments if you use/have used the Alfred books Id love to know what you think!

Thanks for hanging out, and Ill catch you in the next video.

-Allysia

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Alfreds Basic Adult Piano Course

In todays video and blog post well be talking all about Alfreds Basic Adult Piano Course. Well go through the material this method book covers, talk about its pros and cons, and Ill let you know if I recommend it for your piano learning journey.

Ive been asked about this method time and time again, since its one of the most popular method book series for adults. I cant believe its taken me this long to do a video on it!

Other popular series include the Piano Adventures for adults and the John Thompson piano course, both of which I plan to cover on this channel in the coming months.

Lets dig in!

A quick correction: I mentioned that you could transition from the 2nd adult book to the 3rd regular book in the basic series, but having reviewed this I dont recommend it. Simply go through the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Alfred adult books and call it a day. Youll be around a grade 2 level.

Song Selection Of The Alfred Adult Series

Since the Alfred books tend to be chord-focused, theyre naturally more pop-focused as well. The majority of the selection contains standards like Happy Birthday, When the Saints Go Marching In, The Entertainer, Amazing Grace, and other pieces in that vein.

The second book has more diversity in selection and includes a healthy mix of contemporary, Classical and original pieces. Youll find everything from Brahms Lullaby to Canon in D to La Cucaracha.

Now lets look at each book individually and talk more in-depth about them.

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