Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Course: Lesson Book Level 1: Lesson Book, Level One/2236

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Chords are great because they allow your left hand to get in the action early without too much struggle. 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 thorough understanding of the basic concepts of music. Classical music requires a more dexterous and independent left hand, which is initially more tedious to develop.

Alfred Basic Adult Piano Course (all-in-one, Level 1) Alfred Basic Adult Piano Course (all-in-one, Level 1)

This first book is considered a preparatory level (what I affectionately refer to as “musical kindergarten”). With Beautiful Brown Eyes it’s a combination of learning a new chord AND the ¾ time signature AND the bottom-top left-hand pattern. 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. However, there are still plenty of easy wins and straightforward pieces, such as “You’re in My Heart”. 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.

I’ll give you a brief overview on how to go through Alfred’s Basic Adult Piano Course if you’re a complete beginner, and then we’ll get into some of the finer details. The preparatory level in music is generally a 1 to 2-year process for adult students (longer for children). The second book has more diversity in selection and includes a healthy mix of contemporary, Classical and original pieces. A piece from the RCM Preparatory book might take two to three times as long to learn as a piece from the Alfred’s Adult book.

ALFRED’S BASIC ADULT PIANO COURSE Le v e L 2 Adult All in One ALFRED’S BASIC ADULT PIANO COURSE Le v e L 2 Adult All in One

In the 1950s they decided to specialize in learning materials for students, and the company has exploded in popularity ever since. Alfred's Basic Adult All-in-One Course is designed for the beginner looking for a truly complete piano course that includes lesson, theory, technic and popular repertoire in one convenient, all-in-one book. 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).

This gives the student perspective, and generally instills a newfound fondness for the easier material of the Adult book. One thing you’ll immediately notice when you crack the cover is a list of books that can be used alongside this one. There’s also an appendix of references, including the Circle of Fifths, chord charts, and scale charts. Since all these books are interconnected, it even tells you at what page you’re ready to start a supplemental book. 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.

Alfred Basic Adult Piano Course - Free Download PDF Alfred Basic Adult Piano Course - Free Download PDF

But like primary school, we need to lay the groundwork and learn the basics before we get to a grade 1 level. 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. The Alfred series has been around for a long time – I grew up using their regular lesson books for children, and I’ve taught with their books as an adult. At this point I like to introduce supplemental pieces (perhaps something from the RCM’s Preparatory books) – pieces that seem more professional, serious and fancy. The second Alfred Adult book has 15 chapters (some quite small), including an extensive review section as the first chapter, and contains 42 pieces.However, there tends to be a difficult hitch at the end of the “G position” chapter with the pieces “Beautiful Brown Eyes” and “Alpine Melody”. Most students won’t be learning from the Alfred method books exclusively – they’ll also be learning supplemental side pieces and technical exercises (whether from other Alfred books or not). It’s the book I used exclusively when I first started teaching piano, so I have a soft spot in my heart for it. As with many chord-based approaches, I find the note-reading in this book to be relatively easy (if you’re able to pinpoint chord patterns), but the rhythms to be more challenging. We usually give up and move on around page 100 (the piece “Singin’ in the Rain”), since by that point most people are itching for a new book to start tackling.