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. The second Alfred Adult book has 15 chapters (some quite small), including an extensive review section as the first chapter, and contains 42 pieces. We’ll go through the material this method book covers, talk about its pros and cons, and I’ll let you know if I recommend it for your piano learning journey. If you’re only used to playing chords with your left hand, it’ll 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 (instead of being led along by the right-hand melody). The next adult series I’ll be talking about on this channel is the Piano Adventures one, so stay tuned for that.

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

Because of that, the lessons in each of the books can be stretched out comfortably to a year (or six months for a very motivated and impatient student willing to work twice as hard). As with the first book, the level two book comes with corresponding books if you’d like to stay within the Alfred family but not be limited to the selections of the method book. But once you get through that stormy patch, the going is pretty good again right up to “Go Down, Moses” on page 85. 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. There’s so much to overcome at this stage in your learning journey – I’d almost go so far as to say it’s one of the hardest points of your learning journey period.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.

Alfred’s Basic Adult Piano Course [Method Guide + Review] Alfred’s Basic Adult Piano Course [Method Guide + Review]

For example, by the time you reach page 45 of the Adult Lesson book, you’ll be ready to start the Alfred Pop Song Book 1.In the 1950s they decided to specialize in learning materials for students, and the company has exploded in popularity ever since. 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. Overall, it’s a great course – solid, effective, affordable, and most teachers are familiar with it. I want to briefly mention that there’s a third book in the Adult series, but I don’t have it so I can’t speak to its content. This first book is considered a preparatory level (what I affectionately refer to as “musical kindergarten”).