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

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Since the Alfred books tend to be chord-focused, they’re 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. 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 I’ve never met a second method book that didn’t frustrate students in some way. By this point in the journey you start to realize that the path to learning piano is a long and sometimes arduous one. Sometimes practice is real work, not pure pleasure (in fact, this is most of the time).

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

However, I tend to use the Piano Adventures adult series nowadays. I haven’t used it for as long, but I think it has a slight edge in that it’s more balanced in its pop/Classical approach, and it’s less hokey.

This is handy especially if you’re working on your own without a teacher. It takes all the guesswork out of your learning experience. Chapters and pieces 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. By the third book, things tend to get easier again. 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 next adult series I’ll be talking about on this channel is the Piano Adventures one, so stay tuned for that. However, there are still plenty of easy wins and straightforward pieces, such as “You’re in My Heart”.

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

I absolutely recommend this series to students. It’s stood the test of time, and I’ve personally seen it get results. The chord-based approach is appealing, especially for students who aren’t particularly interested in getting into Classical music, though there is some of that as well. Let me know in the comments if you use/have used the Alfred books – I’d love to know what you think! My rating for this series would be A-, and my rating for the Piano Adventures books would be A. I haven’t yet found a series that I consider A+, but I haven’t done too much exploring – something I plan on doing more of this year. 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). 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). Focus of the Alfred series: Chords Overall, it’s a great course – solid, effective, affordable, and most teachers are familiar with it.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. Classical music requires a more dexterous and independent left hand, which is initially more tedious to develop. But once that natural motivation starts to fade, they hokeyness becomes a problem. 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. 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). Song selection of the Alfred Adult series This first book is considered a preparatory level (what I affectionately refer to as “musical kindergarten”). Students are often surprised that they can’t just dive into grade 1 material. But like primary school, we need to lay the groundwork and learn the basics before we get to a grade 1 level.