I'm 20 years old...and I've just recently started to play the piano again. I havnt touched a piano in about 5 years. It's all a bit hazy...and it's really hard to be disciplined enough to practice one song over and over again...especially if it sounds horribly the first couple times. Right now im using "Alfred's Basic Piano library" but i still have trouble knowing whether the notes are the right ones..because it just sounds so strange? i cant afford to pay for lessons. But i was wondering if there were any books out there that could help...but that were not meant for actually first time players.

also....this is a dumb question...but what is C flat? b?

thanks

-- D (muhawi@aol.com), July 21, 2001

Answers

How long had you been playing piano before you stopped?? I use Alfred's too. When I'm done with that series, I'm going to use Fredrick Chopin's Etudes put together by Shirmer's Library of Musical Classics. Check out what other books that Shirmer's put out, they are the greatest sheet music company, probably because they have been around forever. You might find what you're looking for through their books. Yup C Flat is B. =0)

-- Zeldah Hanson (slw@cape.com), July 22, 2001.

I had a similar experience. I used to play heaps when I was in high school. I was even the accompanist for the choir back then. But once I got to college, I stopped. Didn't have full-time access to a piano, and then every time I went home, and tried to play, I was so disgusted with the sound of my playing that I stopped. Now that I've completely finished my schooling, I started to play again. I managed to finish the Thompson 5th grade book and am starting to branch out into other directions. I wish I could afford to pay for lessons (they don't pay post-docs enough money) but I find the tips I picked up from various piano practise/pedagogy websites to be extremely helpful.

Good luck. :-)

-- Lyn Francisco (cartilagineol@hotmail.com), July 22, 2001.