Piano songs after 3 weeks

[raihu]

Hello!
I have played piano for about one month with a piano teacher.

The first song I learned was Praeludium. And I'm learning Kublau Op.20 nr 1 , Toccatina and a simple version of In the Hall of Mountain king. Are they good pieces for a beginner?

And what were your first pieces when you began learning piano?

Cheers, Peter

[m1469]

It really isn't possible to know for your case in particular just by reading your post.  My own experience is *way* different than almost anybody I know.  My own experience is that I grew up mostly improvising and composing and learning music by ear on my own, kind of learned to read music though that is more like a different lifetime ago or something ... took lessons for about two years where my teacher at the time "started" me from complete scratch in method books which I *hated* (and didn't like practicing) ... gave me a couple of "real" pieces of music which I *loved* (and to which she realized then were too easy for me and added more to them), took an exam that the examiner told me I should skip levels (I told my teacher and she said no), she gave me a couple of other pieces like Bach's Prelude in C Major and a duet and some other stuff, won a couple of contests, and then my lessons life was over until University.  In between that time I went back to improvising and such and nearly forgot how to read music to a degree.  Went into University still needing to figure out how the notes in my pieces worked, started playing some Mendelssohn and Brahms (sort of enjoyed), took more time off from lessons.  Started again and really poured my whole self into it.  Played some Haydn (Gypsy Rondo) and that felt like my first real piece.  Went straight into Mozart's Fantasy and Sonata in c minor from there, some Bach's inventions, a Chopin Nocturne, a Rachmaninov moment musical, a Bach's prelude and fugue, then even into some Liszt.  And, a Rachmaninov Prelude (in b minor).  It's been awhile since then.

Most of my students are nothing like that and so it's been extremely tricky sometimes for me to understand how they need to go.  I've often probably pushed students too far too fast, not understanding some basic things in how most people work.  Some do quite well with a method book for awhile, but some do not (one of my five-year olds being a good example).  Most people don't really latch on until they feel they are making music, but most people can't seem to make music until they understand some basic things about reading off the staff and finding their way around the instrument.

So, it really depends and ultimately that's the reason you have a teacher to help you in person!

[raihu]

I only knew the very basic when I began three weeks ago.

I learned some theory in my first lesson and my homework was Praeludium...I thought what the!!!

But I learned Praeludium in little more than 1 week and I'm advancing in my other pieces... so I guess I can only trust my teacher.