19-year-old wants to ditch his method books and try to tackle music like "Moonli

[janice]

I have a friend who is 19 years old, and has been playing the piano about 4-5 months.  He wants to know if it is really necessary for him to continue on in the method books (is using Alfred series).  He would rather just "plunge on in" to the more difficult music, rather than do this step-by-step stuff.  He has a great deal of patience, and is very willing to spend much time at this approach.  So what do you guys have to say about my friend just going to the music store and buying a book that is rather advanced for him (Moonlight Sonata level).  I haven't taught anybody who wanted to approach it this way, so I thought I would ask you guys.

[thierry13]

if it is only first movement, it is really basic. If it's the third, it's too advanced for most 4-5 month players. The 2nd movement is not that bad but I think it's harder than the first.

[Bob]

First mvt -- go for it. 

And some sonatinas.     A good step into playing actual music from the method books.

[lostinidlewonder]

 Absolutely nothing wrong with jumping in the deep end. In fact I think it is very much encouraged since you could waste years on the pace of a teacher who doesn't care about your ability and fast learning ability but rather the pace a book sets. But after throwing yourself in the deep end you have to ensure that you have a good indicator as to what physical parts of piano playing you find most troublesome. Also I think it wakes up students who are actually better than they think they are.

You may find that there is a lot of inefficiency in your progress if you study in unknown musical difficulties/territory. Efficient study for music is one factor of musical study that we all try to maintain or we can spend years and years floundering on one piece. That is where a good teacher is important to guide you through the "unknown" as well as keep you on track with pieces that are at the standard of your pianistic development.

So for teachers giving students "harder" peices than the stardard the student is at you have to have a clear understanding yourself what needs to be targeted, the order of the study, you have to know what in the music you want to use to teach a particular idea of piano playing. You must make sure that you highlight all the technical aspects of the music and offer the student ideas to tackle it. You have to also ensure the efficient progress of the student so you dont yourself fal into a floudering trap and teach the same thing over and over again.

[lagin]

Make sure he is still building his technique at a level that's not too advanced because you can injure yourself.  I should know

[rlefebvr]

4 to 5 months means nothing.

It depends how many hours and how easily he picks things up.

I would say Moonlight, even the first movement is a little steep for someone using an Alfred series.

HOWEVER(Some guy on the radio keeps saying that)

He should be passed the Alfred series by now. Method books are great to get your feet wet. I started that way and put them aside after about 3 to 4 months.
Your friend should do the same.

A Bach minuet is perfect
a scarletti sonata is another idea.
Bach's first Prelude is another idea.
Some Burgmuller (  La pastoral (Pastoral) in G major - L' Arabesque (Arabesque) in A minor


and much more.
 

Wow, Janice, just noticed. Been awhile. Hope things are well.

My belief, method books should be put away after the first six months, unless you have a very slow student.

[Siberian Husky]

what would be the best way about going this path?...(ditching method books and picking up real pieces)...does one just go to the music store and pick up whatever looks enticing as far as skill level/interest..im well aware of what im capable of...

another thing...

are there piano teachers out there that cater to students who want to persue this form of direction?...

[Bob]

I wouldn't get rid of the method books totally unless he is ready.  I would do both.  Just cut back on the method books stuff a little.

[BoliverAllmon]

I would ditch the method books as soon as possible. get them into real music. There are tons of great music that is insanely simple.

boliver

[johnkeller]

If he can locate written notes and chord shapes in different hand positions, it should be possible to do at least some of the Moonlight 1st movement. You would need to build up to the 4# keysignature though. Try say a Bach Minuet in G (1#), then say Chopin preludes 6 (2#) and 7(3#) before the target piece. Also do a lot of chord shape practice (all major and minor triads and inversions and the 3 diminished 7th shapes). Learning the Moonlight will be a combination of reading notes, writing in some chord symbols and learning some patterns looking at the keyboard (the dim7 broken chord passages). Also you can make a cut from bar 41 to bar 60. Good luck to him!

[ujos3]

You should look at this document:

https://pianoforum.net/Graded_Pieces_All.xls

Your friend probably has level 2-3 . He should try pieces for that level. You can found most of the pieces at www.sheetmusicarchive.net,  or
www.abrahamespinosa.com/partituras2.htm, or www.free-scores.com

In my opinion, Bach's Anna Magdalena Book, Burgmuller etudes and Chopin easy waltz (Posthumous) are a must. Everybody begins with that . This is not a serious argument, but those pieces are really nice and pedagogical. It is too early for Moonlight Sonata (even the first movement).

Also at the beginning he should try only pieces he likes. He can hear how they sound (midi files) in

www.classicalarchives.com

[Glyptodont]

It is one thing to just hit all the notes.  It is another thing to play the piece with some sensitivity and understanding.

There was a post with innumerable replies about a young person who wanted to tackle the Fantasie Impromptu early on.

The problem is that such a student may actually hit all the keys, but really butcher the piece up. 

Perhaps if the teacher were to serve as a "watchdog" and insist that the measures be played in a civil and halfway sensitive manner . . . .

This is called "jumping into the deep end of the pool."

The method books-- there's a kind of slavery to finishing each piece, and being forced to move to the next piece in the book, whether the player likes it or not.

This works easier for young players, who -- as children -- are more used to the concept of "eat your spinach whether you like it or not."

Regards to all --   Glyptodont

[i_m_robot]

Brahms ballad in D is level 8

*starts practicing slowly, very slowly*

[i_m_robot]

You should look at this document:

https://pianoforum.net/Graded_Pieces_All.xls

Your friend probably has level 2-3 . He should try pieces for that level. You can found most of the pieces at www.sheetmusicarchive.net,  or
www.abrahamespinosa.com/partituras2.htm, or www.free-scores.com

In my opinion, Bach's Anna Magdalena Book, Burgmuller etudes and Chopin easy waltz (Posthumous) are a must. Everybody begins with that . This is not a serious argument, but those pieces are really nice and pedagogical. It is too early for Moonlight Sonata (even the first movement).

Also at the beginning he should try only pieces he likes. He can hear how they sound (midi files) in

www.classicalarchives.com

self's guessing pieces that aren't listed are probably higher than level 8

[nanabush]

Brahms' Intermezzo in A minor is 8?!  If it's the one I'm thinking of... It's grade 9 in Canada, which is like 6-7 in ur thing...

[lagin]

Brahms' Intermezzo in A minor is 8?!  If it's the one I'm thinking of... It's grade 9 in Canada, which is like 6-7 in ur thing...

Ummmmmmmmm?  more like 7-8 your thing if we're talking ARBSM or whatever the abbreviation is