Manda Adult beginner First Month

I learnt a valuable lesson today...the hard way. As usual Well Hellene has been saying all along to sing the solfege notes as I play. Well today I saw the proof that this really IS a VERY good idea
I have been playing the Small Fir Tree and to be honest struggling with it...for no apparent reason, it no harder, its less familiar but I listened to it a few times...anyway my scores were around 38/42 plus t15 and stuck there! (in view 3) Then suddenly (right out of the blue!) I heard Hellene's voice saying "sing the notes" and magicly my mouth opened... ( ) and guess what? My scores immediately improved. 42/42 plus t10. Oh man When WILL I LEARN!!!!
Clearly singing the solfege helps! It forced my eyes to look further ahead so I can play faster and my fingers seemed to know where to play next with more accuracy...and less concious thaught.
To think I considered learning in ABC mode Well as solfege is completely new to me I am starting from scratch on the games. I am trying not to convert the solfege to ABC in my brain before I hit a note as I want to actually "learn" it intuitively. The converting is slowing me down..especially since I dont know all the note placements I am using. SO the games are extra important I think. I have played Fruit lines a few times. I play in 5 or 10 minute blocks for easy comparison after a few goes at 5 mins I score 616 and in 10 mins 928.
I find switching from trebble to base in fruit lines a bit confusing I would prefer to completely work on one or the other at a time, but like I said before I am easily confused I MUCH prefer this game to guess key
My next challenge is to manage DAILY practice of Hannon and cramatic scales. I have decided to make myself a template for weekly practice including a tick a box section for daily finger practice. My note book is going to be full in NO TIME at all so I need a more long term solution. This should help me keep better track of which kid is up to where also

So I have managed my daily finger excersizes practice so far
I played guess key for 4 minutes and got to sharps and flats twice. These were actually no harder for me, which is good. Scored 767 on the latest attempt. I try to play one of the games every day. I am not particularly good at computer games, it usually takes me longer than most people to pick up the speed on them but I do feel I am learning relevant skills from these games and I SO want to improve
I went through all of the introductory songs in view 4 or 5 ( no pictures) I can. Play them all with one or less mistakes except for that (stupid!) fir tree song I still need the pictures for it. HOWEVER yesterday as I practiced this song with two hands, I noticed my left hand was automatically picking the right cords by sound! I don't know the left hand order of cords but at least 4 times my hand was already in place and pressing keys before I glanced at the base cleff. Very cool! My best score on this song is 61/68 plus time 39 both hands. Right hand only I can get 100% accuracy if I sing Today I will move on to next album and learn some more nursery rhymes for the kids.

Mandabplus3 wrote: So I have managed my daily finger excersizes practice so far
I played guess key for 4 minutes and got to sharps and flats twice. These were actually no harder for me, which is good. Scored 767 on the latest attempt. I try to play one of the games every day. I am not particularly good at computer games, it usually takes me longer than most people to pick up the speed on them but I do feel I am learning relevant skills from these games and I SO want to improve
I went through all of the introductory songs in view 4 or 5 ( no pictures) I can. Play them all with one or less mistakes except for that (stupid!) fir tree song I still need the pictures for it. HOWEVER yesterday as I practiced this song with two hands, I noticed my left hand was automatically picking the right cords by sound! I don't know the left hand order of cords but at least 4 times my hand was already in place and pressing keys before I glanced at the base cleff. Very cool! My best score on this song is 61/68 plus time 39 both hands. Right hand only I can get 100% accuracy if I sing Today I will move on to next album and learn some more nursery rhymes for the kids.

All what you had been written about your progress so far is telling me that if you are going to move to Nursery songs, you have to

1. Master any of the songs from Level 1 on 1 or 3
2. Sight-read Nursery Primer album on 5 or 6.

Yes, and one more thing: you ARE developing good eye-hand coordination and now muscle memory and ear comes to rescue!

Great!

Hope, the program will teach you to understand how our perception - muscles - brain neurones - skills are getting developed.

If after that you will look at 'piano lessons' elsewhere, you will feel what I feel towards stubbornness of people who just don't feel like to learn new tricks.

Please explain what you mean by " songs from level 1" How do I know which ones these are? Where is the list to tell me?
Although I hesitate to use the word " master" I have got a perfect score on Hot Cross Buns ( well plus t1 second anyway!) and have it memorized now. Also I get perfect scores on ode to joy and the French song but at time plus 5 on both. I can play them in views 3,4,5 without much difference in time or accuracy. I am a virgo and will happily continue until perfect
So for sight reading nursery primer, should I start on view 3 and go up or start on view 4 or 5 and see what I know? I am not sure how the sight reading should work for adults. I saw the video for teaching kids to sight read.

Mandabplus3 wrote: Please explain what you mean by " songs from level 1" How do I know which ones these are? Where is the list to tell me?

Of cause! Nursery 1, Favorite Classics 1, Boogie 1, Christmas Carols and Christmas Classics also Level 1

Although I hesitate to use the word " master" I have got a perfect score on Hot Cross Buns ( well plus t1 second anyway!) and have it memorized now. Also I get perfect scores on ode to joy and the French song but at time plus 5 on both. I can play them in views 3,4,5 without much difference in time or accuracy. I am a virgo and will happily continue until perfect

Here is some challenge for you. When all the songs are fully memorized and can be played without computer, please, turn the rhythm section of your piano on and try to play them with beats.

Here is a little video how I teach small child to do it:

This is the pre-last stage of mastering any song. Last one is polishing and placing cherry on the top

So for sight reading nursery primer, should I start on view 3 and go up or start on view 4 or 5 and see what I know?

Absolutely not! This way your muscle memory is taking everything over and don't give your eye sight chance to learn how to sight read. The rule of the thumb: FOR SIGHT-READING ONLY PRESENTATIONS WITH NO PICTURES - 2, 4, 5, 6

Don't be afraid to play on 2 and teach to play on 2. This presentation embed the straight and bold visual connection between lines and spaces of the Grand staff and piano keys. I know that we 'used to play horizontally placed Grand Staff'. Because this 'custom' parents try to drift away from 2 asap. They shouldn't! Our mind have to recognize the connection on the fly. It will solve many problems in future!

I am not sure how the sight reading should work for adults. I saw the video for teaching kids to sight read.

It works the same and for adults and for kids. It will be different pace of progress at the beginning for sure.