I can't wait to be a total beginner! I will promote myself once I have finished the bloody beginner's course - three more lesson to go. But I think they are even longer than lesson 8... he is ramping it up quite a bit. And I really have to give Alfred some love because I spent too much time fiddling around with blues lately 😃

Well I haven't even started lesson 9 yet and I have a question already. Christian shows this fingering:

He also said if it is too much stretch, to use thumb and little finger instead.

It seems my hand is big enough to make it, but it's not very comfortable.

So my question: should I persevere and keep the uncomfortable stretch? Or go easy and use the thumb instead?

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    Sophia I'll go back and review the video, but I use that fingering when I'm soloing and using that top note as a drone note and play other blues scales notes under it.

    Enthusiastic but mediocre amateur.

      Thanks TC 🙂 This is the video where he mentions the "drone lick":

      I'm not sure if it shows in my picture, but my hand is stretched quite a bit and I just don't know if I should persevere so that my hand gets used to it, or if I should use my thumb. I'm rather weary of injuries 🙂

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        Sophia I found it awkward at first but it got more comfortable after a while. However, safety first! I've had my share of RSI, I'm pretty cautious myself.

        Enthusiastic but mediocre amateur.

          Ok, thanks so much! I'll see how it goes. I haven't even watched anything further in the video yet so I don't even know yet how it will be applied 😃

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          I go with Index finger on Eb. If I would use the thumb, I had to rotate the entire wrist clockwise, which would be more uncomfortable for me. And slower. Especially slower, if C follows.
          Rotating the wrist is maybe okay if you are on higher octaves, but try it on a middle octave in front of your body, then it gets really uncomfy. At least for me.

          Generell I try to avoid thumb on black keys. Not always possible, but here it is. Also think about to use it as a hand stretching exercise.

          I am not sure how this felt to me in the beginning. I tried both options and both had pros and cons. But now I am fine with Index finger and it feels natural.

          Hope this helps...

          Yes, both you and TC's comments really helped, thank you 😊 I will probably start the lesson for real this weekend and report back how it goes!

          Sophia time. And sometimes you made the RH staccato together with LH

          Thank you!!! So how did you overcome that issue? Practice, Practice and practice some more? Or can you share a secret to a learning shortcut?

          Try playing scales with both hands, left hand staccato and right hand legato. Then play with left hand legato and right hand staccato. It will probably take some practice…

            Ooh! That is a great idea... talk about "duh why didn't I think of that", lol. Actually I do still play one scale daily (still just C because until I can fly with that across three octaves, I will stick with it - I can always add black keys later). But there is no reason why I can't vary that with the LH/RH staccato. I'll start that today. Thanks for the tip @rogerch 🙂

            Sophia Lots of progress from Vid 1 to Vid 2. Go!

              Thank you so much! ❤️ I have good teachers 😂

              Ha! What a joker...

              Do this 10,000 times eh??? Actually I have been trying this with the suggested finger setting and it's okay because you don't have to hold the note. As soon as you feel the strain, you are already moving to the next position. I'm still not liking it much though!

              Ok, 7 down, only 9,993 more to go 😆

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              Phew... this gives me some more time. Thank you Christian 🤪

              Hi Sophia

              A classic blues lick, and whilst 10,000 is a joke, the fundamental idea is sound. Play it until you don't have to think. Notice that the lower part in the RH is playing the blues scale (without Bb) up and down. So you could just play the lower RH part only.

              If playing the LH part at the same time throws you, just play a C octave (C2 and C3 together) on each beat, this is easier and will help you to master the RH.

              I think I've said this before, but it's worth repeating. Practise the LH patterns until they can be done on auto-pilot. This will free up your RH. Also worth mentioning that once you've learnt a phrase like that in the RH, it can be applied and repeated across the whole of 12 bars.

              If I have time I'll try and do a few videos to demonstrate.

              Cheers

              Simon
              All round average Jazz, Blues & Rock player.
              Currently working towards ABRSM grade 8.

                Simonb If I have time I'll try and do a few videos to demonstrate.

                That would be wonderful, thank you so much! I think all us beginners (varying from bloody beginner to eternal beginner) would learn so much from that 🥰

                  There's a lot of skill involved in playing the blues well. I've been watching some of the vids posted here and the pieces seem quite challenging, especially where the LH is playing notes at the bottom pf the keyboard and the RH is on the far right - I haven't yet played anything which involves the hands being so far apart.
                  I can see the appeal - these pieces are a change from the usual method book selection.

                  "Don't let's ask for the moon, we have the stars." (Final line from Now,Voyager, 1942)

                  Yes, these blues licks involve an entirely different part of the brain as following a method book (at least it feels that way). I enjoy learning both... but I confess that the blues lessons are a lot more fun! I really have to force myself to divide my practice sessions equally, otherwise Mr Alfred risks getting forgotten altogether and I don't think it would please him 😃

                  Unrelated side note:
                  When I was still in Alfred book 1 I was following the "Let's Play Piano" lessons. To this day, when I refer to Alfred, my husband thinks I'm talking about Gale 🤣

                  Ok, my take. After re-listening to my recording, it still sounds very tumbler-ish compared to the sound of Christian's during his lesson. And I screwed up the ending, wasn't sure if my muscle memory was right, and then just kicked out two notes that are supposed to be played way more smooth.

                  Anyway, it is very hot these days and my keyboard surface tends to get sticky. So the best time to record is before noon. Yesterday afternoon I tried to get a recording as well, but the slides just didn't work out.

                  Now it is time to go back to sight-reading as well. I paused that part of my learning path for too long, now.

                    WieWaldi I've never been into blues music, but I really like that piece, it's very relaxing and I thought you played it really well. You look relaxed and you have lovely hands (said from someone whose hands look like knarled talons when playing - I have hand envy!). I didn't perceive any wrong notes so what was "wrong" towards the end seems to have been cleverly covered by your fluid playing.
                    How long have you been playing piano?

                    "Don't let's ask for the moon, we have the stars." (Final line from Now,Voyager, 1942)