Sophia but I'd love to submit a blues lesson too one day...

Lesson 14. St. Louis Blues! You know it πŸ˜‰
And I'd recommend to the Easy Blues Collection from Christian as soon you start with the Easy course as a total beginnerTM. The 1st one is about the level of the St. Louis Blues, maybe even slightly easier. And you have a lot Blues pieces for the recitals, haha

    WieWaldi Easy Blues Collection

    Is this the one?

    I just practised my current lesson on my keyboard with a groovy beat and synth sound. It sounds so interesting that way... I have a good mind to record it like that once I learn the entire lesson. Right now I'm still stuck at the 3 note turn around (right around the halfway mark). I'm not entirely sure how it fits into the piece, but usually these things have a tendency to suddenly make sense all by themselves 😊

      I got it done! Just like that... the second half of the video only took a fraction of the first. Ok, more if I had perfected it ^_^

      I absolutely loved everything about it... I could play that for hours on end. And who knew my little keyboard would be so much fun to play... all those voices! The drum beats! Sheer bliss! Of course I still need to learn when that blasted drum FINISHES once you push that button... lol. But this is only a lesson, not a performance. I declare it's "good" enough to move on 😁 Here it is, lesson 12!

        Sophia Well, you've certainly got to grips with your new toy, that sounded really funky! πŸ˜ƒ It sounded more like a band playing, rather than a solo performance. I love the fact that you uploaded the video, mistakes and all, and the little speech bubbles add charm to what is a very entertaining performance. Your confidence and sheer enjoyment shine through.

        I laughed out loud at the end... when it finally came... in its own good time! πŸ˜† Thanks for brightening up my evening with your one woman band.

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

        Kraftwerk lives! πŸ˜ƒ


        Enthusiastic but mediocre amateur.

        Haha yeah sorry TC, no C7 or C9 ending this round - but I watched your video again and WILL try it (some) next time πŸ™‚

        Nightowl, yes I really love that little keyboard. For one thing the touch is ENTIRELY different from an "actual" (ok, digital, but, proper) piano. Well you probably can relate because you started on a Casio keyboard. I really love playing both but there is something really magical about adding a funky voice and groovy drumbeat. Lessons like these make learning piano worthwhile. I almost felt worthy of the craved fedora hat! 🀠

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          Sophia No hurry on my account, it'll be there when you need it.


          Enthusiastic but mediocre amateur.

          Someone is really having fun! And I totally understand, I spent almost 2 months on this lesson. Didn't want to go away. Only thing you need to learn is how to press that spring-loaded keys, some notes were very silent, but others were at high volume and had this barking sound (Wurlitzer E piano?).

          I am always thinking of getting a proper 2nd E-piano, a slab, something portable. Not so portable like my Casio, but a "real" piano. And after this, the Roland FP-E50 gained a lot of interest. This is maybe something I will treat on myself, when I become advanced.

          btw, what happened at 2:21?

          Haha yuppp, this lesson is so much fun! I will revisit it often... now with the lesson out of the way, I can try to come up with my own improvs. And yes, it's good to practise with spring-loaded keys! I did the barking sound on purpose (for the effect, though it was not ALWAYS intended) and you are absolutely correct that in other places, I played too soft. Sometimes the note even disappeared! I'm loving that keyboard though, best $199 ever spent 😍 The Roland sounds wonderful too, but a little too much $$$$$$ for me/us to spend right now, need some other stuffs first

          What happened at 2:21: I cut out a glitch! You were not supposed to notice that! Told you you were too observant! I started the pweep! pweep! pweep! and then didn't move my hand fast enough to doodle-dee-dum. So I cut out the empty bar. It was the only cheat in this entire lesson and you caught me with my pants down! (if I had any pants)

          I had a sneak peek at the next lesson: Nice! The first real song! (St. James Infirmary). I'm looking forward to that πŸ™‚

            Sophia St. James Infirmary lesson is not yet a real song, sorry. The St. Louis Blues is the first one in the list.

            One thing: When cutting out something and you won't anyone know it: Change the camera angle! I do this all the time (I mean, changing the camera angle). Do a crop or a uncrop and nobody realizes that your hand jumped.

            Another thing: The funny picture... What was in the barrels? And who drunk it?

              WieWaldi Change the camera angle!

              Ahhh, ok! But but but I don't know how to change camera angle. I must learn how, to hide my sneaky edits. Though I'm sure you'll still manage to find ways to notice...

              WieWaldi What was in the barrels? And who drunk it?

              Ah. Wouldn't you like to know...

              Wait - you have two in a row, and I am still at the beginning of mine...

              This feels like:

              Lol! Have to keep you on your toes! But, let's face it: this was a very easy lesson. The left hand has only 2, 3 notes and no chords. The right hand is easy too if you can count a little.

              The hard part was learning all the lines ☺️ I can't play anything from my Alfred book from memory, even after three weeks with the same piece I usually still need the sheet music.

              It's one of those abilities I lost in the decades without a piano, because when I was Jerry size, my mom only had to play something for me once or twice and I could memorize it 🐘

              Lesson 7 is still ongoing, and I am still stuck in the first line... yawn.
              Just figured out why my chord progression sounds bloody beginner like, but Christian's doesn't. He is making clever use of pedal, but don't tell in the tutorial, nor are there any pedal markings on the sheet music.
              I guess I can do it with pedal, but this needs some more days to run it on autopilot. Always pedaling too early, too late, or forgot about my right hand. The only thing that works is to pedal up right in time.

              How is the St. James Infirmary lesson going? First time with a chord progression, is it?

              Edit: I didn't pedal the 13th beginner lesson, but it might be a good place to do. Just don't ask me how.

                WieWaldi Lesson 7 is still ongoing, and I am still stuck in the first line... yawn.

                Awwwww! Sorry to hear that. Some lessons are so much fun, others.... bwegh! Using the pedal is the highlight of all my playing though. When Alfred introduced it, it was the most exciting lesson of my entire life - because it was always such a mystery to me. But I haven't used it with Christian's lessons yet. You need more Alfred in your life πŸ˜‹

                WieWaldi How is the St. James Infirmary lesson going? First time with a chord progression, is it?

                Well, the bad news (or good, depending on your viewpoint): I haven't actually started it yet πŸ¦₯ I did look at the chords and the melody (very well known but I didn't know the name until now, quite depressing title really for such a lovely tune) and the blues scale that he has you play with those chords. But I haven't sat down yet and tried it. Hopefully from tomorrow onwards!

                Yes, this is this is the the first lesson with a chord progression. I hope he will allow for more than just four times plonking down the chord later in the lesson... but I haven't watched further just yet. Still finalizing my Alfred lesson and then it's time for leisure πŸ˜ƒ

                I can't wait to go from back to my true self again!

                  Sophia Sorry - your lesson stays with this chord progression all the time. Anyway, this is probably just for getting into playing slow chords instead of humptee-dumptee LH patterns. I am happy, I had this lesson before getting into a longer and more complicated LH.
                  I remember how long it took to position 3 fingers on the keyboard. With every lesson later on, this became easier and easier and somehow the brain got used to recall a weird LH finger shape.

                  Currently I feel as well like and not like .
                  Playing gospels chords makes this church feeling all the time. Guess I have to go through it. Even with a quite easy RH, the LH + pedal makes it quite difficult. Seems like Christian has to provide some more serious lessons, too. (But without explaining how to pedal. 😑) Who cares, the theory behind the pedal is very easy and a no-brainer to figure out. Still, it needs practice.

                    WieWaldi I remember how long it took to position 3 fingers on the keyboard.

                    Interesting! I guess that is because you started your musical journey with this course - you did, right? And I started with "traditional lesson" material. Placing three fingers is almost too easy and I was already expecting him to say okay, after the scale exercise, the left hand goes too boogie style...

                    Mind you, I shouldn't assume the lesson to be easy just yet, because he usually puts some pretty evil tricks in midway 😝

                      Sophia Interesting! I guess that is because you started your musical journey with this course - you did, right?

                      Well, I had accordion as little child. Not very successful and a long long long time ago. Forgot about everything except I didn't like it very much. Only thing I remember is note values, this seemed natural from the beginning. And maybe this gave me a small advantage in hand independence. Especially if LH plays a humta-dumpta ryhthm pattern. Still, finding the keys is very different from the 4 buttons I used as a child on the accordion all the time.

                      Piano I started with 2 pieces way way way too difficult for me and quit again because of the frustration of how long it takes to learn something new.

                      So, you might be right with your assumption, this course was the real start of my musical journey. Never thought about it... interesting. πŸ€”

                      Sophia And I started with "traditional lesson" material. Placing three fingers is almost too easy and I was already expecting him to say okay, after the scale exercise, the left hand goes too boogie style...

                      Good to know. This way I don't feel like a bloody total unmusical with knots in the fingers. πŸ™‚