I learned all four variations of the blues lesson, but it's not smooth yet. That'll be a few more days I'm guessing. Christian didn't offer any ending; this might be a good time to finally try to include one of TC's endings (I'm reposting that link here, because it took me 10 minutes of scrolling to find it back 
).
Oh, I forgot to mention: I also purchased the 8 easy blues pieces 
But I'm not printing it yet, because I don't want to be tempted before I finish this course!
I am still struggling with my Christmas song... I would be happy to get a recording of the first part only within this week. Don't have much time left, Christmas is coming and I am not at home then.
It sounds so lush and bluesy when Christian plays it, but he should put a warning on it:
DON'T TOUCH THIS AS A TOTAL BEGINNER... or similar... maybe it is even for an absolute beginner too challenging...
Oh I know.. when he plays those tunes, it sounds so great... and easy. Then you try it and you realize how hard it really is!
That's why I'm not touching anything outside of my method book and blues course just yet. When people tell me I should play this or that or such, I usually stick my fingers in my ears and Lala lalala! Because it's always a lot harder than it seems!
Edit: unless it's a fellow beginner who knows how hard or easy it really is 
Actually, nobody told me to pick this piece. I just liked how it sounds...
Heh yeah sometimes that person whispering in my ear is me. I purchased a few "easy" classics books thinking they would be, well, easy. Big mistake 
Yep, we've all been there, Sophia! Some of those publishers should be sued under the Trades Descriptions Act! 
Talk about misleading!
"Don't let's ask for the moon, we have the stars." (Final line from Now,Voyager, 1942)
Christian just said: "One week left, you can still manage to learn one of those Christmas songs..."
Ha.
Ha.
Ha.
[frustrated]
Oooooooohhhh but that is "prolonged beginner", perhaps even "eternal beginner" level... May I remind you...
Nightowl Some of those publishers should be sued under the Trades Descriptions Act!
No, not saying sue Christian 
Because he didn't make that claim. In fact I don't think he said the word "beginner" at all in that lesson 
Yes - he didn't say the word beginner... you are right.
It is just... Ehrm.. It is just - he said, one can learn such a song in one week 
I am now done with the 1st 1/3 of the tune, still a lot of errors, timing very unsteady and slow, metronome goes horribly wrong after 10 bars. I am happy if I get this week a recording of the first third, and call it a day piece.
Believe me, this isn't for total beginners. This is real beginners stuff!
WieWaldi Believe me
Oh I believe you! Every time I get a new blues lesson (in the "bloody/lovely beginners" section), I always think when I start it that it seems so easy... pfft why even practice, just record it straight away. Then, two weeks later... my left hand still gets all stubborn when my right hand plays the tricky passage. I think he is just enjoying to be wicked 
I recorded my lesson.... because I want to move on now. I didn't enjoy that one as much (I think that will be obvious) and there are many mistakes, not so rock solid left hand, 3rd variation is only correct once, and the ending... oh boy. I'm so ashamed! It's a good thing the phone had a direct link to the keyboard because I didn't want a PG rating 
Sorry TC, first time I try to apply one of your endings and I completely, thoroughly, miserably butcher it. And then I'm putting it out in the open for all to see, because I just couldn't face spending another day with this lesson... 
On to lesson 16. That will be the last of the bloody/lovely beginners lessons! After that, I will finally join WieWaldi in the total beginner's rank! 
I can see why you grew tired of it - it's not exactly an inspiring piece and there are some really fiddly sections as the piece progresses.
The first minute went smoothly, then you seemed to lose concentration a bit, but if you're not enjoying the piece it's understandable why your brain might be desperate to wander off somewhere more pleasant! That's how I was at school, during maths lessons... my brain just refused to operate in such a dull situation! I think you did well to plough through a lesson that wasn't enjoyable, now you can move on and play something more enjoyable.
"Don't let's ask for the moon, we have the stars." (Final line from Now,Voyager, 1942)
Heh, yes, I felt like saying what all students always tell all their teachers: "I could play it so well at home!" (or off camera)
But in my case, even that would be a half lie because obviously it just wasn't my type of piece. Of course when Christian demonstrates the licks they sound gorgeous.... so I know that each lesson is a means to an end - and someday it'll all come together. But that day is not today
Hi Sophia
Firstly, well done.
My first reaction when you started playing was - this is slow. I think you'd find the LH easier if you played it all a bit faster. At that tempo it's quite difficult to keep the LH consistent. No doubt that is the tempo advised in the lesson, but if your RH can cope then I think speeding up a bit will help you. That LH pattern can be played and used at virtually any tempo with a variety of rhythmic subtleties.
Are you using music there, or playing from memory?
When I learnt to play the blues many decades ago as soon as I could I started trying to improvise around the blues scale, and that's what I'd advise you to start doing asap. If you know that blues scale in C (C Eb F F# G Bb C) and can keep the LH going start experimenting. What you don't want to do, is make all this effort, working through these exercises (written by someone far more talented than me I'm sure) and at the end of it only be able to play the exercises. That's a complete waste of time IMHO. I'm sure the improvisation aspect will appear in the course you're doing anyway, but if it isn't, that would be a big red flag for me.
The main thing is that you're enjoying it, having fun, and clearly making progress.
Cheers
Simon
All round average Jazz, Blues & Rock player.
Currently working towards ABRSM grade 8.
Thank you Simon! He didn't really indicate what tempo and his demonstrations are all over the place, but the lesson was called "slow blues" so I just picked a rhythm that I thought was sufficiently slow
WieWaldi would know a little more about how the course proceeds (he is further ahead than I am), but I definitely think that Christian's aim is to teach full autonomy 
But for this particular lesson, the improvisation is confined to "hit that note, double it, triple it, and make sure you don't miss your chord changes..." I also think he is working on hand independence and getting across what sounds bluesy and what doesn't, before he lets us loose on the real stuff. But that's just a guess.
I know, I moan a lot, but I really am enjoying the lessons and I'm sure I will get into full improvisation soon enough. I agree that I should probably get a little more adventurous and just do it. Less moaning, more improvising 
Simonb Are you using music there, or playing from memory?
I have the sheet music, but for these lessons I try to learn them as soon as I start the lesson. So playing from memory here.
Hi Sophia
As I probably said eons further back in the thread I strongly recommend practising the LH on its own; a lot! Get that LH 12 bar form down so you can do it without thinking about it. It won't happen overnight, it took me a long time, but surprisingly suddenly you'll realise you no longer have to think about your LH. It's like its on auto pilot. When this happens it will free up your RH to improvise.
For that reason I'd also advise you to practise the blues scale in RH alone, very robotically (to start with) if required, as well. Forget what is written in the course and start playing the scale C Eb F F# G Bb C. Experiment with it! You really can't hit any wrong notes if you stick to those notes. Virtually any order will work. That way you will start to find things yourself. Play them in groups of 2 or 3, slide from one to the other. Again almost anything will work. A bonus note for the blues scale is E (natural) and sliding from Eb to E gives you one of the classic sounds in the blues. Minor 3rd to major 3rd.
You really can't go wrong, after that it's all about rhythm!
Hope that helps.
Cheers
Simon
All round average Jazz, Blues & Rock player.
Currently working towards ABRSM grade 8.
Oh yes, I remember you said that... and believe it or not I have been doing that with other patterns. I just hate this plinke-plonke one so I tend to get it over with
But I know what you're saying. In fact one of the previous lessons was HUGELY enjoyable, and I spent a lot more time with it. It happened exactly as you mentioned: at some point I was wondering why I had stopped playing with my left hand... and a little puzzled too because it didn't sound any different. Turned out my left hand was doing its thing on fully automated mode!
But that has only happened once so far. It was quite the exhilarating experience... but then again I'm sure you know all about that ^_^
I love the blues scale, so I'll probably exchange my daily scale run with the blues one until further notice - much more fun and sounds better too 
Sophia You played with some really nice groove - loved it! And your metronome sounds way better than mine^^ Still, I would encourage you to play on the Yamaha instead. You know, hammer action and correct finger feeling and yada yada yada. Nothing wrong to play along the keyboard's rhythm as a metronome - can you let the keyboard doing the drums, and you do the lesson on the piano?
About the tempo - I liked it. It is this slow cool mood 
and your left hand plays very clean with very nice staccato. Actually, you had this good LH from the beginning of your Blues journey. Well - talent is talent.
About the ending: I always told you not to rush, and now you are venturing into Jazz improvisation - highly advanced!!! In this lesson the standard turnaround would maybe had fitted better, or one of TC3s ending:
But - no! You must rush into advanced Jazz territory!!! 
WieWaldi or one of TC3s ending:
But but but but! That WAS my attempt at one of TC's endings. Obviously butchered so very badly that it could not even be recognized 
It was not one of my better lessons, but it also wasn't a favourite. I may stick with lesson 16 for a while, because I can only be a lovely beginner once
Thanks for your very kind words, even though it feels a little undeserved this time
WieWaldi I would encourage you to play on the Yamaha instead
I practised it on the Clavinova 
Just to record I switched to the E373. Not to provide excuses, but it was one reason I struggled, because the action is indeed so very different!
Here is my rendition of "At Last", from the final section of Alfred's Self Teaching Adult Piano Course (AKA book 1).
I skipped this piece the first time around, but recently I've been replaying everything in the book and I decided it was time to finally tackle this classic piece. My recording is not perfect, but I'm moving on from it before I kill my enjoyment of playing it, because sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. When I finally managed to get a passable recording, the title rang very true for me.
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"Don't let's ask for the moon, we have the stars." (Final line from Now,Voyager, 1942)
