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)

    Oh wow Nightowl, another jazzy blues piece from you, that was quite the surprise! See????????? Learning this style is contagious! You already joined the ranks of bloody (blues) beginner, you can only move upwards from here on 😋

    That was played with much confidence and pleasant schwung (this is a German word that the Dutch use too, and I'm not sure if there is a good English translation for it). I loved that tune and you did it justice. All your zealous practising is starting to pay off, well done!

    More more!

    Thanks Sophia! I made a mistake in the second half but carried on, because the piece is longer than anything else I've recorded and several times I had played it quite well throughout then made a complete mess of the last measure - totally maddening! 😬 I'd need to work on it for another week or two to manage a note perfect recording, but I'd had enough. It's an apt way to finally say goodbye to the first book before I focus on finishing book 2.
    Blues music has grown on me over the past year. It helps that much of it is played at a slow tempo - in fact that piece has the instruction "Slowly, with feeling" - ideal for a slow coach like me! If anyone notices slight hesitations I can claim they were intentional, as I was "feeling" the emotion of the piece! 😁

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

      Nightowl this was a very solid Blues. If the score says it must be played "Slowly, with feeling", then you must play slowly and with feeling. You succeeded. Yes, I could hear some feeling. Some bluesy feeling, to be precise. Well done - I could hear a lot of blue notes and some blue scales. And you played a 2:30 minute piece - which is a long ass of a thing. This makes the chance to get a proper recording so ultimatively much more difficult than a short one. Again - this is another time to give yourself a big clap on the shoulder.

      Nightowl If anyone notices slight hesitations I can claim they were intentional, .... 😁

      I like this sentence! May I borrow it? I might be very useful in the future! No seriously, it is way better to hesitate and then play a right note. The people that do play a wrong note within the timing instead, tend to wire their brain wrong. You know, there is a very true sentence:
      Practice does not make perfect - it makes permanent!

      A few more steps like this and you can feel like 💙🧑🏻‍🤝‍🧑🏻🎩🕶️ (The Blues Brothers, wearing hats and sunglasses.But don't mix up with spies and men in black 🕵️🕴️)

      Sorry for the late reply, I was just waiting for the best occasion to add the 500th post in this thread! 💯💯💯💯💯 🥳
      Gotcha! 🤘😎👍

            WieWaldi Thanks WieWie, your words really made me smile and the video you linked made me laugh - that man is one bad ass comedian! 😃 Some of the phrases he referred to are not used much here in the UK, they are much more prevalent in the States, but his observations were very clever.

            500th post - yes, that's quite a landmark! Maybe I'll make the 1000th post - if I remember to get my ass in gear when the time comes! 🙃

            By the way, I was so sad to see the news about the attack in Magdeburg - just awful! I hope you and your loved ones stay safe, I fear that the repercussions of this incident might become widespread. Take care of yourself.

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

                Nightowl Thanks for your kind words. No - I am not in Magdeburg (Germany). I am in Bavaria (near Germany). Yes - it is dreadful. But this isn't the first time. I feels more like a déjà vu. Unfortunately it seems people get used to it - maybe some even want to have this. Otherwise I cannot explain why German voters are unwilling to change politics. But sorry - let's stop here. I don't want to rant about politics. This is a piano forum.

                    WieWaldi Understood.

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

                      Well, I started lesson 16 today. Just four beautiful chords for now to prepare for some cool licks 😊 I think I will enjoy this lesson! But for now, I am just learning the left hand.

                      Funny enough I started my next Alfred piece (I will write a little more about that in the Alfred thread) and... it's a boogie! But a very interesting boogie in C# minor, with just one single chord pattern for the left hand throughout the entire piece. It's very hard to do (for me, so far), so that means that today my right hand had nothing more to do than scratch my nose. The left hand had to do all the work! Luckily I have two left hands, and they are both all thumbs 👍🏼

                      WieWaldi I was just waiting for the best occasion to add the 500th post in this thread! 💯💯💯💯💯 🥳

                      Whoooo hooooo!

                          Enjoy - if I recall correctly, this is the 2nd lesson with a LH chord progression instead of a pattern. Comes often more and more, but there will be the patterns again, too. When I did the long gospel chord progression with 16 chords, I was sitting in my armchair, watching TV, and had the Casio on my lap. Did the chords again and again, until the grips felt more and more natural.

                          Sophia Funny enough I started my next Alfred piece (I will write a little more about that in the Alfred thread) and... it's a boogie!

                          See - no matter how hard I tried to rush throgh the course, you reached Boogie Woogie first. 😡
                          🐎 vs 🦥
                          🚴🏻‍♀️ vs 🛌🏻💤
                          🍔 vs 🥔

                          (Can't wait to listen to it. Will you post it here or in Alfred's thread?)

                              WieWaldi Can't wait to listen to it.

                              Haha well, I think it will be a while! Technically it's not a boogie... it says it's a Jazz Ostinato. Then the footnote explains that this means it has a pattern of notes repeated throughout the composition. But it sounds to me like a boogie... in a minor key. Very interesting! I will need a very steady left hand though, so it won't be ready any time soon. I may prove to be a 🦥🥔🛌🏻💤🥔 after all. Because after I get the left hand done, the right hand has the learn to provide all the frillies. I'm excited to learn this 😋

                              WieWaldi I was sitting in my armchair, watching TV, and had the Casio on my lap. Did the chords again and again, until the grips felt more and more natural.

                              I saw a Youtube video of someone who practices the boogie patterns like that! I don't think I would have the patience for that... though now that the lessons are becoming more and more challenging, I may need to rethink my laziness and start doing the same. Simon also told me that I need to do just that. You guys are hard taskmasters 😂

                                    Sophia Technically it's not a boogie... it says it's a Jazz Ostinato.

                                    Ohhhh. This doesnt make things better. U know, I am in this blues and (hopefully next year) boogie thing only, to get a foundation to be able to play jazz one day.
                                    And you 🏇 are right into it, now!
                                    😱😱😱

                                        You can blame it on our friend Alfred. He pushes the envelope all the time - Nightowl gets involved in blues and I get into boogie/jazz. Just by following the book

                                          Sophia Nah, no one's falling for that line, Sophia! You are flaunting your musical genes again by moving along at the speed of light, don't try and pin the blame on poor old Alfred. His taste in music might be dubious, but he's not the one responsible here!

                                          WieWaldi I feel your pain, we stand together against an annoyingly talented person who is making us feel bad. I'm going to ask Nav to stop her posting on any thread for beginners/learners, because she is clearly not really a BBB (bloody blues beginner) like me/us! <stamps foot, stomps off to find Nav>

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

                                                Nightowl His taste in music might be dubious

                                                Say what now? Alfred's taste is improving all the time... blues! ragtime! boogie! jazz! HOW DARE YOU just when the book is finally getting better and better 😂🤣

                                                Nightowl she is clearly not really a BBB (bloody blues beginner) like me/us

                                                Watch your mouth 😃 WW is well ahead of me/us and probably always will be, because I need to slow down considerably now that the lessons are becoming more and more difficult 😃 I'm not catching up with him any time soon 🧑🏻‍🦽

                                                      It cost me 20 month from the first beginner blues piano lesson to the St. Louis Blues.
                                                      You did the same in 7 month plus playing some Alfred here and there, recalling the entire Thompson book, playing Ragtime and Chopin.

                                                      Maybe I am ahead in the Blues journey (currently) (still) (at least for now), but it is only a matter of time when will you overtake me.
                                                      And I am only talking Blues, not to mention you are at home in multiple genres, including Chopin.

                                                      nag nag nag nag nag nag

                                                      Sophia Say what now? Alfred's taste is improving all the time... blues! ragtime! boogie! jazz! HOW DARE YOU just when the book is finally getting better and better 😂🤣

                                                      Well, maybe book 3 might be better, but don't forget I'm still in book 2 - despite the fact that I started book 1 several weeks BEFORE YOU!!! 😡 I rest my case. Please do not refer to yourself as a BBB again!!! Truth be told you're probably indulging in all sorts of extra curricular activities that you are keeping quiet about... like playing a bit of Rach for light relief when Alfred gets on your nerves! I'm on to you Missy!

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

                                                        Oooh ganging up on me! Ok ok ok, I surrender, I surrender!

                                                        I confess, I'm secretly a concert pianist (very famous! very skilled! very suave!) posing as a lovely beginner 🤠

                                                          Ha, ha, ha, high five at you WieWie, together we are strong against the might of Sophia! 😃 Now the truth has been exposed!

                                                          Sophia - You are indeed lovely... but you are not a BBB! Now have the decency to slow down a bit, before you give the rest of us mere mortals an inferiority complex!

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

                                                            Hehe, now, everybody coming back to earth again... let me derail the topic just a little bit. I did practice today, but only briefly. I got side tracked when I started to toy with DaVinci Resolve - what a complicated program! I have only scratched the surface of all the things it can do....

                                                            I tried a few small things when I recorded the JT book, but there are seven tabs and so far, I only used three of them (and only one or two things at that). I have no idea what Fusion, Color and Fairlight even do, let alone tried any of that! I don't think that's a rabbit hole I wish to descend in too deeply, that's for sure 😂

                                                              Sophia DaVinci Resolve - what a complicated program!

                                                              I wish, I knew this program before I bought mine. Mine is quite easy to use, very intuitive. But lacks of some functions, or others dont work as expected.
                                                              Even if it has almost 100 effects, I am only using a very limited number of them, but still missing some others that don't exist.