thank you a lot i just want to share another book (part 1 and part 2) I bought it 2 months ago that helped me so much to learn piano quickly now i am playing hard songs without watching tutorials just listening to the music and apply www.amazon.com/dp/B08X7FJVMX
Thank you for addressing the design and illustrations in method books. Not all beginning piano students are young children and I think it’s discouraging for adults or teens to learn off of books that have illustrations that are clearly directed towards young children. And I like the wings on the piano too 😄
thank you a lot i just want to share another book (part 1 and part 2) I bought it 2 months ago that helped me so much to learn piano quickly now i am playing hard songs without watching tutorials just listening to the music and apply www.amazon.com/dp/B08X7FJVMX
thank you a lot i just want to share another book (part 1 and part 2) I bought it 2 months ago that helped me so much to learn piano quickly now i am playing hard songs without watching tutorials just listening to the music and apply www.amazon.com/dp/B08X7FJVMX
Very nice overview! I own a lot of them. I'm three years into piano lessons but I really like to revisit the beginner books and just recently started working through Dozen A Day, the exercises are great!
thank you a lot i just want to share another book (part 1 and part 2) I bought it 2 months ago that helped me so much to learn piano quickly now i am playing hard songs without watching tutorials just listening to the music and apply www.amazon.com/dp/B08X7FJVMX
I learned from piano adventures over twenty years ago, and I agree that they were a great start to a lifelong passion! However, I remember as an early student feeling embarrassed by playing from a colorful book with pictures on every page compared to the parchment colored Schirmer or dark blue Henle books that the older students were using. My fragile little ego wished that the books would try a little harder to masquerade as "big boy" books.
its good to see your back..you've been away for too long...I'm really looking forward to watching this video first thing in the morning..its getting to12 am here in London...but I was so excited I had to comment...did I mention because of your video I was inspired to purchase hanon's "the virtuoso pianist.."it actually came as a part of 3 studies..czerny's "practical method" and schmitt's "16 preparatories"..barring one or two days modern sessions here and there those 3 are all I practice now..I just wanted to say thank you for the inspiration...💖🙏
Glad my videos are being helpful. I know it takes long time for me to publish each video, because I'm still an active teacher, pianist, and a translator. My goal is to grow the channel big enough or have enough Patreon supporters so that I can quit translation. At that point, I should be able to release new videos more often.
@@AkiraIkegamiChannel glad to hear that..I've no doubt for sure your channel will be a success..hopefully in the near future I will be able to contribute as a patron..I love the your channel😍👍
thank you a lot i just want to share another book (part 1 and part 2) I bought it 2 months ago that helped me so much to learn piano quickly now i am playing hard songs without watching tutorials just listening to the music and apply www.amazon.com/dp/B08X7FJVMX
thank you a lot i just want to share another book (part 1 and part 2) I bought it 2 months ago that helped me so much to learn piano quickly now i am playing hard songs without watching tutorials just listening to the music and apply www.amazon.com/dp/B08X7FJVMX
Cool. My kids piano teacher used the same method books for them and my piano teacher started me on alfreds adult piano book then she gave me others since I can read music due to prior violin 🎻 experience…..fun to watch your videos as I’ve added some books (like dozen a day) to help with strengthening fingers and more fluid movement
The wings on the Grand Piano is especially funny to us in Northern Europe since a grand piano is literally called a wing in many languages. Like vleugel, flügel, flygel.
thank you a lot i just want to share another book (part 1 and part 2) I bought it 2 months ago that helped me so much to learn piano quickly now i am playing hard songs without watching tutorials just listening to the music and apply www.amazon.com/dp/B08X7FJVMX
thank you a lot i just want to share another book (part 1 and part 2) I bought it 2 months ago that helped me so much to learn piano quickly now i am playing hard songs without watching tutorials just listening to the music and apply www.amazon.com/dp/B08X7FJVMX
thank you a lot i just want to share another book (part 1 and part 2) I bought it 2 months ago that helped me so much to learn piano quickly now i am playing hard songs without watching tutorials just listening to the music and apply www.amazon.com/dp/B08X7FJVMX
God bless you. You're a great teacher and educator. I recommend you also start making some basic or intermediate pop song tutorials, that will greatly increase the traffic of viewers. Your channel deserves more followers.
Thank you very much for your helpful & entertaining videos! I agree that you need a teacher, but I experienced that it is not so easy to find the right one. What do you think of piano online courses/lessons for children? Best wishes from Europe!
I love your videos. Very informative thank you. I was wondering if the “adult adventure books 1 and 2” could work along with the other recommended books? Thanks
Love your content and presentation. I'm also interested in your intermediate repertoires. Can you also please suggest how much time an average/good student takes to go through these stages of learning? I know you hint at the time a student takes to learn in all your videos. I really love this and, as an adult beginner, it helps me to evaluate myself and set reasonable goals. I'm learning Czerny Op 823 since last 3 months (progressing very slowly), and started with Hanon after watching your Hanon video. Really enjoying it. Thank you very much for that!
It really depends on the student, but a very rough average is 6 months to 1 year per level. But I've seen students getting through a certain level in just 3 months. Depends on how much they practice and how thoroughly the student can learn. I would be concerned if you are in the same level for more than a year and half.
thank you a lot i just want to share another book (part 1 and part 2) I bought it 2 months ago that helped me so much to learn piano quickly now i am playing hard songs without watching tutorials just listening to the music and apply www.amazon.com/dp/B08X7FJVMX
So, If I were to start following piano books with the goal of getting to Hanon, your recommended sequence of books would be your sheet of paper, then Alfred's Piano Basics 1A, then Piano Adventures 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B with A Dozen A Day Preparatory, Book 1 and Book 2 overlapping with Piano Adventures, then The First Book of Scales, Chords, Arpeggios and Cadences, then Hanon: The Virtuoso Pianist in this order? I just want to be sure I've got this right before I start picking up the books. I hope my question wasn't worded in a confusing way. Any answers from you would be hugely appreciated!
You summarized well. That's the way I usually teach. Ideally, you want to finish Dozen a Day books, followed by the scale book, before you finish Piano Adventures 3B (or 4), so that you can start the next set of the books including Hanon around the same time.
Oh yeah! If you don't mind, I have two more questions for you. How necessary do you think Piano Adventures 4A is before moving on to Hanon? Also, are there any books you advise following alongside Hanon? Hope to hear from you again soon!
Oh, awesome! Your help so far has been tremendous. I would never be able to figure out a solid piano curriculum by myself, so I'm so grateful for the help you've given me and others like me. I can't wait for your next upload! Thank you!
Hi. I didn't realize this was a Super Thanks comment, because it is a new feature and you are the first person to send this to me. My apologies for late response, and THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!
Hello Mr. Akira. Thank you for your effort and work that you put into this videos, from which we can learn. Please, could you share with us your tips regarding note reading, especially for beginners? How to get better at sight reading, what do you teach and recommend? Thank you. God bless you. I wish you a peaceful and nice day.
“Like I take allergy pills with coffee even though it’s not recommended.” 😂 Lmao. Guy is funny. And he’a absolutely right, I’m still gonna try to learn on my own. 😅
omg that blurred red book 😂😂 funny thing is, i just bought a copy!! 😂😂 it's because for the exam i'll be taking one year from now, i have to learn at least 2 of the songs from the said book. right now, im currently learning how to play the piano. i plan to get a teacher once i can, but for now, i learn from youtube. and your channel has been extremely helpful, thank u for that!! can i ask, what piano adventure or alfred book can u recommend for someone trying to learn solfege, music terms and apply them to playing? right now i know how to play basic major and minor chords, i can play a few songs while singing them.
Not many books in America actually covers solfege. I learned solfege using totally different set of books while I was still in Japan. So unfortunately, I don't know much about books for solfege here. I teach theory and how to apply them in actual playing through regular Piano Adventure books and subsequent intermediate books during lessons. Although it's very ideal to have separate solfege lessons, I haven't been able to do that due to logistic challenges. I'll talk more about this in the future video.
thank you a lot i just want to share another book (part 1 and part 2) I bought it 2 months ago that helped me so much to learn piano quickly now i am playing hard songs without watching tutorials just listening to the music and apply www.amazon.com/dp/B08X7FJVMX
Thank you, and yes, I do online lessons for all levels and ages! You can make appointments here: booking.appointy.com/akirasonlinestudio To get started, I recommend scheduling a consultation session so that we can discuss details like what our lesson plan will be like, what books to get, and how to set up your online lesson environment to get most out of it. Looking forward to it.
Amazing and informative video !! Just a question.... by the end of Piano Adventures 3B, what Trinity or ABRSM grade do you think the student would be? Grade 1? Grade 2?
Unfortunately, I'm not familiar with grade tests, because they are not as important in US. In my opinion, you don't need grade certificate to play the piano (I don't have one either). So I rather focus on our curriculum than to prepare for a test in our studio, unless the student really wants some kind of proof that they can play the piano :)
Awesome lesson thank you so much! Will be checking out all these books! Hey btw, I am also a big language fan and as you mention 3 places you lived, just couple corrections re: English. You have a video How I learned "my English". So no possessive there, just "How I learned English". Also, minor point, on your Patreon page you mention for "your patreons" whereas it should be your "Patrons" on Patreon!
@@AkiraIkegamiChannel Nice! So I have courses for 10 lang. including Japanese. Let you know when I can converse! As a musician, I believe all lang is simply phonetic based. It's gets really tough when the sounds are very foreign to English sounds. Chinese is bad and Arabic too. Japanese seems a bit more doable!
thank you a lot i just want to share another book (part 1 and part 2) I bought it 2 months ago that helped me so much to learn piano quickly now i am playing hard songs without watching tutorials just listening to the music and apply www.amazon.com/dp/B08X7FJVMX
What books do you recommend for adult beginners? I tried James Bastien, but they don't go into the theory well enough which makes it difficult to learn. And most of the repertoire has a lot of non-legato (mostly chords) in the left hand. The books normally used for young kids are too slow for adults and I find that I can't seem to take them seriously. thank you for your very educational videos
In general, I use same books for adults, because you are learning the same instrument. If they seem too slow, and if you can actually master each lessons quickly, you can get through them quickly until things gets more difficult for you. I haven't done much research in adult-specific books, because most of them tend to skip through, but I'd rather cover all the basics thoroughly. Piano Adventures do have accelerated version for levels 1 and 2, which I sometimes use for students with previous training or shows exceptional dedication. You may be interested in that.
The only question comes my mind is how are you living in 3 countries? How long do you stay in one country for? I am from India, and would love to travel those countries. I am learning Korean through duolingo, and also Greek.
Hey Akira. Just a question with the Piano Adventures book. Like what is the planned time to work through the whole book? What would you recommend? Half a year? One year? :) Thank you for your videos
It depends on each student, but I would say on average it takes about a year to finish each level. However, some students take more than that, and some finishes in about 3 months. It really depends on how much the student practices or how well s/he follows instructions..
I use John Thompsons Modern course (now self-studying only), may I know why you prefer these books? I am exploring book cause I teach for smaller kids below my level.
I think I explained why I choose these books, but basically because I like the pace of the curriculum when combined the way I explained in the video. I think pieces are more modern and enjoyable, too. Piano Adventure's theory books are easy for me to teach chord theory to young students with.
If a student has finished Alfred’s level 2, what level could he transition to in the Faber series? Any suggestions ? For some reason I don’t like Alfred’s after Level 1b.
I don't use Alfred after 1A, so I'm not sure where level 2 ends. You just have to assess what the student has learned up to that point and find corresponding point in Piano Adventures. It may be in the middle of a certain level.
Same books. Adult method books tend to go faster and be more logical, but I still like to take time on each concept to give my students enough time to master each step.
I think they are. But it's impossible to write all the details students will need to successfully and efficiently learn the piano in a book, especially in the beginning of your learning. So the best thing to do is to study with a good teacher and use the book the teacher is familiar with.
You can, but you should really take lessons from a teacher. Books can explain only so much about music. A good teacher can check in with you regularly and make sure you are learning correctly. Self-learners tend to miss a lot especially if you don't have any other musical background.
I use the same books regardless of the student's age, because it's the same skill/knowledge they have to learn. The only time I change the curriculum is when the student already have musical experiences or when they are too proud to use same books with children.
at 4:20 you say right hand does not release key.. but I believe this is incorrect.. The right hand still releases each key but it is not abruptly or quickly (that would be staccato) try to flow into the next key, letting go of one key while you start pressing the next key. Your explanation confused me so that I had to look up examples to make sure I didn't forget how to read music. (I am relearning after many years away)
Right hand does not release the key before playing the next key, that is. On the other hand (unintended), left hand has to release the keys before playing the next chords. But if you do that with right hand, melody line will be chopped up.
So, do you recommend these books over the dozen-a-day series for beginners? I feel like there are so many books out there, can't decide which one to buy lol
thank you a lot i just want to share another book (part 1 and part 2) I bought it 2 months ago that helped me so much to learn piano quickly now i am playing hard songs without watching tutorials just listening to the music and apply www.amazon.com/dp/B08X7FJVMX
What is your opinion of Akira Miyoshi's piano method published by Kawai in Japan? I am in Japan and I know that the Yamaha method is most popular, but it is not published with any English explanations. Miyoshi's method is. I like some of Miyoshi's music and would like to know more about his method. Though the books are easy to find, it seems everyone I talk to learned using the Yamaha method. Thank you for all you videos. The piano videos are always enjoyable and helpful as are you language videos.
I haven't seen Miyoshi's method, so I can't comment on that. I use method books as collections of music organized in the way it gradually adds new skills/concepts. The final goal is to teach all the basics by the time the student finishes all levels. So no matter what method you use, the final result is "supposed to be" same. If you like Miyoshi's music, your teacher should be able to incorporate it to your regular routine.
It really depends on the student, but I say about 3 months to 1 year per level. But some students take longer to go through each level. It depends on how much they practice and how well they follow instruction.
@@AkiraIkegamiChannel I see. So if the student practice and follow the instructions well, within 3 months to 1 year, they can finish the beginning level and jump to the intermediate level? But how do you condense so many books (from adventure level 1 to level 3B) within only 3 months to 1 year?
If your reading skill is good in general, sight-reading books may be a good supplement. I don't usually use them, because I don't seem to have enough time to cover sight-reading in regular lessons. But ideally, I would like to work on sight reading with all of my students.
So our family just purchased a nice digital piano. We would like to avoid the price of an instructor. My children are 8 and 11. We have worked through theory time at home before purchasing the piano. Honestly, I am not musical at all. But I wanted them to know something. They can currently very slowly read music and locate the keys. I would like to learn with them. Being a teacher (though definitely not in any area of music), I like finding a curriculum that we can advance through from the beginning. Both Alfred's Premier Piano and Bastein's Piano Basics have been recommended to me. Please give me advice here. I know nothing in this area. Please give any advice you have, even if that is DO NOT take this on on your own. Thank you.
Taking lessons may cost significant amount of money, but if you learn from a good teacher and follow their instructions, that'll save you significant amount of time. Music is a kind of language, so you can imagine trying to learn a foreign language from a book with no teacher to practice with. I hate to see people who has right intention and spend so much of their time, but not learning as much as they should be because they weren't aware of things they should be focusing on in each practicing session. So yes, my suggestion is to learn from a teacher, rather than trying to take it on your own, especially you don't know how to play the piano either. I'm planning to create a Udemy course where beginners can follow to learn the piano, but that won't happen for a long time due to limited time I can spend on these videos.
That is the decision teachers make during lessons. We look at the overall performance and check if the student acquired all the skills that the music was intended to teach. It also depends on the student's goal and strength/weakness. Sometimes we let go of certain things for various reasons, or add additional requirement if the student shows extra interest. Professional feedback and guidance is one of the advantages you get over self-learning.
@@AkiraIkegamiChannel unfortunately, I'm self-learning and I don't have a teacher. I just use the method books you recommend to learn more. When it comes to hand exercises, I follow your 80 metronome mark to play without mistakes. But with method books I'm a little confuse when should go I to the next topic. Any tips?
When you can play without stopping or collapsing fingers is the general rule. But I always recommend taking lessons at least occasionally to check your progress, because it's easy to miss things while you are learning. Even I can use some coaching from time to time to get fresh perspective.
They are not bad, but they tend to rush through everything. I'm the kind of teacher who wants to cover everything thoroughly before moving on, so I usually just use the same method books for both children and adults, and if the student is fast learner, we just go through them quickly or skip some of the pieces.
Please make a video about intermediate repertoire
thank you a lot i just want to share another book (part 1 and part 2) I bought it 2 months ago that helped me so much to learn piano quickly now i am playing hard songs without watching tutorials just listening to the music and apply
www.amazon.com/dp/B08X7FJVMX
What is repertoire?
Thank you for addressing the design and illustrations in method books. Not all beginning piano students are young children and I think it’s discouraging for adults or teens to learn off of books that have illustrations that are clearly directed towards young children. And I like the wings on the piano too 😄
😂😂
Akira, I always enjoy your sense of humor. 😊
thank you a lot i just want to share another book (part 1 and part 2) I bought it 2 months ago that helped me so much to learn piano quickly now i am playing hard songs without watching tutorials just listening to the music and apply
www.amazon.com/dp/B08X7FJVMX
I love to use Piano Adventures with my students 👏👏👏
thank you a lot i just want to share another book (part 1 and part 2) I bought it 2 months ago that helped me so much to learn piano quickly now i am playing hard songs without watching tutorials just listening to the music and apply
www.amazon.com/dp/B08X7FJVMX
@@saadbandin7613 thank you I'll take a look
Very nice overview! I own a lot of them. I'm three years into piano lessons but I really like to revisit the beginner books and just recently started working through Dozen A Day, the exercises are great!
thank you a lot i just want to share another book (part 1 and part 2) I bought it 2 months ago that helped me so much to learn piano quickly now i am playing hard songs without watching tutorials just listening to the music and apply
www.amazon.com/dp/B08X7FJVMX
I learned from piano adventures over twenty years ago, and I agree that they were a great start to a lifelong passion! However, I remember as an early student feeling embarrassed by playing from a colorful book with pictures on every page compared to the parchment colored Schirmer or dark blue Henle books that the older students were using. My fragile little ego wished that the books would try a little harder to masquerade as "big boy" books.
its good to see your back..you've been away for too long...I'm really looking forward to watching this video first thing in the morning..its getting to12 am here in London...but I was so excited I had to comment...did I mention because of your video I was inspired to purchase hanon's "the virtuoso pianist.."it actually came as a part of 3 studies..czerny's "practical method" and schmitt's "16 preparatories"..barring one or two days modern sessions here and there those 3 are all I practice now..I just wanted to say thank you for the inspiration...💖🙏
Glad my videos are being helpful.
I know it takes long time for me to publish each video, because I'm still an active teacher, pianist, and a translator. My goal is to grow the channel big enough or have enough Patreon supporters so that I can quit translation. At that point, I should be able to release new videos more often.
@@AkiraIkegamiChannel glad to hear that..I've no doubt for sure your channel will be a success..hopefully in the near future I will be able to contribute as a patron..I love the your channel😍👍
Thank you. That means a lot to me.
Love your personality, thank you for the recommendations.
thank you so much for sharing knowledge.
I really appreciate the information in this video, it’s very helpful. Thank you.
Thank you for your information in detail and humor!
Thank you so much for these videos, they are so helpful. I’m starting to play again after 30 years . I wish I would’ve had a teacher like you.
you are the best piano teacher, Thank you
thank you a lot i just want to share another book (part 1 and part 2) I bought it 2 months ago that helped me so much to learn piano quickly now i am playing hard songs without watching tutorials just listening to the music and apply
www.amazon.com/dp/B08X7FJVMX
Yes this great. Looking forward to intermediate.thank you
Thank you for this video!
Love your beginner books recommendation! Please do make video about intermediate student books! Thanks!!
thank you a lot i just want to share another book (part 1 and part 2) I bought it 2 months ago that helped me so much to learn piano quickly now i am playing hard songs without watching tutorials just listening to the music and apply
www.amazon.com/dp/B08X7FJVMX
You are a good teacher of teachers! Thanks for your contribution!
Cool. My kids piano teacher used the same method books for them and my piano teacher started me on alfreds adult piano book then she gave me others since I can read music due to prior violin 🎻 experience…..fun to watch your videos as I’ve added some books (like dozen a day) to help with strengthening fingers and more fluid movement
thank you Akira-san 👍👍👍
Great and helpful video! Thank you!
The wings on the Grand Piano is especially funny to us in Northern Europe since a grand piano is literally called a wing in many languages. Like vleugel, flügel, flygel.
I learned something new. Thank you!
great tips Akira-san
thank you a lot i just want to share another book (part 1 and part 2) I bought it 2 months ago that helped me so much to learn piano quickly now i am playing hard songs without watching tutorials just listening to the music and apply
www.amazon.com/dp/B08X7FJVMX
love ur contents keep it up please
I love your videos, I always learn something 😀
thank you a lot i just want to share another book (part 1 and part 2) I bought it 2 months ago that helped me so much to learn piano quickly now i am playing hard songs without watching tutorials just listening to the music and apply
www.amazon.com/dp/B08X7FJVMX
Insta like, was waiting for this ❤️
thank you a lot i just want to share another book (part 1 and part 2) I bought it 2 months ago that helped me so much to learn piano quickly now i am playing hard songs without watching tutorials just listening to the music and apply
www.amazon.com/dp/B08X7FJVMX
God bless you. You're a great teacher and educator. I recommend you also start making some basic or intermediate pop song tutorials, that will greatly increase the traffic of viewers. Your channel deserves more followers.
Keep your old lesson books! When they are a level or two below you they are great for sight reading practice.
Excellent job sir ♥️♥️
Thank you!
Great video! Could you please share what books you use with your intermediate students?
Thank you very much for your helpful & entertaining videos! I agree that you need a teacher, but I experienced that it is not so easy to find the right one. What do you think of piano online courses/lessons for children? Best wishes from Europe!
I'll be making a video about my thoughts on online lessons soon. Stay tuned!
I love your videos. Very informative thank you. I was wondering if the “adult adventure books 1 and 2” could work along with the other recommended books? Thanks
I think so. As long as you have a clear plan, most books should work.
Love your content and presentation. I'm also interested in your intermediate repertoires.
Can you also please suggest how much time an average/good student takes to go through these stages of learning? I know you hint at the time a student takes to learn in all your videos. I really love this and, as an adult beginner, it helps me to evaluate myself and set reasonable goals. I'm learning Czerny Op 823 since last 3 months (progressing very slowly), and started with Hanon after watching your Hanon video. Really enjoying it. Thank you very much for that!
It really depends on the student, but a very rough average is 6 months to 1 year per level. But I've seen students getting through a certain level in just 3 months. Depends on how much they practice and how thoroughly the student can learn. I would be concerned if you are in the same level for more than a year and half.
thank you a lot i just want to share another book (part 1 and part 2) I bought it 2 months ago that helped me so much to learn piano quickly now i am playing hard songs without watching tutorials just listening to the music and apply
www.amazon.com/dp/B08X7FJVMX
So, If I were to start following piano books with the goal of getting to Hanon, your recommended sequence of books would be your sheet of paper, then Alfred's Piano Basics 1A, then Piano Adventures 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B with A Dozen A Day Preparatory, Book 1 and Book 2 overlapping with Piano Adventures, then The First Book of Scales, Chords, Arpeggios and Cadences, then Hanon: The Virtuoso Pianist in this order?
I just want to be sure I've got this right before I start picking up the books. I hope my question wasn't worded in a confusing way. Any answers from you would be hugely appreciated!
You summarized well. That's the way I usually teach.
Ideally, you want to finish Dozen a Day books, followed by the scale book, before you finish Piano Adventures 3B (or 4), so that you can start the next set of the books including Hanon around the same time.
Awesome! Thank you so much!
Oh yeah! If you don't mind, I have two more questions for you. How necessary do you think Piano Adventures 4A is before moving on to Hanon? Also, are there any books you advise following alongside Hanon? Hope to hear from you again soon!
Ideally, you should start Hanon before Piano Adventures 4. I'll be making a video on intermediate books in the future.
Oh, awesome! Your help so far has been tremendous. I would never be able to figure out a solid piano curriculum by myself, so I'm so grateful for the help you've given me and others like me. I can't wait for your next upload! Thank you!
Thanks
Hi. I didn't realize this was a Super Thanks comment, because it is a new feature and you are the first person to send this to me.
My apologies for late response, and THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!
Hello Mr. Akira. Thank you for your effort and work that you put into this videos, from which we can learn. Please, could you share with us your tips regarding note reading, especially for beginners? How to get better at sight reading, what do you teach and recommend? Thank you. God bless you. I wish you a peaceful and nice day.
“Like I take allergy pills with coffee even though it’s not recommended.” 😂 Lmao. Guy is funny. And he’a absolutely right, I’m still gonna try to learn on my own. 😅
omg that blurred red book 😂😂 funny thing is, i just bought a copy!! 😂😂 it's because for the exam i'll be taking one year from now, i have to learn at least 2 of the songs from the said book. right now, im currently learning how to play the piano. i plan to get a teacher once i can, but for now, i learn from youtube. and your channel has been extremely helpful, thank u for that!! can i ask, what piano adventure or alfred book can u recommend for someone trying to learn solfege, music terms and apply them to playing? right now i know how to play basic major and minor chords, i can play a few songs while singing them.
Not many books in America actually covers solfege. I learned solfege using totally different set of books while I was still in Japan. So unfortunately, I don't know much about books for solfege here.
I teach theory and how to apply them in actual playing through regular Piano Adventure books and subsequent intermediate books during lessons. Although it's very ideal to have separate solfege lessons, I haven't been able to do that due to logistic challenges. I'll talk more about this in the future video.
Thank you, Akira for your informative videos. What's the duration per lesson for begginer/intermediate level students?
Mostly 45 minutes and 1 hour, but really depends on each student.
thank you a lot i just want to share another book (part 1 and part 2) I bought it 2 months ago that helped me so much to learn piano quickly now i am playing hard songs without watching tutorials just listening to the music and apply
www.amazon.com/dp/B08X7FJVMX
Thank you Akira, I like your teaching style / method, do you have online classes for adult beginner?
Thank you, and yes, I do online lessons for all levels and ages!
You can make appointments here: booking.appointy.com/akirasonlinestudio
To get started, I recommend scheduling a consultation session so that we can discuss details like what our lesson plan will be like, what books to get, and how to set up your online lesson environment to get most out of it.
Looking forward to it.
Amazing and informative video !! Just a question.... by the end of Piano Adventures 3B, what Trinity or ABRSM grade do you think the student would be? Grade 1? Grade 2?
Unfortunately, I'm not familiar with grade tests, because they are not as important in US.
In my opinion, you don't need grade certificate to play the piano (I don't have one either). So I rather focus on our curriculum than to prepare for a test in our studio, unless the student really wants some kind of proof that they can play the piano :)
Awesome lesson thank you so much! Will be checking out all these books! Hey btw, I am also a big language fan and as you mention 3 places you lived, just couple corrections re: English. You have a video How I learned "my English". So no possessive there, just "How I learned English". Also, minor point, on your Patreon page you mention for "your patreons" whereas it should be your "Patrons" on Patreon!
"My English" is actually intentional :)
@@AkiraIkegamiChannel lol OK! More power to ya! What is your native language?
I grew up speaking Japanese, so that'll be my native language.
@@AkiraIkegamiChannel Nice! So I have courses for 10 lang. including Japanese. Let you know when I can converse! As a musician, I believe all lang is simply phonetic based.
It's gets really tough when the sounds are very foreign to English sounds. Chinese is bad and Arabic too. Japanese seems a bit more doable!
Do u have that sheet posted somewhere where we can print? The five finger exercise
This is literally just a piece of paper I typed up years ago to use as a temporary reference to start students on. It's not posted anywhere.
Yes what books you use for intermediate please
I have a video for that already
What do you think about Accelerated Piano Adventures for older beginners books 1 and 2?
I sometimes use them, too, especially level 2, after I saw the student can learn quicker.
thank you a lot i just want to share another book (part 1 and part 2) I bought it 2 months ago that helped me so much to learn piano quickly now i am playing hard songs without watching tutorials just listening to the music and apply
www.amazon.com/dp/B08X7FJVMX
What books do you recommend for adult beginners? I tried James Bastien, but they don't go into the theory well enough which makes it difficult to learn. And most of the repertoire has a lot of non-legato (mostly chords) in the left hand. The books normally used for young kids are too slow for adults and I find that I can't seem to take them seriously. thank you for your very educational videos
In general, I use same books for adults, because you are learning the same instrument. If they seem too slow, and if you can actually master each lessons quickly, you can get through them quickly until things gets more difficult for you.
I haven't done much research in adult-specific books, because most of them tend to skip through, but I'd rather cover all the basics thoroughly.
Piano Adventures do have accelerated version for levels 1 and 2, which I sometimes use for students with previous training or shows exceptional dedication. You may be interested in that.
Piano adventures has accelerated beginner 1 and 2
The only question comes my mind is how are you living in 3 countries? How long do you stay in one country for? I am from India, and would love to travel those countries. I am learning Korean through duolingo, and also Greek.
I have lived in 3 countries, but not at the same time. Due to COVID, I haven't visited Japan or Korea for a long time, unfortunately.
Hey Akira. Just a question with the Piano Adventures book. Like what is the planned time to work through the whole book? What would you recommend? Half a year? One year? :) Thank you for your videos
It depends on each student, but I would say on average it takes about a year to finish each level. However, some students take more than that, and some finishes in about 3 months. It really depends on how much the student practices or how well s/he follows instructions..
Hello, if I use Alfred Prep Course for the young beginner (Level A) for practical and Prep Course Theory , Bk A ….is that good for 8 year-old kid ?
I use John Thompsons Modern course (now self-studying only), may I know why you prefer these books? I am exploring book cause I teach for smaller kids below my level.
I think I explained why I choose these books, but basically because I like the pace of the curriculum when combined the way I explained in the video. I think pieces are more modern and enjoyable, too. Piano Adventure's theory books are easy for me to teach chord theory to young students with.
If a student has finished Alfred’s level 2, what level could he transition to in the Faber series? Any suggestions ? For some reason I don’t like Alfred’s after Level 1b.
I don't use Alfred after 1A, so I'm not sure where level 2 ends. You just have to assess what the student has learned up to that point and find corresponding point in Piano Adventures. It may be in the middle of a certain level.
Hi Akira, what beginner books do you use for adults?
Same books.
Adult method books tend to go faster and be more logical, but I still like to take time on each concept to give my students enough time to master each step.
Thank you!
Hello Akira I'd like to know if these books appropriate too for piano self learning?Thanks
I think they are. But it's impossible to write all the details students will need to successfully and efficiently learn the piano in a book, especially in the beginning of your learning. So the best thing to do is to study with a good teacher and use the book the teacher is familiar with.
Can i use these books for self learning
You can, but you should really take lessons from a teacher. Books can explain only so much about music. A good teacher can check in with you regularly and make sure you are learning correctly. Self-learners tend to miss a lot especially if you don't have any other musical background.
Do you think Adult piano adventures books are as good?
I haven't really take a close look at them, because I generally use the same books for both children and adults.
Also, do you use this Alfred 1a book with older students as well? 15yo? If not, which in one do you start with?
I use the same books regardless of the student's age, because it's the same skill/knowledge they have to learn. The only time I change the curriculum is when the student already have musical experiences or when they are too proud to use same books with children.
at 4:20 you say right hand does not release key.. but I believe this is incorrect.. The right hand still releases each key but it is not abruptly or quickly (that would be staccato) try to flow into the next key, letting go of one key while you start pressing the next key. Your explanation confused me so that I had to look up examples to make sure I didn't forget how to read music. (I am relearning after many years away)
Right hand does not release the key before playing the next key, that is.
On the other hand (unintended), left hand has to release the keys before playing the next chords. But if you do that with right hand, melody line will be chopped up.
So, do you recommend these books over the dozen-a-day series for beginners? I feel like there are so many books out there, can't decide which one to buy lol
I use these books together with Dozen a Day.
thank you a lot i just want to share another book (part 1 and part 2) I bought it 2 months ago that helped me so much to learn piano quickly now i am playing hard songs without watching tutorials just listening to the music and apply
www.amazon.com/dp/B08X7FJVMX
What is your opinion of Akira Miyoshi's piano method published by Kawai in Japan? I am in Japan and I know that the Yamaha method is most popular, but it is not published with any English explanations. Miyoshi's method is. I like some of Miyoshi's music and would like to know more about his method. Though the books are easy to find, it seems everyone I talk to learned using the Yamaha method. Thank you for all you videos. The piano videos are always enjoyable and helpful as are you language videos.
I haven't seen Miyoshi's method, so I can't comment on that.
I use method books as collections of music organized in the way it gradually adds new skills/concepts. The final goal is to teach all the basics by the time the student finishes all levels. So no matter what method you use, the final result is "supposed to be" same.
If you like Miyoshi's music, your teacher should be able to incorporate it to your regular routine.
@@AkiraIkegamiChannel Thank you very much for your reply and advice!
About how long does it take to finish the beginning level for a student at average?
It really depends on the student, but I say about 3 months to 1 year per level. But some students take longer to go through each level. It depends on how much they practice and how well they follow instruction.
@@AkiraIkegamiChannel I see. So if the student practice and follow the instructions well, within 3 months to 1 year, they can finish the beginning level and jump to the intermediate level?
But how do you condense so many books (from adventure level 1 to level 3B) within only 3 months to 1 year?
By each level, I was referring to level 1, 2A, 2B, etc, not the entire beginner method book series.
Should I add sight reading books with these or do these books by themselves can already train my sight reading?
If your reading skill is good in general, sight-reading books may be a good supplement. I don't usually use them, because I don't seem to have enough time to cover sight-reading in regular lessons. But ideally, I would like to work on sight reading with all of my students.
@@AkiraIkegamiChannel Alright. Thank you!
What is the youngest student that you use Alfred’s Level1A with? Can this work for a 4 or 5 yo?
As long as the student knows Alphabets or parents can help, yes!
Thank you for your videos. I have a question: why nobody talks about Bastien method? Isn't it interesting? Thank you
I don't know why other people don't talk about it, but I'm just comfortable with Piano Adventures.
Thank you so much for answering. 😊
So our family just purchased a nice digital piano. We would like to avoid the price of an instructor. My children are 8 and 11. We have worked through theory time at home before purchasing the piano. Honestly, I am not musical at all. But I wanted them to know something. They can currently very slowly read music and locate the keys. I would like to learn with them.
Being a teacher (though definitely not in any area of music), I like finding a curriculum that we can advance through from the beginning. Both Alfred's Premier Piano and Bastein's Piano Basics have been recommended to me.
Please give me advice here. I know nothing in this area. Please give any advice you have, even if that is DO NOT take this on on your own.
Thank you.
Taking lessons may cost significant amount of money, but if you learn from a good teacher and follow their instructions, that'll save you significant amount of time. Music is a kind of language, so you can imagine trying to learn a foreign language from a book with no teacher to practice with. I hate to see people who has right intention and spend so much of their time, but not learning as much as they should be because they weren't aware of things they should be focusing on in each practicing session.
So yes, my suggestion is to learn from a teacher, rather than trying to take it on your own, especially you don't know how to play the piano either.
I'm planning to create a Udemy course where beginners can follow to learn the piano, but that won't happen for a long time due to limited time I can spend on these videos.
@@AkiraIkegamiChannel
Thank you. I appreciate you advice.
As a complete beginner, I'm just wondering; how will I know when to progress to the next topic/page of the method book?
That is the decision teachers make during lessons. We look at the overall performance and check if the student acquired all the skills that the music was intended to teach. It also depends on the student's goal and strength/weakness. Sometimes we let go of certain things for various reasons, or add additional requirement if the student shows extra interest.
Professional feedback and guidance is one of the advantages you get over self-learning.
@@AkiraIkegamiChannel unfortunately, I'm self-learning and I don't have a teacher. I just use the method books you recommend to learn more. When it comes to hand exercises, I follow your 80 metronome mark to play without mistakes. But with method books I'm a little confuse when should go I to the next topic. Any tips?
When you can play without stopping or collapsing fingers is the general rule.
But I always recommend taking lessons at least occasionally to check your progress, because it's easy to miss things while you are learning. Even I can use some coaching from time to time to get fresh perspective.
what about adults like me I'm 30
I basically use the same books for adults too with slightly different teaching style.
Do you recommend these books for adults?
They are not bad, but they tend to rush through everything.
I'm the kind of teacher who wants to cover everything thoroughly before moving on, so I usually just use the same method books for both children and adults, and if the student is fast learner, we just go through them quickly or skip some of the pieces.
Hello, if I use Alfred Prep Course for the young beginner (Level A) for practical and Prep Course Theory , Bk A ….is that good for 8 year-old kid ?