Piano time and grade 1-3

[yoshifumu]

Hey, i'm currently coming to the end of piano time tutor book 2, and from what i've read it's around grade 2 standard once completed (can someone confirm that for me?)

I'm looking to buy piano time 3 now but i have three questions:

1) should i get the 3rd book or the piano time 3 pieces?

2) or should i not bother because it's no good and theres a better book out there?

3) this is looking a bit ahead but i could get all of it in one go, but once thats over what book should i get next, and about what level would i be?

[Colin Nicholson]

It is impossible to say what level you are at, even by completing "book 2" ? It would be an idea to be assessed of your grade and standard by paying a piano teacher to listen to your playing.

Do you have private tuition at all? If not, grab a few lessons.

Saying 'book 2' or 'Grade 2' are two different things. The correct assessment for 'Grades' is recommended to go through The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) - try some of the Grade 1 or 2 ABRSM selected piano pieces 2011 - 2012, then this will give you an idea of your standard and grade. Also the 'graded exams' assess your scales & exercises, sight reading ability and aural tests..... and not to mention the theory of music.

If you say that you are around Grade 2 standard, then can you answer these relatively easy questions?

1. What does the bottom number mean in a time signature?
2. What is the key signature for E minor?
3. What is the full meaning of 3/4 time?
4. What is a triplet?

There's loads more, but thats a good start!!

[yoshifumu]

It is impossible to say what level you are at, even by completing "book 2" ? It would be an idea to be assessed of your grade and standard by paying a piano teacher to listen to your playing.

Do you have private tuition at all? If not, grab a few lessons.

Saying 'book 2' or 'Grade 2' are two different things. The correct assessment for 'Grades' is recommended to go through The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) - try some of the Grade 1 or 2 ABRSM selected piano pieces 2011 - 2012, then this will give you an idea of your standard and grade. Also the 'graded exams' assess your scales & exercises, sight reading ability and aural tests..... and not to mention the theory of music.

If you say that you are around Grade 2 standard, then can you answer these relatively easy questions?

1. What does the bottom number mean in a time signature?
2. What is the key signature for E minor?
3. What is the full meaning of 3/4 time?
4. What is a triplet?

There's loads more, but thats a good start!!

I had tuition (5 years ago) and i'm now playing for enjoyment. i understand the value of learning scales and arpeggios etc (although i am trying to teach myself some sight-reading through online exercises, and stuff my old teacher gave me). And i would love to do some ABRSM exams to get proper grades, but for now i'm satisfied with just practical progression and simply being able to play songs and so on. i am using a tutor book so i don't just randomly learn songs off the radio though and have some direction (even if it is poor direction). besides, i'm a student with no money

My idea was reviews said that by the end of the third book you should be grade 3 standard, so i was just curious if this is truthful. and also for some advice on whether or not this is an appropriate book to go with.


as for the questions:

1: the bottom number is the value of the note (e.g. 4 is a crotchet/quarter note, 2 is a minim/half-note, 8 is a quaver/ eight-note)
2: I thought this was the same as G major, but admittedly i had to check just to make sure. signature is simply a single # (key notes are a b c d e f# g). i also know b minor (##) (key notes are a b c# d e f# g), and d minor (b) (a bflat c d e f g)
3: best explanation i can give you is 3 crotchets per bar.
4:this i can't answer. i know it's three notes, normally quavers, but thats just obvious. if theres another trick to it i don't know it

[Colin Nicholson]

You seem to have a relatively good understanding of music.
Again, impossible to predict your standard and say "you should be grade X"? - this doesn't make sense! Who has assessed your standard, and are all the pieces in the previous books played well with no wrong notes, no counting errors, and a good pulse maintained? Only a teacher can tell.

Why not put your playing onto Youtube - then it can be assessed.

You didn't do too bad with the questions, but some of your "process" and thinking around the keys & their key signatures could be enhanced. For example, you were right to say that E minor shares with G major - so the key signature is simply F# (not needing to name all the other notes). I am also intrigued why you start from the letter 'a' each time? If you find it easier to rehearse the scale in your head, then you need to start from the appropriate letter name. Remember also by naming the degrees of the scale, minor scales have 'harmonic' and 'melodic' scales within pieces of music. So for E harmonic minor, I would say:- E F# G A B C D# E (needing D# for the leading-note). If you just state the key signature, its F# (nothing else).

You are OK with time signatures - nice 1.

A 'triplet' is a group of three notes (not necessarily quavers) performed into a simple time division. If you know what a "simple" time signature (as opposed to 'compound'), the answer should be self-explanatory.

Thanks

[yoshifumu]

You seem to have a relatively good understanding of music.
Again, impossible to predict your standard and say "you should be grade X"? - this doesn't make sense! Who has assessed your standard, and are all the pieces in the previous books played well with no wrong notes, no counting errors, and a good pulse maintained? Only a teacher can tell.

Why not put your playing onto Youtube - then it can be assessed.

You didn't do too bad with the questions, but some of your "process" and thinking around the keys & their key signatures could be enhanced. For example, you were right to say that E minor shares with G major - so the key signature is simply F# (not needing to name all the other notes). I am also intrigued why you start from the letter 'a' each time? If you find it easier to rehearse the scale in your head, then you need to start from the appropriate letter name. Remember also by naming the degrees of the scale, minor scales have 'harmonic' and 'melodic' scales within pieces of music. So for E harmonic minor, I would say:- E F# G A B C D# E (needing D# for the leading-note). If you just state the key signature, its F# (nothing else).

You are OK with time signatures - nice 1.

A 'triplet' is a group of three notes (not necessarily quavers) performed into a simple time division. If you know what a "simple" time signature (as opposed to 'compound'), the answer should be self-explanatory.

Thanks

Thanks i am trying to pick up a bit of theory on the way, but guess might want to put in a bit more effort.

Good idea about the youtube, should have thought of that.

And admittedly, even though i may know some stuff about which notes are meant to be played in a scale, i don't know how to actually play them.

thanks though.