A note to my Teacher and about Her course

      Lisa, may I personally Thank You also for being my piano Teacher, I have learned so much already from your Year 1 Piano Video Lessons course and .pdf course books. Your plan for an online piano course is helping so many students like me who never thought they would be able to have a REAL piano teacher who can answer questions and not just by trying to learn from just watching Youtube videos or from apps. :)  From what I have learned from it already  I would definitely recommend it to others. Your student, Pallen

Piano Video Lessons

     Piano Video Lessons is where I have been taking my piano lessons. The videos are free but she does charge for her .pdf ebooks at almost $1 a lesson with a nice discount for joining Patreon which I have been getting good use out of.

    The discount offered for a donation to her Patreon fund also makes me elegable for a drawing for a free critique of a 5 min. practice video.  So far if there are no other contributors before July 1, I am 1 of 3 elegable.  I do not expect these odds to hold but IF, IF I win the July draw, I would get critiqued for playing 'Ode to Joy'. 😮

My Music History-long version

My Music History(long version)

  I have always been a slow learner and found it very hard to remember things, but yet I am still able to learn. I have a decent finger memory and sometimes is how I remember how I did something the last time I did it.  I have always been interested in music starting as a child playing around with a harmonica, a school Recorder, and with a little box air organ my parents bought.  I also played around with my Dad's organ he bought and after some self teaching hired a teacher which helped him do well at playing some folk songs for the family.  I however did not have the confidence to put more effort into it, if I had I may had gotten some lesson out of it as well.

  Over the years on my own since, I have tried another keyboard, a clarinet, a couple side flutes(traditional and wood), but I never took lessons, I could never afford them, and so tried to learn on my own and I was never able to get anywhere.

  Most recently(2016) my Wife and I decided to learn the classical guitar together, but this did not work out for my Wife because of health so far.  I continued on with the guitar on my own using an app on my tablet and enjoy it.  It is still a goal instrument for me.  I like its affordability, portability and the fact it takes no power. :)

  Then recently(May 2017) I finally had the opportunity to play on my Mom-in Law's upright piano on a visit.  I did recognizable job at "Christian Dedication", a song my wife and I used at our marriage.  I posted a video a me playing it that a longtime friend of mine saw, and he brought us over a KB for my wife and I to play as he knew my wife is also interested in piano's.(pic below, the stickers have since been removed)  Alas due to health my wife has not been able, yet :).

   I have taken a shine to playing the KB and so I searched Youtube for a video course.  After looking at several I found the ‘Piano Video Lessons’ course.  I liked that I could view a complete course and see how I did with them.  I like the bite sized chunks that usually focused on one thing in each lesson.  I am learning, and that is cool, so cool I now have the courses optional written materials. I never imagined to be able to afford take lessons to play. With this course I feel that I am.  I may actually finally get to play an instrument yet.   And a piano at that, one of the first style instruments I ever took a shine too.

P.Allen June 23,2017

Learning Ode to Joy on piano

   I have been busy practicing on the keyboard with the Piano Video Lessons.  I finished Unit 1 and am now in Unit 2 of the First year.  I am starting to use both hands and a lot of second and thirds practice.  I have been working on a simplified version of  "Ode to Joy" since June 21.  Sooner or later I will be making a practice video of it to compare with the previous course practice video: "Let Go Skipping Hands Together".

   The Piano Video Lessons course just made it's first $100 pledge goal at Petreon so one of the $10 monthly contributors will get picked to have a 5 minute video critique of thier playing along with a chance to ask her any questions about playing piano.  I will be among the running for this level reward although one other contributor has been a $10 contributor longer than me.  I hope to be able to make a practice video of "Ode to Joy" to share when ever it gets to be my turn. Who knows, by that time I may have moved on to another practice song to share with the teacher.

   I have been concentrating on the piano rather than the guitar since I got the piano.  I do plan to get back to the guitar, but for now I am really enjoying the piano practice and that is what my music hobby is all about.  Besides two instrument at one time is to much for now. 

Year 1 Unit 1 - Complete!

UPDATE: My Teacher made new Certificates Of Completion for each course unit. Here is the new one for Year 1 Unit 1  This first certificate only has 1 flag with one more added for each Unit.

New Year 1 Unit 1 Certificate of Completion from teacher

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Yippie ! Year 1 Unit 1 - Complete!

Done, and moving on through Year One.

June Keyboard Progress Update

We set up a RAM Camera Mount for making progress videos that mounts inside a custom cup holder I made in the shelf I made to fit on the KB X stand.  The course teacher said she liked the setup and angle.

Goals and Progress

I have been practicing on the keyboard Jay brought over, playing both the right treble hand of "Christian Dedication" and going through a Beginner Video Lessons course I found on YouTube.   I am using the .PDF materials,  that go along with the free videos.   I have the guitar lessons to keep up with too, but right now I am on a honeymoon period at focusing on the KB.  Here are my goals and successes so far, I will update occasionally. (Updated June 6, 17)

Current course goals:

• Work on at least 1 Lesson of Beginner Piano Lessons - Year 1- Unit 1 course daily.  Started May 28, 17 - 
• Started Note Speller Course  June 1, 17 - 
• Continue practice on "Christian Dedication" 
• See Google Doc heading: What are your goals in music?
• My more detailed charts for success are in my Google Document: DAILY PRACTICE CHART CHECKLIST.

Success:

• See what got me started on Piano again: Blog Link Short story: I played Mom-in-Law’s upright and made a video, soon after Jay L. saw the video he brought over an extra keyboard for us to play on.
• Started Pre-Staff Lessons  May 27, 17  - FINISHED  June 30, 17
• Started Note Reading Crash Course   May 28, 17 - FINISHED  June 31, 17
• Started Beginner Piano Lessons - Year 1- Unit 1  May 28, 17 - Main course
• My more detailed charts for success are in my Google Document: DAILY PRACTICE CHART CHECKLIST.