David’s Practice Log

[Marine]

Amazing! Can’t wait to see your progress!

[David]

I finally have a video to post. I’ve been working through the Method Level 1 and started recording videos of my progress. Here is my video for Lesson 6-The Notes Exercise 1. I bought a Yamaha Portable Grand DGX-670 for my birthday last year and am loving it. I thought instead of using the clicking of a metronome that I would use one of the Styles of the keyboard to back my playing. Anyway here is my first exercise.

https://youtu.be/F-NeCoWSEl4

[Marine]

Yes! Great Job David! Works well 🙂

[David]

Thanks Marine. I will be on a cruise starting Saturday and won’t be back home until next week. So unfortunately no practice for the next week. When I get back from the cruise, I will be more active with my progress log. Also, I will try not to miss any future live events. I was preparing to go on this cruise and missed the recent live event. I will watch it when I get back. I also wanted to say that I found your Highway Hunters videos and I really like your style on the keyboards. Cool band. It’s going to be an awesome experience learning from you. Thanks for this course. 😎

[Marine]

Hey!
How lucky!! Enjoy your vacation time!
And I’m glad you like the Highway Hunters! It’s a very cool project for sure!!

Talk soon!

[David]

I’m back home after a nice cruise. Now it’s back to the lessons. Here is my next progress video. This is Lesson 6-The Notes-Exercise 2. I like using the styles of my keyboard to keep time but I can change over to the metronome if the style track is too much. So far I am enjoying the course. I really love all the resources that are sent to my e-mail. I started keeping everything in a binder. Thanks again for this course.

https://youtu.be/KXqBcIoS8U4

[Marine]

Hey David!
Welcome back! I’m glad you’re enjoying the course, you’re doing great! 🙂
Keep up the good work!

🎹

[David]

Here is my progress log for The Beginner Method Lesson 7-The Rests-Exercise 1. I really enjoyed this little tune. Measure 7 was interesting trying to hold the whole note while playing the right hand. My left hand always wants to mimic my right hand. I know it will get easier with time. Anyway, here it is.

https://youtu.be/ADQVuWv4H24

• This reply was modified Il y a 1 année, 1 mois by  David.

[Marine]

Good Job! 🙂

[David]

Here is my progress log for The Beginner Method Lesson 7-The Rests-Exercise 2. Wow! I love that 6/8 time signature. It always reminds me of that song ‘Nights in White Satin’ by the Moody Blues. I love that song. Anyway, that is also a tricky one. Only playing that G note in the left hand really helped get through this exercise. It will be very interesting when the left hand becomes more complicated. Anyway, here is my progress video.

https://youtu.be/lvk2-GPlkJA

[Marine]

Sounds Good! 🙂

[David]

It’s time for another progress video post for The Beginner Method. Here is Lesson 8-The Dotted Notes-Exercise 1. I really like the course and how it teaches theory and uses excellent music exercises that really help with understanding everything. I can hear a few delays in some parts of my playing. I recorded myself without using the metronome/drum tracks. I will start using that more during my practice sessions. Anyway, here it is.

https://youtu.be/CuCqxZlGUt0

[Marine]

Great Job! Yes, try to play it with a metronome or some kind of tempo to make sure the note value are good! 🙂

[David]

Here is another progress video. This is for The Beginner Method and it is Lesson 8-The Dotted Notes-Exercise 2. I thought I would play along to another drum track on my keyboard. One thing I really love about this course is how there are also exercises for the 6/8 time signature. I’ve take a few courses online over the years and it seems like most of them really focus on the 4/4 time signature and devote only a small percentage of their courses to the 6/8 time signature. I think 6/8 is pretty awesome. Anyway, here is my progress. I’m a few lessons away from the songs portion of the Beginner Method and can’t wait to get there. I might start sharing my progress on Facebook when I start working through those songs.

https://youtu.be/A8pBO5gC2Ts

[Marine]

Sounds Good!! 🙂 And I’m really glad you enjoy the lesson!
I agree, the 6/8 is a cool time signature and it’s very common in rock and blues! 🙂

[David]

Here is another progress post. This is the Beginner Method: Lesson 9-Hands Together-Exercise 1. I played it at 110 bpm.

https://youtu.be/7sMw0duDvMU

[David]

Here is another progress video. I realize I’ve been posting these fairly quickly but I have a good reason for that. I’ve had them ready for a little while now. I haven’t been feeling well for a week or so and I haven’t been online much. I am doing better and now I will be playing catch up with my posts. Here is my progress for the Beginner Method: Lesson 9-Hands Together-Exercise 2. I do love that measure 4. I think it is called “contrary motion” in the lesson video. That is a very cool sound.

https://youtu.be/bGZtxoWhf4Y

[Marine]

Good Job! 🙂

[David]

Here is my post for Beginner Method-Lesson 10-Eighth Notes Triplets-Exercise 1. I’m playing it at 80 bpm. All those triplets are challenging and I like that. That is an amazing workout for the fingers. 😎

https://youtu.be/Z-j-HUXqb8I

[David]

Here is my video of Beginner Method-Lesson 10-Eighth Notes Triplets-Exercise 2. I’m having fun with the triplets. This is a fun little tune. I love how it works the triplets in both the right and left hands. I played it at 75 bpm. On to Lesson 11 now.

https://youtu.be/j86NnrZ14kw

[David]

Well, it is time for me to finally start The Beginner Method Practice Section. I will be starting Lesson 15-The Little Sunshine tomorrow. I kind of jumped ahead when I saw Lesson 22-Create Your Own Practice Routine. I’m glad I did that. I used that lesson to organize my practices from now on and I have my whole practice routine worked out now. I will start with a warm-up and use the Hanon exercises to warm up. Then I will do some technique exercises by playing the C Major scale and its relative, the A Minor scale this week. I will also practice the arpeggios that go with those. Then I will begin learning the song “Little Sunshine”. My plan will be to work through all of the songs in the Practice Section of the Beginner Method course. Another goal will be to overcome my fear of posting my playing on the Online Rock Lessons Facebook group. There are a lot of great players in that group. After I work through all of the songs of the Practice Section of the Beginner Method, I want to start building a repertoire of cool keyboard songs that I’ve heard over the years and have inspired me to want to learn to play in the first place. Anyway, that is my goal. I don’t know how long this will all take, but that isn’t important. For me, it is all about enjoying the ride. I will also work through the Intermediate and Advanced courses of The Method. 😎

[Marine]

Amazing! I’m so glad! 🙂
Looking forward to watching your videos!
Rock’n’roll!

[David]

Thanks. 🙂

[David]

Here is my video for The Method-Beginner Level Lesson 15. This is ‘Little Sunshine’.

https://youtu.be/034_Tu_gcpM

[David]

Okay. I finally redid my video for Little Sunshine after my YouTube delete fiasco. Here is my redo of The Method-Level 1 Beginner Lesson 15 piece-Little Sunshine.

https://youtu.be/14Qoac9EZis?si=G9GuX1Nf96a4ANTp

[David]

Big oops! I’ve been trying to reorganize my YouTube Channel and I deleted everything to start over from scratch. So my video for “Little Sunshine” got deleted. I will try to redo it and get it reposted. I’m currently working on Lesson 16 “Down in Alabama”.. I thought I would share how I’ve been organizing my practice routine. I found some great tips from Marine about practicing. I’m starting with the warm-up by playing Hanon 1. As of this post, I am playing that exercise in 8th Notes at around 100 bpm. It is semi-smooth. I will be staying at that tempo for awhile probably. I’m only playing it a single octave. I will probably start adding octaves to it and begin working my way up and down the entire keyboard. I actually enjoy playing that Hanon exercise. I’m not sure if it is normal for someone to “like” playing Hanon. 😂 Anyway, after the warm-up exercise, I am playing the Technique exercise. Since “Down in Alabama” is in the key of D, I decided to practice the D Major scale and the B minor scale and their respective arpeggios for the Technique part of my practice routine. After that I am practicing the song “Down in Alabama”. My practice time is organized in the recommended 25%-Warm-up, 25%-Technique, and 50%-Song. I haven’t been practicing as often as I should so that will definitely be one of my New Year’s Resolutions. I’m actually getting an early start on that one. 😎 After I post this I will be getting back to practicing daily beginning this evening. So there it is. My official practice routine. Later.

[Marine]

YES! Good job David 🤩🤘