Alfred is a well-known and well-respected name in piano music, with an extensive line of method books ranging from beginner to advanced, as well as numerous supplemental music books and anthologies. Their most popular course is the Alfred Basic Piano Library.  This method offers a solid foundation in the basics, with new concepts and skills [...]

1.  Scales in all major and harmonic minor keys with correct fingering. 2.  Chord structure with inversions. 3. Chromatic fingering. 4.  Pedaling smoothly and noiselessly. 5.  Works from all major periods of music (Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and 20th Century or Contemporary).

1.  Names of lines and spaces in both clefs, and how they correspond to the piano keyboard. 2.  Duration of notes and rests, and how they correspond to the time signature. 3.  Correct posture and hand position. 4.  Good practicing techniques and habits. 5.  Basic music terminology (piano, forte, crescendo, ritardando, etc.).

There are five main things to take into consideration when you’re looking for a piano instructor for yourself or your child:  experience, teaching philosophy and approach, education and training, personality, and rates. Experience It’s always wise to look for an experienced teacher who has worked out the kinks in their methods and knows how to handle the [...]

When you’re shopping for a piano, it can be overwhelming to walk into a showroom filled with all shapes and sizes of instruments.  How do you know where to start?  Pianos are a major investment, so it’s a good idea to take your time, research, and get the one that works best for you and [...]

Sometimes when I’m taking my family on vacation, I can’t find a hotel that fits our needs. They’re too full, too expensive, too small, too inconvenient, just…too. That’s when I look for a vacation home. This might sound grand and luxurious, but most of the time my vacation rentals are condos. The condos often come [...]

There is a small hotel in a small town in Illinois that refuses to take credit cards. I know this because when I wanted to stay there, I had to reserve the room by mailing them a physical check, in the regular mail, with an actual stamp. When was this, you might ask? In my [...]

Let’s face it, there aren’t many places in the continental United States that offer more fun in the sun than Florida. There’s a reason it’s called the Sunshine State. Beaches, theme parks, alligators—okay, never mind about the alligators, but honestly, wouldn’t you rather be there right now? I would. With the holidays over, there’s nothing [...]

Right now it’s the dead of winter in my neck of the woods, and there’s only one sure way to escape the dreary, gray skies: head for sunnier shores. Right now I could really go for an Orlando vacation. I’ve been to Disneyland several times, but I have yet to go to Disneyworld, not to [...]

  Priceline is one of those sites that seems like a great idea, if only you could figure out how to use it. Sure, you might have to jump through a few hoops and take a few chances, but you could save big on your next hotel by using Priceline. Here’s how: 1. Do your [...]