Completing the Intermediate Foundations over three years

[Ivan R]

Course 2020-2023 - Lesson Schedule.odsHey, PWJers (especially beginners):

 

I've calculated the time it would take the Intermediate Foundations to be finished (if we spent 1 week for each lesson) and it's going to take about 3 years (135 weeks, to be accurate).

I've designed a PDF with this plan (starting on Monday 14 September, as a school year) : every week you learn one lesson from the Foundations AND ALSO another lesson from a style of the Intermediate Learning-Track (I'd start with the Blues Track 1).

Two lessons a week seems like a pretty decent pace to me, not too demanding, so it would leave you time to review past lessons and even tackle the weekly Monthly Challenge lesson. At least, that's the idea I've got after 3 months doing one Beginner level course (i.e. 4 lessons) in a single week: if four lessons per week may become indeed a bit demanding (especially when you begin to accumulate lessons to review), two lessons (or three with the Monthly Challenge) should be more bearable as a regular basis.

 

PROs: steady and regular progression, demanding but bearable rhythm, seven days to consolidate a lesson , enough spare time to review previous lessons.

CONs: not very fast progression, the goal might seem distant, you may become impatient.

 

What do you think? Would anyone join me in starting and completing the Intermediate Fundamentals over the next three years?

 

PS: I've attached two documents with this plan: the PDF and the ODT (Open Document Spreadsheet). The latter can be opened and modified with Open Office, Libre Office or some versions of Microsoft Excel (the more recent ones).

Piano 2020-2023 - Lesson Schedule.pdf

Edited August 16, 2020 by Ivan R
ODS file added

[Betty Jo H]

Hello Ivan:

I'm currently a beginner/intermediate.  I wish I could do this wit you.  How many hours a day would you devote to each of these lessons?  I usually get bogged down when it gets to using both hands together to create the rhythm.    Would you just move on when the time is up and go to the next lesson?  How would you do that?

[Gail S]

On 8/16/2020 at 5:42 AM, Ivan R said:

Course 2020-2023 - Lesson Schedule.ods 29.71 kB · 11 downloads Hey, PWJers (especially beginners):

 

I've calculated the time it would take the Intermediate Foundations to be finished (if we spent 1 week for each lesson) and it's going to take about 3 years (135 weeks, to be accurate).

I've designed a PDF with this plan (starting on Monday 14 September, as a school year) : every week you learn one lesson from the Foundations AND ALSO another lesson from a style of the Intermediate Learning-Track (I'd start with the Blues Track 1).

Two lessons a week seems like a pretty decent pace to me, not too demanding, so it would leave you time to review past lessons and even tackle the weekly Monthly Challenge lesson. At least, that's the idea I've got after 3 months doing one Beginner level course (i.e. 4 lessons) in a single week: if four lessons per week may become indeed a bit demanding (especially when you begin to accumulate lessons to review), two lessons (or three with the Monthly Challenge) should be more bearable as a regular basis.

 

PROs: steady and regular progression, demanding but bearable rhythm, seven days to consolidate a lesson , enough spare time to review previous lessons.

CONs: not very fast progression, the goal might seem distant, you may become impatient.

 

What do you think? Would anyone join me in starting and completing the Intermediate Fundamentals over the next three years?

 

PS: I've attached two documents with this plan: the PDF and the ODT (Open Document Spreadsheet). The latter can be opened and modified with Open Office, Libre Office or some versions of Microsoft Excel (the more recent ones).

Piano 2020-2023 - Lesson Schedule.pdf 38.85 kB · 11 downloads

Thank you so much, Ivor!  I will download this tonight and follow along.

[Peter B]

On 8/17/2020 at 7:24 AM, Betty Jo H said:

Hello Ivan:

I'm currently a beginner/intermediate.  I wish I could do this wit you.  How many hours a day would you devote to each of these lessons?  I usually get bogged down when it gets to using both hands together to create the rhythm.    Would you just move on when the time is up and go to the next lesson?  How would you do that?

@Betty Jo H: I wouldn't recommend moving on to a subsequent lesson until you feel you've achieved accuracy and good control over the subject matter of the current lesson. I believe a minimum is one hour per day, but that would include both technical exercises and practice at songs/study pieces. (I suggest one hour a day because tutors for classical piano demand their students put in minimum seven hours a week.) Personally, I've found that tackling both the Foundations elements and songs/studies concurrently can be a heavy burden. I get "stuck" on some elements and therefore it may take more than a week to master an element before moving on. Or a song may take twice the time originally planned, especially if you're intending to make a progress/recital video.

I'm also on the Beginner/Intermediate Foundations - Part 1. I took a long time working on "Canon in C" and "Jonny Darko," but it was fun.

Cheers,

[Ivan R]

On 8/17/2020 at 1:24 PM, Betty Jo H said:

Hello Ivan:

I'm currently a beginner/intermediate.  I wish I could do this wit you.  How many hours a day would you devote to each of these lessons?  I usually get bogged down when it gets to using both hands together to create the rhythm.    Would you just move on when the time is up and go to the next lesson?  How would you do that?

@Betty Jo H Like Peter, I wouldn't recommend going to the next lesson until you feel comfortable with it. Therefore, this three-year plan is more a theoretical "what if" ("what if we devote one week to each lesson?") than a realistic approach to the real practice we will face with the courses, because there will be some very challenging lessons that will demand more than a week (and even more than two or three!) to be achieved. So I'm taking this schedule as a "general rule" to guide my progression rather than a strict program. I hope it helps me not to delay more than necessary, but if necessity comes, I'll have to spend more than one week on a single lesson. It's important to build a strong foundation before levelling up to the next level, so that the building does not fall apart!

As for the time devoted to each lesson, I would say an average of 25 minutes every day (and a minimum of 10 minutes). Considering that you'll probably want to practise some song of your own and that you'll have to revise previous lessons and songs,  you should probably be devoting an average hour to the piano every day.

But more important than my opinion (I'm just a beginner!), here you have what Jonny himself has to say about practice (Introduction to the Keyboard - Lesson 11):

https://pianowithjonny.com/lessons/introduction-to-the-keyboard-lesson-11/

Or Yannick:

https://support.pianowithjonny.com/support/solutions/articles/63000076244-how-do-i-practice-effectively-

I hope it helps!

 

[Betty Jo H]

Thank you Ivan.  Lots of good information here.  I've discovered by reviewing this information that I need to be working about 20 minutes on technique everyday.  By doing this, I really think I will start to see a difference when I try to put my hands together from now on.  

[Peter B]

3 hours ago, Betty Jo H said:

...I need to be working about 20 minutes on technique everyday. By doing this, I really think I will start to see a difference when I try to put my hands together from now on.

@Betty Jo H: I certainly agree with you on that point. I've found that a daily routine of technical exercises—e.g., Hanon, Herz, Schmitt—is very helpful. I practice all of these at below the prescribed tempo. I would also recommend that you set aside a little time each day for scales, perhaps some arpeggios and chord progressions. Once familiar, I can do hands together two-octave scale, formula pattern, and contrary motion at 96-bpm.

I believe you'll notice it all starting to come together soon. Cheers,

[Emma Collingwood]

Ivan, this is great! Thank you so much for sharing it. I've downloaded and printed the document and I can't believe just how much there is for us to learn! (Just one note, I think the minor 7ths exercise lessons are missing - even more for us to work on lol!).

I'm very motivated to join you in this challenge and work through these lessons. I always stall on the exercise lessons because I get a bit bored doing them. (They are like scales, not so much fun but absolutely essential). I needed this boost to make me get on and work hard on this learning track, because I really want to acquire the skills.

I practice for 1 hour a day, and I try to work 10 minutes on the Intermediate Foundations, which is why I progress slower. If you do 20-25 minutes, you'll stick to your schedule I would think. I'll also do 25 mins on the blues course and 25 mins on the monthly challenge.

Thanks again Ivan! See you on the FB group 😀

 

 

 

 

[Lois R]

Ivan, I would like to do this challenge with you too.

[Elisa]

Hi Ivan and all,

Great idea and very cool spread sheet. I will join with you guys in spirit and dedication to practice, though I'm not organized enough to follow the schedule exactly. I'd already made it through a number of the 7th chord exercises, but now I need to review them. I love it that it starts with the school year!

And for what its worth, I'm in the "move on when you feel like it" school of thought. If I had to get all those chords moving at the tempo Jonny suggests I'd be on one lesson all year! We had a great discussion a while back about mastery vs quantity. I just try to keep myself motivated and interested, so different things get more mastery and others get more of moving on into quantity, and I'm always picking up one skill or another along the way.

--Elisa (Nana N Poppy on facebook)

[Ido B]

Just seeing this now.  What a great idea @Ivan R!  Thanks for the pdf!  I may utilize it.  I think I would be much more productive in my studies, if I had some sort of schedule laid out.

[Kimberly B]

Ivan R--

This is great. I was just setting up my 2021 goals list and saw there were 529 lessons in the Level Two learning track. I plan to complete the Level One track first so I can probably do a lesson a day. I know most of it but I am finding Jonny adds so much in addition to the just the basic sight reading that I don't want to miss any thing. Today I knocked out four lessons but as things get harder for me I know that won't happen. 

I like how you have it all mapped out and it will really help me check them off the list (I am a planner at heart).  

I know everyone has been saying not to move on too soon but I might add also, don't move on too late. I did that with the O Holy Night. I just kept wanting to make it perfect and I finally felt stuck so I moved on to the next lesson and then I moved on before I was completely comfortable with the next. When I went back to the previously lessons, I could play them much better. So don't get stuck trying to make it perfect, move on and then come back and review. I wish I would have done that with November's Challenge. I think I will give myself a week per lesson max and then allow some time to go back and as necessary. 

Thanks again for the schedule for Level Two. 

Kim