Integrating Bootcamp and Courses...

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jgtmd
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Jun 03, 2020 2:59 pm

Integrating Bootcamp and Courses...

Post by jgtmd » Sun Jan 03, 2021 9:34 am

There's a lot to like about PGS, but maybe I’ve missed something… I have traded emails with PGS team members. And I do understand that everybody learns a bit differently…

HOWEVER, I have to say, I find it a bit of a cop-out by PGS to not provide some kind of “suggested” approach to working through the Bootcamp and Courses. In my years I have taken many, many courses from grade school through graduate school as well as professional courses too numerous to count… and I’ve NEVER run into a course where the instructors or course developers just throw a variety of materials at you and essentially say “figure it out yourself”.

At least the Bootcamp lessons have an implied order, but when I look at the Rookie Courses (is it 5 or 6 or 7) there appears to be no simple way to figure out how to work through the Courses and/or tie the timing of Courses back to Bootcamp progression. And from my minimal amount of PGS progression there sure seems to be some sort of logical linkage between the Bootcamp and Courses.

I suggest it would be very very helpful (especially for new users) for PGS to develop a simple one-page graphic that shows a “suggested” approach and timing to effectively work through and integrate the Bootcamp and Course lessons.

Or did I miss something !

Regards, Jim

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sw1tch73ch
Posts: 539
Joined: Tue Oct 18, 2016 1:23 pm

Re: Integrating Bootcamp and Courses...

Post by sw1tch73ch » Mon Jan 04, 2021 1:34 am

What do you feel the weakest at? That's what you need to work on first. An in-person instructor can see where you need more work, but the remote instructors can't. So if they send you off in the wrong direction, that would be worse than letting you decide what you need to work on.

First, do the boot camp. Watch for courses to open. Work on a course that matches what you feel weakest at. Do the reading music course early. Do the 50 famous melodies early. Do scales and chords before starting Intermediate. But mostly think about where you feel weakest and work on that.
== Just keep playing. Just keep playing. Just keep playing, playing, playing! ==

-- jbs --

jgtmd
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Jun 03, 2020 2:59 pm

Re: Integrating Bootcamp and Courses...

Post by jgtmd » Sat Jan 16, 2021 8:50 am

Thanks, SW1TCH73CH… I appreciate your advice.

The challenge is understanding what a particular Course really emphasizes (until you take them). When I look at the names of the Courses available to me, only one or two give a hint as to its objective.

I’ll say again, it would be most helpful if PGS would put tother one “possible” approach, showing the integration of Boot Camp, Courses, and a beginner song or two.

I get there are many ways to approach this, but at least give a beginner a hint! I really shouldn’t have to scour this Forum to figure out how to run through the package…

Again, thanks for taking the time to reply…. Jim

20210117
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Jan 17, 2021 9:43 am

Re: Integrating Bootcamp and Courses...

Post by 20210117 » Sun Jan 17, 2021 9:53 am

As a beginner that shares your exact thoughts, this is not a program I intend to use long term. I no longer trust it to be an effective teacher. As far as I can tell, this is a dead program. It's still useful but definitely seems like yesterdays technology duct taped together. I'm using it as far as I can without pulling my hair out and just calling it quits.

Not only is there no direction whatsoever, there is content that you have to "magically" unlock. I was smashing my head against a wall trying so hard to learn something that was just too difficult. Little did I know, if you complete a certain course in BootCamp it unlocks more things for beginners. Imagine having to unlock sight reading with no indication that the course even exists, like WTF? I started learning through the courses because I had no idea what I was doing. You have to do Bootcamp first to unlock sight reading courses. Like, oh, ok...Sure. That's a thing.

12tone
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Jan 14, 2021 9:36 am

Re: Integrating Bootcamp and Courses...

Post by 12tone » Tue Jan 19, 2021 9:42 am

This is an interesting point. I assumed that the "rookie" course should be completed first and the others would follow in sequential order. I noticed the "30 Day Challenge" and started that one (and one other) too and what struck me is that the 30 day challenge started right back at the very beginning on finger numbering and "This is a "C", This is a "D"... and so on. These are things that were covered in the very first rookie lessons. I really don't need to start at the very beginning on every course.

Maybe I'm approaching this wrong. Maybe instead of doing all the courses sequentially, I should be doing several or many of them concurrently if they all start from the beginning baby steps. Not that a little repetition is a bad thing but I want to try to make the best use of my time which isn't without limits at this point.

Tveale51
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2021 10:56 am

Re: Integrating Bootcamp and Courses...

Post by Tveale51 » Wed Jan 20, 2021 5:27 pm

Hello all,

I'm new to this program, forum and also to piano. I am happy I found this thread today because the topic is exactly what I'm struggling with. I'm part way through Bootcamp and have started several courses as they have "popped up" but as it has been mentioned there does not seem to be any logical approach from the developer(s) on which courses should be worked on in relation to where a person is in Bootcamp. This would be a vast improvement in this program if that were the next "new" thing developed. I will continue with this program for now but may abandon it in the future if I continue to struggle with the logic (or lack thereof from Playground sessions). Your comments are certainly welcome.

Therese
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Jan 31, 2021 10:41 am

Re: Integrating Bootcamp and Courses...

Post by Therese » Sun Jan 31, 2021 10:54 am

Hi all,
New to the program as well - and totally confused with all of the different courses; when to start what. Finding this thread has helped me - I thought I was missing something (like, surely there was guidance, or least suggestions, from PGS on what order to practice what is available somewhere on the site!)... but now I know there isn't and I can stop trying to figure it out. I really like the sessions and the program generally, but think it is a serious oversight of the course creators not to have more information on the content and options for proceeding for newbies.

Juraf44
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Jun 01, 2021 3:14 am

Re: Integrating Bootcamp and Courses...

Post by Juraf44 » Tue Jun 01, 2021 3:15 am

sw1tch73ch wrote:
Mon Jan 04, 2021 1:34 am
What do you feel the weakest at? That's what you need to work on first. An in-person instructor can see where you need more work, but the remote instructors can't. So if they send you off in the wrong direction, that would be worse than letting you decide what you need to work on.

First, do the boot camp. Watch for courses to open. Work on a course that matches what you feel weakest at Carton déménagement pour bouteille. Do the reading music course early. Do the 50 famous melodies early. Do scales and chords before starting Intermediate. But mostly think about where you feel weakest and work on that.
You have to motivate yourself, tell yourself that you have to do it and that no one else can do it for you.

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