by BlackPearl 28 Replies latest jw friends
Blackpearl,
You go for it, to be able to play an instrument can be very entertaining not just for yourself but others to.
I was in the org. for thirty years’ always wanted to do what you are talking about, but because of being duped by THEM I never got round to it, now the fingers are not as supple as they should be??
KT
Hey BP:
Congratulations on taking the first step towards your goal of being a musician. I will add a few thoughts to the other excellent advice offered here (I'm also a piano teacher, who earned a piano degree as an adult).
Focus on the advantages of being an adult student: desire to learn is often stronger, more disciplined in practice routines, better intellectual grasp of musicianship. These things will help make up for less flexibility in the muscles, tendency towards being overly critical on self, unrealistic expectations, greater nervousness in public playing, sometimes more erratic practice and lesson times due to work schedule, etc.
Have you thought about your goals: What type of musician do you want to be? (ie play public recitals, just goof around on your own, play in a band, even teach, etc.) Don[t be afraid to dream big! But realize that it will take patience and dedication to get to that place, and at this point you probably will not be able to have a career as a concert pianist (although, you just never know!). What style of music do you want to play? Each style has basics that need to be mastered.
BTW, each of the aforementioned activities are important for all around musicianship: playing in front of others (even if it is just your family and friends) develops the skill of polishing a piece and expressing it for others to appreciate. Playing with others: your teacher will probably play duets with you, that's always lots of fun, and playing with other instruments is something you will want to experience. It teaches a new set of skills: listening to others, being really careful with timing, creating something wonderful as a group. Experiment on your own--be creative, explore all your instrument has to offer, compose something original, then share it!
Enjoy the expressive elements of music: when learning a piece, always think: what story or message do I want to express with this? What was the composer's intention? Always take it to that next level--even Mary Had a Little lamb, for example. Get the mental picture of the story: bright, happy, a bit naive, etc. and reflect that in the style of your playing. When you are first learning, it is easy to get bogged down in the notes, but once you have this mastered, go to that next level of expressing something. That is when you are an artiste
Pay attention to chord structures. Identifying/Using chords in learning to play will add greater richness to your music, make it easier to memorize the music, help with improvising, etc. But also learn to read the actual notes. This will open up the whole world of written music rather than just falling into the trap of playing by ear.
Watch out for tension in the shoulders, arms, wrist and hands. Check frequently and stop and relax if it is happening. Pain is NEVER a good sign. Check often for proper curve of the fingers, that you are sitting correctly, etc. until these things become a habit. Break your practice session into segments. Look away from the music every 15 minutes or so and focus on something in the future (I wrecked my eyesight my too much intensity on my scores--had to get glasses ) Get up and walk around after 30 minutes. Identify the trouble spots in whatever you are playing. Practice these first. Don't waste time going through the entire piece over and over. If your fingers are stumbling in measure 6 and 7, then focus your work there. Practice smart!
I have a sign in my music studio for my students. This reflects my philosophy of music:
Countless,
unseen
detailsare often the only difference between
mediocre
and Magnificent.Enjoy your musical adventure and keep us posted on your progress
PS. There is a myriad of information on the Internet you might want to look at once the basics are mastered. Pm me if you want at any time, I can refer you many excellent sites and books. What series is your teaching going to use to teach you?
Take your lessons and do what your teacher tells you to learn the basics. Once you start learning chords the majors and minors a-g 14 chords, I'd start playing songs that I like on the radio and singing with them. Thats what I did when I was a kid. Maybe buy a fake book of popular songs that you are familiar with and play along with that the chords and all. You will start to see how music is put together, Once you see how it is put together you can play anything. Thats my advice for playing popular music. If you want to play like Beethoven Back or Wagner you have to practice their pieces. Perfect practice makes perfect. Good luck and enjoy. Music can take you on an incredible journey. If your like me you wont want to do anything else but bang on the drum all day.
Oh yah, and all of the previous post gave some excellent advice!
As a child I craved piano lessons constantly. But, we had no piano and my parent's couldn't (or wouldn't) afford lessons for me.
When I was 20 I was sent to Federal Prison over the JW "neutrality" issue of refusing induction into the Armed Forces during the Viet Nam war. I found that in prison, if I skipped evening meals, I could go to the Catholic Chapel (which was empty at that hour) and practise teaching myself piano.
By the time I was released on parole two years later I could play!!
There are basically two ways to learn and to play piano.
The first way is by rote. You see and you do. Strict discipline.
The second way (my way) is to learn by hacking at it using your ear and figuring out why things have to go the way they go to create the sound and the effect you are hearing. Playing by ear seems to happen in people who have a natural talent.
Here is an odd observation. I have noticed that properly trained pianists seldom acquire the ability to compose music stemming from their piano knowledge. However, those who play by ear can do it easily.
My theory is this. When you teach yourself you find out the reasons why things work. When you learn by rote you merely imitate the notes and employ physical disciplines.
I may be stating the case too strongly. But, that's my observation.
I'd encourage you to do both things!
Practice discipline and then, relax and play around with the sounds and experiment.
If you have desire (and talent) you will definitely learn.
A sidebar: My 33 year old daughter, Vanessa, taught herself classical piano and plays very nicely. She never had a lesson.
What I find to be very helpful is to not think too hard about it. It's worked for me and a few of my friends. When I don't focus too hard on how I am playing, it just happens on its own. With both guitar and piano.
Good luck! Have fun with it and it will come easy!
For music theory the 3 books Contemporarary Music Theory (level 1, 2, 3) by Mark Harrison are simply wonderful! See if your teacher uses them. Also, Harrision's book The Pop Piano Book is great too!
A little late, but here's the one I'm using: http://www.amazon.com/Alfreds-Group-Piano-Adults-Second/dp/0739035266 I am a voice major at Marshall University, & this book seems pretty well-designed. I'll be taking piano classes until I can pass my piano proficiency exam! Good luck!
I am a voice major at Marshall University
Hello fellow vocalist. Actually I shouldn't group myself in with the likes of those who actually are getting college degrees in vocal performance. I'm just inspiring to be a better-than-average vocalist. Check out my thread called "Are any of you vocalists?" Stop in there and tell us more about your singing experience,etc, if you'd like.
Wow! Where do I start?! I want to thank all of you for your support and suggestions. Even a couple of Piano teachers here have had some great advice. I won't give up, that is my promise to all of you. I think my drive to do this is so strong that I CAN'T give up, even if I felt like it. I love music so much, I couldn't stop now. I'll keep everyone up to date on my progress. I wonder if I could record and download my music to a website, sort of liking keeping a blog. Wonder how though? Anyone know? Wouldn't if fun to upload my progress on a weekly or monthly basis to record my progress? Anyone have any ideas? BP
I think photobucket lets you upload video. If so, you could keep your audio there and link to it just like people do with their pictures.
