Hope for late bloomers? (learning to play)

Subject: Hope for late bloomers?
From: KT
Date: 29 Oct 00 - 11:45 PM

Okay friends.....Is there anyone out there who, like me, has decided to take up piano as an adult? I have learned other instruments by ear, but this piano thing, what with reading two lines and all is REALLY stretching me. I've worked my way through a few beginner books and have just started lessons. Anyone have any great advice for this late bloomer? (Besides throwing the metronome through the window!!) KT

Subject: RE: Hope for late bloomers?
From: Thyme2dream
Date: 29 Oct 00 - 11:54 PM

Play it by ear KT--Pun sort of intended, but seriously...learn a bit with the lesson and the two musical lines in the book stuff, but then just let the music in your spirit take over. If you can play other instruments, the piano will come along eventually. Good luck! (oh and YES,I vote for tossing the metronome)

Subject: RE: Hope for late bloomers?
From: pict
Date: 30 Oct 00 - 12:11 AM

Listen to Thelonius Monk and try to learn his composition Misterioso.It is great practice in left and right hand co-ordination.Get the book"The contemporary keyboardist" by John Novello.

Subject: RE: Hope for late bloomers?
From: pict
Date: 30 Oct 00 - 12:13 AM

Thelonious Monk not"Thelonius" oops.

Subject: RE: Hope for late bloomers?
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 30 Oct 00 - 12:18 AM

But don't get arrested for Thelonious assault.

Subject: RE: Hope for late bloomers?
From: thosp
Date: 30 Oct 00 - 12:26 AM

(forefinger bullet heading for chantyranger)

peace (Y) thosp

Subject: RE: Hope for late bloomers?
From: KT
Date: 30 Oct 00 - 11:10 AM

Thanks for the ideas, Thyme2dream and pict! Will do! Thyme2dream, I can't wait until I CAN read well enough to allow the spirit to take over. That's the problem. I'm so used to playing by ear that this note reading thing is really challenging me. This makes my fiddle and guitar playing seem easy!! But it's fun and I'm determined!

Anyone else have stories about taking up an instrument in middle years?

Subject: RE: Hope for late bloomers?
From: Little Neophyte
Date: 30 Oct 00 - 11:23 AM

Why yes KT, when I turned 40 years old I decided to either take up the banjo or get myself a puppy.
I compared the cost of these two investments financially, time required, ect....
The bottom line for me was..........
Dogs die, banjos don't

Little Neo

Subject: RE: Hope for late bloomers?
From: Catrin
Date: 30 Oct 00 - 11:51 AM

mmmm - I'm 40 in a couple of weeks and never learnt to play an instrument - apart from amateurish sounding penny whistle.

The piano? Go for it. You can do anything - and it inspires the rest of us too. Great stuff.

cheers,

Catrin

Subject: RE: Hope for late bloomers?
From: Naemanson
Date: 30 Oct 00 - 12:04 PM

I've been trying to learn how to play the guitar for the last 16 years. Does that count?

Re: Metronome. I hate the damn thing but... We have a young woman in our group who swears BY them (not at them). She claims that when you play in a group you will need to learn to play at a steady pace so the rest of the group know when you are going where they expect you to go. She insists that we practice our songs to a regular metronome beat.

I hate it but it works.

Subject: RE: Hope for late bloomers?
From: Matt_R
Date: 30 Oct 00 - 12:11 PM

Metronomes are great. When I took a Composition class back in Spring '99, the metronome was powerful in letting my notate my songs and music so that anyone could play them. And when they DID play them, they sounded SO MUCH like how you wanted them played, that you were ready to kiss the metronome for helping you convey your music to others.

Subject: RE: Hope for late bloomers?
From: Ely
Date: 30 Oct 00 - 03:56 PM

Metronomes are great . . . for target practice. I don't know--I've never had that much trouble keeping a beat, but I guess some need them.

Just take it slowly. Really, I don't think the physical process of playing is any harder than learning to coordinate two hands on a guitar/banjo/whatever, and learning to manage two lines of notes at once can do great things for your sightreading. When I was first learning, I was sure the left hand was just there to torture me, but it made reading one line for my other instruments a snap.

Subject: RE: Hope for late bloomers?
From: rangeroger
Date: 30 Oct 00 - 11:28 PM

I'm going on 55 and I just started learning to play the electric bass. Been playing guitar for 40 years.

When I was taking flatpick guitar lessons I had to use a metronome. Learned to hate it, it really was a taskmaster.But it was quite necessary to keep the picking patterns consistant.

rr

Subject: RE: Hope for late bloomers?
From: KT
Date: 30 Oct 00 - 11:37 PM

Thanks, everyone, for all the tips, insights, etc. It is truly inspiring to know that there are others out there who are taking on new instruments....What fun!!

Subject: RE: Hope for late bloomers?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 30 Oct 00 - 11:48 PM

KT, I'm 53 and just this week took up the Cajun accordion. Should be fun AND frustrating! Go for it!

Rick

Subject: RE: Hope for late bloomers?
From: KT
Date: 30 Oct 00 - 11:54 PM

Rick, good on ya!!!! I love cajun music!! Do you already play the piano? That would give you a headstart on the accordian. Have fun and keep us posted on your progress! KT

Subject: RE: Hope for late bloomers?
From: bbelle
Date: 31 Oct 00 - 05:32 AM

Well, KT, I've been playing guitar for 35 years and just learned to play this past year. Now, how's that for learning to play midlife? I used to play a bit of piano, but haven't played in eons. My problem was that my hands don't stretch an octave and I was always having to maneuver things around.

You'll do fine, though. You have the wherewithal and the talent and just think how much your students will enjoy it! It's funny, I don't have any desire to play another instrument, except standup bass, except my guitars, but I want to be a really good geetar picker. So, perhaps, it is sorta the same.

jenny

Subject: RE: Hope for late bloomers?
From: GUEST,Frugz
Date: 31 Oct 00 - 07:14 AM

From across the pond! Re Late Bloomers. At the age of 49 I've taken up the fiddle having played guitar for years. The only problem I find is that with a 22 year old violin teacher, how did they get so smart all in a hurry?

Subject: RE: Hope for late bloomers?
From: Peter T.
Date: 31 Oct 00 - 09:01 AM

Remember that Immanuel Kant only began writing his philosophical work in his mid 50's: before that he was best known for his work on galaxies (ridiculed for 150 years thereafter, now basic science).

I took up the piano after 35 years about 5 years ago. So far, a total and complete waste of time. But while doodling around on the early lessons (scales, always hated, still hate), I decided to bone up on music theory, and then picked up the only instrument I could chord with, a guitar, and thought, you know, it is time I did something with this damn instrument too. Since then the piano sits gathering dust, and I am surrounded by guitar music, and take weekly or bi-weekly lessons probably from now till I die. I think the important impulse is to get started on something -- even if the thing you start on doesn't work out, the energy will work itself into something interesting. Hell, I may even go back to the piano, once I figure out these damn bass runs on the guitar.

yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Hope for late bloomers?
From: Hollowfox
Date: 31 Oct 00 - 11:29 AM

KT, you'll do fine on the piano. Just a thought, though. The style of piano that you want to play may be affected by the style your teacher plays. I've heard from piano players that, sometimes, folks taught in a standard/classical style have trouble playing stride or ragtime piano. Of course, it may be that they were too dependent on following the sheet music.

Subject: RE: Hope for late bloomers?
From: Kim C
Date: 31 Oct 00 - 03:29 PM

I learned the piano early on and studied seriously for about 12 years but that was a long time ago. (No room for a piano now, dangit.) Mister taught me the guitar when I was about 23, and I started the fiddle two years ago at 31. All that piano stuff really helped, plus playing the fiddle helps the guitar make more sense to me.

I hate metronomes but as I have a tendency to go WAY too fast, it's a necessary evil when practicing certain tunes.

Subject: RE: Hope for late bloomers?
From: KT
Date: 01 Nov 00 - 03:26 AM

Thanks for the encouragement y'all. I'm trying hard to make friends with the metronme. It's not so bad......I've almost got Musette in D up to dirge speed.....KT