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Wow, such devotion! With that kind of passion you will go far. Welcome to the forum!

I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself before posting. I'm Linda but prefer to be called Curly. I joined this forum specifically to ask about the grace note rules and how they relate to accidentals. I took lessons when I was much much younger and am still working at it. I have learned a lot from reading the forum. I live in California.

Reminds me of the Isaac Stern statement to "play every note as if your life depended on it"

Hi I just joined today. I've been looking for a place where I can discuss piano since I don't know that many people that play.

I started playing when I was 12 and I have been playing for 7 years now. My parents got me a keyboard for Christmas in 2000. My mom helped me learn my first song since she knew how to play a little. (It was from John Thompson's modern course for the piano first grade book if any of you learned from that series) I started taking lessons 4 months later. I got to the second book in Alfred's basic piano series and then my teacher was unable to give lessons anymore.

I then started taking lessons from someone else I knew. She encouraged my parents to buy me a real piano. I was able to find a used one and traded in the keyboard for part of the price. I liked her teaching style better She didn't mind if I made mistakes as long as I knew how to fix them. At recitals, her students had a choice of bringing their music up with them or not. My first recital went pretty well, which is wierd because my second one went worse. I tried to play without the music and I forgot the notes halfway through. (It was a good thing I had my music with me) Before the next recital, I made sure that I had it memorized at I could stop and start anywhere in the song from memory. This recital was successful and I played without the music (one of my recital pieces was Jesu joy of man's Desiring) I began to play at my church since the piano player left there. I had reached the level 6 book of the Alfred series by the time I was 15. Sadly, my piano teacher passed away later that year.

I have been playing on my own for four years now. I have been playing a variety of different music from movies (Pride and Prejudice, Pirates of the Caribbean, Lord of the Rings, Charlie Brown Christmas), classical music, and music from Josh Groban. (my favorite singer ) I don't have the same patience I had before to sit down to learn a piece and perfect it. I have been practicing many different songs off and on.

It was not until high school that I decided that I wanted to be a music teacher. I am going to a community college right now to take music theory and then I will transfer to a university. I put off taking music theory 1 because I heard that it was hard from someone who does not play the piano. Because of this I am spending an extra year in college. The first class turned out to be very easy I am about to take the second of six music theory courses next quarter. I also decided to take lessons from the college to see how it works out.

Since I saw the movie The Pianist, I wanted to learn Chopin's Ballade no. 1. I started practicing that earlier this year but it's been hard with school going on. I have to say it's the hardest song I've ever played but I like it so much that I won't stop practicing it. It is my favorite song for the piano (so far). I look back at other music I've been playing at notice how easy it is compared to when I first learned it. My favorite composer is Chopin and I want to learn more of his songs once it get this one down. I have been listening to more classical piano music and finding even more songs that I want to play to keep me occupied for a while.

I discovered this forum by accident, googling about, and joined because I love the piano, writing and reading. What better way to combine all three?

Thus I find myself a new 'Junior Member', which is delightful considering I am approaching retirement age and had to quit playing when rheumatism destroyed my hands.

For many years I was hung up on Schumann, perhaps because the first 20 bars of 'Kreisleriana' was the first passage of piano music I could not even approximately reproduce by ear. What sequence of notes generated that incredible impression of glorious lunacy? It still seems marvelous to me that anyone could come up with such stuff.

In later years, I accepted ignominous defeat with 'Scarbo' (I guess I'm not alone there! -- and to be honest, I really don't like it that much) and switched to chamber music, where I had a new K-experience, with Shostokovich's Cello Sonata. You have to play Shostokovich to appreciate the subtlety of his harmonies, often so remote they send shivers down the spine.

Quite enough from me!

Many thanks to the forum gurus for setting up this opportunity for us to share our common passion.

Hi, I am Sabien. I started to join this forum few days ago, it was introduced by my piano teacher. This forum is pretty cool and i learned quite alot in here. I am Malaysia borned Chinese, but going to Massachusettes on next Friday under AU PAIR program.I started my piano since age 5. I'm now 20 years, currenntly just finish LTCL (Licienctiate of Trinily London College).I am so keen to find a music school in US so that i can continue learning besides taking care of children. Nice to catch up with everyone here, take care!

Hey, Im Josh and I'm from Australia. i found this forum by accident and i've been reading posts for about a month, so i've finally decided to join in. I just turned 15 and started piano when i was 9, basically I have big hands (span almost 13 keys, and very, very thin and apparently very fast fingers, I do lack technique however, but i'm getting better. Up until about a year ago I hated piano, and have always been and still am a VERY keen basicall player. I hated piano mainly because my teacher didn't believe in skipping grades, so I was playing pieces to easy for me, and I didn't see the point. I then got a new teacher who was bad as well because he believed when I was 13 I was too young and immature on the piano to to grade 7, it wasn't how I played, it was my age. When I did the exam I still found the pieces easy. I am now with a very good teacher who put me straight into amusa. I just finished learning Prelude in G Minor, Rachmaninoff op 23 no 5, but I will start learning it again when I do my elmusa, after my amusa next june. For amusa I will be playing Chopin Valse in E Minor op posthumous (already learnt) Elite Syncapations by Mary Mageau (already learnt) Elegy (Rachmaninoff op 3 no 1) Beethoven Sonata Fantasia in E major. (op 27 no 1)and another piece. My favourite composer is liszt, favourite piece is Hungarian Rhapsody no 2 Liszt/Horowitz, and I will start learning it in about 6 months. My favourite modern pianist is Lang Lang (I know, you guys don't like him.)
Anyway these days I love the piano, and throughout my life I have only practised an hour a day, or less, and most days I would skip practise because I hated it so much, but now I have started practising a lot more, and the results are already coming fast. This was a long post but thats it, thats my piano life
Thanks

Many of you played for a long time. For me its better late than Never. I'm 21 now and started piano I think at the age of 19. I am currently study the Arti of Anime, and Graphic Arts and Concept Art. It only been a Two years or less,a nd I've gotten about 4-5 new books my teacher assign me to. They are Schuman - albums for the young, Sonatina Album, Little pischna (stregthen my fingers), Bach Inventions, Chopin introductions. I secretly bought Chopin - Polonaises VOL III, because the 53 Heroic rocks. I've been practicing alot lately I think 3-5 hours a day. Will I make it where the pros are?

I love Music and Art, my dad also loves em but he plays the guitar for a long time. But I find something in the piano, thats why i love it so much.

Ah, hi. I s'pose I have to introduce myself, shouldn't I...?

Well, I guess you can call me Avarice. I'll use that as my internet handle. I'll tell you that I'm 13 and don't feel comfortable revealing much more than that, but my dream is to go to New York and study at NYU with a double major in quantum mechanics and piano. :p

Asides from piano I play the flute and violin, but I recently quit flute to concentrate on piano.

My favorite composer is Chopin-- I love his pieces. I recently learned his Waltz in E Minor (op. posthumous) and won a competition with it. I'm fond of fast, flashy songs, but I like the occasional slow one that you can really express yourself with. I also love the Debussy preludes, and currently I'm listening to the violin and piano version of Chopin's Etude in E Major (Tristesse). I like Rostropovich and Rubinstein.

I love music-- frankly, it's helped me out a lot. I began piano when I was five, violin when I was around nine (?) or so, and flute at eleven. I consider myself proficient on all of them. XD.

I try to practice, but it's hard to get in enough practice for what used to be three (now only two) instruments. For a long time I couldn't decide between violin and piano, but I love them both equally and decided on piano because I'd have a better chance as I'd been studying it longer.

I'm excited that I've found this board so I can communicate with other piano lovers like me.

Sorry for the ramble!

- Avarice

Hi, I am Lucine, I did not play for more than 8 years, and like Ira I also lost technique and my hand hurts but I am much better in understanding music and I perform with feeling and conviction.
I have tree kids and they were partly responsieble for me not playing.

I am playing few serious pieces and handfull of technical staff.

Please forgive my spelling as I do have a learning diffiulty.
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Posts: 6 | From: uk | Registered: Dec 2008 | IP: Logged |

Apparently there is a very large group of frustrated adult piano players who, like me, started early, stopped along the way, never really mastered music theory, and recommitted as adults. I rebooted my enthusiasm with about a year of the "Simply Music" program which gets one off the sheet music and onto the keyboard! I've just about finished with it and plan to move onto a jazz and blues instructor in West Hills if I like him. I find my biggest challenge is staying on track. There is so much beautiful music to play and I have a very large collection I inherited from my Mother. It's very tempting to spend hours sight reading through Nat King Cole or Diana Krall piano pieces at the expense of memorizing Bach's first invention. I suspect the best players have developed discipline and focus on fewer pieces. I'm hoping my next instructor will keep me on track! So much music, so little time, and then my back starts to hurt after a few hours!! Camille, 55, LA area, Kimball upright, coveting my friend's Steinway concert grand!

hi people, ive been a member for a while but now i've decided to really chat much more on here. I'm Robin and i'm 15 and i play piano for abotu 3 hours a day-by choice. i love the works by Chopin, Liszt, Schubert, Schumann, Beethoven and almost everyone else. i also play 5 string banjo, guitar and ukulele. althought i have only been playing piano for 3 years, i have learned that all i want form life is music and to play the piano. one day i will play a steinway in a great theatre and make peopel happy with my music but that will only happn from talking to other pianists and larning from them. i am currently teaching myself Schumann's Symphonic Etudes and some of Chopin's Preludes. anyone got any advice for me?

Robin

I love the Piano more then life itself too, but I never got anywhere yet .

But hopefully in the future I will.

I'm really glad I found these forums. It was by accident - I searched for Rach 5 on the net, and a topic from here came out. I'm a 2nd year undergrad majoring in performance. I hate my school to be honest - but unfortunately it's one of two schools in Canada for music. Can't wait to get out of here for masters!

I love music, it's all I've known and there's no way I could be someone else besides a pianist. It means everything to me. I love performing! Even though recently it's been like having heart attacks on stage each time because I leave things for the last minute.... I have a few concerts coming up but the one I'm really screwed for is a two piano concert early in april with Rach 2nd suite and Arensky 1...... because neither of us started. (I'm never leaving something like that for the last minute again!) I love chamber music, my current favourite is the Franck sonata (the cello arrangement though).

My current rep consists of Bach prelude and fugue in b flat minor and c sharp minor book I, Beethoven op. 7, couple of Chopin etudes (not to perform anywhere thankfully), Chopin 2nd ballade, Wagner-Liszt Liebestod, Chopin f minor concerto, Rach 2 (I'm just bringing it back), the two two-piano suites, Debussy violin sonata, Scriabin 2nd sonata, and apparently I have to play a Canadian piece (fun..........)

I feel like I should stop talking now and browse the forums..

OK, I'll come out from lurking!

I am another adult who has returned to piano after having lessons as a kid and then not playing for about 30 years. I got a free piano a few years ago, it turned out to be junk but got me going, so I gave it away and bought a used Young Chang. Now, three years later, I'm working steadily at teaching myself and am improving.

I also study guitar (and have a teacher), so every night is split between practicing piano and guitar. Actually, it works out well as the theory and interpretation transfer from one to the other. I look at it as studying music with two instruments.

I enjoy reading on this forum learn a lot from it.

JR_YC (because everyone calls me JR and I have a Young Chang.

Hi,

I'm Gwena and I'm 16 years old.. I'm been playing piano since I was 7, and have loved (almost) every minute of it. I also play the trombone in jazz and concert band at school, and sing 2nd soprano in a couple of local choirs.

My curret rep is, Bach P&F in c minor, Sonata in E Major op.14 no.1 by Mozart, and Wedding Day in Troldenhaugen by Grieg.

I have a Kawai grand piano, which I adore. I love the sound, and especially the action.

Recently I have begun to think about piano possibly being something more than just a hobby for me. I've started looking at Music Schools and am really excited for the future.

Hey
I'm a 14 year old Canadian girl who has been playing piano for about 5 years. I would love to have a career in music some day. I'm in the music program at my school where I play the alto saxophone, and we occasionally sing as well.

Hi!

I'm Daniel. I've been playing piano for a little less than 5 years now (since I was 8) but I feel a little behind the curve because most of the people I know started playing at age 3 or 4. I'm a bit confused because most of the rest of you play 'classical' pieces for lessons. I dont, I play from Faber and Fabers method books. I have a very nice piano teacher, and I have lessons once a week.

I am currently working on simplified versions of Joplin's "The Entertainer" and the "Maple Leaf Rag".

Hello all! I just joined and was looking around when I saw this!

I'm 15 years old and came to PianoWorld to find some help in picking a model for a digital piano. I'm a beginner when it comes to playing, and I'm looking to get better. Back in middle school I took lessons for about 2 years. I quit because I didn't feel like I was improving, I didn't practice and my instructor always said I was doing great when I knew I wasn't. I still liked the piano but I thought it wasn't for me. And then a few months ago, I heard a song and I just had to try and learn it. And it was tough, but I got a little help from a friend and now I can play it (not perfectly and still some problem spots)! And this piece is so far ahead of where I was when I quit taking lessons. It really improved my confidence and I know that I can play if I work at it.

The best part- I enjoyed it sooo much when I could get a hard part in the song, when I could play through it, when I was able to memorize some parts. I was SO happy and it made me love the piano. And now I am playing a couple of other pieces, working on them myself, and it always makes me happy that I can progress and play better just by working at it. I love the feelings I get.

And now I'm looking into starting lessons again with a good teacher and I can't wait! I daydream of what it'll be like when I can play beautifully. So thats my piano history!

My name is Brandon. I just realized the other day that I already had a login here from back in April, so I thought to see what’s going on.

I went blind at the age of four from a brain tumor. A year later, I started piano lessons, and started playing classical probably a year after that. I can’t remember the reason I started lessons, I just remember I had been playing with a toy keyboard so much that my mom decided to find me a piano teacher.

I’m 20 now, and a sophomore music major in college, at Duquesne University.

Though I had been playing for so long, I think the training I am receiving at college is so much better than anything I had before, and feel like my technique is really improving. I’m learning my first piano concerto now, and my piano teacher wants me to be in a piano concerto competition in a year or so. I’m really excited about that.

I’m not really sure what I’ll do with a performance degree. I guess I’ll see what my piano teacher suggests in a few years, whether I should go on to graduate school or just look for another good teacher, and hope I can make some sort of career out of performance. If it doesn’t work out, I have programming as a backup, which I’ve been studying for about eight years.

I guess teaching is an option, but I don’t know how well I’d do at that, since I obviously can’t read music.

So my goal right now is to build up and maintain a large repertoire. I’m trying to figure out how to maintain a large repertoire in memory, because I can’t seem to be able to obtain Braille music.