Welcome to the forum, Jedi! Is that your photo in your avatar, btw?

What kind of music do you like to play?

Ah my avatar is a guy lighting a cigarette with a lightsaber (not me, I don't smoke)

As far as music I have a pretty broad taste, mostly rock and heavy metal music, not alot of piano in it as far as playing, I am pretty new to the whole affair but I would love to be able to play your well known rock and pop type songs for friends and family, this guy was my inspiration for finally going out and getting lessons after months of telling myself I must get around to it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PVlMTCG-BI

I have since heard Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata though and have changed my goal almost completely Still a noob I guess.

What a great link to start my work week! Thanks for posting it. (The piano was fantastic... his vocals, well, another story. )

That was impressive...wouldn't suggest he give up his day job on the voice part but great chops....
btw...Jedi...welcome to the forums...

Hi everyone!
I'm 41, married to a beautiful woman and have two great kids. I started taking piano lessons with my son two years ago when he was 5. My daughter(10)plays violin. I'm hoping exposing and educating my children to the beauty of music will make their lives as adults more fulfilling. As for me, I started messing around with my sons lesson books and haven't looked back. I practice daily and I love it. I gave up golfing this year to spend more time practicing! and I really love golf!
Anyway-I look forward to getting to know everyone.
Thanks!

I'm 18 years old and I currently reside in Chicago ill. I enjoy composing music, have been doing it for awhile now. I picked up a bootleg les paul by epiphone, and a cheap-o casio in order to help develope my understanding of instruments, It wasn't untill I touched a real piano for the first time that I realized it was the instrument for me; the guitar is an awsome instrument no doubt; I love to hear it, but seriously hate playing it. I still live with my mother, I actually Started School very late and I'm in my junior year of high school currently. I don't really have a strong social life, just tons of associates; I'm not shy or anything, I just prefer to be alone most of the time.
Aside from all of that, my interest and Hobbies are drawing, writing, creating maps in various video games, and indoor basketball.

Hi,

I've been lurking in these forums for awhile and thought it was time for an introduction.

I had a couple years of lessons 30 some years ago but then largely gave up piano, save for terrorizing my family with the only songs I remembered, The Little Drummer Boy and the first few measures of the Entertainer. Over the years the impulse to return hit me, but never quite that hard. Until a couple of months ago when an impulse turned into a burning need to buy a digital piano and learn how to play it. I'm sure for the rest of my life I will recall what triggered me to invest all this money and time -- driving in my car listening to the intro to Boston's "Foreplay/Long Time". Yes, an unlikely source, but I wanted to play it!

I picked up a Casio PX-320, a couple of books (Fabers, Alfreds) and went to work. It's going to be a long haul, but I sure am enjoying it. I also started picking up some books on music theory. While I was happy to have retained some (minimal) playing and reading ability from my 2 years of lessons, I was disappointed how little my teacher had given me with regards to music theory. Within an hour of reading I was picking up more theory than 2 years of teaching provided me. Perhaps she thought I was too young.

My tastes are geared more towards Rock/Pop. I might expand that to a little bit of Jazz and Classical. Some day I'd love to be able to play by ear although I'm skeptical it will happen.

I went looking for this forum and was surprised it's really the only one of it's kind. It (and all of you) are a source of great knowledge and inspiration.

Thanks,

Dave

Hi,

I've also been lurking for a few months. I am primarily a bass player and laptarist, but recently took up the piano. I had a few semesters of piano in college, but never really took to it. My wife started playing about 6 months ago.

She and I got a 1928 Chickering as our Father's/Mother's Day present for each other, and our tuner just brought it back to life. Much to my suprise, I have been playing it every day and enjoying it.

Outside of music, I run a database marketing and analytics company, have a fantastic wife and 2yo son, and 2 large and fluffy GSD/Chow mixes.

Currently working through Mikrokosmos Book 1 and the Real Book. Listen to all different kinds of music, although the piano seems to be bringing more classical music into our household.

It's been so nice reading about everyone! I feel as though I have a whole bunch of new friends.

Me; well, I'm 50, married (for a loooooong time) have a daughter, 19 and a son 17. I took piano as a kid, and like most adult restarters, dropped it as a kid. (My teacher was really weird; picture the Addams Family's living room with a grand piano wedged in the corner.) I've been taking lessons again, with my daughter, for a total of about 5 years now. Kate & I have been known to have 'friendly' competitions over who can play better. Son takes guitar, husband was a high-school band geek who is still known to drag out his cornet on occasion and give the dogs coronaries. Our other interests are camping, keeping our little British car running, and lots and lots of yard work! I work as a technology teacher in an elementary school; I teach all 7 grade levels, K-6.

I love most kinds of music, and am currently working on pieces as diverse as a Bach two-part invention, my first Beethoven sonata, and Green Day's "Good Riddence (Time of Your Life)." I guess I'm improving, my measuring stick is Christmas music; it seems easier to play from the same music books each year when we drag it out.

So that's me!

PS: today (9/19) is International Talk Like a Pirate Day! Just wait till I send a whole bunch of school kids home "YARRRRing" and "ARRRRing" all over the place! Fun is where you find it! ;-)

I left a short description of myself in the Alfred Book 1 thread and just saw this one so I will respond to it.

I live in Birmingham, Alabama and am 60 years. I have been married to a wonderful lady for 40 years and we have 3 children and are now empty nesters.

I took piano lessons as a kid for a couple of years. I have played by ear through the years and I can play anything I hear as far as the melody and chords are concerned. My fingering is terrible and I don't know what to do with my left hand other than play the cord. So it makes for boring songs.

I decided it was time to learn the piano correctly so I bought the Alfred Book 1 for Adults and started working on it. I am up to about page 70, currently working on the G songs, Marine Hymn, etc. I am really struggling with these. I have ordered all the supplemental books and I hope they arrive in the mail tomorrow. When they arrive, I am going to go back to the biginning of the book and play in the supplemental books as it indicates.

I am a corporate pilot and fly 3 different model Cessna Citations, corporate jets. I love my job and am so forunate that I get paid to do something I love.

I also play the bass guitar in our church Praise Team and sing in the church Choir. I love music and have always wanted to be able to play the piano correctly and to site read the church hymnal and other sheet music. I am hoping that by the time I am 65 I will be able to do that.

I also exercise regularly, walking, using the elliptical trainer, and riding my bicycle.

As much as I have been on this web site, I missed this thread. I live in Hampton, VA and am 53 years of age. Happily single and am a Coordinator of Christian Formation for a church in Chesapeake, VA. Also, finishing up Grad school with a Masters in Theology. (three more classes!!)

I have always sung in choirs. or for fun! My claim to fame" was singing at a piano bar on my last cruise. always wanted to learn to play an instrument and couldn't as a child. I taught myself how to play a small organ, now I wish I had stayed with it!

Just started over five years ago taking lessons and am attempting to get more involved in playing for the Formation programs that I coordinate and for special events. Plus, I would like to learn how to play organ!

I love what I'm doing with piano!

Greetings all!

I am presently fulfilling my lifelong dream to learn to play the piano. At this post I have been actively taking private lessons for a little under two years. The biggest problem I have is that I rely too much on playing by ear. It has really hampered my ability to learn to read music well.

I have played acoustic guitar since I was in high school and other than a few basic lessons on that, I am completely self taught. Early on I developed my ear to the point that I can easily pick out the chord progressions and fingering of most any song quite easily. Therefore I never learned to read music.

Now I want to learn to play the piano the correct way, so I am forcing myself to learn music by rote, but it's been a struggle. Any tips for me on how I can overcome this problem?

I have gotten much better but I still find myself relying more on my ear than the notes written on the page. What can do to overcome this?

Welcome to ABF Annalaise,

Hmm, "forcing" yourself to learn by rote? That doesn't sound like too much fun? Sounds like you are blessed with good ears. The link between written music and playing by ear can be found in music theory. If you start learning some theory, it would give you a framework to understand what you are doing naturally by ear. That same theory will also let you see that written music is also composed with the same underlying principles. That way, you won't be learning the music by rote. You may then be able to use your ear playing skill to play written music, because you'll start to see the common link.

Feel free to start a new thread in the forum to explore this "learning by rote struggle". May be there is a way to make things more fun.

Hi, all,

I just joined yesterday. I live in Central Ohio with my husband of 30 years, and have two grown children. We've moved around a little; I am a native of Northern California but moved east to Virginia at age 30, and we've stayed in the east (Ohio being "sort of" east, but with a midwestern sensibility).

I am a retired editor and now serve as a volunteer and political activist. I am really a political junkie. When it isn't election season, there's still political stuff to do, but it's pretty intense now.

In my spare time, I spend too much time online. I like to play with my 4 kitties and garden, and read, but since my youngest moved out I have been a little restless, and so I took an opportunity to learn piano. A friend mentioned she had just started, and her teacher was looking for new students AND goes to her students' homes. So I finally got off the dime.

I've been weeping over Chopin since I was 4, and I love all things classical. The earlier, the better, I say. I took a class in medieval music once, and it was just fabulous. But the piano wasn't invented until well after that, and I do love piano music. I also like jazz piano. I do like New Age music, and rock, and folk songs and show tunes and such but I don't want to play any of that. One of my daughters plays Chopin and anything with a lot of emotion in it; the other plays for speed (Beethoven), so I know that we all have differing preferences for what we want to play.

Now I'd better get off the computer, for cryin' out loud, and get a few things done.

Hi Rosanna,

Thanks for the warm welcome and the advice. My piano teacher (a very skillful and talented player) has been very patient. She tries not to inhibit that ability, because as someone who had to work very hard to develop it in herself, she knows it's a gift.

I on the other hand, feel that my progress as a musician can't really go much further until I become proficient at the basics. Once again I'm my own worst critic.

She has included theory with the lessons and I do feel that it has helped a lot. I do need to work at sight reading though. It's just very difficult because after I've played a piece through a few times It just kind of sticks in my head, and I tend to want to play it by ear. The problem is my fingers don't remember it as well as my head does, so it's not a very accurate way to play.

I"ll keep practicing the sight reading. Eventually it will come together I guess.

Hello all,

Just thought I'd introduce myself.

This is me

It's been a pleasure so far

Regards

Blackbird

Mmm been lurking for a long time so I haven't properly introduced myself...

The song that inspired me to learn piano was the ultra famous over played song on youtube "To Zanarkand", Its so beautiful =(

I play on the YAMAHA YDP-151.

Age 17 finishing high school next year yay!, self taught for roughly 10months now.

When I first started I used to watch those "piano tutorials" on youtube where they show you what to press and whatnot and you just copy them.

I wanted to grow out of it so I learnt how to sight read. God!!! it was one of the most frustrating things in my life but now that I can sight read I feel like i've accomplished something

Anywho.. nice to meet you all, I love how this forum is so helpful

Hi I think it is good to know something about each other. I live in the south east corner of Michigan and enjoy most forms of art. I am 62 and just retired from my job in the home care industry. I have been trying to learn piano for a year or so now some minor success .I also mess with trying to learn guitar.( ADD any one). So all the best to every one on the forum.

What at the same time, that is impressive

Welcome from another PW newbie

Well i just saw this ... i'm 36, live in Madrid, basque origins. Absolute beginner although i've played flamenco guitar for the last two years. I work as a (don't kill me) a bond trader, and would like to move on to something else; this industry has done me good but makes me sick to see how far things have gone lately and how badly this will affect real economy.
I'm finishing a degree in economics that i left unfinished years ago, i studied Business in my college days, and may be doing an mba soon in order to be able to change jobs. Hopefully all that won't keep me away from the piano.

hi Piano forum,
I am 18 years old. I dont go to college and i dont have a job so i thought i might pass the time Beethoven style and learn the most important skill of all, music.

My goal is to learn Jazz, that would be just too rad.

Hello,

I am 32 years old and have just started playing piano again. I have been self-taught, and first found a piano at my grandmother's house when I was four.

We couldn't afford lessons or a piano until I was about twelve, when my grandparents helped us buy a Clavinova. I had to loan it to some cousins when I went away to college and for some time after that (too expensive to ship, no car) but it's now back at home with me and I've started to play again.

This Thursday is the first time I'm going to have a real lesson with a piano teacher, so I'm extremely nervous and anxious about it. I would really like to become more proficient (i.e. can play beautifully instead of just hitting the correct keys) and learn music theory and solfege. I don't feel like I know much of anything at all; and I don't know what level I am in terms of playing --- my sight reading is absolutely horrendous, though!

I don't play well in front of others, which adds to my anxiety, but I'm hoping that lessons will help out with that.

In terms of long-term goals if it's possible for adults to do so, I'd like to do the RCM/ABRSM exams as a sort of marker of progress.

I love classical music (Rachmaninov and Chopin particularly for piano) and would like to focus on that genre. My hands are kind of small (8.5 inch handspan) so I won't be able to play some of the crazier pieces ever, unfortunately.

Currently I have my old Yamaha CLP-560. I've been looking at the Roland HP-207 as a replacement / reward for when I improve a bit, since we can't have an acoustic piano where we live.

I've been lurking on these forums for a bit and decided to come out and join the conversations finally. Please excuse any newbiness, it's a lot of information to absorb.

name- William Penafiel =)

age- ? (very shy about it)
currently a composer/ piano teacher

I play all kinds of piano music (no exceptions)
and listen to all kinds as well ...

I play on an old Bechstein that was given to me as a gift years ago, still works fine =)

I suffer from stage fright, and an terrified of the experience..

I suffered a horrible accident about 5 years ago leaving my left hand a bit hurt, but has been recuperating over the years, enough for me to attempt to play difficult stuff again..the tension is almost compeletely gone by now..

goals for now- finish a set of piano etudes and a composition entitled 'Poeme Etude' ... These will be my occupation for some time ...

Catch me around, I blog when I can .. email me if you need help with something... Check out my scores if youre interested on my site as well (on my sig) ...

take care everyone =)

I live in Vancouver, Canada but in the summertime (between June-sept) I live in London, England. I travel a lot to different places in the world such as Switzerland, Morocco, France, etc. I think I travel to Europe the most since I have relatives there.

Other activities I enjoy are: skiing, travelling, badminton, reading comic books, listening to music, painting, digital art, etc.

I also play the flute and guitar but I'm not extremely good at either. If I have time/money, I will pick up violin.

My favorite composers are Debussy, Chopin, some Schubert. I love jazz as well and my favorite there is definitely Keith Jarrett.

Other music that I listen to are Coldplay, Keane, Cirque du Soleil, Eric Claption, etc.

As for my age...well I'm only 17 turning 18 in Jan.

I started playing the piano at 3 yrs old and my grandfather forced me to practice. I hated it so much that when I finally could, I stopped at 7 when I moved to England and left my piano. 3 years ago, I decided to pick up playing the piano again. And here I am today! I think of myself as an intermediate player. My skill right is is about Claire de Lune, Pathetique, around that level.

Nice to meet you all!

and you as well

Hi,

I am 33 years old. I had a few years (five, maybe) piano lessons as a kid with a lovely teacher whose criticisms were usually very generous. Alas, I think they were a little too generous for me to develop any technique. On the other hand, sure enough, I quit as soon as she introduced Czerny's "School of Velocity" to me. About two years later, my sister managed to awaken my dormant love of the piano by giving me the sheet music of Chopin's Etude 10/3 as a birthday present. I practiced that one quite obsessively and was soon able to butcher it convincingly - of course I was, and too be honest, still am, not able to grasp the subtleties that make the "Tristesse" a veritable etude, as I was replacing legato playing by heavy pedalling, but anyway, from that point I went on to conquer large chunks of the classical/romantical/impressionist repertoire, without technique, without ear, without taste, but with lots of enthusiasm(*). This period lasted for about 15 years, after which I had to leave my piano and hardly ever played again, a period which lasted about five years. I didn't even miss playing that much, except for a short while after that one time when I visited a colleague of mine, who turned out to be an amateur a lot more gifted than I am. In awe, I scanned through the mountain of sheet music on his upright, and when I got to an edition of the Chopin etudes (again!) I asked him to play the Aeolian Harp for me. He did, I was wowed, and I had to think he could have done the same with about any of the other 10.000 sheets that were lying there.

My pianism was reawakened again, when, early in 2008, two of my friends independently found out that I used to play the piano and asked me to do things for them. The first one asked me to sightread through some of her pop music sheets and to show her how she, too, could play them. While my attempts at teaching failed, the sightreading went well enough. The second friend's request was much harder. She asked me to play a little something at her graduation celebration. I had four weeks to prepare something, which was not a problem (well, due to my limited appreciation of musical details, I guess). The problem was that that would be the most formal performance situation I ever had, and I knew I suffer quite a bit from performance anxiety. That was, when, looking for advice on that problem, I discovered PW. I ended up practicing a lot before that day, eating a lot of bananas on the day and I, ... ummh..., survived.

During practice in the practice rooms of my university, one thing that gave me a further kick was to hear how other people practiced. They tackled material that I would not have dared, but in the first stages sounded like I would have if I did, and I could actually hear their progress. So that was how I was introduced to efficient, slow tempo, measure-by-measure practicing, and I was intrigued by the implied possibility that I, too, could make progress.

In summer, I bought a digital piano, which made practicing much easier, and finally, after visiting two fine concerts (one classical, Schumann's a-minor concerto, and one jazz) I really felt the urge to actually learn how to play the piano.

I started lessons in October. I was not quite sure what to expect, so I just prepared my first lesson by easily going through some of the pieces I thought I had under my fingers. In the lesson, of course, the teacher asked me if I had brought something, and as soon as I said yes, PA reared its ugly head, I grabbed into my bag, took the first thing I found, which happened to be Chopin's Prelude 28/17, and had a serious "it worked better at home"-situation. So serious, actually, that I felt like interrupting and leaving the place. But well, I stumbled through it, and after some chit-chat and finger exercises I could regain some composure. To my surprise, she did not insist on trying to tackle something much easier. Instead we spent the rest of the lesson going through, like, the first ten measures of the thing. She is much stricter and more into constructive criticism than my teacher from childhood. The big thing she taught me in the first lesson is that keys must not be hit, but stroken; a truly revolutionary insight for me.

I now think of my taking up lessons again as one of the most brilliant decisions I ever made and hope to learn a lot in the near future. I probably wouldn't have made this step if I hadn't had access to all your experiences as adult beginners. Thank you all for that, and as much as I have enjoyed lurking in the ABF in the past few months, I'm glad that I'm finally stepping out and I can say "hi" to you.


(*) I picked up a copy of Dohnanyi's Finger Exercises recently, and in the foreword he advocates a teaching style that basically has the student polish only a few pieces, study more pieces intensively, but not necessarily to performance level, and spend a lot of time playing through the literature, bringing pieces only slightly above sight-reading level. Now that's an approach that would have suited me well in those times.

What a great story grotrianer,

One day I hope to be able to butcher with enthusiasm

welcome to the forum grotrianer!
I also wish mastering the butchering one day.

Thanks for the story grotrianer.

I think this would fall under the "I've got a piano and I'm not afraid to use it!" category.

I just got some new sheet music books today so I'll soon be starting out with the slow butchering category until before you know it everything will click into place and everyone with ears can breathe a sigh of relief.

Hello there. My name is Nova, and Saturday I will have my first piano lesson. I’m 25 and live in the DFW, Texas area. I’ve been checking out this forum for a few weeks, and decided to join in.

I think I decided to learn piano from watching Youtube videos of others.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kJMeSW495I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U591Al9KF8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvSZTmS1zew&feature=related