Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum What the heck am I so hesitant about?

New forumer here - nice to meet you.

I love music - it's my life. I now leisurely (every so often) play the guitar, and have played the saxophone and percussion. I have always dreamed of learning and mastering (as much as possible) the piano. Now with my first child on the way 4 months from now and visions of me sitting down and playing for the family to listen or sing together, I'm on the precipice of pulling the trigger on an 88-key weighted digital piano, taking lessons once a week, and getting down to business.

However...I'm finding myself to be a little ANXIOUS here. Is this normal? I'm obsessing over which one of two DP's I've narrowed my choices down to, struggling with which piano teacher to contact for adult lessons, and can't decide about where to set it up in the house when I get it. My job can be rather hectic at times, and I take grad school class one night a week - maybe it's the schedule prompting my hesitancy? Maybe this is all because it's just happening along with the craziness that is us being pregnant, or did others trying to get into piano (with wherever you were in life) feel the same?

Welcome to the forum!!

I didn’t have much of a choice where to set up, and we were not expecting, but I did stress over which DP to purchase for over 3 months before I finally pulled the trigger. (I was using a cheap-o 61 unweighted to hold be over). During that time my budget crept from $350 to 2K. And yes, I did obsess over it. My wife was almost as happy as I was when I finally purchased just so she wouldn’t have to hear me weigh the pros and cons anymore.

This is a big step you are about to take.....a committment to both a financial investment and your time and efforts. Are you possibly questioning your ability to make those committments at this time? People are naturally resistant to upsetting the status quo....that's pretty normal, but something inside you is driving you to do this. I would strongly recommend not ignoring that call because of some temporary trepidation. Jump in and just do it. The joy it will bring your life will be immeasurable, and I know that after you do, you will be wondering why it took you so long. Welcome to the forum, and all the best in your new endeavour.
Dan

once you do get the piano, things may change and you'd be happy...

Congratulations on the pending birth to Mom and Dad,

What's to be anxious about? Obsessed, struggling, can't decide, hesitancy, craziness? Just words, right? However, when you say them - up comes the emotion, too. So choose different words and you'll conquer a lot.

"LipMyReeds" is a funny and appropriate "moniker" with your present and everything pending about to be life.

Your saxophone and percussion are right up there with the flair in music that piano will bring you. In a few years, you'll be in the middle of a musical family as the conductor - "a 1, a 2, a 1-2-3!" I love your "picture" of singing around the piano. I just really feel your enthusiasm like you are doing the leap into the air and clicking your heels at the same time.

I bet you are as much seriously left brained with concrete sequential structure, as you are right brained, creative and out of the box. Choose the appropriate behavior on all your choices and things to do list and you'll get through it nicely. I think you are in part, a comedy writer, too. You certainly will never lack for having fun.

Tell me it's not really true that you are on your way to being a basket case! Surely, you are exaggerating! And, how is your wife holding up?

So nice to meet you, too. Grins!

Betty

Like the commercial says "Just Do It"

Welcome LipMyReeds! And congrats on the upcoming baby - get lots of sleep while you still can

I did quite a lot of research also prior to my DP purchase. I have the kind of personality which wants to know all available info prior to a decision - anything but the impulsive type.

I can't enough of a sense from your post what the cause of the hesitancy may be. Could be all the other things going on in your life, or could be adding another change, or may be the "vision of playing for a singing family" is a little too distant in the future to give you any urgency... All just guesses.

But sometimes excitement and charging into the unknown can be confused as hesitancy/fear. The physiological responses (fluttery stomach, e.g.) are similar. So if you don't label the sensations, or label them with a positive spin, it may give you a different outlook.

Thanks for the warm welcome and sharing all the good thoughts everyone!

Betty - are you a part-time psychic? Your right-brained/left-brained analysis is scary accurate! I was exaggerating a bit re: the pregnancy. It's actually going really well. The "craziest" part about it is all of the phone calls/visits from family who can't do anything but swarm around us they're so excited (1st grandchild, both sides).

I guess my main worry is getting a piano and then not finding the time to get where I want to be on it - even though I fully understand that time such as this is MADE rather than FOUND. Thanks for the "just go for it" sentiment though all - it's what I wanted to hear.

Once you get the kid, I don't think you'll have much time left for piano

But sure, the sooner you start the better you'll get. You'll probably have to drop piano after 4 months, but you can always start up again once he/she's gone off to college

Good luck

But I thought the grandparents took the kid whenever we wanted to get on with our normal life?

That was then. Now they're too busy enjoying their retirement .

Seriously, go for it. You wouldn't have done all that research on the dp unless this was something you really want to do.

This is not unusual at all. Consider my
history with the instrument. Nine yrs.
of classical lessons through high school.
Quit in frustration for 20 yrs.--and yet
hardly a day went by during those 20 yrs.
when I didn't think about the piano and
about returning to playing. Finally
restarted as an adult--incidentally,
this was during a period of major
turmoil in my life; there might
have been a connection there--on a brand
new, top-of-the-line acoustic upright piano.
Quit again in frustration after a few months
of inept playing.

Moved into an apt. building with piano-hating
neighbors, leaving the acoustic piano behind.
Bought my first digital piano a yr. later, as
a solution to playing the piano in that
hostile environment. Yet, did not
assemble the digital completely. Removed the
keyboard unit from its box--
leaving the stand in the box--and then
left it lying on top of the box for
several months, while I mulled over several
things: What sort of music should I
play? How will I go about playing this
time around so that I would not quit
again? Should I get headphones or just
play with the volume down low? Could
I actually play with the vol. that low?
I had never used a digital before, would
this affect my playing on acoustic pianos?
And so forth.

Finally assembled the piano and
started playing, without headphones (I
don't like them). Immediately
got the most hostile reaction from
neighbors. Spent next several months
experimenting with the best vol. level and
time of day to play so that I would not
disturb neighbors. Played for several
months. Quit in frustration for
a yr. Started up again and played for
about a yr., making some pretty good
progress. Quit again for 5 yrs. Started
again and then quit again multiple times.

Quit again for 3 yrs. Gave my piano
to my neighbor, thinking I had had it
with the piano. Immediately start wanting
to play again. Buy my first weighted
key digital--the first one had semi-weighted
keys. Play on and off for a yr. Quit
again for 3 months and get rid of piano,
thinking that is the end of it with
the piano. Start wanting to play again
and get another weighted key digital.
Now I'm playing better than I ever have in
my life.

Gyro:

I thought I held the record for starting, quitting, restarting, quitting, restarting, etc. But I think you have me beat, just a bit. You mentioned frustration, and I believe this (caused, I believe my our impatience) is THE reason why so many quit.

As I got older, I discovered by level of frustration had raised somewhat. Maybe it's called mellowing-out (or chilling out). Not that I still don't gnash my teeth at the mistakes I make, the same ones...over and over.

When the time is right that's when that urge will stick. Things always have a way of working out for the best, in my opinion. Not always the way we would have hoped for, but still....

My best,
Kathleen