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Hi all,
I'm a newbie ( this is my first posting) not only to this forum but also the piano as well.
I'm 45 and just about to have my first lesson - very excited!
I used to play the organ as a kid and have been waiting 20 years now to take up the piano.
I have a number of requests for help from you and would be delighted to hear your replies.

I'm looking to purchase my first DP and am torn between the yamaha YDP 142 or the Casio PX 750. I was searching the net for info and across this guy http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TRxFUjLMe4s
I have to say he's exactly why I want to take up piano and he can sure play. In fact, I was previously contemplating getting the yamaha ydp 162 because of the better GH action that I've read about but it doesn't seem like this guy has any problem with it!

Can anyone give their opinion on these DPs please?

But watching him has raised the following questions:-

1. Just how good is he? Is there any chance I would ever be able to play like that in say 10 years time or is he beyond us mortals?

2. Does anybody know any of the pieces he plays? I'd love to know the pieces at 0:50 (repeated at 5:00), then the prices at 6:00 and 7:00.

I hope there is someone out there up for the challenge!

Many thanks all

Martin

Might want to post your questions about a digital piano on the digital piano forum. You'll get lots more responses than here.

Can't help with your other question. Everyone learns at different rates. Get a good teacher. Practice. Practice even when you don't feel like it. Time will tell.

HI, mbc007,
Enjoy your first lesson! You can learn a lot in 10 years. I don't know what he was playing except at the very end, he played part of Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely?"

I have a Yamaha P 155, and I really like it. I don't know what the difference is between it and the Yamaha model you're looking at, though. As someone else said, make sure to post in the Digital Piano Forum about the various piano brands and models, and they can answer your questions.

Enjoy your lessons and keep practicing! Have fun!

Hi. I will!
If anybody knows any of those pieces I'd be very grateful to know.
Cheers!

I hope you like the piano. I watched the clip of the man. Unfortunately I dont really have much to say about his playing or what he was playing as it really did not do much for me but we cannot all like the same stuff.

I play on a digital yamaha and what I would say is you have to try lots of different digitals for the way they feel. Good luck.

Hi
Strange isn't it how we all have different tastes. To me it's just perfect.
Thanks

sorry if I offended

I understand that the Casio is not as solid as the Yamaha. I have a Yamaha.

No, no offence at all.
It really is strange how we all like different things.
Anyway, does anyone know any of those pieces?

Try this . . ..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJGrz8I3JdU

mbc007, I have read your post, here:

subject: Lots of questions

Hi all,
I'm a newbie ( this is my first posting) not only to this forum but also the piano as well.
I'm 45 and just about to have my first lesson - very excited!
I used to play the organ as a kid and have been waiting 20 years now to take up the piano.
I have a number of requests for help from you and would be delighted to hear your replies.

I'm looking to purchase my first DP and am torn between the yamaha YDP 142 or the Casio PX 750. I was searching the net for info and across this guy http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TRxFUjLMe4s
I have to say he's exactly why I want to take up piano and he can sure play. In fact, I was previously contemplating getting the yamaha ydp 162 because of the better GH action that I've read about but it doesn't seem like this guy has any problem with it!

Can anyone give their opinion on these DPs please?

But watching him has raised the following questions:-

1. Just how good is he? Is there any chance I would ever be able to play like that in say 10 years time or is he beyond us mortals?

2. Does anybody know any of the pieces he plays? I'd love to know the pieces at 0:50 (repeated at 5:00), then the prices at 6:00 and 7:00.

I hope there is someone out there up for the challenge!

Many thanks all

Martin

__________________________________________________________________________________________

I love your subject line. Actually, I have a few questions for you to ask yourself. I am a beginner piano player, but I am almost twice your age.

When you say you used to play the organ as a kid, you probably have some memory of playing the organ. The questions to ask yourself are: Can you read music? Do you know the values of the notes being whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, etc. Do you know the names of the notes in the bass clef, treble clef, above and below the staff.

When you say you are excited, ask yourself what your are you excited about. Is it the sound of the music, the speed of the music. The reason I ask what you are excited about is important. If you like the sound of the music, you should go to a piano/music store and play a C major scale from middle C. on an acoutic piano and a digital piano because even with broken ears you can hear the difference between the sound of both the digital and the acoustic pianos. It is not good or bad, but they are different. Now about speed. Playing anything fast and well takes many years of dedication which will cost you absolutely nothing but spending time on the piano bench. If you love sitting on a piano bench each day for many years, you will do just fine.

I tried about 4 times to become a piano player and failed everytime. The reason I failed was because I had a job typing 8 hours a day and it didn't work for me. The minute I got sick and couldn't work, I was immediately able to play the piano a few minutes each day because I was weak, but I love playing the piano very, very, much and I still do and I am impoving in ability and in my energy, too.

Some people say they like this kind of music or that that kind of music. I am not like that. I love to play any music I can read and play. If someone says why don't you play this piece, I would do it in a minute - it is all about learning that drives me to the piano bench. .

Piano isn't that hard because I have had learning difficulties my entire life, and I have had no problems so far. If you are the kind of person that likes to do things many times always trying to do it well no matter how many times or how long it takes to do it right, you will enjoy learning to play the piano. That is all there is to piano other than listening to yourself play, because you have to listen to youself play so you know how to correct your sound and your smoothness of your playing.

I have 2 digitals and an acoustic piano. I think my digital are awesome and I play them and my acoustic piano, too. So if you are going to start out with a digital then that is great, but
I personally don't think the digitals are that different from each other, but maybe you will feel differently and you will find the particular digital you will like best. My stuff is Yam and they seem fine and are world famous so they stand behind their product as I am sure most companies, do, too.

So I wish you well, and you will do well because you say you have found a teacher and the teaher will help you reach your goals.

3S21FRL

0. The piano clearly has a digital character to it, but that's maybe partially because I can see him playing a digital piano.

1. Timeframes don't work for the piano. There's an interplay between aptitude, teaching resources, and practice that ends up being different for each student. Also, when watching a performance, it's hard to see whether the performer is, say, lightly tossing off just one of hundreds of pieces in repertoire, faking over a chord structure, or has just a couple pieces that they've mastered.

Technical chops speaking, I don't see him doing anything that (my guess) 95% of diligent students could do within 10 years of study. And I don't know what his brain is doing.

2. Around 8:00, it's Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely"

Hi all.
Thanks for the responses.
I remained encouraged that, with the right approach and commitment, it seems possible to achieve a level of play I feared may be unattainable.
I'm normally a type that works hard at something - I tend to have a lot of patience - and with the right teacher I'm hoping I can get there.
I reackon I can find at least 30 mins per day practice time and will make sure I diligently perform what my teacher asks me to do.

Michael, yes I can read treble and cass clef and know the value of the notes. My trouble is that I've only ever played chords in the left hand - none of the cadence stuff or work that requires individual fingering in the left hand. Also, I've never had to be concerned with touch, sustain etc.

I'm looking forward to all that and know there's a ton of work ahead of me.

Thanks all

If you can afford the Yamaha 162, get it (as opposed to the 142). I highly recommend the Yamaha over the Casio.

I started with a digital (a Yamaha) I bought an acoustic upright a year later and then 8 years after that had to return to a (Yamaha) digital again (it's kind of hard to take a piano with you when move from Japan to the US!) I have access to a 140 and a 160 (the models that preceded 142 and 162) and the 160 is much better. From what I've read about the 142 and the 162 I believe the differences are the same. The speakers, touch, sound and pedaling are all better.

Good luck!

The Ronan Keating song When You Say Nothing At All was in there at 3.16.

You will be surprised at just how fast you can progess in a year of dedicated study and practice.

Thanks All,

I have to say, i cannot wait to get started on the lessons.

I feared it was going to be a long hard road to getting anywhere with it it seems with a dedicated practice regime that progress will be made!