Vintage Gent learns to play the piano

[Vintage Gent]

Inspired by my daughter, who's been tearing up the keyboard for the past three years (in fact, she and her duet partner just won the state competition), I've started, at the ripe old age of 42, to take up the piano. In my middle dotage, the learning isn't as smooth as it was when I took guitar lessons, but I'm giving it a go.

After a couple of early, getting-to-know the piano kind of pieces, I'm working on Bach's Prelude in C. Except for a few rough spots in measures 19-24, I've pretty much got it down.

 

[Thomas]

VG - congratulations to your daughter!

Man, I have wanted to learn the piano since hearing Rachmaninoff's 3rd concerto years and years ago, but never quite got going. I respect your efforts and wish you good luck with it.

Tangentially, I'm picking up the guitar in earnest now, after dicking around with one in high school and learning nothing of consequence. Partly this is to keep the little one moving forward in his own lessons, though.

 

[Vintage Gent]

Recital next month. Starting work on the second piece in Schoenberg's Sechs Kleine Klavierstucke.

 

[Thomas]

Originally Posted by Vintage Gent

Recital next month. Starting work on the second piece in Schoenberg's Sechs Kleine Klavierstucke.
Are you playing the Bach for your recital, or the Schoenberg, or something else?

 

[Vintage Gent]

Originally Posted by Thomas

Are you playing the Bach for your recital, or the Schoenberg, or something else?

At least the Bach. May have the Schoenberg ready by then.

 

[barims]

Will there be YouTube?

I've always wanted to return to it, myself

 

[Shikar]

Congrats on your daughter winning State!!!
Congrats on you learning the piano...thats very very cool !

Regards.

 

[ArteEtLabore14]

Originally Posted by Vintage Gent

Inspired by my daughter, who's been tearing up the keyboard for the past three years (in fact, she and her duet partner just won the state competition), I've started, at the ripe old age of 42, to take up the piano. In my middle dotage, the learning isn't as smooth as it was when I took guitar lessons, but I'm giving it a go.

After a couple of early, getting-to-know the piano kind of pieces, I'm working on Bach's Prelude in C. Except for a few rough spots in measures 19-24, I've pretty much got it down.

I'm looking to start learning as well, and I'm curious exactly what your teacher has your doing, how long your lessons are, what you're paying, etc. Thanks for the info!

 

[lawyerdad]

Rock on, VG.

 

[voxsartoria]

That's great.

- B

 

[Davidko19]

I have always wanted to learn the piano. I thought it would be great to break out at random times, but like a piano bar type of thing - not classical stuff.

I havent a lick of musical knowledge... is it easy to pick up? Do I need lessons? Will a keyboard work just as well?

 

[Jekyll]

Originally Posted by Davidko19

I havent a lick of musical knowledge... is it easy to pick up? Do I need lessons? Will a keyboard work just as well?

Probably not. Probably. Probably not.

 

[Vintage Gent]

Thanks all for the good words.

Originally Posted by barims

Will there be YouTube?

Probably, but if I mess up royal, I won't share the link.

Originally Posted by ArteEtLabore14

I'm looking to start learning as well, and I'm curious exactly what your teacher has your doing, how long your lessons are, what you're paying, etc. Thanks for the info!

The lessons are 30 minutes a pop. My instructor has me doing several things: started with some easy pieces to get the fingers used to moving across the keyboard, worked on scales (D and E, in particular), and then moved on to the Bach Prelude. I'm fortunate in that I can read music, at least in a rudimentary way, so that helped accelerate things.

 

[Vintage Gent]

The recital is confirmed for the 14th. I will be playing both the Bach and the Schoenberg.

At yesterday's lesson, I started work on Petzold's Minuet in G and Philip Glass's Metamorphosis 2.

 

[BubblyMasquerade]

gj, its easy.