Breaking a bad habit

Hi everyone, I'm new here. I ran across Andrew's videos recently and I really like them. I'm going through and watching them and am at I think 20 right now.

I'm attempting to learn to play my piano. I learned a few songs when I was younger, but I haven't played in a long time, and have never had any real formal training. I can read music, but that's where I'm having a problem.

See, I originally started out playing the flute in elementary school. That's where I learned to read music. Everything I played was in treble clef, there was no bass on the flutes' music. I guess somewhere along the line, we flutes asked what the hell was going on with the whole bass clef thing, and my teacher just said "oh for bass clef you just act like the note was two steps higher." Real great explanation, eh?

And that would be alright, I guess, if all I ever wanted to play ever was flute, but I don't. I only played flute because they only let us choose between flute, clarinet, trumpet and trombone, and my mom wouldn't let me play trumpet because it was too loud. I'm getting off point here. I always wanted to play the piano. When I started playing the piano, it was basically just for fun and I learned how to play some songs from the Peanuts universe, and some from Final Fantasy, via a kind of painstaking process of translating all the bass notes up two steps.

Anyways, now that I'm trying to actually learn to play properly, learning keys and chords and scales and all that, I'm kind of crippled. I can read music, like I physically can figure out what note is which, but my mind always thinks in treble clef. I'll look at the left hand sit there and think "ok A, no wait that's a C." And it just gets worse on lower notes. I'm finding myself having to translate my initial read of the note into what the note really is.

Andrew's lesson 16 about playing notes relative to each other is helpful, and I'll get it eventually, but I still am having to correct myself very often. I can sight read on my right hand fairly well for my experience level, but my left hand stumbles miserably. Not because I'm right handed, either. I can't play bass clef any quicker with my right hand than my left, just because I can't read it effectively.

What I don't want to do is just accept this and learn to play this way. At this point, I'm still basically a beginner, and I don't want this bad habit to continue as I get better. I want to be able to see a G in the bass clef and not initially think "E!" So my question is: will this go away through normal practice, or are there specific exercises I can do or need to do to re-train myself?

Nice story Welcome to the Forum, feel free to use it alot

hi div ..if it was me i would not want to lose the experience and knowledge i learned on flute ..so i would not try to break the habit just change it ....either write "piano" in "red" letters somewhere on sheet that shouts at me so that i would remember ...or whatever u think would help u to seperate ..a lot of ppl play 2 or more instruments .it is not a handicap it shows your talents, so gd luck with your transitions and remember you will be able to play WIND and PERCUSSION in an ORCHESTRA ) and welcome to forum )

Well, I'm not saying I want to forget how to read treble clef, that wouldn't be very smart.

ahhh sorry i must hav misread ..well but it is still a dilemma that i wish i had p.s. i used to play drums but i never did the theory so it had no probs for me on piano , "a clean sheet " as they say ..i can see that it must be frustrating for you ..hope someone givs u some response on this )

Its just to learn how to read sheet music from scratch, if the flute knowledge you got helps you learn faster, that's good! But it wont be a bigger issue for you than it is for any other beginner!^^

It should go away with practice dude but there are definitely things you can do to be able to make it disappear from your mind quicker. Writing the bass clef notes in a different colour can be good. Another way would be to practice the bass clef continuously and far less than your strong treble clef. It does make it harder when you add more clefs which is why its best to practice each clef separately when you start a new piece on piano. Hope this helps! And having a really strong Treble Clef is great as most fast passages use it for the most complicated parts.

(I have no idea why the before posts by members seemed to be nothing at all to do with your problem. )

well at least we are trying ,even if not right btw good response Klavier

Klavier wrote:It should go away with practice dude but there are definitely things you can do to be able to make it disappear from your mind quicker. Writing the bass clef notes in a different colour can be good. Another way would be to practice the bass clef continuously and far less than your strong treble clef. It does make it harder when you add more clefs which is why its best to practice each clef separately when you start a new piece on piano. Hope this helps! And having a really strong Treble Clef is great as most fast passages use it for the most complicated parts.

Alrighty, thanks. I didn't think of coloring the notes, I'll try that. And of course practicing.