Why I started playing piano again (seriously) after more than 20 years!

I bought a piano from a friend whose mother-in-law's daughter had only used for a few years. That was in 2001.The piano had been in the hall for at least 10 years before I bought it! It was Korean made - a Dresden.

At the time I was doing shift work and the piano had been an instant source of relaxation for me.

I used to take my old dusty piano books out to just play thru the pieces I had learnt as a child, but never thought about playing seriously. I used to play a lot of Richard Claderman!

But the piano helped me get through the shift work. My kids were only 3-4 yrs old so I had alot of time.

A few years later I became a manager and work was also stressful and music (and also running :-)) helped to relieve stress for me! The kids are bigger and then in 2007, I decided that I wanted to do this seriously and I looked for a teacher and found her.

I always wanted to perform on stage but did not have the guts to do it. So I worked with the teacher for a year and a half and in July this year she asked me to prepare for the concert which I did.

So it was a dream come true for me, just to get on stage and overcome my fear of failure.

After doing this I think I have somehow conquered my own fear of failure. So I will keep practicing and performing every year!

I might try to do other things I always wanted to do but hesitated. Heck you only live once so go out there and live your life!

To all those who have tried and failed, I say, pick yourself up and start again. You will succeed. Its a matter of time, hardwork and determination. Nothing can dampen the human spirit.

By the way, I have given my old piano away and my husband recently bought a Wilh Steinberg upright piano for me. I love it to bits!!!! I see myself playing piano for another 20 years!

Yeah!

Thats a great story

Yeah, That's Great ..
I loved it ...

Also Richard Clayderman one of my Best Piano Players
Could you play any of his songs (A Comme Amour for Example )

Amro wrote:Yeah, That's Great ..
I loved it ...

Also Richard Clayderman one of my Best Piano Players
Could you play any of his songs (A Comme Amour for Example )

Yes I could play Richard Clayderman, they were not technically difficult.

But when you see him perform on stage, its really effortless? And he is playing to entertain his audience? That's something I learnt only recently - that music is not just about the notes, but expression and entertainment - the audience must feel what you are feeling and in order to do that, you need to know the notes first then the expression will come out!

Now my goal is to play something really well (I used to "music surf (!), ie, not patient to learn the whole thing and when find difficulty, move on!). The pieces I now am playing, I have been playing for 1.5 years! just imagine playing the same piece for a year......could you do that? Try it! it becomes part of you ......

Anyway, I am years older that you, and that gives you the advantage - because u are at the age where remembering, memorising and learning, is much easier than at my age! So I normally take about 6 months to complete 3 movements of a sonata, but for you, probably you will take a shorter period!

Happy playing!

Thomandy wrote:Thats a great story

Hey Thanks!

The only reason I wanted to say all that is to give some of our younger people out there some encouragement!

At my age, I should be content to just go about life's routine, but I have discovered that you make your life more enriched if you try something new!

Cheers!

jeanne.supermum wrote:

Amro wrote:Yeah, That's Great ..
I loved it ...

Also Richard Clayderman one of my Best Piano Players
Could you play any of his songs (A Comme Amour for Example )

Yes I could play Richard Clayderman, they were not technically difficult.

But when you see him perform on stage, its really effortless? And he is playing to entertain his audience? That's something I learnt only recently - that music is not just about the notes, but expression and entertainment - the audience must feel what you are feeling and in order to do that, you need to know the notes first then the expression will come out!

Now my goal is to play something really well (I used to "music surf (!), ie, not patient to learn the whole thing and when find difficulty, move on!). The pieces I now am playing, I have been playing for 1.5 years! just imagine playing the same piece for a year......could you do that? Try it! it becomes part of you ......

Anyway, I am years older that you, and that gives you the advantage - because u are at the age where remembering, memorising and learning, is much easier than at my age! So I normally take about 6 months to complete 3 movements of a sonata, but for you, probably you will take a shorter period!

Happy playing!

I'm Playing Piano 2 Years ago ( Trying to play Actually & not Playing )
I read alot of books, watched alot of vids., downloaded alot of tutorials, etc...

But I failed at first
I tried again & failed again ..
these took 2 YEARS ..
But this time I determined on Playing Piano & reading Music ( After watching Andrew's Videos )

After sometime, I tried reading Fur Elise ..
It was so hard for me ..

But After Hearing your talk I will try & try & try ...
Untill I can play it ...

Feeling is very important .. I got alot of RC's Videos ..
He is GREAT GREAT GREAT ..
I love him as the best ...


Thanks

jeanne.supermum wrote:

Thomandy wrote:Thats a great story

Hey Thanks!

The only reason I wanted to say all that is to give some of our younger people out there some encouragement!

At my age, I should be content to just go about life's routine, but I have discovered that you make your life more enriched if you try something new!

Cheers!

Hehe, well I am 24 soon. So not that young anymore. I started Piano this year, and I sure wish that I had started when I was young!! Yeah, I agree. Something new Is always a lifeimprover, I am sure! The piano changed my life up side down Almsot, hehe...

this is a wonderful topic!

You have a really inspireing story, great message ^_^ yes, piece surfing can be bad, i prefer to have a mix, pick a small number of pieces to polish up very nicely for 1-3 years, then have maybe 3-4 small pieces on the go to just surf through, this keeps your note reading up, as well as your musical expression.

I've been playing some of my pieces for 5 years plus like my nocturne in e flat major by chopin. That piece is very easy, but it is such a part of me, I cannot let it go, I love it TOO much!

Admin Andrew wrote: this is a wonderful topic!

You have a really inspireing story, great message ^_^ yes, piece surfing can be bad, i prefer to have a mix, pick a small number of pieces to polish up very nicely for 1-3 years, then have maybe 3-4 small pieces on the go to just surf through, this keeps your note reading up, as well as your musical expression.

I've been playing some of my pieces for 5 years plus like my nocturne in e flat major by chopin. That piece is very easy, but it is such a part of me, I cannot let it go, I love it TOO much!

Hi there!

Wow! if you played a piece for 5 years, my pieces (4 of them) which I have played for the last 1.5years is nothing! It really goes to show what level of achievement we are striving at! And out of the 4, I was only confident of 1 piece to be performed!

When I was younger, I could not understand why pieces should be played over and over! Now I know. And I am instilling in my kids the importance of going over bits of music which they are fumbling at. My joke to my son is that they either play dead slow or super dead slow at first to read well, then to pick up later - just went thru this concept last night with him. He was so surprised he could read and play (after 10 repeats!! It was a 16 bar biginner piece!), and I hope it sticks! Tonight he has to "perform" for me again! heh heh heh...

And the advice you have given is exactly what my teacher told me to do - to select a few to focus on (and it could be just 1 piece over 2-3 mths). I thought she was wasting my time at first ( ) but now I know.....

Never to old to do anything! Just don't give up....btw, this forum is really good for young people as we need encouragement to carry on our journeys....its a great thing you have done.

Amro wrote:

jeanne.supermum wrote:

Amro wrote:Yeah, That's Great ..
I loved it ...

Also Richard Clayderman one of my Best Piano Players
Could you play any of his songs (A Comme Amour for Example )

Yes I could play Richard Clayderman, they were not technically difficult.

But when you see him perform on stage, its really effortless? And he is playing to entertain his audience? That's something I learnt only recently - that music is not just about the notes, but expression and entertainment - the audience must feel what you are feeling and in order to do that, you need to know the notes first then the expression will come out!

Now my goal is to play something really well (I used to "music surf (!), ie, not patient to learn the whole thing and when find difficulty, move on!). The pieces I now am playing, I have been playing for 1.5 years! just imagine playing the same piece for a year......could you do that? Try it! it becomes part of you ......

Anyway, I am years older that you, and that gives you the advantage - because u are at the age where remembering, memorising and learning, is much easier than at my age! So I normally take about 6 months to complete 3 movements of a sonata, but for you, probably you will take a shorter period!

Happy playing!

I'm Playing Piano 2 Years ago ( Trying to play Actually & not Playing )
I read alot of books, watched alot of vids., downloaded alot of tutorials, etc...

But I failed at first
I tried again & failed again ..
these took 2 YEARS ..
But this time I determined on Playing Piano & reading Music ( After watching Andrew's Videos )

After sometime, I tried reading Fur Elise ..
It was so hard for me ..

But After Hearing your talk I will try & try & try ...
Untill I can play it ...

Feeling is very important .. I got alot of RC's Videos ..
He is GREAT GREAT GREAT ..
I love him as the best ...


Thanks

Yes, don't give up.

Also look for pieces which you can play confidently. Look at graded books so you know where you are. Start from there. See if you can play the broken chords and scales well. These help your fingers to remember.

The Fur Elise video by Andrew is good - I watched it!

Play left and right hands separately first.

Cheers!

jeanne.supermum wrote:

Amro wrote:

jeanne.supermum wrote:

Amro wrote:Yeah, That's Great ..
I loved it ...

Also Richard Clayderman one of my Best Piano Players
Could you play any of his songs (A Comme Amour for Example )

Yes I could play Richard Clayderman, they were not technically difficult.

But when you see him perform on stage, its really effortless? And he is playing to entertain his audience? That's something I learnt only recently - that music is not just about the notes, but expression and entertainment - the audience must feel what you are feeling and in order to do that, you need to know the notes first then the expression will come out!

Now my goal is to play something really well (I used to "music surf (!), ie, not patient to learn the whole thing and when find difficulty, move on!). The pieces I now am playing, I have been playing for 1.5 years! just imagine playing the same piece for a year......could you do that? Try it! it becomes part of you ......

Anyway, I am years older that you, and that gives you the advantage - because u are at the age where remembering, memorising and learning, is much easier than at my age! So I normally take about 6 months to complete 3 movements of a sonata, but for you, probably you will take a shorter period!

Happy playing!

I'm Playing Piano 2 Years ago ( Trying to play Actually & not Playing )
I read alot of books, watched alot of vids., downloaded alot of tutorials, etc...

But I failed at first
I tried again & failed again ..
these took 2 YEARS ..
But this time I determined on Playing Piano & reading Music ( After watching Andrew's Videos )

After sometime, I tried reading Fur Elise ..
It was so hard for me ..

But After Hearing your talk I will try & try & try ...
Untill I can play it ...

Feeling is very important .. I got alot of RC's Videos ..
He is GREAT GREAT GREAT ..
I love him as the best ...


Thanks

Yes, don't give up.

Also look for pieces which you can play confidently. Look at graded books so you know where you are. Start from there. See if you can play the broken chords and scales well. These help your fingers to remember.

The Fur Elise video by Andrew is good - I watched it!

Play left and right hands separately first.

Cheers!

Hello,
Actually I'm in a library now, sitting on the computer & searching for a book called : ( A Theory of Harmony - by Ernst Levy ) my teacher told me read it ...

It's too long Actually, but he said that it's very important ...

Thanks to all ...
I hope that I could play Fur Elise Quickly ...
Yesterday I was stuck, I spent maybe 1 hour trying to play 6 secs. of Fur Elise with 2 Hands ...
Also I do sth. : I hear the Original Piece alot of times then if there's sth. I couldn't play, I hear how does it played by Beethoven ..

But i'll try & try ...

Although that it's so difficult for me But I love it & I couldn't wait More

I'll Play IT


Thanks

Inspiring story in your original post, jeanne.supermum

Also have the same problem with "music-surfing" pieces... but I'm becoming more disciplined.

thanks for sharing this...

No problem Jeanne! I'm very happy I got this little website and forum started! ^_^