Do you play the piano?

[audreyh1]

A big milestone this week on my new piano. I finally performed Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata (first movement) for DH - only couple of mistakes. I have been practicing with headphones so he couldn't hear it until I could play it through well and I have been practicing it like crazy too. He was very impressed, LOL! He loves the piece and said it was very special hearing it played live.

The piano playing has come back to me super fast. Very affirming/encouraging and really amazing considering it's almost 40 years since I played. I'm pretty sure I only played about 1/4 of the Moonlight Sonata when I was a young-un, so it's been pretty ambitious working it all the way through and memorizing it.

Now working on expanding my repertoire....

 

[Bamaman]

I never had time to play the piano as a young musician growing up in Nashville, Tennessee. I played woodwinds and put in 4-5 hours a day practicing in high school. Gave it up when I went to college. What's nice about my saxophone is that I can pick it up anytime and play acceptably--other than my sight reading being a little rough.

I have a buddy in Dallas that's a very successful architect. His sideline business is buying and selling used Steinways. He absolutely loves being in the business if just part time.

 

[EastWest Gal]

I took piano lessons for about 14 years from when I was 6 until I was 20. I remember thinking that I was a pretty good player. As a younger student (elementary school and junior high) I would always play in the talent show. But, I got shy about it later.



Anyway, in high school I met a classmate who just blew me out of the water and was so good. It disabused me of the notion that I had any real talent. Anyway, I looked him up and he is a music professor so I wasn't wrong in my assessment of him.



After a number of years as an adult, I didn't have a piano until maybe 15 year or so ago when we bought an electronic piano. I thought I would get back in practice and did for awhile but got busy and never did. My son wanted the piano when he moved out and I let him take it. But -- now he is staying with us for awhile and I currently have the piano in my living room. I would be interested in playing again.



But....my sheet music is lost. In someone's move apparently it got misplaced. I had music from even when I took lessons as a child. I don't play by ear and I need music so no playing for me right now (unless I want to get some music...)

One excellent website for free sheet music is IMSLP.org. Anything published before mid 1920s is not copyright protected. If you download something, the site wants you to pay a tiny annual membership fee or a small lifetime fee. But if you wait about 10 seconds it downloads anyway.

I started plunking out melodies when I was 3 and took lessons from 5 to 13 years. I played in jazz band in middle school and high school, and also a private jazz/rock band during high school, as well as pianist in musicals.

During college I played piano little. During medical school, my roommate and I rented a white and green painted piano for $16/month.

Since then I’ve played on and off, just a few favorite pieces: Claire de Lune and Take Five. I taught myself most of Linus and Lucy. And I make stuff up when I’m by myself at home. DH is the pianist, but we didn’t get a piano until 2003, a Kawai baby grand. It gets a lot of use.

 

[swakyaby]

Some similarities to EastWestGal. I took 2 years piano lessons around age 12, learning on an upright Kawai. In Jr high and high school, played flute in the concert band and keyboards in the jazz band. Was asked to play the piano solo of Gershwin’s Rhapsody In Blue in Jr high, and spent the summer memorizing around 23 pages of sheet music when I was 16. But after high school, I had no piano during college, medical school, residency. By the time I bought a piano, a used upright Steinway model K, I was pretty rusty. I like playing Debussy’s Clair de Lune, Moonlight Sonata, Scott Joplin’s The Entertainer, Vince Guaraldi’s Linus & Lucy and Cast Your Fate to the Wind, Christmas tunes in December, some other popular tunes, and of course a few sections of Rhapsody in Blue. I consider my level intermediate. It’s very relaxing.

 

[mh]

Some similarities to EastWestGal. I took 2 years piano lessons around age 12, learning on an upright Kawai. In Jr high and high school, played flute in the concert band and keyboards in the jazz band. Was asked to play the piano solo of Gershwin’s Rhapsody In Blue in Jr high, and spent the summer memorizing around 23 pages of sheet music when I was 16. But after high school, I had no piano during college, medical school, residency. By the time I bought a piano, a used upright Steinway model K, I was pretty rusty. I like playing Debussy’s Clair de Lune, Moonlight Sonata, Scott Joplin’s The Entertainer, Vince Guaraldi’s Linus & Lucy and Cast Your Fate to the Wind, Christmas tunes in December, some other popular tunes, and of course a few sections of Rhapsody in Blue. I consider my level intermediate. It’s very relaxing.

Here’s some Vince Guaraldi on my Un-Piano

https://youtu.be/ITZjhhoYyLU

 

[Starsky]

I've been playing since I was young - classically trained from 5-14. Started playing in bands in HS, been playing and recording on and off ever since. Played for years in LA and SD as a side hustle in my youth starting in the 80s. Played tons of live shows, made some records, won some awards, got to hang with lots of very talented and cool people. It's been the one hobby that has stayed with me my entire life.

I stopped playing for awhile in my mid-40s while in upper management. Towards the end of my w&*k career, I took some Jazz lessons to stay active and learn something new. Now, I'd love to take some more lessons to become a better soloist but I'm not disciplined enough to practice regularly right now and don't want to waste the time and money (yet). I still play and record with friends pretty often but I'd prefer to find a regular gig to keep my chops up, or get into a regular habit of writing and recording.

I still have my wonderful Yamaha grand piano from the 60's; and in my office/studio i am constantly surrounded by an excessively large collection of vintage and modern electronic keyboards and synthesizers I've collected over the years. I don't play them all often enough and need to get back into a strong musical routine - that's my goal for 2019 [and one of the unfulfilled retirement hobbies I've been looking forward to working on]. It's a gift that keeps on giving! (Thanks Mom!)

Here's something I adapted and performed fairly recently....not my usual style, but I was feeling it that day.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RqueLOQSwU]National Anthem 2017

 

[audreyh1]

Here's something I adapted and performed fairly recently....not my usual style, but I was feeling it that day.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RqueLOQSwU]National Anthem 2017

That’s nice. Interesting arrangement never heard anything like that before. Did you change it to a minor key?

 

[steelyman]

Here's something I adapted and performed fairly recently....not my usual style, but I was feeling it that day.

Very nice, both the performance/arrangement and the video. I think they’re appropriate for the time.

Your description of “where you are” in your musical development is also nice and interesting to read

 

[Starsky]

That’s nice. Interesting arrangement never heard anything like that before. Did you change it to a minor key?

Yes, that's the only difference. It was an experiment that turned out nicely.

 

[ERD50]

Here’s some Vince Guaraldi on my Un-Piano

https://youtu.be/ITZjhhoYyLU

Beautiful! It's been a while since I heard any Chapman Stick work.

I was fortunate to attend the 1984(?) NAMM show (convention of National Assoc of Music Manufacturers) in Chicago with friends in the business. Emmet Chapman demoe'd The Stick at his booth, and chatted with us and played a few songs on it. He was a master at it, and we were standing right there to catch every detail.

IIRC, someone on this forum (maybe you?) lived near Emmet and knew him personally.

-ERD50

 

[ERD50]

Yes, that's the only difference. It was an experiment that turned out nicely.

Yes, very nice! -ERD50

 

[mh]

Beautiful! It's been a while since I heard any Chapman Stick work.

I was fortunate to attend the 1984(?) NAMM show (convention of National Assoc of Music Manufacturers) in Chicago with friends in the business. Emmet Chapman demoe'd The Stick at his booth, and chatted with us and played a few songs on it. He was a master at it, and we were standing right there to catch every detail.

IIRC, someone on this forum (maybe you?) lived near Emmet and knew him personally.

-ERD50

It was probably me. He lives/works in Woodland Hills which is 20 miles down the road from me. His shop is attached to his house there. If I had his job I probably would never retire

 

[SumDay]

....

Bringing back my instrument playing is somewhat motivated as an anti-aging strategy. Use of the fingers - to keep up flexibility and strength in the hands and fingers. But also the mental challenge - memorizing pieces. That latter seems much slower compared to when I was a kid, but I’m getting there!

So funny - the horrible weather we've had has spiked my cabin fever, so I drug my keyboard out of the guest closet and sat down to teach myself again after a 48 year hiatus. This should give the old neurons a good jolt. Audrey, when I grow up, I want to play what you're playing. Right now I'm happy with Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

 

[audreyh1]

Well it’s been a very productive piano playing year for me. I’ve built up a small classic music repertoire and am starting to branch into some more ambitious music such as Debussy. I really enjoy practicing even though these days my progress is slow.

BTW SumDay - check out Mozart’s 12 variations on Twinkle Twinkle Little Star! Recent Lang Lang recording out called Piano Book.

 

[chris2008]

Still happily playing my accordion mentioned in#69 one year ago.
I am so glad that I kept it for about 50 years.

 

[audreyh1]

Well it’s been a very productive piano playing year for me. I’ve built up a small classic music repertoire and am starting to branch into some more ambitious music such as Debussy. I really enjoy practicing even though these days my progress is slow.

Still at it. Excited because I’ve tackled some more ambitious pieces. Finally getting real close on Mozart Piano Sonata in C minor K457 first movement. I stumbled across this piece when I read about Beethoven’s Sonata Pathetique which was apparently inspired by the Mozart C minor sonata and you can definitely hear the influence. I decided it was very cool and it has been worth the months I’ve spent trying to master it. A lot of use of the metronome too. I’m approaching over 90% of this performance speed if you’ve never heard it.

I think I’m going to have to get a real piano.

 

[chris2008]

Still stumblin along on my small accordion.
As long as I see / hear progress from month to month I am happy as a clam.

 

[mistermike40]

Cool thread (that goes back a ways!). I've always wanted to play the piano but never took serious lessons. I still play guitar though... a Fender acoustic and a Gibson Les Paul (through a Marshall of course). Mores blues than rock these days.

 

[audreyh1]

Still stumblin along on my small accordion.
As long as I see / hear progress from month to month I am happy as a clam.

Yeah, it’s all about enjoying the process. And that’s what I fortunately discovered as a much older person. I did not enjoy practicing as a youngster. Now I really do.

 

[frayne]

Cool thread, I'll be back to read through it.

 

[Katsmeow]

I took piano lessons for about 14 years from when I was 6 until I was 20. ....

After a number of years as an adult, I didn't have a piano until maybe 15 year or so ago when we bought an electronic piano. I thought I would get back in practice and did for awhile but got busy and never did. My son wanted the piano when he moved out and I let him take it. But -- now he is staying with us for awhile and I currently have the piano in my living room. I would be interested in playing again.

But....my sheet music is lost. In someone's move apparently it got misplaced. I had music from even when I took lessons as a child. I don't play by ear and I need music so no playing for me right now (unless I want to get some music...)

So DS back in 2018 insisted he didn't have my sheet music and I was wrong to think he had it. Well, recently, he was going through some boxes he had in storage and....the sheet music was there. I still haven't played the piano yet (we only found the sheet much a little over a month ago) but now I really well practice playing.


So the missing

 

[audreyh1]

I didn’t have any piano sheet music when I restarted. I ordered a couple of books, but most pieces I wanted I found PDFs on the web and printed them. Even for some of the pieces in my books I scanned and printed or found them on the web because it is much handier to have the one-sided loose sheets spread out. Who can get a book to stay open on a music stand anyway?

So DS back in 2018 insisted he didn't have my sheet music and I was wrong to think he had it. Well, recently, he was going through some boxes he had in storage and....the sheet music was there. I still haven't played the piano yet (we only found the sheet much a little over a month ago) but now I really well practice playing.

Cool!

 

[audreyh1]

This awesome Mozart piece I’ve been making great progress on - I just figured out a recording I have is twice as fast as I thought!

I still gotta long way to go.......

 

[scrabbler1]

Glad to see this thread is still getting new posts since I resurrected it nearly 2 years ago.


Since my last post in December of 2018, I am still playing my Scott Joplin rags. I added a 6th rag to my repertoire, Scott Joplin's New Rag. I have been able to memorize the 6 rags so I put the sheet music away. But I play only once every 2 weeks, enough to keep playing fairly well but not often enough to play at my peak. I just don't have enough patience or interest in it to play more often than that. It also keeps me from adding a few more rags to my set.


Last year, the damper pedal broke. But I was able to fix it myself, without much difficulty, once I figured out what had gone wrong. I have been able to tune it myself, the few upper notes which go out of tune every 6-9 months.


In late 2018, I was able to play my rags on a full-sized piano once (mine is a spinet which has one less octave at each end) which was nice because I didn't have to make those few adjustments for eliminated keys.

 

[F4mandolin]

Off and on with clawhammer banjo these days. Used to play piano, mandolin, violin. Just don't practice much......winter coming so.....