Learn Piano At 70+ ?

[Sal1950]

How has it been going?

Very slowly
It's been quite a struggle, having issues trying to get the left and right hands working independently has been a serious road-bump for me. Then also it's caused unexpected problems with arthritis in my fingers and wrists to flare up to the point I need to take a days break from practicing after every two or three days work. But I'm hanging in there.
Also been playing around with a few different online training systems to find one that seems to fit me the best.
Thanks for asking

 

[LTig]

You can always retreat to a drum kit - it's easier to hit big heads than small keys, and you can even tape the sticks to your hands in case you'll loose them too often ...

 

[Sal1950]

You can always retreat to a drum kit - it's easier to hit big heads than small keys, and you can even tape the sticks to your hands in case you'll loose them too often ...

Maybe just some bongo's , no sticks needed, or bong's

 

[Doodski]

Maybe just some bongo's , no sticks needed, or bong's

Some Tabla would be awesome... play some funky beats on those bad boys.

 

[Sophie7Leblanc]

As you are learning how to play the piano, you will probably need some help with some of the basics. I would like to suggest finding some free lessons online. These lessons are very comprehensive and can really help you get started right away.
I would like to suggest trying the online app la touche musicale for beginner practice. It is the best site I've found to teach piano online from beginning to advanced. This is the ultimate place for piano lessons and is learning how to play piano online. Here, you will find everything you need to know about piano playing.
The Piano for Beginners section of the site is very comprehensive and covers many methods for learning. You can read about different styles and piano music and learn what is good for each style. If you are a beginner, this is a great place to start. Here you will also find a list of the most popular songs as well as some free music that are suitable for beginners.
Another great feature of this site is a virtual piano keyboard. This keyboard is similar to the actual thing and can be used in place of a real piano whenever you want. Using the virtual keyboard, you can practice any piano method you wish. It works just like a real one, except you have it on your computer at home or an electronic piano board. This makes it very convenient and perfect for those who are short on time or are just a little less skilled at playing than some others.

 

[LTig]

@Sophie7Leblanc Welcome to the forum. Nice 1st posting.

 

[Sal1950]

As you are learning how to play the piano, you will probably need some help with some of the basics.

Welcome to ASR, I'm wondering what brought you here?
Stop by our Members area to introduce yourself and maybe share your HiFi rig.
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?forums/member-area.36/
Thanks for your suggestions, I'll take a look at the site.
I'm currently working with Flowkey, after some time spent at numerous sites I found them to fit me best but didn't see LTM.
It's always good to have more input.

 

[thefsb]

Very slowly
It's been quite a struggle, having issues trying to get the left and right hands working independently has been a serious road-bump for me. Then also it's caused unexpected problems with arthritis in my fingers and wrists to flare up to the point I need to take a days break from practicing after every two or three days work. But I'm hanging in there.
Also been playing around with a few different online training systems to find one that seems to fit me the best.
Thanks for asking

That's a bummer about the arthritis. I've no idea what to suggest about that.

Learning coordinated independent fine motor control involves iiuc rewiring and retraining parts of your nervous system. It takes a tremendous amount of time. My friend recently started to learn kit drums and finds coordination of 4 limbs extremely difficult.

Last year I got a bass guitar and tried to learn with the conventional upward plucking. I am used to playing electric guitar with a pick and I can alternate pick quite well. I learned the Alfonso Johnson bass solo opening to Flora Purim's Open Your Eyes, You Can Fly(*) also known from DJ Food's Dark Lady, which is hella fun to play with the pick but completely beyond me with fingers. The difference between alternating up and down pick movements and alternating index and middle finger plucking is night and day. I am a total beginner at RH bass technique. And that means putting in many many hours starting with simple exercises and moving up. It's like learning to play tennis or something. Takes time.

I still can't do the simple bass vamp from It's About That Time at speed

(* There are a number of videos demonstrating the bass line on the youtubes. It's a Chick Corea composition but the atrocious lyrics are due to Neville Potter who went on to be very close to L Ron.)

 

[Juhazi]

Back to the topic! Oscar gives some tips

 

[thefsb]

Back to the topic! Oscar gives some tips

Love it. Any idea when that interview happened?

 

[Sal1950]

My friend recently started to learn kit drums and finds coordination of 4 limbs extremely difficult.

I've heard the same thing from guys attempting to learn to fly helicopters, A place where poor performance can be exciting.

 

[thefsb]

I've heard the same thing from guys attempting to learn to fly helicopters, A place where poor performance can be exciting.

Where the phrase crash and burn is not figurative. I imagine the awareness of that reality doesn't make it easier.

 

[Weeb Labs]

In my experience, their American D sampled library often sounds better than the recorded sound of many Steinway D concert grands thanks to the specific piano they recorded, their prep (tuning and voicing), mic’ing, and the room sound of their studio. In that case, the bar goes way up as to your equipment choices for mastering and home playback.

I couldn't agree more. The American Concert D is such a beautiful library and I've been enjoying it for the better part of a decade at this point. Synthogy's Yamaha C7 in the Grand Pianos collection is also lovely (although with the Yamaha characteristics).

 

[Sophie7Leblanc]

@Sophie7Leblanc Welcome to the forum. Nice 1st posting.

thank you for a warm welcome!

 

[Sophie7Leblanc]

Welcome to ASR, I'm wondering what brought you here?
Stop by our Members area to introduce yourself and maybe share your HiFi rig.
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?forums/member-area.36/
Thanks for your suggestions, I'll take a look at the site.
I'm currently working with Flowkey, after some time spent at numerous sites I found them to fit me best but didn't see LTM.
It's always good to have more input.

Thank you for the tip! I will use the opportunity to get acquainted with beautiful people here
and also thank you for taking a minute to look at LaToucheMusicale, hope I gave useful info

 

[nerdstrike]

Very slowly
It's been quite a struggle, having issues trying to get the left and right hands working independently has been a serious road-bump for me. Then also it's caused unexpected problems with arthritis in my fingers and wrists to flare up to the point I need to take a days break from practicing after every two or three days work. But I'm hanging in there.
Also been playing around with a few different online training systems to find one that seems to fit me the best.
Thanks for asking

I commend you for you endeavour! As one pianist to another...

1. Slow progress is to be expected. You are potentially having to learn new fine muscle control, reading music, maintaining a beat, using two hands in unrelated ways at the same time, and learning how to express yourself through touch. That's a lot! It may help to think about each of these as separate skills to be practiced, or in groups.
2. Arthritis is a horrid problem, try not to exascerbate any issues you have by stopping if your hands ever feel strained by your playing, say you feel discomfort from spreading your fingers wider than they are happy with, or by hammering away too fiercly, see point 3.
3. Force is the enemy. The piano action is better varied with speed of finger-press than by strength. It is also tempting to force your fingers to make the unfamiliar movement. The first time, yes. Each time after, you must strive for relaxed movement. The correct movement is easy and you can't teach yourself that by using force all the time. If you feel tension building, stop and rest for a few seconds.
4. As @thefsb put it, a huge amount of playing an instrument is teaching your brain to use your hands (and sometimes lips) in unfamiliar ways. This takes good quality practice and good sleep so that finger motions you rehearse become reflex rather than conscious. This plays heavily into two-handed playing where there is potential for cross-talk between intentions for each hand. I've been playing for 30 years, and independent hands is an ongoing challenge when I am at my skill limit.
5. Slow is good. So is variety. Try playing things with swing or straight, louder, softer. These are good ways to generalise what you're learning without losing your mind through repetition
6. Repetition
7. Repetition

Many is the person who has said to me "Oh I wish I hadn't given up when I was younger". They could pick up playing again if they had the will like you!

 

[Doodski]

I still think you could get a keyboard/synth and rock out to some loud rock with keyboards. Crank that surround sound JBL Adcom setup of yours and wank on the synth. It's much easier than pianO in some ways and can be very intuitive too if one simply plays along instinctively.

 

[PierreV]

Welcome to ASR, I'm wondering what brought you here?

That would be work I believe.

 

[thefsb]

Crank that surround sound JBL Adcom setup of yours and wank on the synth.

WHAT!?

I hope that's a typo because that would be a strange thing to do it on.

 

[egellings]

If you don't have bad arthritis, why not?