Does anyone play the piano?

[caseysmom]

I have a piano that was my mothers, she played some and my brother played really well.

I am thinking I would like to teach myself, there are many guides available to do this. Has anyone else done this?

[Karen]

My mother was, and sister and brother-in-law are piano teachers. I learned as a child, but never practiced enough, so when I play, I play slowly, as my left hand takes longer to figure out than right.

I'd encourage you to go for it!

[Pam]

If you have the desire GO FOR IT! As a child I took piano lessons for about six months. I really wanted to learn. My piano teacher moved to Florida and my mom never sought out another teacher for me. :( As an adult I really regret that. I learned the violin in elementary/middle school but never really had the desire for it and still have no desire today. Now as an adult I wish I knew how to play the piano.

[Karen]

If you have the desire GO FOR IT! As a child I took piano lessons for about six months. I really wanted to learn. My piano teacher moved to Florida and my mom never sought out another teacher for me. :( As an adult I really regret that. I learned the violin in elementary/middle school but never really had the desire for it and still have no desire today. Now as an adult I wish I knew how to play the piano.

Oh, Pam - you can still learn! There are books for adult students, and teachers who specialize in teaching adults. It'd be too long a weekly commute for you all the way up here, but my sister specializes in adult beginners - in fact sometimes she'll be teaching the parent in one room, and her husband will be instructing the child in another room - or vice versa. They never use the same book for the adult and the child, so there's no "competition" between generations of learners!

[Alysser]

I played the keyboard and guitar when I was younger, and was quite talented at both but I just kinda stopped over the years and I don't really remember any of the guitar. I know 'Silent Night' on the keyboard but that's about it, I really wish I hadn't stopped, but I don't really have time for either instrument anymore. :( I started playing the keyboard back in may/june again but I never got into it to much, I wish I had the patience and time.

[binka_nugget]

I took a piano course in highschool but because of the lack of school funding, our piano teacher wasn't really a piano teacher! He was a very talented drummer, choir teacher and trumpet player, but piano wasn't his forte. So we all ended up learning out of this book: http://i40.tinypic.com/6nqnp2.jpg I had no problem following along and actually ended up learning really quickly! I stopped playing regularly about 4 years ago but I dabble now and then and have no problem picking up where I left off. I say go for it! :D

[Pam]

Oh, Pam - you can still learn!

Thanks for the vote of confidence Karen, but to quote an old phrase (maybe not appropriate for this fine website....:p ) "you can't teach an old dog new tricks." :p Even if I thought my brain cells could handle it :p I have no room for a piano in my house at this point. :)

[moosmom]

I WISH!!! I've wanted to learn to play since I was a kid. I did learn how to play violin, though. That got me far...NOT!!

[Karen]

Thanks for the vote of confidence Karen, but to quote an old phrase (maybe not appropriate for this fine website....:p ) "you can't teach an old dog new tricks." :p Even if I thought my brain cells could handle it :p I have no room for a piano in my house at this point. :)

Oh, but Pam - you don't need much room any more! They have great keyboards with real-size keys that will fit anywhere! That's what I have, when a friend visited a few years ago, after touring the downstairs of my little house, she said "But where's the piano? I cannot imagine you without a piano!" I said "It's a keyboard, and it's upstairs right now." She said, "Oh, okay! That makes more sense!"

[Taz_Zoee]

My parents got me a piano when I was about 10 years or younger. I took lessons for several years but never got very good at it. I can play several songs and chords. And I can (slowly) read music.
Now my niece (who is now 18) is a natural on the piano. She can't read music at all but she can play by ear amazingly. Her Nana gave her some lessons when she was young but that's it. I'm jealous of her. :p

[caseysmom]

My parents got me a piano when I was about 10 years or younger. I took lessons for several years but never got very good at it. I can play several songs and chords. And I can (slowly) read music.
Now my niece (who is now 18) is a natural on the piano. She can't read music at all but she can play by ear amazingly. Her Nana gave her some lessons when she was young but that's it. I'm jealous of her. :p

Thats how my brother was, he just sort of sat down and played one day, I fear he got all the musical talent in the family but I'm going to give it a try....I will look in the piano bench there may be a book there..

[Casper]

Add me to the list of people encouraging you to learn!

I am mainly self-taught, though I learned how to read sheet music from an instructor. Playing music is very relaxing for me, and the piano is one of my favorites. :)

[Pembroke_Corgi]

Any reason you couldn't take lessons? Music is better when it's shared with others and I think the right teacher could be really motivating. I'm not saying you couldn't learn on your own, but I think you might find lessons really fun! (Course I taught piano for 2 years so I may biased!)

[Pinot's Mom]

Add me to the encouragers, too! I played classical piano for 12 YEARS as a child, was very good, but just lost interest as a teenager. That wasn't a good idea. I have now, though, acquired a small organ that's a lot of fun and am re-learning. I was very well trained and a lot has come back. I won't be what I used to be, but it'll be enough to make it fun. That's what you shoot for - not perfection, just for it to be fun! Good luck!!:D

[caseysmom]

Any reason you couldn't take lessons? Music is better when it's shared with others and I think the right teacher could be really motivating. I'm not saying you couldn't learn on your own, but I think you might find lessons really fun! (Course I taught piano for 2 years so I may biased!)

Mostly money I just got 3 days a month furlough so I am trying to cut back not add any expenses. I just got to thinking that I should have done that earlier on in my broken foot ordeal it would have been a good productive thing to accomplish.

[K9karen]

My brother took lessons for years. Since there's a 4 yr age gap, I wanted to copy my big brother, so I sat down one day and started to play a few songs by ear. I got so good at it, that the folks decided I needed lessons. My bro is the kind of person who needs to be yelled at for anything to sink in. Me? Yell at me and I'm gone. I'm not stupid. The teacher used the same techniques on me and I used to get so sick and break out in a rash, they fired him. I was so traumatized that the fun was taken out of learning. I remember he tried to talk my parents into reconsidering about 6 months later, apologizing etc,. because I had piano fingers and a good ear, but it never happened. I'm also mathematically dyslectic to a degree and couldn't comprehend 1/2 or 1/4 notes etc.