I've been a bad girl RE: Piano Lessons

[Tracy]

I've been a bad girl...I haven't practiced piano in 4 days. I got to a part in my lessons where she (my teacher) has moved me from the comfortable middle C-home fingering to moving me around (like put finger 3 on C instead of 1 and play the measures from there). I'm so dyslexic and having a hard time getting it down, between learning to read music and changing finger positions.

But I'll push through this barrier. I promise! I want this so much. And I know that it's super important for me to be able to move around the keyboard comfortably.

But I have no excuse for not practicing. My teacher doesn't require an hour a day, in fact she discourages it because then the lessons could become drudgery. Just 5-10 min here and there a few times per day (I love her method). Sometimes I just do it 10 min or so, and other times I practice an hour or two when in the mood. I love the flexibility and have made great progress.

My teacher is an online one who offered several free beginning lessons and I ran through them months ago and wanted to continue with her because her lessons are comfortable for me (rather unconventional with little focus on music theory). She focused on fingering first (wipe that smirk off your face guys :P) and is slowly introducing reading music.

Now, before you poopoo her method, consider this...I have emailed her with questions and problems a few times and had a reply within hours. AND if there is something that I'm having a hard time seeing/hearing from a lesson, she will make a vid to demonstrate the technique and if necessary, vid conference with me. She is very accessible.

Here's her website...I'd appreciate anyone's opinion http://www.learnpianoonline.com/main/login.html

And I promise to get back up on the horse tomorrow!

[MarkE]

Tra..

I already knew about this chick. I went through her free lessons some time ago and thought that the method was sound (forgive pun)

For what its worth...take your time. I dont know much about playing piano, but for me, the most critical things that I had to master and got the most milage from was learning fingering techniques and scales. For fingering I mean both left hand (fretboard) and right hand (plucking, thumbing, fingering, multiple fingers, picking, alternate picking, picking using thumb and index finger (see my wizards video)). I think that the thing I got the most milage from was learning alternate picking, which I actually learned on guitar first practicing ELPs From the Beginning, The Sage and songs like that. I use it on bass now and can play most riffs like lightening. See my new vid Long Distance Runaround for example.

My point? ... I knew these techniques were necessary and chose popular songs to learn and practice them. In piano I know there are many standard finger exercises. For what its worth, play close attention to those and become completely comfortable with each of them. later on down the line your brain will roll the proper one, or combination of the proper ones out in a microsecond as you play. You wont even think about it. There is nothing more frustrating than having you brain (which is playing in time) command something that your fingers cant keep up with.

Id love to learn piano. THe toughest part for me is coordinating the left and right hand. I just simply cant do it, but I can do it on guitar/bass easy enough. go figya! I guess its just practice.

LuvYa

[SilverHamer]

I sometimes wish that my keyboard training had been on piano instead of accordion...I have issues coordinating my left hand to do things on the ivories as well. Pushing buttons is way different than forming chords or playing scales left-handed. I'm pretty well confined to just clunking down what would be referred to in guitar theory as power chords with my left hand...ie mostly just the bass notes with an occasional 3rd or 5th note somewhere. One of the nice things about digital recording, however, is that I can cheat the system and record the right hand first...then go back and play the left hand part right-handed over the top of the other...muahahahahaha. I can sound like a real meistro if I want to spend the time to "fix" it up... :P

[Tracy]

I've decided to step back a few lessons and practice note reading, beat counting and chord transitions until I can do them in my sleep. Then I'll hit this recent lesson again and wont have to concentrate on like 4 things at a time.

[Tracy]

Mark, Lisa is letting me purchase the lessons in installments. I have up to lesson 6 in pdf form. Want me to email them to you?

[MarkE]

FUKYEAH!! I almost purchased it myself, but for me I was focused on learning additional bass guitar techniques and wasnt cost effective for me.

As far as keyboards go...I'd like to master some basic finger exercises, learn most of the basic scales and most importantly, get my left hand in motion. I also have trouble forming chords with my left hand which is a really basic essential. I wouldnt mind spending a few hours a week in basic keyboard practice.

Thanks sis

Im off on a snow day today....YIPPIEEEEEEEEE!!!!! I feel like a kid being let out of school!

[Tracy]

They're on their way. I sent them to your hawkstudio email addy

[SilverHamer]

Im off on a snow day today....YIPPIEEEEEEEEE!!!!! I feel like a kid being let out of school!

I was called back to work 4 days early...but today I finished up a little earlier than usual, and my mechanic told me he would put the helicopter to bed for me so I bolted. Stopped and picked up some flowers and some candy and drove home to surprise my wife for Valentines day. She wasn't expecting to see me until NEXT Wednesday so this was indeed a sweet surprise. :) I live 80 miles from work, which means I will have to get up at about 3:30am, leave by 4, so I can be on the line and ready to fly by sunrise. It's a pain for a short trip but is well worth it today :).

Happy Valentines Day to ALL of yas!!

LC

[Tracy]

Mark, did you get the pdf's?

[MarkE]

yep...got em. Thanks Tra!!!!

[Tracy]

MarkE, I just paypal'd Lisa the $ for the rest of the lessons. I'll forward them to you when I get them.

Hugs Bro!
Tracky