Learning to play the piano

[Edwin]

I want to encourage you, Crisi, and anyone else learning to play the piano. You feel doing a lot of laundry, according to your piano teacher, makes learning to play the piano difficult. There is probably some truth to that, but I think learning to play the piano is difficult, and it is important not to expect too much and be disappointed. Be happy with small gains. I play the piano for hours at a time, and I know that fatigue sets in, so don't be discouraged when it seems like a struggle to play after practicing a long time. On the other post I mentioned that I can't move my fingers quickly when they are cold. I have another problems. When I was 21 years old I had a horse accident. I hit the ground hard and severely broke my right wrist. It has never been the same since. I can't spread my fingers as wide nor do I have the agility with that right hand. So I will never be able to play like I could have if I had not broken my wrist. Also if I am digging with a shovel, chopping wood, using a hammer, or any other activity that requires strength from my right hand, after I work at jobs like that for a period of time, and then for a week after that when I play the piano my thumb and a couple of my fingers lose feeling until I have to quit playing. If I quit for even 5 or 10 minutes the feeling comes back and then I can play again for may 30 minutes until it happens again. If I do not do stressful work I can play non stop all day and into the night if I don't have anything else that I need to do.

The important thing is to keep working at it and not get discouraged because it will come, and your fingers in time will know where to go and they will do it quickly. A lot of times it does seem discouraging because often the progress is slow unless you are an unusual genius, and for most people the progress is slow. That is the reason I didn't learn years ago is that I got discouraged because I didn't learn it as fast as I thought I should. I still don't play as well as I want, but I am still working at it. Don't feel discouraged because other people can play well. Often they have had years and years of practice, and many times those people have a tendency to forget that they struggled at one time too. So try new things with the piano, and be happy with however you are able to play, and keep working at it, but don't stress, thinking that you will never get there because you will, and as times goes by, and you are still working at it, you will think back and be surprised at how well you are able to play.

[crisipicada]

Wow, thanks a lot for the encouragement. I really wanted to play piano and play at church. We don't have pianist now and that what i desire to be used in God's ministry. Yes i need to be patient in my piano lesson. I can read notes but still my left hand is so hard to find the key.

There is no hard in trying and keep on trying Practice makes perfect Later on i will be able to play then.

[Edwin]

Wow, thanks a lot for the encouragement. I really wanted to play piano and play at church. We don't have pianist now and that what i desire to be used in God's ministry. Yes i need to be patient in my piano lesson. I can read notes but still my left hand is so hard to find the key.

There is no hard in trying and keep on trying Practice makes perfect Later on i will be able to play then.

That is wonderful that you want to play because you have no pianist, and it is such an asset, and you will be able to play. God will help you!

[crisipicada]

Yes, it has been my desire to be in music ministry. I want to be used by God in such ministry and also in children's ministry. Our church has a piano but no one plays during church service only guitar. SO i am working on my piano lesson a lot. Please pray for me for patience and good piano lesson.

[Edwin]

Yes, it has been my desire to be in music ministry. I want to be used by God in such ministry and also in children's ministry. Our church has a piano but no one plays during church service only guitar. SO i am working on my piano lesson a lot. Please pray for me for patience and good piano lesson.

Yes, I will pray for that for you! The piano really adds a lot. :Our grandson has played in church, and he plays quite well. His younger sister hardly could play anything much, and this friend of hers showed her a few chords, and she used those few chords to play while people sang in church and it was amazing. I've never played for church or while anyone sang along exept the happy birthday song. I maybe could, but I have never tried it. I would tell them before I started playing, "Please don't anyone sing because it will throw me off!" No that is just a joke, but it would be interesting to try. Sometimes I sing with my own playing, partially because our daughter asked me to sing while I played, and then I had far less skill, and I had trouble playing well while I sang, but she liked it that way. At that time which was probably a year ago I could either play or sing, but I couldn't do both well. Now I can do a little better at it. I'm like anyone else learning I slow down during the difficult places. I would have to tell the congregation, "Please follow me!"

[crisipicada]

i am tire playing piano. I am so impatient now. How can i keep the passion in playing piano?

[Edwin]

i am tire playing piano. I am so impatient now. How can i keep the passion in playing piano?

Dianne, our daughter, who was taking piano lessons told me that her piano teacher recommended that she not play the piano for extended periods of time. A short time when you are enthused and energized is better than a long time practicing when you are tired, fitigued, and if you punish yourself by staying with it too long, then you are apt not to want to go back to practicing, whereas if you spend short periods of time, you will be enthused to get back to it. A short practice time, and a break, and another short practice time, and a break, and another short pratice time, and a break is how I think I would handle that. When you take your break do something that you really like and that brings you joy. Also the other thing is not to have too high of expectations. It is better to expect a little and accomplish a lot, than to expect a lot, and not accomplish much. The other thing is no matter how discouraging it seems keep at it, and in time you will be surprised at your accomplishments.

I had a few lessons when I was like in the first or second grade in school. My parents were mad at me because they couldn't get me to practice. Playing outside seemed a lot more inviting that playing a tune over and over to try to get it perfect. So out in the shop one day my Dad told me how disappointed he and my Mom were that they couldn't keep me practicing, so that was the end of my piano lessons. I tried to learn at least 3 times as an adult and I got discouraged and distracted each time and quit before I learned. It seemed discouraging to me that I couldn't sit down and play like I wanted to after a short time. Years of playing my trombones helped me to learn note, and then one day I sat at the piano and surprised myself and everyone else at the way I was able to play, not wonderful, but well enough to encourage me, and then I started really learning to play.

I really started beyond my skill level playing hymns, but I stayed with it no matter how slow it went. I learned to play a few hymns/songs when I was a kid, like "There is a Fountain Filled with Blood, and "Wonderful Words of Life." That is all I could play and not very well until I started learning again. What I did was that I only played each hymn/song one time, and even if it was tedious and slow I could stand to stay with it until I had played it one time. Some hymns/songs were so difficult for me that it was a trial to play them one time. Others I could have played several times, but that is how I did it. I still don't play extremely well, but I am getting there. I don't take lessons, so there is no pressure to accomplish anything by a certain time. I don't have any goal for playing like to be able to play in church, so it is just for my own enjoyment. I'm not sure I am fluent enough to keep the song moving all the time. I slow during difficult musical phrases. I might be able to play some songs and sing in church at the same time where I could go at my own speed. I'm not sure I could keep pace with everyone else while the congregation would sing.

I hope that my experience is an encouragement to you and anyone else trying to learn to play the piano. The main thing is short practice sessions, low expectations, and perseverance. Mainly just keep at it and be happy for whatever gains you are able to accomplish. And as you keep at it you will be surprised at your accomplishments.

[crisipicada]

I find it hard playing piano lately especially using both hands now. I need to be persistent and have passion on it or else i will quit . Our pastor encourage me to go on since we don't have our pianist. I still working on it and i am hopeful to learn how to play the soonest.

[Edwin]

I find it hard playing piano lately especially using both hands now. I need to be persistent and have passion on it or else i will quit . Our pastor encourage me to go on since we don't have our pianist. I still working on it and i am hopeful to learn how to play the soonest.

Yes, keep working at it, Crisi, and you will get there! I saw a retired high school music teacher whom I played with in the orchestry. I played trombone, and he played French Horn. I saw him at the medical clinic. I think he had a health problem that left him not very well. It had been 12 years since I had seen him. I asked him if he was still playing the French Horn, and he asked me if I was still playing the trombone. I told him I was spending my time lately playing the piano, and he told me he tried that once, but he said he couldn't coordinate his left and right hands, so it is a common difficulty, but it will come. My progress was very slow, and I worked at it a long time, but now it is coming. Once you make the progress it will really get to be fun for you. In the mean time you just have to be satisfied with any progress you make. Some days will be easier, and it will seem like you are doing better than other days, and that is natural. I am glad you are still working on it, and keep at it, and it will pay off for you.

[Edwin]

I actually got lonesom for playing the piano while I was in the Philippines, so I bought a piano keyboard. It was not very expensive, but it had some very nice features. I played it while there, and then left if for Claire's nieces and nephews. One of Claire's sisters insisted that I sing while playing the piano, so I did, and that reminded me of our daughter who lives her, and she always insists that I sing while I play. It is easier now, but before it was difficult to sing and play at the same time. For me it was either or, but I made an effort anyway. When the music got difficult I would stop singing momentarily until I got through the difficult parts.