Music

[Edwin]

There are several of the members working with music and learning to play the piano, so I thought I would write a little about my experiences over the years as an encouragement for the ones who are in the learning process.

I had a few piano lessons when I was in the first few grades of school. I was not self motivated, and my parents and my music teacher were disappointed with my progress. My dad told me how disappointed he and my mom were that I wouldn't practice more. Well, I was a little guy, and I enjoyed playing the piano, but I wanted to do other things besides play the piano, so my lessons ended without very much accomplishment on my part.

My parents got a trumpet for my younger brother when I was probably in the 7th grade. I learned the basic scale fingering on that trumpet, and learned to play Faith of Our Fathers. When I was out of the eighth grade I bucked alfalfa hay bales and changed spinklers. I earned enough money to buy me a slide trombone. I played in high school band, Bible School orchestra, community bands, marching bands, and the Okanogan Valley Orchestra where I played all types of music from jazz to classical. While in the Valley Orchestra I learned to read music, and played 3rd trombone and bass trombone parts.

It always bothered me that my parents wanted me to learn to play the piano, and I didn't ever learn. I attempted to learn to play the piano several times in my adult life before being successful. When I was a little boy I learned to play about 3 hymns and that is all I could play on the piano. I tried for a while when I was in Bible College, but my studies required too much of my time to be able give time to the piano. A number of years after Carol and I were married I even bought a piano, but sold it again before I learned to play it.

What finally encouraged me to learn to play the piano is that when we were visiting our daughter I opened one of her Christmas carole books, and found out that I could almost play the songs. I think playing my trombones and learning to read notes really helped me to learn to play the piano. After I got home I bought another piano, had it shipped to our home on a barge, because there were no roads to where we lived. I decided that no matter how slow my progress or how discouraging it seemed I was going to keep at it, and I have, and now I can say that I know how to play the piano, although I want to play it better than I do, and I will. Sometimes people who know how to play really well forget that they had to learn to play at one time. I had one accomplished pianist tell me that I needed to play better than I did so that people could sing along with my playing. At the time I had only been playing about 3 months, and I couldn't play very well. My grandson who played much better than I and had a lot of lessons told me that my timing was not very good, and I knew that too, but it was a hard enough struggle for me to get the notes with my limited experience. I lost the piano for a couple of years, which is another long story, and so I played an accordion for a few months until my grandson gave me a keyboard electric/electronic piano to play. We moved here where my piano had been waiting for me for two years. I played it for one year, and then bought an upright grand Steinway piano made in 1872, which was the year my grandfather was born. My daughter's piano teacher's husband told her that Americans think they should be able to play the piano immediately when the reality is that it takes time to learn to play the piano. Taking piano lessons is great because a teacher can hold a student accountable so that there is some progress made. Also you can be shown some things that will take a lot of time for you to pick up on your own. My decision was to learn it on my own, and so I don't take lessons I just learn it by practising on my own. Over the last few years I have collected hymn/song books, and I get a church song book, and I play every song in the book. I only play each song once, because when I started playing some of them were so difficult for me to play that one time was tedious enough that by the time I finished the song I was happy to move on to the the next song. I have developed my own style of playing. I play a lot of arpegios, and I add extra notes in the chords beyond what is written, although I have difficulty reading the chords that are written that way. I am still not skilled at reading notes below the staff lines and above the staff lines. I can pick them out and find them, I just can't play them on the fly, which eventually I hope to be able to do.

I think the important thing while learning to play is to enjoy what you can do, and not compare yourself to anyone else because there will always be someone who can play better than you, and other people that you can play better than they. It is important to be happy with what you can do and to keep working for improvement, and it will come. Those are some thoughts that I have for encouragement for anyone learning to play the piano. No matter how slow the progress seems, or how discouraging your efforts are it is important to keep working at it. If I never get to be the best pianist I will still enjoy the way the Lord has helped me to be able to play.

[crisipicada]

I am grateful for the encouragement. It has been my desire to learn piano. I want to be the pianist at church. I know it is not so easy to learn especially when it is difficult and i need persistence to continue learning. . I know i need to be patient. I am encourage when i see people learn to play and i wish that i will be like them. Most importantly do everything for the glory of God.

[Edwin]

I am grateful for the encouragement. It has been my desire to learn piano. I want to be the pianist at church. I know it is not so easy to learn especially when it is difficult and i need persistence to continue learning. . I know i need to be patient. I am encourage when i see people learn to play and i wish that i will be like them. Most importantly do everything for the glory of God.

That is a great ambition, crisi, and you will! Yes, and persistence will pay off! To glorify God is the most important, and that does good things for everyone.

[purex]

I notice that your attitude and mood affects how you play music instruments. Just like singing a song, an inlove person can sing song with emotions. The same true playing piano. When you are happy, you play happy too. When you are feeling sad, your play also makes sad. So, prepare your heart when you play musical instruments. A happy heart makes your play very great

[Edwin]

I notice that your attitude and mood affects how you play music instruments. Just like singing a song, an inlove person can sing song with emotions. The same true playing piano. When you are happy, you play happy too. When you are feeling sad, your play also makes sad. So, prepare your heart when you play musical instruments. A happy heart makes your play very great

This is very true!

[crisipicada]

After all, i really love music. I really have desire to be good in singing and play at least an musical instrument.

[Rhusette_me]

Lesson learned: "Never give up! You may have failed to learn the piano when you were young, maybe its because it wasn't the right time for you to learn! Learning is a very long process that sometimes you think that there is no chance for you to learn! "

I have failed not just once, not just twice and not just thrice in life but a lot of times... But I keep on getting up and moving on holding on to the fact that if others can do it then why can't I?.. Its just a matter of time and patience..

[lessa120]

thank . this is good commence

[Edwin]

When I was little, probably 3 or 4 years old I got a toy play trombone. Ever since that time I wanted to play the trombone. My parents wanted me to learn to play the piano, but I thought it was too much trouble. My Dad told me one time how disappointed he and my Mom were in me that I would not learn to play the piano. Well, now I can play most of the old familiar hymns/church songs in the books, my Dad and Mom are both dead, so they can't hear me play. My older sister played the piano really well, and even played it on the radio once in the 1950 while someone sang along. She also played the accordion reall well. My younger sister has played for years, and plays quite well, as well as playing the accordion also. I was teasing her telling her that I could play the piano better than she could, and once she told me that she didn't have time to play the piano, and yes, she said you do play the piano better than I do, so I stopped saying that to her for fear of hurting her feeling. My brother got a trumpet and my sister played it too. I learned to play Faith of Our Fathers on it, and then I learned the fingering so that I could play it, but I never did play only to pick it up, then I could play a song by ear. I bucked alfalfa hay bails in the field to earn money to buy me a trombone, and started playing it in the high school marching band. I played it in the Bible College orchestra, in church orchestras, in other community and marching bands, and in an orchestra where we played classical, jazz, you name it, I have played it with that orchestra, as well as playing my trombone in the orchestra pit for musical shows that community actors and actresses put on, like My Fair Lady, and a lot of them. I had fun with that, but when we moved to Stehekin, I could make it to the rehearsals anymore, so that was the end of that. I have 3 trombones that I have played in the past. I can still play, but our house is small and the noise of my trombones would bother Carol, so I have not played my trombones much to speak of since 1998. I played a few chords on a guitar when I was a big kid. After I started learning I played an accordion for a short time as I didn't have a piano, and then I played an electronic piano for a while for the same reason. I still have the accordion, but the electronic piano is long gone. I bought a cheap electronic piano while I was in the Philippines because I missed my piano, and then I gave it to Claire's nieces and nephews before I left. Even thought it was cheap, it was a good piano, and I enjoyed playing church songs on it. I tried to learn to play the piano about three times as an adult, and gave up each time overwhelmed with the difficulty of trying to learn. I bought one piano so that I could learn, and sold it without learning hardly anything. Carol played it a little. After about 25 years I bought another piano, and this time I have learned to play it. I'm still not as good as I want to be, but I am getting better all the time, and that is what it takes. You just have to stay with it no matter how discouraging it seems. A lot of times I didn't know whether I would ever learn or not, but now I can play well enough to give me a lot of pleasure, and I am plalying church hymns/songs unto the Lord, so it is a worship to the Lord as I play, and I know that He enjoys listening to me play.

[Rhusette_me]

When I was little, probably 3 or 4 years old I got a toy play trombone. Ever since that time I wanted to play the trombone. My parents wanted me to learn to play the piano, but I thought it was too much trouble. My Dad told me one time how disappointed he and my Mom were in me that I would not learn to play the piano. Well, now I can play most of the old familiar hymns/church songs in the books, my Dad and Mom are both dead, so they can't hear me play. My older sister played the piano really well, and even played it on the radio once in the 1950 while someone sang along. She also played the accordion reall well. My younger sister has played for years, and plays quite well, as well as playing the accordion also. I was teasing her telling her that I could play the piano better than she could, and once she told me that she didn't have time to play the piano, and yes, she said you do play the piano better than I do, so I stopped saying that to her for fear of hurting her feeling. My brother got a trumpet and my sister played it too. I learned to play Faith of Our Fathers on it, and then I learned the fingering so that I could play it, but I never did play only to pick it up, then I could play a song by ear. I bucked alfalfa hay bails in the field to earn money to buy me a trombone, and started playing it in the high school marching band. I played it in the Bible College orchestra, in church orchestras, in other community and marching bands, and in an orchestra where we played classical, jazz, you name it, I have played it with that orchestra, as well as playing my trombone in the orchestra pit for musical shows that community actors and actresses put on, like My Fair Lady, and a lot of them. I had fun with that, but when we moved to Stehekin, I could make it to the rehearsals anymore, so that was the end of that. I have 3 trombones that I have played in the past. I can still play, but our house is small and the noise of my trombones would bother Carol, so I have not played my trombones much to speak of since 1998. I played a few chords on a guitar when I was a big kid. After I started learning I played an accordion for a short time as I didn't have a piano, and then I played an electronic piano for a while for the same reason. I still have the accordion, but the electronic piano is long gone. I bought a cheap electronic piano while I was in the Philippines because I missed my piano, and then I gave it to Claire's nieces and nephews before I left. Even thought it was cheap, it was a good piano, and I enjoyed playing church songs on it. I tried to learn to play the piano about three times as an adult, and gave up each time overwhelmed with the difficulty of trying to learn. I bought one piano so that I could learn, and sold it without learning hardly anything. Carol played it a little. After about 25 years I bought another piano, and this time I have learned to play it. I'm still not as good as I want to be, but I am getting better all the time, and that is what it takes. You just have to stay with it no matter how discouraging it seems. A lot of times I didn't know whether I would ever learn or not, but now I can play well enough to give me a lot of pleasure, and I am plalying church hymns/songs unto the Lord, so it is a worship to the Lord as I play, and I know that He enjoys listening to me play.

Very well said, Edwin! I know God really enjoys listening to you.. God is easy to please.. He's happy with the little things from the big things! I hope you understand that...