Playing an instrument

Intermodal · 30 Dec 2018

Does anyone here play an instrument for fun or professionally/semi-professionally?

I have just started learning piano and I am really enjoying it. I have a new found respect for people that can play any type of instrument at all - I always knew a lot of work went into it but considering the level I am at after around 20 hours of practice could only be described as "can't play the piano at all" my eyes have been opened a bit as to just how many hours go into being even being on the low end of competent at this sort of thing.

Despite the slow progress I am not trying to rush things and I am happy as long as in a years time I can play at least one or two songs! I have been watching some progress videos on YouTube to try and motivate myself. Plus the cost sunk on the (digital) piano helps too!

Hopefully this can be a hobby for life for me and by the time I am in retirement I could be considered good!

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66701GBRF · 30 Dec 2018

Intermodal said:
Despite the slow progress I am not trying to rush things and I am happy as long as in a years time I can play at least one or two songs! I have been watching some progress videos on YouTube to try and motivate myself. Plus the cost sunk on the (digital) piano helps too!

!

I was where you are with the Piano a couple of years ago and the same as you my goal was just to be able to play a couple of songs. It takes a lot of effort and will power but the best way for me was to pick a piece of music I really liked then find a tutorial on YT and just practice. I usually have a little play in the 30 minutes leading up to leaving for work instead of just clock watching.

I would never say "I can play the piano" but I can play Chariots of Fire, Einaudi's I Giorni and Nuvole Bianche...though not to a perfect standard. Half way through Jurassic Park but stuck on a section at the moment. Nothing more frustrating then getting stuck but when it all of a sudden clicks together that is very satisfying.

fishquinn · 30 Dec 2018

I've played piano for many years now, starting when I was only 7 or 8. I'm taking my time with going up through the grades so I can be good when I get to the next one and am working on grade 7 at the moment. It's definitely not easy but it's a very good skill to have and the ability to sit down at the piano and just play to my hearts content is very rewarding.

pdq · 30 Dec 2018

I learned piano as a child, got to Grade 8 at 13 and diploma a few years later. Whilst nowhere near that standard these days, I still play occasionally, including accompanying my children who are now working their way through their brass grades. Definitely a great skill/talent to have.

Sir_Sheep · 30 Dec 2018

I wrangle the Uilleann pipes for fun!

Esker-pades · 30 Dec 2018

I started on the piano and learnt most of my music theory from there, but my main instrument is the bassoon. And sometimes contrabassoon but only when I can get my hands on one. I did it properly from 11 to 18, dropping it slightly when I got to university. I still play it at university, but I probably couldn't do grade 8 and some of that repertoire without some work and a few lessons. Although, holding skills for a "rare" instrument has benefits. Bassoonists are a much sought-after breed amongst music circles. I sometimes even get paid for doing stuff.

I still play the piano as well, but without access to a keyboard during term time I slip quite a lot. I used to be able to have a decent crack at parts of Bach's Art of Fugue, but without regular playthroughs I've lost contrapunctus 1. 5 will follow in a few months.

The_Train · 30 Dec 2018

I play/am learning to play the drums. I very much have the basics sorted, they were sorted with 12 months worth of lessons, but things have slowed a bit recently as my financial situation means that drum lessons are one of the many luxuries I've had to give up. However, I make use of YouTube to allow me to continue my practice and development and I've mastered quite a few songs over the Xmas period....some of which has come from following song sheets note for note and some from just listening, playing along and producing my own take on the fills.

Eventually I will look to get back into lessons so that I can continue my development of the different techniques required to master everything but I do enjoy just sitting down for an hour and playing the drums.

The only other instrument I'd like to play is the piano and I've been considering buying a cheap second hand keyboard at some point and using YouTube to try and pick up the basics.

dgl · 30 Dec 2018

admittedly can't play very well but I try to play synthesizers, bit of a different technique as some of the more complicated keyboards are not easy to program but knobby synths are fun to play with.

the great thing at the moment is behringer bringing out lots of cheap analogue synths, I have their Model D Minimoog clone and it's great.

bearhugger · 30 Dec 2018

I have had an electric guitar for years. Not really progressed that far because I don't spend much time practicing.

dgl · 30 Dec 2018

bearhugger said:
I have had an electric guitar for years. Not really progressed that far because I don't spend much time practicing.

Same here

, the pointless multicoloured/neon DR coated strings look cool though.

Strat-tastic · 30 Dec 2018

Electric guitar is my main instrument. Great fun.
Check my sig for some of my efforts. :cake:

bearhugger · 30 Dec 2018

dgl said:
Same here , the pointless multicoloured/neon DR coated strings look cool though.

Not seen those before, just done a Google Image search - pointless but fun!

Intermodal · 30 Dec 2018

Strat-tastic said:
Electric guitar is my main instrument. Great fun.
Check my sig for some of my efforts.

I'm very impressed I must say! How long have you been playing?

Strat-tastic · 30 Dec 2018

Got it for Xmas <:D

Ok 35 years

Intermodal · 30 Dec 2018

Strat-tastic said:
Got it for Xmas

Ok 35 years

I heard a good joke, or whatever you'd call it the other day.

A man was at a piano concert and after the the show had finished he went to the performer and said, "That was absolutely wonderful. I've never heard anything like it. I'd give my life to be able to play like that".

The pianist replied, "I did".

lxfe_mxtterz · 30 Dec 2018

I have a piano app on my phone. :lol:

But no, I can't play an instrument. I would like to be able to, but I can't.

Strat-tastic · 30 Dec 2018

Intermodal said:
I heard a good joke, or whatever you'd call it the other day.

A man was at a piano concert and after the the show had finished he went to the performer and said, "That was absolutely wonderful. I've never heard anything like it. I'd give my life to be able to play like that".

The pianist replied, "I did".

Many a true word spoken in jest :smile:

GusB · 30 Dec 2018

I'm a lapsed trombone player. Started in 2nd year of secondary school and carried on fairly regularly until I was about 20 or 21. Unfortunately things like shift work and other activities got in the way, and it was increasingly difficult to practice at home (flats are not great places to practice brass instruments!). I got to a reasonable standard, and was absolutely delighted when at the end of one gig I found an envelope on the music stand containing a cheque. I did consider doing my Grade 8, but I didn't have the theory qualification (I recall that Grade 5 was required?), and I eventually decided it wasn't worth doing for something that was just a hobby.
Other than that I can play a bit of keyboard and do a few chords on the guitar, but I'm no expert at any instrument!

Bevan Price · 30 Dec 2018

I learned the piano when I was young, but was always a bit "heavy-handed / clumsy". Had to give up due to pressure of school exams, lack of time, etc. Eventually got an electronic keyboard which I play very occasionally (too many other things to do..) - but always preferred the musical equivalent of "doodling / improvisation" and "playing with sounds", rather than playing other people's music.

umontu · 30 Dec 2018

I work as a Live Sound Engineer and I can play, Guitar (I played up to Grade 8), Bass, Piano and Keys, Ukulele and Drums.
I can play a few other instruments as well, but I'm massively out of practise, I mostly end up playing drums for sound checks.

Oscar · 31 Dec 2018

I had piano lessons from age 7 to 17 and got to about Grade 7 standard, though didn't take exams after Grade 4. I had a lesson of about 30-40 minutes each week and then did an hour or two of practice a week (far too little to get good at it quickly), meaning a total of about 2 hours per week x 50 weeks x 10 years = about 1000 hours.

I found the theory and learning to read the music relatively easy, but a lot of practice was required to learn to co-ordinate the two hands, play more subtly and develop automatisms. For me, staying in time when playing in orchestras/ensembles was also difficult.

I also learnt to play the violin, and later picked up the viola, and passed Grade 8 in both after about 2.5 per week x 50 weeks x 10 years (lessons and practice) = about 1250 hours, plus about 700 hours of playing in orchestras/ensembles, so a total of about 1950 hours. Since the violin and the viola are very similar, learning both didn't take much longer than learning one.

Overall, I'd say that the time frame and learning curve is similar to learning a foreign language (for the average person, I happen to be naturally better at languages, some people are better at learning instruments; one can learn either to different standards and some instruments/languages are much easier for some people than others). There is an element of talent but also a large element of hard work involved in both.

Intermodal · 31 Dec 2018

Oscar said:
I found the theory and learning to read the music relatively easy, but a lot of practice was required to learn to co-ordinate the two hands, play more subtly and develop automatisms.

This is pretty much my experience so far. The theory is very easy indeed once you get the basic concepts down but my technique and motor skills are lacking way behind. I can read pretty much any sheet and figure out what keys it should be and the rhythm but I'll be damned if I can play it.

I am practising around an hour and a half a day at the moment because I have a lot of time due to my work schedule, I am taking around 1.5 hours of lessons a week too. I am going to make the most of it while I am enthusiastic and I can because I am sure it won't last!

Calthrop · 31 Dec 2018

I have little or no liking for most music; and no aptitude for it (am next door to tone-deaf). In my late teens and early twenties, I did for a while get a liking for traditional folk music; in the course of which I made a "couple-or-three" half-hearted attempts to learn to play the accordion / melodeon, and the concertina. Unfortunately, I'm probably one of the laziest persons on the planet; and those attempts were all, essentially "still-born". With my utter lack of musicality, was likely on a hiding to nothing with that whole thing -- nonetheless, not "my finest hour".

pdq · 31 Dec 2018

pdq said:
I learned piano as a child, got to Grade 8 at 13 and diploma a few years later. Whilst nowhere near that standard these days, I still play occasionally, including accompanying my children who are now working their way through their brass grades. Definitely a great skill/talent to have.

The OP also asked about playing professionally/semi pro. Whilst I was never good enough to play professionally, I did play in a few local restaurants when I was at school: quite a good earner for a 16-18 year old at the time. After my music degree I worked in the music profession as a classical producer for 10 years, and I still have a set of decent recording kit which gets an outing occasionally. I now work totally outside of music as an IT manager but still play bits and pieces and conduct here and there. So my piano lessons led to the early part of my career, and music has always been integral to my life, and now the lives of my children.

E_Reeves · 31 Dec 2018

I've been playing piano for 10 years now and I'm working towards my Grade 8 practical exam, but I mainly play for leisure now

E_Reeves · 31 Dec 2018

66701GBRF said:
I was where you are with the Piano a couple of years ago and the same as you my goal was just to be able to play a couple of songs. It takes a lot of effort and will power but the best way for me was to pick a piece of music I really liked then find a tutorial on YT and just practice. I usually have a little play in the 30 minutes leading up to leaving for work instead of just clock watching.

I would never say "I can play the piano" but I can play Chariots of Fire, Einaudi's I Giorni and Nuvole Bianche...though not to a perfect standard. Half way through Jurassic Park but stuck on a section at the moment. Nothing more frustrating then getting stuck but when it all of a sudden clicks together that is very satisfying.

I have one Ludovico Einaudi's books with I Giorni in. One of the most exciting pieces to play

Be3G · 31 Dec 2018

I have been cajoled in to replying to this thread by yorkie. :lol:

I suppose the avatar is a bit of a giveaway in terms of having a musical background.

pdq said:
The OP also asked about playing professionally/semi pro. Whilst I was never good enough to play professionally, I did play in a few local restaurants when I was at school: quite a good earner for a 16-18 year old at the time. After my music degree I worked in the music profession as a classical producer for 10 years, and I still have a set of decent recording kit which gets an outing occasionally. I now work totally outside of music as an IT manager but still play bits and pieces and conduct here and there. So my piano lessons led to the early part of my career, and music has always been integral to my life, and now the lives of my children.

It's funny, I always imagined myself to be pretty much the only person with a music degree who's ended up working in IT and lo and behold here's another! I used to toy with the idea of going for a piano DipABRSM too but my technical abilities weren't really there… I've always been a relatively physically uncoordinated person so composition ended up being my specialism (with a particular fondness for orchestration). I think I've (badly) played one or two LRSM-rated pieces, but otherwise the higher diplomas were always distant dreams.

GusB said:
I did consider doing my Grade 8, but I didn't have the theory qualification (I recall that Grade 5 was required?)

Yep, with ABRSM anyway, not sure about the other exam boards.

It's nice to see a bit of love for Einaudi's music in this thread too, it was a discovery of his music that propelled me from tinkering with a keyboard playing a few Disney songs as a kid to spending hours every day on the piano. My vote for the most satisfying piece of his to play on the piano goes to Melodia Africana IV – although I can't deny I Giorni is lovely too.

E_Reeves · 31 Dec 2018

Be3G said:
It's nice to see a bit of love for Einaudi's music in this thread too, it was a discovery of his music that propelled me from tinkering with a keyboard playing a few Disney songs as a kid to spending hours every day on the piano. My vote for the most satisfying piece of his to play on the piano goes to Melodia Africana IV – although I can't deny I Giorni is lovely too.

I find Stella Del Mattino the most enjoyable to play, but I Due Fiumi is the nicest to listen to IMO

Welly · 31 Dec 2018

I did start piano lessons from scratch during 2009 but when my mother died in 2015, I stopped playing.

Any tips on getting back into playing the piano after so long please?

Be3G · 31 Dec 2018

I'd say the best thing you can do is find one or more pieces of music you want to play, whose level of difficulty isn't unrealistic for you to overcome with a bit of practice. Basically, giving yourself a musical goal/reward – and then, in pursuit of that goal, you might find other pieces of music you'd like to learn too, and the whole hobby can snowball from there.

Playing an instrument

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