TSR Piano Society

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I'd agree Grade5. The opening is quite easy but the end of the first section is trickier and the second section has those cross rhythms which would take it up.

Reply 1441

BluesMan

Hey there guys - havnt posted on the piano soc before, only just found it!

Im a piano player, quite enjoy jamming and making my own stuff up. I tend to only play music I write and enjoy just sitting at a piano and writing songs. I normally play and write epic powerful move soundtrack style music and blues. Occationally I learn popular riffs that ive heard and like.

Ive been told my playing is grade 6-7 but ive never taken any lessons and don't sight read any sort of sheet music. I understand how sheet music works as I have to tab out things I write, but I cannot read and play at same time. A grade 2 player can sight read sheet music better than me.

Im just asking whether you guys think I should take lessons? I mean im quite happy writing music and jamming and don't care too much for playing from sheet music, but would it raise my skill level by an amount significant enough to be worth doing? Is it all its cracked up to be is what im asking I guess :smile:

or should I simply teach myself to sight read, as ive come this far on my own without any help. I teach myself scales and then jam with them until I feel I have learnt it. Im trying to make my left hand more speedy and accurate so I can play complex bass lines without thinking about it, but its kinda tough.

In the future I plan to get to grade 8 and be quite good, but do you think I should start early and get the skills in now, or wait till later (im 20 btw). They way I see it I already have the dexterity to do it, just not the specific skills.

Also - I have a stage piano (quite a decent one) with full range 88 hammer action touch sensitive keys, I dont actually own a real piano. My stage piano is fine for me and I cant tell the difference when I play with my eyes closed. Is this going be a problem if I go for lessons?

Reply 1442

Fletch

I would really recommend getting a good teacher, if only to have another pair of ears to check out your music. Also, there are lots of technical skills that I wish I had learned properly which I now know would have improved my playing. Your stage piano should be fine if it has a good action although you will notice the difference when you play an acoustic.

Reply 1443

ukebert

A stage Piano is as good as you're going to get without getting a real Piano, and may well be better than a bad real piano.

I've struggled my whole life with Sight reading, it only really started to significantly improve (irritatingly) just after I did my Grade 8. Even now if I want to learn a piece I make sure to listen to it first so that I know "how it goes" otherwise I find it quite difficult.

A teacher will encourage you to learn classical and technical pieces to a very high standard, I can assure you that you will certainly know the difference. It will also help your left hand enormously. Mine was never very good: I'm about as monodextrous as you can get, but it's improved hugely after learning the Piano for nearly 14 years :rolleyes:

Reply 1444

Fletch

I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous :biggrin:

Reply 1445

ukebert

Interesting, my Sister plays Piano as well, she's doing her diploma (ATCL) this year. She's left handed, and because the right hand is obviouslyt so important in the Piano she's developed hugely. Each hand is now as agile as the other :frown:

She laughs when I try to play chromatic scales quickly with both hands in unison :p:

Reply 1446

t.w.

I already posted this in the Musician's Society but perhaps it would be better placed here. Basically I was wondering if anyone has any tips for playing by ear on the piano? I realise it's something that's massively helped by natural ability but was wondering if maybe there are some tricks or hints that make it easier for someone who wasn't born with relative/perfect pitch?

Reply 1447

t.w.

Sorry didn't read the OP - should have introduced myself. I'm 18, got my grade 8 when I was 16 (126) and my favourite pieces are:
Mozart's Sonata in F Major K.332 - Adagio
No. 4 in G from 4 Small Piano Pieces - Liszt
Autumn Crocus - Billy Mayerl

Reply 1448

ukebert

126, same mark as me :biggrin:

Congratulations :p:

Reply 1449

BluesMan

t.w.

just practice. listen to as many songs as you can and try and play along. It used to take me a while to pick songs out, but now I can play the melody and chords for most popular songs within 5 minutes.

Classical songs are different cause of their structure but its the same concept. Just practice, try to listen to the gap between the notes and then guess within the scale how large a step to take. Youll soon listen to music and hear similar melodies and it will come quicker to you.

There is no such thing as natural ability i dont think, its about who practices more, and approaches it in the right way.

Reply 1450

t.w.

Thanks Ukbert, congratulations to you too!

Cheers for your advice, Bluesman.

Bluesman

There is no such thing as natural ability i dont think, its about who practices more, and approaches it in the right way.

I know a few people who can instantly name any note/chord they hear and have been able to do so since almost infancy, which must be a massive advantage when trying to play by ear, but then again, anyone can probably reach this level eventually if they practice enough (assuming they are given the first note, because I don't think you can learn perfect pitch).

Reply 1451

ukebert

t.w.

Thanks Ukbert, congratulations to you too!

Cheers for your advice, Bluesman.

I know a few people who can instantly name any note/chord they hear and have been able to do so since almost infancy, which must be a massive advantage when trying to play by ear, but then again, anyone can probably reach this level eventually if they practice enough (assuming they are given the first note, because I don't think you can learn perfect pitch).

I can name any note or chord from any instrument with regular harmonics. I find it very difficult with singers and church bells, to cite two examples. However I can do trains, printers and vacuum cleaners for some reason. I do think that with practice and a lot of just listening to things, you could easily get to the standard that I've got to.

Reply 1452

BluesMan

ukebert

Yeah same here I do photocopiers and hoovers lol

Notes aren't that hard really, I just relate it to a tune I know, and what 'sounds right' which I know is completely useless advice for those learning! :smile:

Reply 1453

Fletch

"Perfect pitch" can be a bit of a double edged sword tho'. It's certainly great for singing very atonal contemporary music but I've been told by friends who have it that singing with a cappella choirs that drift off key can be a nightmare as they then have to mentally transpose.

Reply 1454

ukebert

Transposing is a nightmare full stop :s-smilie:

Hence the C Melody and C Clarinet :wink:

Reply 1455

arminvanpite

I really miss playing the piano (much more so since my piano dream last night) and I know without a doubt that my natural ability has gone from me entirely.

Reply 1456

Fletch

ukebert

Transposing is a nightmare full stop :s-smilie:

Hence the C Melody and C Clarinet :wink:

For a while I was covering oboe parts on the sop. sax. Transposing up a tone became so automatic that ocassionally I would look at a g, think "a" and play a b! :s-smilie:

Reply 1457

ukebert

Fletch

For a while I was covering oboe parts on the sop. sax. Transposing up a tone became so automatic that ocassionally I would look at a g, think "a" and play a b! :s-smilie:

See with my perfect pitchish, it gets very confusing playing in a different key to what you can hear everyone play in. If everyone is playing in G then it's remarkabley difficult to play in A :rolleyes:

Reply 1458

Fletch