Musical people, please weigh in…am I doomed?

Ima03

Thu, Mar 28 2024, 1:53 pm

Quote:

And did it work? Did she learn to play? Did it “stick?”

Yes. She wasn't playing on concert level, but she did learn to play. She did it a few years until her teacher got sick and she stopped and never found a new teacher.

Choirmistress

Thu, Mar 28 2024, 2:03 pm

To tigerwife:
Please reword your incomprehensible "sentence":

"Learning a few more instruments is on my bucket lest for them life as a young mom calm down a bit."

Please rephrase. TIA.

Choirmistress

Thu, Mar 28 2024, 2:13 pm

To kugelEater:

In my years of listening to both proficient and mediocre instrumentalists (both live and recorded), I have found that the instrument that sounds least irritating when played badly is the guitar. The most? Either a brass wind instrument or, worse, the violin. Yup.

BTW, an additional note to the OP:

Don't get discouraged by lack of optimal proficiency. I have a recording of no less a giant than Segovia, on which one can clearly hear a squeak when he changes chords.

ChossidMom

Thu, Mar 28 2024, 2:20 pm

Forget "proficient". Enjoy the process. Music enriches one's life sooooooo much!!!!
signed, a very mediocre musician who loved playing in bands

scruffy

Thu, Mar 28 2024, 2:22 pm

kugelEater wrote:

What about violin? I play piano fairly well by ear but I would love to play violin. I have heard that it is really hard to learn...

I know someone who started as a young adult (maybe about 20) and plays beautifully.

amother

DarkGray

Thu, Mar 28 2024, 3:03 pm

Yes, please go for it! You are not doomed. The keyboard is easier then the guitar because playing the guitar hurts your fingers until you build calluses on them - I should know I tried both Smile

. I went in my twenties to get keyboard lessons and learned the only way to get really good is to keep practicing. So I would suggest you go once a week for a lesson and then the other days use to practice. Find a piano teacher you connect with so the lessons will be more fun and let her know your goals so that they are catered to your needs, you are more likely to enjoy them then. It's worth it even to just know that you've gone for one of your dreams. I'm in my 30s and going after my dreams now, nothing like it!

amother

Brunette

Thu, Mar 28 2024, 3:10 pm

Check out Hoffman Academy on YouTube. It's free lessons starting from scratch. He says he had an 80 year old learn to play piano. Never too late.
https://youtube.com/playlist?l....._cXyX
I used to download the videos for my kids to learn but they were more interested in playing by ear.

joystock

Thu, Mar 28 2024, 5:07 pm

I teach guitar as well and my curriculum consists of about 10 lessons to learn the basics.... What's needed is 10-15 minutes a day of practice. The skills are enough for a person to play kumzitz style and it's a great way of expressing emotions and engaging in self - care. I encourage you to find a teacher in your area. (I'm in Lakewood) It's such an amazing investment in yourself!

amother

Firebrick

Fri, Mar 29 2024, 7:01 am

Yes! I did it in my 30s. The thing is, there really is always more to learn and ways to be better, I had to drop the idea of reaching some kind of goal of being proficient or perfect or a good player. But I can play and it is such a great outlet and I play real songs and I enjoy it so much. Worth doing for sure, it really changed me and my.life for the better actually.

Comptroller

Fri, Mar 29 2024, 7:26 am

I agree with many things that were said here.
And I want to add: non-musicians often have no clear notion of levels of difficulty.

Many pop guitarists or keyboard players actually do not have a very high level on their instruments, the Beatles are the best example. Their mastery of the guitar or bass, and even of music theory was very basic.

So you see that you can do a lot of things while you are still at a very elementary level that is not too hard to reach.

Joystock proposes you to learn a few basic chords on the guitar to accompany songs in a few hours, I suppose without learning to read sheet music. That's completely realistic, and it might be exactly what you want.

So do not be afraid: it is not very hard to reach a very basic level that allows you to do things that will satisfy you and might even impress others.

joystock

Fri, Mar 29 2024, 7:38 am

I just want to clarify: my curriculum consists of about 10 half hour lessons with daily practice. I don't teach sheet music but it does include about 15 basic chords, strumming patterns and learning to play by ear and transpose. It's enough to give a person a lot of satisfaction from their music. Good luck.