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A New Voyage Begins

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This was just delivered! Starting piano lessons Wednesday. Finally going to try to learn to read music. At age 70. Yikes!
 
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This was just delivered! Starting piano lessons Wednesday. Finally going to try to learn to read music. At age 70. Yikes!

I learned how to read standard notation when I was in school. Then hardly ever had to read music for the next 50 some years...and then well now in my 70's it's essential for the gig I'm in. And frankly it's one heck of a time saver. Especially in larger ensembles and working with union players.
 
I learned how to read standard notation when I was in school. Then hardly ever had to read music for the next 50 some years...and then well now in my 70's it's essential for the gig I'm in. And frankly it's one heck of a time saver. Especially in larger ensembles and working with union players.

Time saver sounds good. In the Zappa cover band I was in it took me months to memorize all that stuff. While my reading bandmates all waited.
 
You do know what comes next?

The IPad Pro 12” with an Air Turn Page Turner. It’s hard to turn pages when both hands are being used. Also good for dealing those using bifocals, and it’s a significant improvement when playing outside on windy days.

BTW: I’m not so sure I could keep up with sight reading aZappa chart these days. That is some serious work. sounds like a lot of fun however.
 
You do know what comes next?

The IPad Pro 12” with an Air Turn Page Turner. It’s hard to turn pages when both hands are being used. Also good for dealing those using bifocals, and it’s a significant improvement when playing outside on windy days.

BTW: I’m not so sure I could keep up with sight reading aZappa chart these days. That is some serious work. sounds like a lot of fun however.

It was his simpler charts from the Mothers of Invention days. We certainly weren't doing "Pedro's Dowry" or "The Black Page." Hardest one, for me, was the entire "Holiday in Berlin" suite. We also did ridiculously simple Zappa tunes like "Charva" and "Valarie."
 
I've played piano since kindergarten.

The great thing about piano is you play with both hands instead of fretting the note with one hand, and sounding it with the other.

Now you can play across a tune, bass in the left, the melody in the right, and harmony between the two. Now you can spell out entire chords and harmonies instead of simply suggesting them as you must on a single note instrument.

This is vital. You can play entire chord inversion sequences. You can play augmented or diminished chords moving one finger inside a harmony.

And keys are terrific in letting you see the various scales or chords, the different harmonies of a 1 over 5 bass, you can now see everything.

All of these things are far harder on any single note instrument.

It's a different mind set in that now each note is only in one spot instead of playing it in several places due to the tuning offsets on stringed instruments, but it makes up for it in that low to high, all the notes are in a straight line. This also makes transcribing or learning a keys part by ear far easier, as you can't play the same thing in two or three places.

I'd suggest finding the best, degreed teacher who will teach reading and all that goes with it. It's not that hard, and you'll be able to read both clefs. You will have to put the time in IF you really want to do it right.

Congrats, and Best of Luck!

JW
 
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I've played piano since kindergarten.

The great thing about piano is you play with both hands instead of fretting the note with one hand, and sounding it with the other.

Now you can play across a tune, bass in the left, the melody in the right, and harmony between the two. Now you can spell out entire chords and harmonies instead of simply suggesting them as you must on a single note instrument.

This is vital. You can play entire chord inversion sequences. You can play augmented or diminished chords moving one finger inside a harmony.

And keys are terrific in letting you see the various scales or chords, the different harmonies of a 1 over 5 bass, you can now see everything.

All of these things are far harder on any single note instrument.

It's a different mind set in that now each note is only in one spot instead of playing it in several places due to the tuning offsets on stringed instruments, but it makes up for it in that low to high, all the notes are in a straight line. This also makes transcribing or learning a keys part by ear, as you can't play the same thing in two or three places.

I'd suggest finding the best, degreed teacher who will teach reading and all that goes with it. It's not that hard, and you'll be able to read both clefs. You will have to put the time in IF you really want to do it right.

Congrats, and Best of Luck!

JW

I'll meet the teacher on Wednesday. I've spoken with her on the phone and she sounded very intelligent and seemed super excited about the prospect of taking my music to a different level. We'll see how we mesh. I usually get along with everyone. First impressions were positive.