FakeDisco

i’m 17 and play piano and drums already but very interested in becoming an organist. The only problem is I don’t know where to start. I’m lucky enough to have a piano but I would definetely need an organ (where could I buy one? and what type?). The other problem is I dont know where to get lessons. If I went to the local church do you think they would know of any organists willing to teach me? thanks =]

actually it’s terrible. It’s all squiggly and disjointed – a right old mess especially when I’m in situations where I have to write quickly. Any suggestions?

I started when I was 15 but I’m 16 now. I started to become interested in this when I learnt that my friend, who was left-handed, played guitar right-handed. My first reaction was ‘How the hell does he do that!?’ and then I realised that this was the way he learnt to play, so it came naturally to him. I also began to notice that he would only throw a ball with his right hand and never with his left even though he wrote with his left hand which I thought was really weird.

Now I’m naturally right-handed, right-footed, probably right-eyed and right-eared as well…just a right-sided sorta guy really! but noticed that I could do most things with my left hand even my writing was legible – which had never occured to me. From about the age of 10 I have been playing the piano and I am now at grade 6, but whenever I played I ABSOLUTELY never thought about what each hand was doing, even though some things such as trills (very quick movements) on the piano were done with either hand. I had also been playing the drums for about 3 months and of course both hands needed to be quite skilled for this as well! This is where my skill had generated from in my left-hand! and I hadn’t even noticed it!

One year later after realising that I was relatively open-handed I’d been consciously using my left hand for certain things to try and generate more skill in it now I can say that I’m really getting the hang of it.

Another thing I forgot to mention is that i regularly play cricket and was taught to play left-handed (batting). This was because my teacher was left-handed so he taught everyone in our class to play this way. This might sound farfetch’d but this is actually true. For those who don’t know much about cricket, it is actually quite common for right-handers to bat left-handed and vice-versa. Because I had started at such an early age (about 8) playing this way, it just came naturally to me just like it came naturally to my friend who learnt to play a guitar right-handed. This is the only natural left part of me that I have: batting in cricket. I’m actually trying to learn to play right-handed now as well but I find it really difficult and unnatural, this is one of the goals I have for the future.

A message to all right-handers – if you just keep practising believe me you will get results just like I have, but remember there’s no requirement for being ambidextrous as your lucky enough to be living in a right sided world – don’t get too stressed and remember not to strain yourself! and don’t get down about being right-handed either, we’re the lucky ones!