after months
3 weeks ago
I played yesterday and today
only for a few minutes, but that counts too right? :)
How to play the piano more
It made me
confident 
"It made my parents proud, and everyone happy; it improved my willpower and it boosted my confidence."
How I did it: I started to play piano when I was 5. I didn't choose to, my parents kind of forced me to. I didn't have a say in it. It started off fine for a while, but as the days went by, practicing seemed pointless and a waste of time. Since I was only doing the pieces my teacher was giving me to play, I found it extremely boring.When I was 12, I started to study in a boarding school and met a new girl (my best friend now) in my school and she was so focused on music. Playing the piano, timpani, singing etc... and I was thoroughly impressed. I walked past a music room one day and heard someone playing an extremely difficult piece very well. I was shocked and looked through the window. It was that new girl whom I started to hang out with. I listened for a couple of minutes, amazed by her playing, and walked off, thinking that I was wayyy too rubbish to be able to play that. I mean come on. she was the best music player of the whole school.2 weeks later, I walked past the same music room again. And I heard another extremly difficult piece being played on the piano. I looked through the window, surprised to see that it was another girl, one that I didn't really know, but I was sure she was younger than me. I thought, She's good! I can never be like her.On the next day, I walked past the music room on purpose, just interested to see whether someone else was playing an amazing piece on that very piano. I heard a very beautiful melody this time, and poked my head just above the window frame and saw my little sister! She was three years younger than me, and was playing my favorite piano piece (now). At this point, I was just annoyed. Why is every one better than me? I'm such a loser at piano. Maybe I should just give it up, since I have no chance to be a noticed piano player amongst all these experts.I was hanging out with my mates, and my friend (the one who is really good at music/piano) showed me a clip of herself when she was five, playing twinkle twinkle little stars with all the wrong notes. We all laughed it off, and I didn't think much about it. She then asked me whether I would like to join her to practice piano. I agreed, and just tagged along, trying to make her happy. After her first piece which I watched her play with my jaws wide open with shock, I thought about that little clip she showed me. I then thought to myself, "It's Ok to make mistakes, you just have to try harder. Until you get it. If she can do it, if my little SISTER can do it, I can do it." I then started practicing piano, especially the challenging pieces with lots of sharps and flats in.After a while, I found this boring because I just played the same pieces over and over again. Sometimes, I would just sit in front of the piano, staring at the sheets of paper I have been staring at since I was 10, and think, Why the hell am i still on this page?! I started to play other pieces in the book. And I progressed to the pieces that I actually wanted to play, songs that i know and love.I trip and fall sometimes, and think why bother? I have better things to do. But then I imagine me, 10 years on, all my friends playing grade 8 songs on the piano, and me, at the stage of my friend when she was 5, playing twinkle twinkle little stars, with all the wrong notes. I then get back to practicing songs, and I make it more interesting by playing the songs that I can show off to my other mates about, like the latest songs (that can be played on the piano, not electronic or anything)I started performing in concerts, and my parents were very proud. I was getting compliments from everyone, all of them saying how good I was. This really boost my confidence and my willpower is now much stronger than before.
Lessons & tips:
- Think about the achievement you would achieve and how good it would feel like after this goal is accomplished
- Determination - don't just think about it, get up and do it!
- Make it Interesting. Don't just play the boring pieces that you hate. Play something that you enjoy, and it will help you improve much more. Forcing yourself to play something you hate does not help you improve your piano playing.
Resources: My Experiences :D Hope I helped!!
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Entries
Pancemaster is measuring her worth by things that dont matter
So I
4 weeks ago
Can finally reach my keyboard after a couple weeks of it being swamped with clothes, boxes and what have you from packing things for the move.
To be completely honest, I haven’t kept my promise to play more. It’s quite disappointing to me. I feel like I’ve let myself down for it D:
Its like recalling a wonderful memory, but it begins to become fuzzy with time. You try and try to remember it, but for some reason parts of it have just simply disappeared.
Or something like that… sigh. I’m going to go practice now. If you’ll excuse me.
Pancemaster is measuring her worth by things that dont matter
Sheet Music
2 months ago
Well just last night I organized my large stack of sheet music I’ve accumulated from printing things off of musicnotes.
To be honest, I haven’t really been practicing any more or less than when I first went public with this goal.
And my keyboard is in my bedroom. I see it every day. And every day I find something else to occupy myself with, I look over at it, and I just can’t go play.
But I did last night. I played for a few minutes. It was difficult, but it felt good.
Pancemaster is measuring her worth by things that dont matter
Revival
3 months ago
I stopped 3 years of piano lessons around November of last year. I was heartbroken. So now I have the desire to play again after 9 months.
Rececntly I’ve been tinkering around on the keyboard, but not enough to say I’m an active piano player. I need to retrace my learning steps, learn to read music again… like riding a bicycle, right?
vnj6191 is not quitting!
rachmaninoff instead
5 months ago
Ok…...while browsing my Debussy music I also came across a book of Rachmaninoff preludes (op. 23) that I’ve only played one out of…....and that was over 20 years ago:)
Wow! They are beautiful, even when you’re reading at half tempo with an abundance of boo-boos.
So Rachmaninoff is it for now. I’m going to start with Prelude no. 2 in B-flat. At first read, it is my favorite in the collection.
vnj6191 is not quitting!
for pleasure and relaxation
5 months ago
I find so much R&R at the piano. Yet, I don’t do it often enough. My goal is to play for me. I actually play as part of my vocation, but that is “work-related” playing. I’m talking about playing just for me. My first goal is to complete a nice set of of Debussy Preludes. Still choosing which ones.
change everything is getting her shizz together
played again
9 months ago
so fun! Why did I ever stop?
I have two songs that I had mastered in high school that I’m working on…one that I worked on a few years ago that I’m trying to get better at, and a new one I’m working towards being comfortable with (all instrumental, no lounge stuff)
change everything is getting her shizz together
so yesterday
9 months ago
I pulled out some old music, and I really had fun working on it. Classical stuff, not lounge stuff…stuff that takes some work and actual reading music.
Then today I was telling a coworker about playing piano, and how I usd to have aspirations of being a lounge singer. Tonight my husband told our neighbors about my previous lounge singing aspirations and made me pull out of a few….I was absolute shite (in my eyes); it’s been so long since I’ve sang. But they thought I was great and it was fun and I do hope to pull it out on a more regular basis.
I play almost every day for about 5 to 10 minutes...
10 months ago
but, i am still learning a lot about this since i am in college going for my degree in vocal performance. it’s still really cool that they require us to be profciant in playing the piano. i guess i really just want to find some music that i can sight read, a few easy pieces to learn and may one or two that will take me a while. i find it so hard not being able just to sit down and sight read what ever i want, but, sight reading is hard for me. the other thing is i want to figure out a good mix of classical pieces and popular pieces that i can entertain people with at parties and such. Right now i am working on an easy version of a jazz piece called “misty” and i just learned an easy version of linus and lucy.
The other thing I own tons of music books just getting inspired to learn something with out an instructor or a deadline for piano is slightly more difficult than I’d like it to be.
