I have been advised to go into teaching music, piano lessons are essential and while I am glad about being told that my Dad will pay for me to have them I am a bit worried. I dont know whether I will be able to do it, I have heard the ability of some piano players my age and they are brilliant and I dont think I will ever be able to play like that Is this a confidence problem again?

Remember that those brilliant pianists have been playing awhile! Just have a go, I think you'll be surprised at how quickly you progress.

It sounds a bit like it, Soph.

Seriously, though, if you want to play the piano for whatever reason (and to enable you to teach music's a good reason) you should go for it.

Don't worry to compare yourself with other people, concentrate on developing your skills for yourself.

(And yes, you can remind me I said that next time I get a bit down about my rubbish piano playing )

I am sure you are brilliant at piano, but I really dont think I will be able to do it, it looks so hard

Everything looks hard until you have a go at it. But you'll never know how much you can do until you try, will you?

Go for it, and good luck!

There is no harm in trying. I have heard the playing of some pianists younger than me and I don't think I will ever be able to play as good as them, but you shouldn't compare.

Try it and see how you get on, though it will take time.

Ben you and me both know you are brilliant at the piano and there is no way I will ever reach your level. You are probably the best in the school, who else has been asked to play on stage during a concert who is a pupil?

On a different note have you thought anymore about colleges?

Ok so you're not gonna be a concert pianist at 17, so what? go for it.

Don't give one to what anyone else thinks of you, as long as you enjoy it, that's all that matters

Besides, I'd rather be not that good and happy with a good attitude than amazing, stressed a lot and arrogant.

I'm with everyone else here on this one!

There's no need to worry that you "won't be able to do it" because if you practice something you'll learn to do it better! If you try you'll progress and you'll soon enough be enjoying the fruits of your labour

You've nothing to lose!

Havent I??

Well, no, I wouldn't have thought so - have you?!

"What one fool can do, another can."

Actually that was about mathematics, but it works for piano too.

I came to piano-playing very late (I was 16 when I started) but, by the time I left college, I'd got to Grade 8 standard, although small hands (perfect for oboe playing) hampered playing the "big" works.

I reckon, however, it took me a further 30+ years to work out what the instrument was all about - I am not a "natural" pianist. I still have to work hard at it so have plenty of sympathy with my own, junior, piano pupils!

However, I wouldn't be without the skill for one moment - it's just so useful as a teacher and elsewhere too.

Go for it Soph - relax and enjoy it, don't stress on how good you are compared to someone else. You are you and that's what's important here.

Good luck!

Sophie I think oboist is right, I think you're maybe focusing on the wrong things here,
You shouldn't worry about learning! You should be excited about it...

Now, I hate telling people waht they "should" do because my mother does that way too much but this one comes from the heart!

It's an adventure! Enjoy yourself

Go for it - but on a slightly different note to what others have said - don't neccessarily expect overnight success. The ones who are playing well at an early age have been at it for years and have put in a lot of work. There is no reason why you shouldn't get there, but remember that little children take it a week at a time, and that that's the downfall of many older beginners - they expect too much too soon. I hope I don't sound negative - I don't mean to - just go for it and be realistic.

Like all the other replies I'm in the 'go for it' camp. I started playing the piano when I was 40, not because I was 'that age' but because it was something I had wanted to do for ages and I got the chance of an old piano for free. It is hard work and I love it. I can't wait to start practicing when I wake up in the morning. Don't focus on the negative side of things. Ask yourself how much do I want to play the piano? If the answer is 'lots' then go for it, take your time, and don't be overly ambitious early on. It's a long road but very rewarding. I'm working on getting as relaxed as possible before I start and that really helps. Good luck, you certainly will not regret it!

I have had a keyboard for a few years and have taught myself to play a few things but I need to learn how to play it properly, if that makes any sense

Just be prepared at the start for thing to go fairly slowly.
If you've been self teaching for a while you might need to back track a little.
Some people can cope with this and others just get frustrated.
It depends on whether you've started with some bad habits and on your attitude to being told things that you thought you knew already.

I think that sophie meant that she has been advised that to go into music teaching piano skills are essential.

Just a quick question, what instrument would you be practising on at home?

I want to go into music teaching, and I have been told that piano skills are essential.

Ben, who is your question for?

Do you really want to learn to play the piano, or are you doing it because you ought to - not a good reason. I ask this question because it sounds as if you are putting obstacles in the way, rather than accepting the challenge and excitement of learning a new instrument. If you really want to do something, nothing will stop you. I took up cello at the age of 61 - I'd already got the musical background, but it was hard going and frustrating at first as the technique on a stringed instrument is so completely different from piano or recorder. I wanted to do it though, and with patience and practice I'm getting there. I have a piano pupil who started with me nearly two years ago, when well over 60 and never having done music at all. She is now at around grade 1 standard and certainly gets frustrated from time to time, but she loves playing and keeps at it. At seventeen you would learn much faster than this.

If you do decide to go ahead, look at it as a challenge and set yourself small goals each week. Record yourself each week as well, and listen to how you improve over a few months, then a year and another year ... It's easy to think you are not making progress until you remember how you struggled with what now comes with little effort.

Make sure you choose your teacher carefully - have some trial lessons with different ones. A good teacher will inspire and encourage you and work on your positive attributes.

Good luck if you go ahead and THINK POSITIVE.

I do want to do it, and have for a while I am glad I have been advised to do so, as my Dad is now encouraging me to. The thing is I have a problem with my confidence and I put myself down a lot, and I arent sure whether I could do it, and this comes from listening to others my age play like a proffesional.

You

All of them Why what should I be practising?

lol, You have misunderstood my question. What keyboard equipment do you have? An upright piano, electric piano, keyboard etc

Oh, I have a normal keyboard --- A yamaha psr - 8000 if u want to google it? Why is it the wrong type?

As others have said, don't worry about those other brilliant pianists you know. I can remember feeling like this as a teenager, though I don't think I worried about it as much as you do. What I have since realised is that there is always going to be someone better than you and there are going to be a lot more not as able as you. When I was seventeen I thought I had reached as far as I was able to go with piano, and gave up (there were other reasons too, but I no longer enjoyed it because of this). I now know I was wrong - I think I just wasn't mature enough at the time to be able to progress in the way I wanted to. Think of it as a journey - we're all at different stages of the journey and some are nearer the destination than others, but we meet and greet each other on the way and hopefully help our fellow travellers. Like a journey, we don't all go the same route to the destination. Some go straight up the motorway and get there quickly, but miss out on the enjoyment and interest of the minor roads which take that bit longer. Each person's experience of the journey is different, too - no two people will see quite the same scenery.

Your confidence will improve as you gain experience - and make yourself do things that you think are scary! It's a great feeling to have overcome those niggling doubts.

[quote name='Suepea' date='Dec 28 2006, 09:45 PM' post='440434'
Think of it as a journey - we're all at different stages of the journey and some are nearer the destination than others, but we meet and greet each other on the way and hopefully help our fellow travellers. Like a journey, we don't all go the same route to the destination. Some go straight up the motorway and get there quickly, but miss out on the enjoyment and interest of the minor roads which take that bit longer. Each person's experience of the journey is different, too - no two people will see quite the same scenery.
[/quote]

Anyone know how to get off the ring road?
I think I've been on this particular stretch of road forever.....

Oops, messed up the quote thingy.

Is it ok to practise on this keyboard?

Some teachers say yes, some say no. It is a matter of opinion. I would have thought it would be Okay to start off on but as you progress up the grades then you will need to maybe get something a little better. Even if only an electronic piano. I believe that YAP went to grade 8 piano by jsut playing an electronic one.

Like what?? This one wasnt cheap you know

I think as long as it's got full-sized key it will be OK until you need a better one. The main problem with keyboards for piano practice is the lack of touch sensitivity and a sustain pedal.. but then you can always buy a pedal.

There is a difference between an electic keyboard and a digital piano.

The digital piano is more likely to have something like the same number of notes as a piano and keys that are weighted to feel like a piano.
A keyboard, even touch sensitive, is not so likely to have weighted keys so the way you play it is quite different.

Some teachers really don't like students using a keyboard even at the start.

Afraid that's not true: I had an acoustic piano, although my piano teacher did have someone make it through to passing grade 7 with a digital one.

The confusion might have been that I did most of my DipABRSM practise on a digital piano; that was, however, after learning right through to grade 8 on an acoustic piano.

Caz, never ask her anything again

Anything is better than nothing. I got to almost grade 8 on a really crappy accoustic piano - anything digital would have to be better. And I have a few young pupils who are great with dynamics and articulation and even making one hand louder than the other who are only practising on the most basic of keyboards. Hear it in your head if you can't get access to a good piano! Hearing is the key!

Go for it, Soph. You will only regret it in the future. Like you, I am not particularly confident on the piano. Despite having passed grade 8, I am not a grade 8 musician and my new teacher has taken me back. I am looking at it positively and am delighted when I achieve new goals each week and am doing things that I couldn't do previously.

Oops! sorry!

Oh heavens, you're worried at 16 I had my first lesson last week at the incredibly old age of 45 Go for it, but be warned, you have to play simple things at first.
Beverley.

[quote name='sbhoa' date='Dec 29 2006, 11:30 AM' post='440592']
[quote name='Suepea' date='Dec 28 2006, 09:45 PM' post='440434'
Think of it as a journey - we're all at different stages of the journey and some are nearer the destination than others, but we meet and greet each other on the way and hopefully help our fellow travellers. Like a journey, we don't all go the same route to the destination. Some go straight up the motorway and get there quickly, but miss out on the enjoyment and interest of the minor roads which take that bit longer. Each person's experience of the journey is different, too - no two people will see quite the same scenery.
[/quote]

Anyone know how to get off the ring road?
I think I've been on this particular stretch of road forever.....

Oops, messed up the quote thingy.
[/quote]

Quite off topic, but your reply reminds me of when we got stuck on the Manchester ring road (the second time we had experienced this) - we were trying to get to the Lake District and kept on heading back in the Birmingham direction.

As for getting off the musical ring road - try something new that you have never attempted before - new composer, new genre, memorising, transposing, improvising. Maybe you need to slow down so that you can study the signs better - that's why we couldn't get off the Manchester ring road!

If you have the opputunity then go for it! It will be great experience, and like others have already said, the good people have been playing for years. The only way is forward. Of course it is entirely up to you but I would definitly go for it. Please don't worry too much either, the teacher wont be expecting you to play Mozart in 10 lessons! He/she will have had loads of newcomers.

Good luck xxx

Hello Soph,
your keyboard is a nice keyboard, but it is a keyboard (let me explain)
The difference like someone has already pointed to is that a keyboard does not have 'weighted keys' ie: you have no resistance when pressing keys, unlike in a piano.
Digital pianos and digital piano keyboards do have weighted keys and 88 of them (you have 88 in a piano), weighted keys are important to develop the muscles in your hand to the full.
Like others have said, you can start on the keyboard you have by all means, especially if you cannot invest into anything else (remember you can buy second hand or hire).
The best is always an acoustic piano but I had no room in my small house for this (until I extend as we are planning to in 5 yrs or so) until then I have 'settled' for a digital piano keyboard from yamaha (the p70) this is was one of the cheapest at £450 (you can find it at £375 on internet, new), my teacher like many others discouraged me from using a keyboard and was happy when she saw I could luckily get hold of something with 'weighted keys'.
PS relax about your lessons, you will get there if you don't give up
Jo

You'll probably find if you're starting later, but already play other instruments that you will tend to make quicker progress generally than if you were starting aged 7 having no prior instrumental experience......as long as your keyboard has full-sized keys then you can start on that but I'd probably try to find a piano somewhere (eg at school) where you can put in some practice on the real thing too. Unfortunately I can't recommend what to go on to next as my own keyboard (Roland fp8 - absolutely brilliant..... - love it!) is well out-of-date and they don't make anything like it anymore......

Well I started playing the piano at the age of 36 and passed grade 1 8 months later- just go for it.

You say you have been advised to become a music teacher- is this really what you want to do ? If it is great !, but don't get pushed into something if you don't want to do it- after all its your life not the advisors.

I need help... My Mum rang a piano teacher today to see about getting lessons. He was well known and I know someone he teaches. The problem being at the minute he has a waiting list of up to six months and he said I need to start as soon as possible given the age I am at. He gave us the number of a different teacher, problem being I am a little worried because I know no one who knows him so dont know what to expect.

What would you do??

I sympathise Soph - I have a waiting list my self and it's impossible to predict when space might become available - but if the person you know and respect has recommended the other teacher - is it not likely that it would be ok ?

It is the person who I wanted to get lessons off that gave us the new number, I arent sure whether to give him a ring

Give him a ring.
You can generally get a good idea about whether you think you will get on when you talk on the phone.

I have rang him

MY DAD IS THE BEST

We rang the piano teacher and were put through to the answer machine. He rang back leaving a message which said he had places left so I was really looking forward to starting my lessons. My Mum rang back to confirm and when he found out that I had a keyboard said he wouldnt teach me until I had a piano.

So my Dad heard this and when I said to my Mum I told you I would need a piano, my Dad said well why didnt you tell me. I said I didnt think he would refuse to teach me.

Dad came home from work today and told me he had been finding out about getting a piano I just have to ask one of my friends where they had theirs from. Dad is great