how did you learn to play?

[Ed A.]

Messed around with my first synth in 1974 (I was 16).

Took classical piano lessons a year later for about two years from a teacher with her Ph.D in Performance from Juilliard.

Took jazz piano from some local guy for a shorter time.

Took four-part harmony from a private teacher for about 6 months.

Took keyboard harmony at a local college for a short time.

Taught myself how to improvise and not rely on written music.

[Mr. Nightime]

When I was 4-5 years old, I would pick out melodies on a little chord organ my grandmother had, as well as the old pump organ she had.

 

My parents noticed that I had at least a little talent, and I started organ lessons when I was 6. I spent the next 10 years taking lessons from Mrs. Martin. Sweet lady, but I should have moved to a different teacher. She would give me songs as handwritten lead sheets, chords and melody.

 

She had a beautiful Gulbranson console organ, where I had a little Lowrey. I had one octave of pedals, with the "D" unusable, so I never learned pedals

 

On my 16th birthday, I left organ lessons and started guitar. I learned the basics.

 

When I graduated from Jr. High my grandmother bought me a Farfisa Compact Duo and a Sears Silvertone Solid State 100 amp. I became popular among the garage bands because I had a rig that was portable.

 

I moved from the Chicago suburbs to southeast Arkansas when I was 16. After graduating from High School, I went to the University of Arkansas @ Monticello for a year, as a music major. While there I learned theory, which has served me very well for the rest of my life

 

At 21 I left Arkansas, and joined a Country band that traveled extensively, and played a LOT! Average 330 nights a year, 50,000 miles a year. This lasted for 8 years, ending in Alaska.

 

While in Alaska I became disillusioned with playing, and stopped for a while.

 

I ended up one night walking into a club that had a blues jam. There was a Yamaha CP-80 and a B3. Since no one was playing them, I asked if I could come up. There began my REAL lessons.

 

I played every set 2 nights a week for a couple years, soaking up all I could. I developed my ear while on that stage. I also had the chance to play with some really good people, including William Clarke, Phillip Walker, and Jimmy Rogers.

 

Since then I play with anyone that I can, regardless of the style. The more I play, the more I learn, and the better I become.

 

So, I'm still learning, and hope I always will.

[mate stubb]

My mom was a piano teacher, so she tested me early and I started formal lessons when I was 4. I studied classical piano until I was 16.

 

Started playing in my first band on organ and gigging at 14, and studied pipe organ for a year or so in college. Then I dropped out of music school and went on the road for 10 years.

 

Came off the road and continued to play full time for another 4 years, until my wife got pregnant with our first. So I went back to school to get an engineering degree, and have gigged only part time ever since.

 

The good news is, once you don't need to make a living at music, you are much freer to play what you like.

[CEB]

Aint that the truth. Music is a Hell of a lot more fun when you don't HAVE to play.

[Aussie_Chicago]

Any gigging musicians here start late in life?

Is 45 late enough ?

I actually began organ lessons when I was 8, from a local teacher on a B3 no less, but I hated the B3, it didn't have all the fancy colored buttons and drum patterns like the Hammond at home . I then played in a cpl of bands playing my "portable" farfisa as a teenager, all the way through till I was about 24 with changing set ups etc, but always a Hammond in the mix. I was also noodling around on congas and ended up really getting serious as a percussionist and did that exclusively for the next 20 years, not a one keyboard in the house, until about 12 months ago when I was convinced to go back to playing keys, organ specifically . Once the word got around, I already was in 2 bands with a ton of gigs and 20+ years of catching up to do in a matter of weeks. And so Im getting back into it at age 45, starting all over again and loving every minute. I pretty much have a basic theory background, I mostly play from ear and feel, Im slowly working on getting my reading skills back .

[mate stubb]

but I hated the B3, it didn't have all the fancy colored buttons and drum patterns like the Hammond at home .

 

WHAT! Sacrilege!

 

[churchkeybob]

How did I learn how to play? Starting at five years old, I played sometimes hours a day to escape my abusive, dysfunctional and alcholic family. I had three months of lessons when I was six. As a young adult I managed to live though all the issues that come from such a great childhood. I always played for hours a day. Now in my fifties, Life is good. Good wife, two good girls and I play every Sunday at church. I don't need to play to escape anymore. Now I can just enjoy. ~BOB

[Theo Verelst]

Threefold: musical theory (chords, all basic reading, scales/rhythms), listening, practice/playing with self feedback and feedback from others (surroundings, bands, few teachers, workshops).

 

I taught myself most of the theory, and because of my advancements in electronics as early teenager, I suppose I was able to get a good understanding of waves and signal properties (It was obvious since 12 or so I could become university engineer, which I did in EE, sort of at "MIT Europe" level).

 

I liked it the most after I had played accompaniment in a church-like group for a number of years, when I got myself some synthesizers as early univ. student, to try to play songs I liked, and to plow forward in playing tight rhythm, which took me at least half a decade to master to my own satisfaction. I'd try difficult Commodores songs, Joe Jackson, Amy Grant (some was hard), Rock and Roll for as far a s DX-7 special piano sound could (which was mild I must say), then I practiced at a digital piano a couple of years later, and got down with Blues and Funk, until I was good. A number of projects and (not much but varied) band activities later, I was asked for gladly joined the main university Jazz combo, and listened to and learned (modern) Jazz, which when interesting enough remains able to keep my attention at a high level and with the desire to accomplish.

 

T.

[MuzikTeechur]

I had no choice. My mother was a piano teacher and church organist before I was born. Started formal piano lessons when I was in 2nd Grade. By the time I was 10 I was such a reluctant pupil that she made me practice for 1/2 hour every morning before the bus came. She would sit with me, and put a ruler on the side of the music rack in case I acted up (she never actually hit me). The rulers kept disappearing and when they replaced the stair runner years later they found over a dozen rulers.

When I was 14 I went to another teacher who taught me classical music, along with my scales, arpeggios, chords, inversions, etc.

I fell in love with Scott Joplin's music and learned several ragtime pieces which were wonderful for stamina and intricate left hand/right hand work.

After HS I went into the USMC for a few years, then to college where I majored in Music Education, and specialized in piano and saxophone. I did my Masters Degree in Instrumental and Orchestral Conducting.

[I-missRichardTee]

Talent in the form of ear, and rhythm- edit: and great fascination with harmony. Grew up from inside the womb with classical and opera, later "pop" of the time. I entered a father and son ( I was the son -) )

competition on radio, and me and Dad won the competition twice, a year apart. I sung ( at age 4 then 5 ) . I recall my relatives telling me, I turned around to the studio musicians of that radio station, and must have tapped my foot, "here fellows!" That speaks to me, even at that age, my rhythmic sense was strong. (More Advanced rhythms are still an effort for me though) Rhythm, or lack of it, is my abiding challenge with others. In session work, I was in heaven.. those cats could play grooves.

I played piano from around 4 or so, by ear. Rhythmically hammering out the same old rhythms to my families annoyance. I recall the rhythms going on and on.

I recall as a near infant humming into the mat I was sleeping on with my ear to the mat. This amplified my voice as I sang bass notes! That was very very young.

I wanted to be a scientist ( that's the nerd gene that I believe musicians have ) until the day I picked up a sax at 15, that day ended all thoughts of science. Within 6 months I did my first New Years Eve. At 21 a bandleader said, I have a gig but not on sax, it is on bass.. I will buy you a bass and amp, and you do this gig! 2 weeks after agreeing, I was playing 3 or 4 nights a week. One month plus the 2 weeks initiation with the elec bass, I was complaining to leader about other players! A year or so after that, I did some session work. I never hit it big in the studio scene, just consistently till I left NYC permanently in 92.

I studied privately with the best teachers in Manhattan, and listened to the best jazz in the world. I miss NYC.. but the NYC I knew is long gone.

 

[I-missRichardTee]

A separate post for something I feel is extremely important to development, I never hear anyone express this, so here goes. Currently living far away from the 20th century hub of musical creativity, NYC, and unknowingly "taking it for granted" ( an old expression we used to hear ) . I have 23 years to think about the factors besides desire and talent that projected me into the Music biz full time for all these decades.

 

With all the emphasis and empathy at my command I want to say to those of you who are not privy to living in a very creative atmosphere like NYC:

(I have no idea of what it was like to live in New Orleans 70 years ago, or Detroit.

I do know, cats from there migrated to NYC.) .

If a musician is not lovingly supported by at least one wellwisher, he is likely to dry up on the vine... his spark, likely to die of crushed dreams, likely to never know how "good" in music, he truly is. You HAVE to have a supportive wellwisher/ musician IN YOUR CORNER. Call it luck, or grace, or whatever you wish, but I say it is vital.

Since leaving The Big Apple, I see this very clearly, and I am beyond grateful to the "angels" ( an expression I picked up in Jersey ) who were in my life. I doubt I realized what they were doing for me, telling me "yeah man, nice... what was that you played? "etc. when they were doing this for me.

THAT is perhaps the single most important thing. A guy to tell you how good you are, and to mean it, and to play with you, to bring it out.

Competition was severe at times too. But with that guy(s) in your corner, you could overcome the jealousy and negativity that can come to one trying to spread his wings.

[Bosendorphen]

Piano lessons from 5 - off and on- through college. and self taught by ear. Baldwin Acrosonics are lovely pianos. I learned on one and have one now.

Agreed! I still have the one I learned on. Holds its tuning incredibly well and has a lot of resonance. I also still have my Yamaha D3 organ I got when I was 14. Both instruments reside in my living room.

[Mogut]

Still learning....

[MoodyBluesKeys]

About half a year of piano lessons while in 4th grade. Five years of clarinet (mostly) & sax in high school/college. Next few years living by myself in a rooming house - so no music.

 

In my mid 30's, a career change to servicing electronic musical instruments - bought a non-working used Baldwin 5 console church organ - fixed, modified, added Leslie. Also bought bass guitar & amp, Prophet 600 synth, another clarinet, bass clarinet, & sax, flute - all of these self-taught during the 10 year span.

 

Another lifestyle change with no music. Ten years ago we moved to our present location, and I started playing bass guitar with the church band. This led to buying a Kurzweil SP88X for my grand-daughter (lived with us) who took piano at school. I bought a Kurzweil K2000VP, then K2661, then the instruments listed in my sig. Started real piano lessons the next year, which continued for 5 years, until my instructor moved to Gibraltar. Bought a real grand piano during the time.

 

No longer play the wind instruments, though I still have a clarinet (COPD - not enough wind). I do still play with the church group and another group - mostly keyboard now, though I still have a bass guitar, Les Paul, and acoustic guitar.

 

To quote Greg: "still learning...."

 

[Theo Verelst]

In another turn of an answer: "on my self-designed/built square wave organ/synthesizer at 15 or so", and "at the school pianos", and "at (sailing-) camp with borrowed guitar", and with recorder lessons in primary school...

 

T

[keyClicker]

Never did. Seriously.

I hope someday I get my sh*t together and learn how to play it.

[eric]

Great stories here! I vaguely remember writing about this years ago

 

When I was preschool age, I was mesmerized by my dads piano playing. He was an accomplished classical and jazz player and was always at the piano. I vividly remember riding on my rocking horse while he played through the entire Dave Brubeck Take Five book. This instigated my desire to play the piano and I started classical lessons around second grade. I was also inspired by Schroeder playing Fur Elise on the Charlie Brown Christmas cartoon, so one of my earliest goals was to learn how to play this. By fourth or fifth grade, I had gotten good enough to play it for my classmates at school. A proud moment!

 

I played the clarinet in middle school band and pretty much hated it, but there was no real option as a piano player in the middle school band. My good friend and I performed Wrapped Around Your Finger for the seventh grade talent show, with him playing the melody on trumpet and me on the schools beat up student model Wurly.

 

I continued taking piano lessons and took it pretty seriously up until high school, when I started getting distracted by other things. However, the watershed moment of my musical life was the time right at the beginning of my sophomore year. I learned about the schools production of Godspell and they were having tryouts for TWO keyboard spots piano and synth/Rhodes/organ. There was a girl one year ahead of me who was the shoe-in to play piano for it, as she had done it for two years straight and was in good with the chorus and drama teachers (plus she was a damn good player). I tried out and was selected to play the Fender Rhodes and Moog synth/organ (cant remember the model, it was the big egg-shaped white one that could do synth sounds and organ with some type of draw faders). The Moog ran through the schools Leslie 145 and it was pretty darn cool.

 

Anyways, once I became part of the stage band for Godspell, it immediately opened up a new world for me. There were not many keyboard players at this time and I was able to play pretty well by ear and read music. I had limited experience playing pop/rock prior to this, but Godspell was a great training ground. I became chummy with the other musicians and soon was joining various high school rock bands. My girlfriend whom I met on the set of Godspell had a Roland Juno-106 that she let me borrow for gigs (until I finally talked my parents into helping me get my JX-8P), along with the high schools Fender Rhodes Suitcase, which I was able to use any time I wanted (plus the band director let me take it home over the summer). I was drafted into the jazz band and started playing various new wave and rock and roll cover bands. It was a great experience. One band that I joined had some older members with siblings in college. This was kind of a Doors/Beatles/Animals tribute band with a Jim Morrison-esque lead singer. I had such fun learning and playing this music and soon found myself playing college fraternity parties when I was just a junior in high school.

 

I was hooked on rock and roll, though I kept up with piano lessons through my freshman year in college. I started playing in some more serious touring/recording groups in college, along with one of my same pals from high school. This led me many places and Im still playing in weekend bar bands to this day. Like others, I never made music my sole profession, but it has been a great part-time gig pretty much ever since I touched the Fender Rhodes when I was 14 years old.

 

[johnchop]

Nice older lady taught me the basics from age 5 to ... age 7 maybe? Shortly thereafter took up classical training with another teacher through about age 14 or 15. I didn't practice well, and he could be absolutely brutal on top of that, which certainly sucked the joy out of it. Piano became this sort of un-fun thing I did every week--while simultaneously fumbling through Tony Banks solos on my Korg DW6000 (good times).

 

Somewhere in there an instructor from Univ of Miami taught me Theory 101 did lots of ear training. Great guy whose name I've completely forgotten, but huge thanks to him for moving me forward.

 

After a year break, I switched piano teachers to UM instructor ... one of Ivan Davis's students, and a lovely person. She got me into some more late 19th/early 20th century pieces (e.g. Gershwin). I was too caught up in high school drama to pay proper attention and missed an opportunity there... but at the same time, I had no concrete musical goals, other than try to practice a piece enough so I didn't look like a complete ass in my next lesson. This was not a good plan.

 

I tried to get into the music program in college but didn't have the chops. Took "piano for non-majors" and had NO idea how much practice was really required on top of my already heavy academic load. Ouch! Props to the music majors out there.

 

Outside of all that, Keyboard Magazine has been one of my main educational resources. Seriously.

 

I still have a TON to learn. I plan to reconnect with a teacher when my kids get a bit older.

 

Growing up, the missing ingredient for me was a teacher who could nurture a good attitude towards practice, and who could help me at least think about long-term musical goals. I didn't have a context for all the stuff I was doing, and I couldn't see the forest for the trees, given that all I was exposed to was tree after tree after tree.

 

All that said, I'm enjoying what I'm able to do in the time I have to do it.

 

-John

[ProfD]

At 14 years old, I taught myself how play using this:

 

http://www.oaktreevintage.com/web_photos/Calculators/Casio_VL-1_Mini_Keyboard-Calculator_Web.jpg

 

My first full-sized keyboard was a Yamaha PS-55. It snowballed from there.

[mmartinez]

But my sense of rhythm and groove has made me a somewhat decent commodity in the musical market.

 

Basically, I'm percussionist playing the wrong instrument.

 

Adan - you gig up in the city?

[JeffLearman]

Piano lessons from 5 - off and on- through college. and self taught by ear. Baldwin Acrosonics are lovely pianos. I learned on one and have one now.

I have to confess that I don't understand the Acrosonic love, at least, not if they're all like my mother's 1938 spinet. The action is so light it's hard to play with any dynamics. The tone is decent for a spinet, but, ... it's a spinet! and sounds like one. I'll admit it's a step up from an NE2, but I'd pick just about any other DP I've played over the Acrosonic I grew up on. When my folks wanted it gone, I said "no thanks" but my wife said "Yes please" (it was a nice piece of furniture.) We had it in our house probably 10 years, and I probably played it 20 times. I'd rather play the CP70! Anyway, my sister finally took the Acrosonic for her kids to play, and perhaps someday their kids will too. As much as I don't like that piano, I feel privileged to have had it to play growing up.

 

It's better than most spinets. But spinets ... ugh.

 

At 14 years old, I taught myself how play using this: [Casio VLTONE]

That's the only musical instrument my parents ever got me! They thought music would ruin my life and didn't encourage it (but didn't discourage me playing the guitar and piano they had for my sister, so I won't bitch. Plus I don't really blame them.) When I finally was gainfully employed as a software engineer for a few years, my dad got me this because he thought it was nifty technology, and I assume also as a wink and nod that music wouldn't ruin my life after all. And it hasn't! Well, at least, not yet. I'm only 56; there's still time.

[Melodious Thunk]

Any gigging musicians here start late in life?

 

 

What do you define as late in life? I always had the interest but not the means for formal instruction till I was 14.

Well, I am 35 and just starting out!

 

[hurricane hugo]

I'm not sure I have.

[CaptainUnderpant]

Any gigging musicians here start late in life?

 

 

What do you define as late in life? I always had the interest but not the means for formal instruction till I was 14.

Well, I am 35 and just starting out!

 

First gig last year at age 50!

 

Classical piano from age 8 to 16 - Hated it.

 

Musicians Institute on a after work program, 30 or 60 days, I forget - at age 35. And a half hearted attempt to play in a band with moderate practice for two years, but too much going so I quit. I don't like doing things half fast.

 

Then 2 years ago, out of no where I said, "I am going to play in a band" and I started practicing like crazy, 2+ hours per day, under the study of good teachers. Now I am in two bands that gig regularly. It helps to have the kids out of the house and have a mature career / business that gives you free time.

 

And to MissRichardTee - Having people that believe in you is everything. For some reason this go around a group of talented musicians put their faith in me to get the job done. They were patient and now have a productive contributing band member. I guess keyboard players are harder to find.

 

Music is my 4th mid life crisis.

[Six-string-man]

I am an average guitarist, and decided to start learning keys about a year ago. I'm 62.

 

I thought I must be the oldest beginner, but my piano teacher has a guy who has just started her class, never played before in his life, and he is 73!

 

 

SSM

[RABid]

Piano - Started with classical lessons when I was 8. When I made the jump to a cover band it was really hard because I had no ear training. In the four county area where we played there were only two other pop cover bands with keyboardists and they lived in another county. I was on my own. The guitarist and bass player would tell me the chords and I would take it from there.

 

Drums - Joined high school band as a drummer in the 9th grade. I could already read music so the band director told me which notes represent which drums and put me in the percussion section. I really learned to play drums by listening to records and replicating the beats. My ear for rhythms was really good.

[MushMusic]

My mom started me out before I could sit up as a babe, on both piano and organ. She was a 3rd generation music teacher, a jazz organ player and ran a music publishing company. We always had plenty of Hammonds and pianos around, cause of my dads dealerships. Yeh, the music store teacher married the music store owner and out came me. Later at age 7, I started in the music program at the local college, followed by a number of teachers over the next 2 decades. Theres a few music degrees in there too. The teachers ranged from composers that my mom published, to international concert artists. My fav was a Julliard grad who had a D with no legs which sat on stacks of bricks. There was just enough room to get your legs under it if you sat cross-legged on the floor. You felt those bass strings through the wooden floor. My synth learning came from working in several electronic music studios and computer music labs. And I learned programming in the computer music labs too. A computer musician will never be a starving musician.