Steve in VA Posted March 30, 2020 Share Posted March 30, 2020 I thought I would chime in since I was in about the same spot as you 3-4 years ago. I tackled Linus and Lucy as one of my first songs because no one ever told me it was considered hard! I eventually learned the entire song, one bar at a time, by slowing down the recording with MusicSpeedChanger on my phone. I also found that playing to a metronome or drum beat helped. There is a pretty good (but not quite perfect) transcription that is free on MuseScore. It's only been within the past year or so that I can finally play the song with nuance and "feel". It always seemed to be lacking something I could not quite put my finger on. Just remember to "slow it down and break it down" and you'll get it! Also, I found it helpful to work on BOTH hands at the same time, but only a few notes at a time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CowboyNQ Posted March 30, 2020 Share Posted March 30, 2020 Paul, I am a player of very modest ability. I can tell you that the advice you've received in this thread is spot on. Nothing about playing keys comes easy to me but I have found that a liberal application of persistence plus a structured and disciplined practice method yields tremendous results. I promise you you'll find the same. The harder you have to work for something, the more you'll appreciate it when you finally get there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyd Posted March 30, 2020 Share Posted March 30, 2020 Hi Paul. Do you do any daily exercise (hanon or some other)? Lots on youtube,look for exercise 1 and go from there. I started about two years ago and found it made a huge difference in my playing. It improved my dexterity and finger strength greatly. Just start slowly and work your way up. Eventually you won't have to think about how to place your fingers, and the keys will feel more comfortable under your hands. Keep it up! We all struggle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muad’Dib Posted March 30, 2020 Author Share Posted March 30, 2020 I have not played a piano ð¹ for years. Although I went through my fair share of synthesizers, but that is for another thread. Plus being 49, doesn"t help? Of course, I had never played Jazz before? So playing on the black keys is a lot harder then I realized? Also, I did not realize how challenging the song was? I just needed to pick something else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allan_evett Posted March 31, 2020 Share Posted March 31, 2020 Paul, How long have you been playing? ⦠Not long enough! I never really grasped the piano, because of the way i was taught, and what i was taught. CLASSICAL! Ugh! Plus, i was pushed through each piece without fully mastering it. And i absolutely hated practicing. Paul, I appreciate your sentiments; I think it goes to the core of what some have experienced. As a private teacher, I've had a share of what I call 'rescue cases' - students or parents of students who have expressed similar feelings. When teaching in north shore Chicago suburban homes, the amount of previous teacher mental BS I heard about was absurd; not everyone wants to be a concert pianist. In college, my favorite classical piano teacher recognized that. She was an advanced accompanist, yet didn't try to mold me into a clone. We had a conversation about the concert piano route once, and while she thought it possible I could eventually compete in that arena, her conclusion was, 'Why? You're much better suited for the jobbing scene in Chicago; or go to Nashville! There's a lot of good advice here so far; much of which I've been repeating to students for years. Basically: break it down; pull the tempo back as much as needed; possibly hands-separate, at times; isolate and repeat difficult passages, measures or phrases. Also, getting with a good teacher would help a lot. Quote 'Someday, we'll look back on these days and laugh; likely a maniacal laugh from our padded cells, but a laugh nonetheless' - Mr. Boffo. We need a barfing cat emoticon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muad’Dib Posted March 31, 2020 Author Share Posted March 31, 2020 Paul, How long have you been playing? ⦠Not long enough! I never really grasped the piano, because of the way i was taught, and what i was taught. CLASSICAL! Ugh! Plus, i was pushed through each piece without fully mastering it. And i absolutely hated practicing. Paul, I appreciate your sentiments; I think it goes to the core of what some have experienced. As a private teacher, I've had a share of what I call 'rescue cases' - students or parents of students who have expressed similar feelings. When teaching in north shore Chicago suburban homes, the amount of previous teacher mental BS I heard about was absurd; not everyone wants to be a concert pianist. In college, my favorite classical piano teacher recognized that. She was an advanced accompanist, yet didn't try to mold me into a clone. We had a conversation about the concert piano route once, and while she thought it possible I could eventually compete in that arena, her conclusion was, 'Why? You're much better suited for the jobbing scene in Chicago; or go to Nashville! There's a lot of good advice here so far; much of which I've been repeating to students for years. Basically: break it down; pull the tempo back as much as needed; possibly hands-separate, at times; isolate and repeat difficult passages, measures or phrases. Also, getting with a good teacher would help a lot. Thank you Allan. It may be while before I would find a teacher, due too the current situation in the world, and I am working again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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