Two Finger Exercise

[steepholm]

I had my first piano lesson for 43 years today. I gave it up first time around, when I was five, after a disastrous concert in which the sheet music dropped from my tremulous hands as I walked onto the stage, only to slide irretrievably under the instrument - whither I was unable to follow it, much as I'd have liked to. The name of the piece I had to play was 'Swaying Trees', but my family said that it should have been 'Stumbling Trees', the way I did it. I remember laughing at the time, but the joke hasn't worn well.

Miss Stein wasn't sorry to see the back of me, I think, and my parents didn't insist that I continue. In terms of Darwinian family dynamics, the piano-playing niche was already firmly occupied by my big brother. I've amused myself in the intervening decades, trying to do for the descant recorder what Ron Burgundy did for jazz flute, but it's been a rather lonely pursuit.

Anyway, I recently decided it was high time to bring those keyboard neurons out of retirement, and am now the proud owner of It's Never Too Late to Learn the Piano, with accompanying CD. I have already reacquainted myself with the treble clef, and my teacher has high hopes of bringing the notes below middle C into the equation in good time for Imbolc.

Next stop, Grade 1!

Comments

[nineweaving.livejournal.com]

Grade 1 and the stars! Go, opsimath!

Nine

Grade 1 Delenda Est!

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I have much in common with Cato the Censor...

[sovay]

I have much in common with Cato the Censor...

You really don't want the wrathful spirit of Dido showing up to your recital.

(Oh, God, it could all go Purcell.)

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

(Oh, God, it could all go Purcell.)

There are many worse fates!

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

As a leftie, I never got on with the joanna (I can just about pick out a tune one handed) but good luck! :o)

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I too am a leftie, but I learned how to touch type and I'm hoping the piano won't be very different.

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

I wonder if anyone ever made a left-handed piano, with the high notes on the left?

ETA Inevitably, yes..

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

I believe such things do exist as do reversed qwerty keyboards- that wouldn't bother me as I can type two handed anyway, but one with the function blocks on the left would be useful.

My best ever 'left handed' investment was my set of left handed kitchen knives It really does make that much difference. :o)

Oddly, I play diatonic accordeon (aka melodeon) and I play that right handed (when I first started years back, I took the view that the bass end was the really complex bit) although I play mandolin left handed.

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

I play recorder right-handed - but again, the left and right hands have to do similarly complex work. With guitar (where I strum a few chords) I have reversed the strings.

I may investigate the knives idea. My mother, who is also left-handed, annoyed me for years by always laying the table in a right-handed way, even when it was just the two of us eating. I used to berate her for false consciousness - before it finally occurred to me to lay it myself. Might it have been her way of hinting that I didn't pull my weight?

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

Not sure what I do with recorders and whistles- left hand at the top whichever that is. I play mandolin and mandola 'upside down' (ie with the strings left as they are a la Jimi Hendrix)

Do you use a fork left or right handed? I use both spoon and fork in the left hand. Never understood why right handers use a fork in the left!

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

I use a fork left-handed, knife right-handed, because that's the way it was always laid. My beef with my mother was that she always laid the spoon for pudding with the handle pointing to the right, even though we both held it in our left hands.

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

I have the hubby trained enough that he lays the spoon right for himself and left for me and I do likewise for him- similarly with the glasses and side plates. :o)

[chilperic.livejournal.com]

Good luck!

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I and my neighbours will need it.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

I hope it goes a lot better this time.
I was never offered the chance of music lessons -- my family didn't do that sort of thing. So I'm faintly envious.

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I felt I needed a change: something equally sedentary, but different...

[sovay]

Next stop, Grade 1!

Amen!

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

I hope you enjoy becoming reacquainted with the piano. I must say that 5 seems awfully young to start -- assuming you are not planning on being a concert pianist. I started at 7 and stopped at 11 because once I transferred to grammar school, it was difficult to fit in the practice. But really, I wasn't that motivated and preferred the recorder (graduating to treble) and the guitar.

Now I just make do with guitar and ukelele, though I do have an electronic keyboard at the back of the cupboard which I haven't played for many years.

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

Hoorah! What a horrid thing to say, when you only trying to do your best! No wonder you were scarred for years...

I still get nightmares about my ghastly duet with a primary school friend, when we played Shortnin' Bread on the violin and my knees were knocking so badly my hands and my violin were shaking...