Piano
 

I have a question for anyone who might have some ideas for me to try. In HS I took piano lessons and had learned to play several pieces, mostly classical but also some more modern works. I got away from the piano and didn't have an instrument to use for about 42 years, and now I have had a piano for the last 3 years. My problem is that there are several pieces that I played before, and now I haven't been able to just pick them up again, and I get frustrated trying. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can more easily learn to play pieced that I had played before. It seems that new pieces are easier to learn, but that might be that I don't have any expectations of being able to play them at all, and the ones that I had played before, frustrate me when I can't just pick them up again.

P.S. If someone plays a different instrument, that's OK I just need to know what technique works for you, and I'll try it.

You might trying getting into Carnegie Hall.

I have an arrangement for the Theme from Schindler's List for piano, keyboard (playing as strings), and we added a flute part. But when we tried to rehearse it I just couldn't fit my part in. My daughter summed it up nicely, "You don't play well with others." Almost everything I do now is a solo, and I have not had any experience with the piano in a group.

Did that work for you?

Ya might try finger dexterity exercises.

Ya might revert to practicing your scales.

I got to Dale Carnegie Hall once, by winning friends and influencing people. Then I found out that the friends I 'won' were only there because of my skills at influencing.

La la la la la la la la la...means I love you.

Both activities are 'in the plan' but it's difficult to find the motivation to 'just do it'. Part of the problem is that scales and exercises were never stressed when I took lessons, so it's difficult to get that mind set to do them.

I can't really help you with re-acquiring your old pieces - but any and all playing should help to get these back "into your fingers" again. My problem is that if I play my old repertoire, I play it with my old, bad habits all intact. For me it's better to work on less familiar stuff.
Playing music with other people is a whole new ball game. If you're used to just playing by yourself you may well have got into the habit of stopping every time you make a mistake, or just playing at a very variable tempo (speed) which suits your interpretation of the music. For the first problem - you'll just have to work at not stopping if things go wrong, but try to keep the flow and rhythm going and get back into the piece as and when you can. For the second problem, depending on the piece, if you feel the tempo should be varied then you'll have to learn to use your body to give an indication of the tempo and/or tempo changes to the other musician(s). Eye contact with the others is good, and rocking or swaying in the new tempo until everyone's got it are basically what's required. And listen to the other player(s) - if you're playing with a flautist they will naturally "phrase" their tunes with a slight gap at the end of a phrase before the next one starts so that they can breathe. You will have to be sympathetic to that, listen for it, watch them and take off together with them into the next phrase.
As to scales, I had an "Ah hah!" moment when I realised that I don't have to do them from memory, reading them is just as good for the muscle memory and that's what I am (and you are) trying to develop. Memorising them was for exams, and I'm not going to take another music practical exam, thanks.
Hope this helps.

I'm going to try to take this one point at a time.

I have found that when playing previously played pieces I am able to correct bad habits, with piano that's mostly incorrect fingering. I was lucky that with the first serious piece I wanted to learn, my teacher at first said I wasn't ready for it, but when I kept asking questions, she finally said to bring the music in and she'd help me with it. so I probably didn't develop too many bad habits, and I have been conscious of looking for the correct fingering ever since.

I have a plan for learning to play with another, I'm teaching my wife to play, she had expressed an interest, I just need to push a little. There will be plenty of opportunity for duets and I plan to make the most of it. She will learn to play, and I will learn to play music (piano) with another person. I played coronet in HS band and college orchestra, as well as singing in the HS and a church choir. I just never translated that to the piano.

Thankyou for the insight about scales, but I really didn't have any intention of memorizing them. I think part of my problem with scales and arpeggios is that my teacher didn't stress them, even though they are essential to the genre of music that I like to play, which I now understand. The other thing is that once I was practicing a piece and my father said 'out loud' that he didn't want to hear music that sounded like someone practicing their scales. I'm only guessing, but he had 3 sisters who may have taken piano and practiced scales when he was there. Also he may have gotten to my piano teacher and told her to lay off the scales because he didn't want to hear them. I can easily believe that he would do something like that. I didn't understand the need for scales, because no-one told me, but scales are one of the most basic elements of all styles of music, and even more-so in classical music.

What a great idea to plan to play duets with your wife :)
I didn't realise you had played in HS band and sung in HS choir or I'd not have run on about playing with others.
Have fun with your music making!

Sent by thought transference

Why yes, of course it has. In order to

you betcha. I can't think of any other way that doesn't include practice.

I had assumed that practice would be involved, lots of it, but I was looking for specific exercises or techniques that might help. I could practice 'Chop Sticks' all day, but I don't think it is going to help me play Chopin.

Why not go for a piano lesson?

Sent by thought transference

That has been thought of but there are several problems. One is the cost. The other, more difficult, is the time involved. I have been taking care of 2 grandchildren, one 8 and the other 4 since they were born with only a few exceptions due to health. When I do take care of them I can't be sure of my 'Free time' because my daughter sometimes books clients on short notice, she's a 'massage therapist'. This last weekend I had said I was not available and she still needed me to keep them on Thu. afternoon. She dropped them off at the train meet so she could go to work. They brought things to do and the 4 year old sat on my lap and took a nap.

I bet she'd appreciate it if you didn't put that in quotation marks... Being a massage therapist is very different from being a "massage therapist." ;)