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This is something I've just finished, the paint is still drying. A bit different to my usual rubbish. Done it muted colours to be in tone with our quiet, centre conservatory. Used metallic colours, br

I had piano lessons around age 13-14 and reached a reasonable level, and I could sight read fairly well. I also had some training on organ, including the dreaded foot pedals. My main reason for doing

That time of the year again when most of my hobbies are done in the shed as opposed to outside the shed so now I have made a start on this year batch of articulated wooden dolls/frogs/"Pudsey's", firs

  • 8 years later...

What a good idea. I know it's an old post but to have all hobbies and pastimes in one place is great

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All the hobbies I've ever gone in for have always paled and become boring after awhile

MTX racing

Am Radio

CB radio

Photography

Acrylic painting

Water skiing

Experimenting with electronics

Clay shooting

Scuba diving

Hot air ballooning

PPL

The list goes on..

I get to the point where I'm fairly competent then lose interest.

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I haven't found learning a musical instrument boring.  If I live to be a hundred I will never be a master at it, but it keeps the old brain cells going.  I look forward to practicing everyday.  Now with Youtube we can see how others are doing.

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When I was metal detecting we had many experts in the club - and I don't mean that in a disparaging way! The amount of knowledge some of these chaps have is amazing and very diverse. We had one guy who was an expert in old buttons! I was an expert in silver foil and bottle tops!

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Good for you LL. I've posted before about the number of musical instruments in the house (five at last count) but I my brain will not allow my left hand to work independently. Having a modicum of talent would also help. I would love to play the piano but unless you want a rousing chorus of chopsticks it 'aint gonna happen

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Me too. I've been trying, on and off (more off!) to learn classical guitar for decades. My problem is just lack of willpower, but I'm sure that if I could manage to play one piece OK it might spur me on. I always found it such hard work and therefore difficult to stick to.

If you could inspire me LL I'm sure I could get something out of this latest guitar I picked up at the charity shop only a few months ago!

 

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Look at it this way.  If you can only play Chopsticks on the piano or a little bit of a tune on the Guitar you are ahead of lot of people.  Even Bach and Beethoven had to start somewhere.  ;)

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Some people are natural musicians though Dave, my late Mother could listen to a song on the radio, and in minutes play it on a piano, yet she couldn't read music.

 

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I could read music to some extent when I took up the guitar, been a long time since I picked one up though.

I'd have to start from scratch once more, hated the finger calluses though on the left hand.

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I played the piano by ear from the age of 3. If I heard a piece of music, I would go and play it. As I grew older, I was sent for piano lessons and told that I must not play by ear any longer and must read the music. I more or less lost the ability, although I found it fairly easy to memorise the music and play without it.

 

My maternal grandfather and his sisters all played by ear, although my mother had been taught to read music. I think it possibly runs in families.

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I had piano lessons around age 13-14 and reached a reasonable level, and I could sight read fairly well. I also had some training on organ, including the dreaded foot pedals. My main reason for doing it was that I was into rock/prog music of the late 60s and early 70s and wanted to be like the keyboard wizards of the day.

 

As I got older I lost enthusiasm for the learning, and I decided that listening to records was easier and less stressful than actually playing the stuff, so it turned out to be a case of "what you can learn in 5 years and forget in the next 50".

 

The highlight of it all was probably a few occasions during the organ lessons when I was given free rein in a local church (empty at the time) to play around and be self-indulgent. Some of the sounds I produced in that church during those times must be unique.

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Jill.....You may be right about the family thing.  most of my family did not read music or play any instrument.  My dad offered to pay for Piano lessons, but I turned him down.  I regret it now, but back then anything that involved teachers or lessons turned me off.  so I missed out on a few good opportunities.  what is that saying.  knowledge is wasted on the young?  I did have paternal grandparents who had an old pump organ and liked to play hymns, so maybe that's where my currant interest comes from.

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I had piano lessons from about 11-13, but despite passing several exams, I gave up. However, seeing organists / pianists in 60's groups, I severely regretted my rash decision.

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The late Billy Powell, ex pianist with Lynyrd Skynyrd, was taken for piano lessons around the age of nine. On his collection, his parents were told that they were wasting their money, as Billy was a natural, and once he'd heard something, he could play it.

The rest is history, having played with one of the greatest Rock bands in the world.

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I've loved music for as long as I can remember.  I always wanted to learn an instrument, but never did.  I got as far as a few chords on the guitar, but it became clear I wasn't going to be much good.  I also enjoy trying to get tunes out of the penny whistle and at one time the Concertina.. but again no great shakes.  Watch a good whistle player and you'll see their fingers barely lift off the whistle.

As for reading music and understanding all those keys, sharps, flats etc.. fergerrit yooth!

 

 

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Like me Col, leave it to the experts.

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Not as hard as it looks Col, but a good knowledge of fractions is helpfull,  You know, quarter notes, half notes, eighth notes and even quite a few  sixteenths and thirtyseconds. In the classical and baroque musicians stuff.  Thefractions must add up to the number of notes in each measure. Makes my head spin trying to read three lines atthe same time as well  I was never that fond of math.:biggrin:

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The notes are not a problem. Like Mr Morecambe I have the right notes, not necessarily in the right order plus with me you get a bonus - notes, cords, demi semi quavers and crochets galore the original composer never thought of but I'm sure would have added if they did.    thumbsup

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They never seem to talk about crotchets etc. here.  Always just the individual note values.  trying to count them as you play gets interesting.  Not so bad when its just 1.2.3.4.but when eighths crop up its 1,e,and,a 2 e,and,a. Fun when you are trying to remember where fingers 1through 5 are.  I still struggle with that.  :crazy:

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What bits I play, I do by ear.. 

 

Probably why I do better with a whistle than a guitar. It's a lot easier to stick a whistle in your ear..

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