I introduced myself on another section but noticed it really doesn't get a lot of interaction. This one seems more active! Anyhoo... my name is Shelly and am picking up the violin again after 20 years hiatus. Any other "re" beginners? Would love to get to know everyone!

Have a great day!

Shelly ~ Belle Rouge Studio

Welcome. It's always nice to see people who have strayed from the flock coming back to the world of making music. I would say a third of my private students are people returning after along abscence from their instrument.

I think it's great. Best of luck.


John

Thank you, John!

I appreciate the encouragement! I'm really enjoying getting back into music. Nice to know I'm not alone.

Shelly

Shelly,
there is something about the year/decade or the weather or something else. I have been teaching private lessons for almost 30 years and I have never had so many 'older' students or 'returning' students ever.

And I like working with most of the older and returning students much more than the younger ones.

I would think that an older/returning student has a bit more dedication (not always though). I know when I was younger I never practiced at home - only at school - and I was still first or second chair. It just came easy to me and I thought I was above working at it. Now I realize what "could have been" if I had only practiced/stuck with it.

I may not be able to get back the same agility that I had when I was younger but by goodness I will work at it twice as much. :-) Hopefully I will be able to play to enjoy the music now and not just do it to "impress" people. Teenagers are arrogant, aren't they?? :-) (I say that having a 17 year old daughter in the house who has NO music ability whatsoever but who thinks she knows it all..lol). It's a shame as her father plays guitar. You would think she would get something?? But nope! Ah well! :-)

Yep, I'm an older beginner, 65 years young to be exact. Have had a piano for many years but never practiced "properly", I was always impatient to learn songs quickly but now I realise why that just didn't work. It's much harder now, my fingers don't always do what they are supposed to do, any tips JOhnlove music? I know I need to practice v e r y s l o w l y....and that's what I'm doing now, I regret not doing that when I was younger. I am also learning to play the clarinet, have been learning that for 18 months now and still struggling but getting there, My teacher tells me I'm improving so that's encouraging. So I'm hoping that soon I will be able to play Twinkle Twinkle little star on the piano NOT!!!! I AM NOT PLAYING TWINKLE TWINKLE LITTLE STAR SO THERE!! Oh, ok, maybe I will just give it a try. There you go, I just played it lol. All joking aside, I really need to concentrate on my left hand, I find it hard to read Bass clef, any tips and hints will be welcomed.
Regards Grandma Jo and I will see you at the opera house in 10 years time he he. ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫

Hi All,

I have been playing the keyboard for quiet a while. Hoping to make some good friends here. I started playing during my school days at the School Assembly, it was a wonderful experience. Then for a few music bands, Altarnatives and Sishya. So now I play at my church. I play whenever I get an opportunity to play.

Hey Shelly,
I have also had a lot of breaks in playing the piano, but still I enjoy everytime I play. Its great to have a come back, it always brings you joy.

To play the Bass clef, concentrate only on the left hand for a few weeks. It will hurt in the beginning, you can master it once you practice.

Hi Shelly, and all the others!

I'm not a returning student, I started the cello at my age of 23, but I wish You the best! I always encourage my friends to pick up there old instruments, or start a new one as an adult. Luckily, so far I was successful with a returning cellist, a returning violinist and a new guitar player. On the other hand I've lost to a pianist, She has even given away Her piano :-/

Anyway, go forth, and see You in the Berliner philharmonics in two years ;-)

Mate

<Added>

I forgot to tell, that here You can find a returning guy with a cello: http://www.8notes.com/f/33_264266.asp

lovemusictoo,

jabara has a good suggestion to work only on the left hand ( i wouldn't ignore the right hand completely for three weeks though). What I would suggest is that you do your regular studies as best you can. Schedule a time once or twice each day to do only left hand work. You want to be focused and yet relaxed. The important thing is to be decisive so only go a speed you can go without making mistakes no matter how slow that is. Look at the left hand you are going to be doing and conciously make a decision on each note you play. When you feel frustrated; breathe in slowly and relax your cheekbones, exhale and relax your shoulders; then continue. When you find yourself losing focus (this will be somewhere between minute 5 and 10) take a break and come back at your next scheduled time. Two, five-minute sessions each day will be a total of 70 minutes at the end of a week. And that will be more productive than three, one-hour sessions.
Give this a try and then let me know how you're doing.

Thank you so much for replying to my post. I will certainly try that method and devote 5 minutes 2x a day to give my left hand a workout, I will keep you up to date.
Kind regards, Joanne.

I am a beginner on the piano at 50years younger and as much as I have a passion to play the piano before I leave this planet, its going slow. Any suggestions especially for the left hand. Jsamuel's suggestions noted. Thanks

Hi, I bought a book with a DVD, it's called "simply piano by Robin Payne", excellent. She has some very good suggestions for practicing, I would scan the page but I don't know how to attach it here, I don't think it's allowed, I am not very fast at typing, my fingers are slowing down,
( that's why I learn slow songs he he ) But yes, she say's practice very very slowly and only learn 4 bars at a time, use a metronome at a very slow speed, when you can play those 4 bars at the normal speed, start on the next 4 bars etc. If there is a particular place where you always stumble, turn of the metronome and keep working on that part until mastered. That seems to work for me.
If any-one is interested, I found a beautiful piano piece, I have never heard of that song before and stumbled across it while I was doing a search on Google for some other song, it's called "Ashokan Farewell" it gave me goosebumps, there are a few versions on you-tube but I found this to be the nicest one.
Here is the website;

www.youtube.com/watch?V=xoLuSaQS1d8
It does have a link to get the score but you have to pay for it, I found a free one, here is the link-

fortepianoszm.com/ASHOKAFAREWELL pdf

you need to copy and paste in Google for this, it's a printable pdf file, it doesn't seem to be too difficult and I can't wait to have a go at it.
I hope this was helpful, let me know.
Regards Joanne.

PS, when you Google
fortepianoszm.com/ASHOKAFAREWELL pdf , look at the first one, also it has a dot between fortepiano.szm but I don't think it really matters when you type it into Google. Joanne

hi shelly,

This is Bonny (member of beth's violin lab)
It was nice to see you here too, as I was searching for some sheet music. I'm also coming back to violin after 20 yrs. Now, touching the instrument once again is like bringing life back to me.

Enjoy violin.. keep posting.

Good day.

Bonny.


<Added>

hi shelly,

This is Bonny (member of beth's violin lab)
It is nice to see you here too, as I was searching for some sheet music. I'm also coming back to violin after 20 yrs. Now, touching the instrument once again is like bringing life back to me.

Enjoy violin.. keep posting.

Good day.

Bonny