Seem to have a natural ear for music but reading is so hard!

[Seaffuryfan]

I took piano lessons (sight reading, scales etc) as a child for 5 years or so. It started off well, but by the end I felt like the failed child prodigy. My Parents had bought a me a Baby Grand to practice on,(no pressure), I was slowly marching through the examinations and a competition or two repeating pieces over and over - you get the picture. I threw in the towel at age 12-13, with much wailing and nashing of teeth all round.

But my love of music and rythm has never gone away. Now in my 40's, I want to play again - but on my terms. I seem to have a natural 'ear' for music and can pick up say, a tune single fingered very quickly. I feel far more at home and have a lot more fun naturally by picking up the sound of a tune instead of struggling with sheet music. For some reason, I really struggle to translate the notes on the page into notes on the keyboard. It feels (if thats possible) like a sort of dyslexia. Does anyone else have this problem? And is it possible to attempt to play the piano other than reading music? And is it a bad thing? Is it possible to be taught 'out of the box'? Don't get me wrong, I'll put the effort in, but it would have to be a bit more rewarding than I remember (for example, having the flex to try and play along to modern pop tunes).

I know its a bit rambling, but I'm ready to give something a go, just not sure how to proceed.

Any comments are welcome.

[Stride]

Seafuryfan,

It is perfectly possible and indeed is a fact that you can play entirely without knowing a single thing about any piano theory or ever sight read or scales, chords, keys, anything. People have attained this talent at a degree good enough to achieve worldwide concert acclaim and fame.eg: Erroll Garner !

Although this is a fact. I have met this man and he did not play classical music although he could imitate almost any music he heard. He played jazz, which is an improvisation based on (usually) a common song /tune/ballard/ or sometimes part of a classical work.

This is commonly called playing by ear. I may be giving a misleading meassage here as some people make a common mistake that they can play by ear when they are just memory players.

The skill/natural flair for this technique is something you are born with. It develops with years of practice depending on the time given daily. It is a form of learning the piano keyboard so well that you automatically know what sound you will play with your fingers on certain keys or their progression in scales. The brain factor is vital and this is where the natural skill/subconscience mind comes into play.

My own theory is that instead of the brain sending a message to the vocal chords in the voice as it does when you sing but it directs the sound in your brain to the fingers and the relevant keys on the piano.

I started young say about 6 or 7 from my mother's tuition (she too played by ear)I played small songs just in a basic single right hand and I was always drawn to the piano, almost by nature. I cannot read a note of music but can now play jazz to my solo satisfaction.

When I was 16 I played in pubs (yes we all know what they are like)for the people to sing along. This was from 1944 until I went in the RAF and I lost practice as the was a shortage of pianos especially in Burma and Singapore for a low rank like me.

Now after all those years I've just got myself a new piano it's a Pleyel(Paris)131 upright. Playing all those old pianos makes one very adaptable with your touch and I cannot believe how superb a new piano is.

This Pleyel is a terrific piano with beautiful bass, as good as a 1893 Steinway 'A' grand which is what I part exchanged for the Pleyel.

Would you like me to try and give you any further advice perhaps by email? I will give you the address in code to avoid the 'Phishers'

Regards,

Alan

[Geminoz]

I had similar history to yours..learned for several years, did the exams but unfortunately had to stop when we moved to Australia and had no piano for several years.
I soon found neighbours with pianos and they let me play, but with no teacher, and wanting to play more modern pieces than had I previously been allowed, I resorted to playing by ear and thumping octaves with my left hand.
When we obtained another piano I had a few lessons playing chords, and for many years that is how I played.
In my dotage I have returned to playing music as it is written, albeit easy arrangements where possible.
Why not try playing with the chords, most sheet music provides the chords, and you could try opening the chords which provides a more mellow sound and also allows for improvisation.
There are purists in all fields of endeavour, but when it comes to music, as with most things, the bottom line is...enjoy it...
A natural ear is a wonderful thing..you are less restricted..so play to your heart's content...anyway you like....and enjoy.

[Gill the Piano]

You can also get chord picture books which have photo's of the chords on the keyboard if you need them; several of my customers have found those useful.
As a confirmed sheet music dependent, I envy you the ability to play by ear - you always want what you ain't got!

[Seaffuryfan]

This is a quick reply to say thank you all to replying to my question. I'm afraid I'm a bit wrapped up in 'family things' at the moment but wanted to let you know I'm appreciative of your comments. I wil give them all a considered response in due course, so when you see this pop up to the top in the near future you can be assured of a 'proper' reply.

Which leaves me with a question for myself: when am I going to have time to play the piano??

Regards,

Rick

[Geminoz]

You surprise me Gill...I thought all piano tuners had a natural ear
I must admit there is nothing nicer or more satisfying than playing the written music....but every now and then it's nice to be able to play a tune you haven't managed to get the music for.

[Seaffuryfan]

Hello again, I'm going to find time to get a bit of practice in every day if possible. I think some basic chord work along to tunes which I enjoy listening to would be a start.

Can anyone recommend a book of chords which might be suitable for me? I do enjoy playing a chord with the left hand and might eventually join in with the right. The chord changes can be quite complex but if a book had, as has been suggested, chords superimposed on top of the keyboard this may be helpful.

[blueberry]

Hi. Im just writing about that memorizing piano music thing. Im 14 years old and live in australia, i really love piano music, especially classic. But i dont know anything at all about piano music notes. Anyway, i have listened to alot of great music played on pianos, most of the time i dont even know the name of the person playing the music. One day i was at my friends house, and she had a piano, im not sure what type it was though. i sat down and remembered a great tune i had heard before, and then i pressed every key to see what sound they made, then i played the same tune i heard earlier, i dont know if every single key was exact, but my friends mum is a great piano player and teacher, and she asked me if i had ever played the paino before beacause i was really good. I was just wondering if it means that im just a memory player or if i have a natural gift?? thanks.

[fumbler]

Hi,

Well, you have a certain aptitude for double posting. But don't let my churlishness put you off.

I have no idea if you have a gift, or how you define a gift, or even whether it matters. Perhaps you have a nack, or, to use that word again, an aptitude for picking out a tune. I think it depends where you want to go. If you are interested in classical music then the formal read-music-and-practice path is the one to tread. You (or anyone) might be able to pay a passing rendition of a Beethoven sonata by ear, memory or pure guesswork, but for the real thing you need to get into the sheet music. If you want to be the next Errol Garner (glorious player that he was) then you're already ten years late, so get playing now!

Anyway, good luck in whatever path you chose.

Rgds.

[Gill the Piano]

Don't analyse it, Blueberry; just enjoy it!

[Bill Kibby]

The feeling of having failed is far too common with conventional teaching: If you live in East Anglia and want to learn to be a CREATIVE musician, I can help! Suppose you wanted to learn to draw, and someone told you that for every picture you want to draw, you must buy a booklet costing several pounds, which tells you exactly what to draw and how to draw it, what shapes, colours and positions - everything! Imagine, you must never pick up a pencil and doodle, only do what the booklet tells you! That doesn't sound much like art to me, and it's certainly not CREATIVE art, yet the same type of argument is used all the time for music, and many people seem to think that you can't play properly if you don't have music in front of you. How could anyone compose new music if they didn't have the booklet to tell them what to write? Did Mozart buy a booklet which told him how to find his inspiration? No! He learned how music was put together, and used that knowledge to create things himself, from his inspiration. He used paperwork to write it down for others to read, but the music came first, not the paper! Irving Berlin was the most prolific russian-born composer, yet he was a terrible pianist, and couldn't read a note of music, he just had a natural talent for songwriting. Errol Garner was one of many famous musicians who composed, played and improvised without any bits of paper to guide him. I'm not famous, but I was brought up in a family to which making music was as natural as breathing. That doesn't mean it was always good, but it was creative, and no-one ever discussed keys signatures, bits of paper, or even names of notes. To be part of these family parties (or "jam sessions" as people might call them now) I had to join in and learn as I went along, although I had the advantage that my Dad was the principal musician of the bunch. He didn't teach me theory because he didn't know much of it himself, he just played lots of different instruments, especially the banjo, at which he excelled. The music they played was mainly the popular music that his generation was brought up on, but all the rules of music were in there somewhere, and I found it easy to apply them to learning the current popular music that was around in the sixties, and right through to the new millennium. Over the past forty-odd years, I have worked on trying to write down the rules of music as I see them, and I have put together a course which goes through them in a logical sequence, so that no-one is expected to do things they haven't learnt yet, and one skill is learned at a time, as opposed to the system which expects complete beginners to read music, work out which notes it represents, find them on the keyboard, and play two hands all at once! Mine is not a quick or easy method, but it is a CREATIVE one. Being good at music requires a lot of time and effort, and you need to have the type of mind which asks questions and seeks answers. Unfortunately, because most people hear music for years before they start to play, you will have to start by playing things which seem very simple and boring, but that is true of learning anything thoroughly. I also go through a lot of practical exercises before attempting to deal with reading music.

[Geminoz]

Your comments are soooo true Bill and I'm sure will give a lot of people the incentive to "give it a go".
I particularly liked the comparison with art.
While I did have structured piano lessons, exams etc in my youth I do enjoy thumping out a tune by ear as much as playing from written music. Not sure how much the neighbours like listening to it though
I couldn't draw a straight line, never mind a complete picture while at school, but a few years ago I decided I wanted to paint...and so I did, rather badly at first, but with lots of practice!!!! , while I will never class myself as an artist, any more than I consider myself a pianist, I gradually managed to paint pictures that people actually like.
But the bottom line is I enjoy it as much as I enjoy playing my piano.
My advice to anyone wanting to do anything artistic....is give it a go, you just might surprise yourself, and hey, what does it matter if no one else appreciates your efforts as long as you enjoy it.

[Gill the Piano]

Hear hear! Aduts are too aware of how a piece 'should' sound, whereas a kid will shove me off the piano stool and say "Listen to what I can play" and proceed to play the most dreadful rendition of Three Blind Mice - and will be utterly thrilled with the performance. Which is exactly how it should be; we are tyrranised by recorded music, as we never hear an imperfect performance.We don't hear what endes up on the cutting room floor! There's a brilliant book called 'The Inner Game of Music' by Barry Green (I think - no relation, anyway!) which teaches you to silence the Inner Critic (the nasty little voice that tells you you're no good, never will be ads good as Ashkenazy, etc., etc..) and to play to your best capability.
Which is all one could ask for really!

[Geminoz]

Ah well....I have to admit it....that was one of the very basics of my early piano lessons...and was a constant as I progressed through the grades..scales.....scales.....scales....scales....and more scales .
I guess if you don't have someone to teach you the basics, it's a matter of finding a book of scales and practising.
I taught myself to type....and although I started with two fingers, it wasn't long before I was using all fingers on the correct keys.
Maybe my piano lessons were in part responsible for that too.
With determination and practice everything is possible.