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Do you know anyone at a similar standard to yourself? It can be great fun learning duets. It forces you to practise because you don't want to let the team down and when you come together to play the duet it's a brilliant feeling to make music as part of a piano duet.

Another similar (ish) idea would be to try and find a very easy piano concerto of some kind, perhaps where someone has created a very simple version of a piano concerto and then play along with the CD so that you can hear the orchestra. That can give you that sense of ensemble too which I find helps if you are feeling unmotivated.

Just my thoughts

Hi there

You've clearly worked hard and achieved ... For that you should be congratulating yourself. You've proved you have learning ability so hopefully this is just a 'blip', and you will feel better about it all very soon.

I can understand what you mean though. I've just turned 60 (Oh no!!!) and have been playing my little keyboard for only a short time - ie lessons for the past 10'ish weeks, so very much a beginner. I did have the advantage of getting to Grade 3 (but failed it) when I was a child, so I did have some basic, although extremely rusty, skills.

Oh yes, it's hard and some days/weeks, I think it's all in vain, that I can't learn it but then tell myself I could have 20 years of playing piano ahead of me (Ha!!!) and folks can get to Grade 8 in maybe 9 years, so even if I can get to a respectable Grade 5 or 6, I think I will have done well.

It's certainly easy to wish you had started before this time in your life but that's just how it is. I often wish, when hearing some beautifully played music, that I could play like that. Maybe it will never happen, but it certainly won't if I don't give it a chance.

The main thing, though, I think, is whether you enjoy playing piano. If you do, then enjoy. You'll find you can do something that you couldn't do last week, or last month, and realise you HAVE made progress. It seems normal to plateux at times, just try to stick with it.

Good luck, hope you get inspired again so very soon, eh?

Could you put an ad up in the Worcester shop asking for another adult beginner to join you in duets? Try to phrase it so it doesn't sound like an ad off a postcard in a 'phone box though...! That was a brilliant suggestion of Mark's. Shame you aren't closer to me here in civilisation. I have some brilliant Diabelli duets on just 5 notes which are great fun and boost the confidence. You have worked so hard and done so well that it would be a crime to lose it now, cariad!

Hi DaveBrun

Please don't dispair!!! I went away for 8 days over Easter. The family I stayed with had a keyboard so, although I hadn't taken my books and couldn't remember how to play any of the tunes, I did practice scales and so forth. However, once back home, I couldn't play anything with any suggestion of having played it before! Argh!!! It took me over a week of hard practice to pick it up again.

So, what I'm saying is, what you have already learnt will still be there but it might take a bit of hoicking out of the depths!!!

I would have thought the suggestion of finding someone of similar level to play duets with was a brilliant idea. Do you perhaps have Freecycle Netcafe in your area, where you could post - it would get wide local circulation.

The other thing I would strongly recommend is to get a teacher again. They are so good at motivating you, encouraging you and directing you as to how to progress. I suspect this would help no end. Obviously, there is the financial aspect which may be an issue with you. Your local music shop may well have a list of teachers that you could contact.

To me, it sounds you maybe just need some encouragement to get started again, then you would surely enjoy it again...

I'm sure you will get lots of encouragement and support from here

Good luck

Cheers
PS Live in Suffolk - so over on t'other side of country - what a shame, eh?
Have sent you PM

I can't open them...

I've played my piano in the buff you know!

I'm not sure that we want to know about that ... , do we???

Mental image of Terry Jones as the bare-arsed organist on Monty Python...

Hi
Congratulations on the distinction. DON'T GIVE UP! I am 51 and started piano lessons when I was 35. Unlike you I have never had the nerve to take an exam but intend to at some point. After a number of years without lessons I finally went back to them a couple of years ago starting around grade 2 -3. I am now working on grade 5. The reason I have finally progressed after feeling just like you do is that I now have time to practice and I am more disciplined when practising the technical stuff. I also have a great teacher. My let down as I said is overcoming my fears and taking an exam which I have to do if I want to reach my goal of being able to teach it.

BevJ

dave brum wrote:I have also been thinking about returning to piano lessons, possibly it may have been that I was set too many 'targets' by my former teacher that made the enjoyment factor of playing disappear. I know everyone says 'you must get a teacher if you want to learn to play properly' but is it really worth it if you know the sheer pleasure and love of playing is at risk???

If the only thing that stops you from getting a teacher is that you disliked your former teacher, you should go for it. I mean, you just had a bad luck last time. Would you never talk to a woman after divorce or breaking off relationships, to give an example? It is the same. If things didn't work once, it doesn't mean they won't work anymore. If you will be persistent and devoted, success will come.

Hi Pianolove

Thanks for the vote of confidence.

I'm working out of LCM exam book. - Beethoven's six variations, The Owlglass, Menuetto and Drifting.
I've also just got Pam Wedgwood's after hours book 2 and playing The Man with a Crooked Stick and No Regrets.