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Yep... I'm 72 and still thoroughly enjoy playing Keyboard and Electric Guitar for paid gigs and fun !
www.jemusic.co.uk
55+? What was the first popular song you learned to play on the keyboard?
- Thread starter ellienmarty
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www.jemusic.co.uk
Going back neigh on 60 years my Father arrived home one night with a battered acoustic guitar for me.
I was hooked, and my first purchase was a set of tuner pipes and Bert Weedon’s Tune A Day DIY guitar book from which I learned to play Buttons and Bows.
At the time was a pretty cool song and was in the UK charts with Tommy Bruce sort of singing it (voice like Lee Marvin in Paint Your Wagon but with a mouthfull of gravel).
I was hooked, and my first purchase was a set of tuner pipes and Bert Weedon’s Tune A Day DIY guitar book from which I learned to play Buttons and Bows.
At the time was a pretty cool song and was in the UK charts with Tommy Bruce sort of singing it (voice like Lee Marvin in Paint Your Wagon but with a mouthfull of gravel).
happyrat1
Destroyer of Eardrums!!!
I'm surprised nobody so far has mentioned Chopsticks.
To be honest that may actually be the first tune I ever worked out on any keyboard.
Gary
To be honest that may actually be the first tune I ever worked out on any keyboard.
Gary
Self taught, so likely it was In a Gadda Da Vida with a makeshift 13 year old garage band in my friend's house. They had a Lowery organ in the living room. The guitar player in our very bad "band" was Paul Smith aka Paul Reed Smith (PRS Guitars). We never played any where but that living room or someone's garage.
'Are there any members 55yrs or older' - Yes, there is. I'm 88yrs young. My musical taste is the wonderful songs of those song composers of 20's 30's 40's and 50's. The jazz musicians - The big bands - The vocalists - And of course the Gershwins, Porters, Berlins, and many others of this world. All these people had 'ACTUAL TALENT AND ABILITY'. I still play my Tyros4 keyboard, and enjoy every minute of 'my old songs'. -- My very best wishes to you -- Email me if you wish.
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Welcome to the forums, @theleans!
I deleted where you accidentally posted the quote by itself before replying to it. I also removed your email address from your reply, because spammers and worse can scrape forum pages like this one for email addresses to harvest. It's best not to include your email address in a publicly-viewable post. Instead, add your email address on your forum profile and let other members contact you by sending you a private message or emailing you via your profile.
I deleted where you accidentally posted the quote by itself before replying to it. I also removed your email address from your reply, because spammers and worse can scrape forum pages like this one for email addresses to harvest. It's best not to include your email address in a publicly-viewable post. Instead, add your email address on your forum profile and let other members contact you by sending you a private message or emailing you via your profile.
Wow, did I miss this thread the first time around. I was 62 then, 63 now.
Man, do I play anything "popular?" Probably Linus and Lucy by Vince Guaraldi comes closest, but I didn't learn that on a keyboard. The first project I took on primarily with the keyboard is Toccata in A by Pietro Domenico Paradisi (Paradies) which I understand made the top 40 in 18th century Italy. It's my keyboard project using the harpsichord voice. And I do mean project. It looks simple on paper, but I'm finding playing it to tempo to be a real challenge. I'm far from there yet.
I have considered learning In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida on my keyboard. That was one of my practice pieces as a drummer in my teens. My parents planted themselves with martinis in the far opposite corner of the house when I practiced that, and I used headphones for the backing. I have a feeling, though, that the keyboard part for In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida would be about as exciting to play as the piano part for Take Five. It would be fine if I was supporting a great sax player (which was the original plan), but all by myself, I don't find that satisfying.
Man, do I play anything "popular?" Probably Linus and Lucy by Vince Guaraldi comes closest, but I didn't learn that on a keyboard. The first project I took on primarily with the keyboard is Toccata in A by Pietro Domenico Paradisi (Paradies) which I understand made the top 40 in 18th century Italy. It's my keyboard project using the harpsichord voice. And I do mean project. It looks simple on paper, but I'm finding playing it to tempo to be a real challenge. I'm far from there yet.
I have considered learning In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida on my keyboard. That was one of my practice pieces as a drummer in my teens. My parents planted themselves with martinis in the far opposite corner of the house when I practiced that, and I used headphones for the backing. I have a feeling, though, that the keyboard part for In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida would be about as exciting to play as the piano part for Take Five. It would be fine if I was supporting a great sax player (which was the original plan), but all by myself, I don't find that satisfying.
After seeing a few mentions of Telstar, I might have to try learning it! The football team I support, East Fife, play the tune as the players run out onto the pitch!
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I didn't have a keyboard or piano first. It was a Conn 302 Strummer organ. The first tune I learned was Ann Murray's Snowbird in an easy organ arrangement.
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"Let's Make the Water Turn Black" an early Frank Zappa comp. The song gave several chords progressing in quick succession for a beginner on guitar or piano to master.
And of course, it featured Zappa's iconoclastic humor.
"Information is not knowledge.
Knowledge is not wisdom.
Wisdom is not truth.
Truth is not beauty.
Beauty is not love.
Love is not music.
Music is THE BEST."
Frank Zappa
And of course, it featured Zappa's iconoclastic humor.
"Information is not knowledge.
Knowledge is not wisdom.
Wisdom is not truth.
Truth is not beauty.
Beauty is not love.
Love is not music.
Music is THE BEST."
Frank Zappa
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Apologies in advance for the following life story!
When I learned piano at the age of 11 (1950), my teacher chose "Annie Laurie" followed by "Danny Boy" and I guess that spelled the end for piano lessons - although I persevered for another year. In 1958, I joined a local skiffle group and played tea chest. "Wreck of the Old '97", "Wabash Canonball" and "John Henry" took over with a vengeance (I can still sing all the words!); there were also some trad jazz bands that I also sat in with on my string bass. In 1960, I embraced pop & rock and I also played a little modern jazz at the local hostelry - I felt like a "real musician", playing jazz and some standards as part of a quartet.
Then saw a major move. My rock & pop band broke up and the sax player (Bob Xavier) and I teamed up with the rhythm section of Jimmy Justice's band (The Jury) and enticed a guitarist named Albert Lee to join us. I went back on piano and Albert (who is a brilliant piano player as well as one of the best guitarists in the world) showed me a few tricks and licks which I used remorselessly for the next two years. We played gigs at The Putney Ballroom, The Orchid (Purley) and the Kilburn State Ballroom, together with the 2I's, Whisky-a-Gogo, Harlequin Ballroom at Harlow etc., etc. As the song says: Those were the best days of my life. We played everything from "Pepe" to "What'd I say?" and even stuff like "The A Train" and "In the Mood". I still talk to Albert and our old singer, Ron Roker via e-mail and try to see Albert when he's touring over here. I'm trying to locate our old drummer (Terry Aris) but, so far, without success. Pat Collinson, our bass player now lives in France and still does the occasional gig. If anyone knows any of these guys, please get in touch.
When I learned piano at the age of 11 (1950), my teacher chose "Annie Laurie" followed by "Danny Boy" and I guess that spelled the end for piano lessons - although I persevered for another year. In 1958, I joined a local skiffle group and played tea chest. "Wreck of the Old '97", "Wabash Canonball" and "John Henry" took over with a vengeance (I can still sing all the words!); there were also some trad jazz bands that I also sat in with on my string bass. In 1960, I embraced pop & rock and I also played a little modern jazz at the local hostelry - I felt like a "real musician", playing jazz and some standards as part of a quartet.
Then saw a major move. My rock & pop band broke up and the sax player (Bob Xavier) and I teamed up with the rhythm section of Jimmy Justice's band (The Jury) and enticed a guitarist named Albert Lee to join us. I went back on piano and Albert (who is a brilliant piano player as well as one of the best guitarists in the world) showed me a few tricks and licks which I used remorselessly for the next two years. We played gigs at The Putney Ballroom, The Orchid (Purley) and the Kilburn State Ballroom, together with the 2I's, Whisky-a-Gogo, Harlequin Ballroom at Harlow etc., etc. As the song says: Those were the best days of my life. We played everything from "Pepe" to "What'd I say?" and even stuff like "The A Train" and "In the Mood". I still talk to Albert and our old singer, Ron Roker via e-mail and try to see Albert when he's touring over here. I'm trying to locate our old drummer (Terry Aris) but, so far, without success. Pat Collinson, our bass player now lives in France and still does the occasional gig. If anyone knows any of these guys, please get in touch.
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I'm 64 now, as far as I know, music wasn't invented back then!
I can't remember what the first popular song I leaned was but I did play Inna-Gadda Da-Vidi in my first band at a little public school in 1969. We also tried to play some Beatles tunes but I can't remember what they would have been. We didn't have a singer so everything was instrumental. Our bass player was terrified and hid behind his amp.
I can't remember what the first popular song I leaned was but I did play Inna-Gadda Da-Vidi in my first band at a little public school in 1969. We also tried to play some Beatles tunes but I can't remember what they would have been. We didn't have a singer so everything was instrumental. Our bass player was terrified and hid behind his amp.
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They used to produce short bass players in those days? In my day (10 years earlier) we were all big, strapping chaps and the amplifiers tended to be pretty small affairs.
Rayblewit
Love Music / Love Life
I turned 94 in July. I still play 3 or4 times a month, mostly freebees. No notion what my first song was. Way to long ago.
Hi Mike,
No need for apologies. T'was an interesting story. I'm an 88yr old, and still play my keyboard very regularly at home, whilst the gigs have long since departed. Great. I can now play 'what I want to play and listen to'. !! Instead of 'cow-towing' to audiences. However, on balance, I did enjoy my 40odd years of gigging. - Cheers. - Hope you find your old mates.
ColinL
No need for apologies. T'was an interesting story. I'm an 88yr old, and still play my keyboard very regularly at home, whilst the gigs have long since departed. Great. I can now play 'what I want to play and listen to'. !! Instead of 'cow-towing' to audiences. However, on balance, I did enjoy my 40odd years of gigging. - Cheers. - Hope you find your old mates.
ColinL