55+? What was the first popular song you learned to play on the keyboard?

[chrissyr]

When I'm ready for my dirt nap I'm looking forward to all the fantastic concerts by all of the brilliant musicians we've lost in the past few decades


Gary

me too and not just 'attending' their concerts...man im gonna be PLAYING with STEVIE! ART TATUM! JOHNNY COSTA! ..its too too cool to even thinkabout!...man i cant WAit for that!!

 

[Jeremykeys]

Me, I can wait. Not in any hurry at all. Way too many material things to do. Like, fishing, tasting various fine whiskies and craft beers, trying new keyboards and guitars, doing things with my wife, eating steaks and burgers, growing and eating tomatoes. That's just the short list!

 

[RedBeard]

Tom Dooley was probably one of the first songs. Simple chords and I know that a Chuck Berry song was the first rock song I play on the ole' Stella six-string. I learned many during the piano lessons, which helped alot later, but being 70 now no one will fault me for not remembering the first one.

 

[TonyB06]

Are there any members 55 years and older?

I’m 71 and I took up keyboards about a year ago and now I play in a band www.prismbanduk.com.
It was a strange journey I played guitar for years then my hands got a bit stiff so I took up bass. Then the bass got a bit heavy for my back so I took up drums. Moving all that kit was hard work so I thought I would play something sitting down. I tried guitar but it did not seem right in a rock band so I took up keyboards and here I am.
My first band at about 12 playing Apache at the Saturday morning picture club and still at it now. Love it just as much as ever

 

[SeaGtGruff]

At least your long, strange trip has ended with you playing the only type of musical instrument that really matters-- the keyboard!

 

[Biggles]

I’m 71 and I took up keyboards about a year ago and now I play in a band www.prismbanduk.com.
It was a strange journey I played guitar for years then my hands got a bit stiff so I took up bass. Then the bass got a bit heavy for my back so I took up drums. Moving all that kit was hard work so I thought I would play something sitting down. I tried guitar but it did not seem right in a rock band so I took up keyboards and here I am.
My first band at about 12 playing Apache at the Saturday morning picture club and still at it now. Love it just as much as ever

Interesting you learned Apache, it to was one of the songs I learned to play on my guitar, sixty years later I still play it and one day I may even play it ......

Funnily enough I now play it on my keyboard, it is one of the songs that I now play on my Arranger where Korg have produced a Style and Guitar sound that are just about passable.

 

[GeraldR]

At least your long, strange trip has ended with you playing the only type of musical instrument that really matters-- the keyboard!

I find the keyboard therapeutic for my RA. But I understand: I started on piano which soon fell out of fashion for rock as amplification became bigger and better and even folkies amped up. I was a mediocre guitar player dependent borrowing my sister's Stella (My God, how many old timers started on a Stella!?) so, realizing that bass players were rare and rhythm guitar players were extra freight when getting paid, I fashioned a 5-string electric base with a regular pickup plus a Fender neck pickup for mixed bass and rhythm. However, playing bass especially with chord forms takes a lot of dexterity and strength which old guys with arthritic hands don't have - electronic keyboards have the soft touch and one can still play bass with their feet.

 

[CowboyNQ]

Some people believe that your personality can be explained by which song was Number One on the day you were born. (Okay, I might have made that up-- but it sounds like it could be true.)

On the day I was born, the Number One song in the USA was "The Chipmunk Song," which completely proves the accuracy of this theory.

http://thisdayinmusic.com/birthdayno1

I apologise for interjecting as I don’t yet fit the above age criteria, but couldn’t resist sharing that the number 1 song in Australia the day I was born was Michael Jackson’s “Ben”.

I thought Gary might appreciate that revelation given the subject matter of the song.

 

[happyrat1]

In 1972 I was legally too young to watch the Rocky horror picture show, but they'd happily sell a 16 yr old tickets to see an army of rats tear Ernest Borgnine to pieces

Gary

 

[RedBeard]

The year I was born.........Riders in the Sky....Vaughn Monroe.

 

[musicman73]

Are there any members 55 years and older?

Yes I am very young 73 y/o Englishman who loves to play and compose music on my CASIO C T K 7200

 

[CMRVA]

Green Onions- Booker T. Hold Your Head Up- Argent- Rod Argent and Jimmy Smith and Booker T were the influences that got me to go Keyboards versus guitar way back when. I'm a self taught keyboard player, so I really was not into classical at that time. Then there was In-a -gadda-da-vita...

 

[SeaGtGruff]

Welcome, @musicman73!

 

[musicman73]

No worries SeaGtGruff music to me is very therapeutic in my opinion !!

Have a great day wherever you live !

 

[richb]

I'm 55. I've played guitar for 30 years and just started playing keyboards in the last few months. I bought a Korg Grandstage and I'm loving every minute of it.

 

[rplude]

The number one song on the hit parade the dzy I ws born was Sweet Georgia Brown The year was 1925 At 94 I'm sill playing, but only freebees.

 

[rplude]

My first tune was one composed and played repeatedly by my father. It was an"Elmer's Tune" kind of a tune. Easy to learn by accident. I still play it to this day, particularly on special events. It always brings back special memoriees to those of us that are still here. Music has a unique way of doing that.