Fresh member from southern UK

[lategraduate]

Hi everyone,

I'm beginning my keyboard journey late in life, and looking forward to sharing my stumbles and successes with you all.

 

[SeaGtGruff]

Welcome, @lategraduate! We do a lot of stumbling around here, so you'll fit right in.

 

[Biggles]

Welcome

Stylophone, that took me back a good few decades, late Sixties if my old grey matter remembers.

Never did buy one but might just do so now.

Anyway good luck with your learning, you are never to late to get into playing music.

 

[lategraduate]

Thanks for the welcome, guys.

I should mention that I have also been learning violin since last September, and guitar (solid, electric) for considerably longer.

 

[Music Bird]

Hello!

 

[Rayblewit]

Welcome @lategraduate
Many of us took up learning late in life. Me too. It is a most rewarding challenge. Good luck with it.
Ray

 

[lategraduate]

I've had sight of a study whose results show that violin and piano (and by extension, keyboards in general) have learning curves of similar character once you get past the first few days. For me this is both encouraging and awe-inspiring: I know where I'll be with my keyboard in seven months' time.

I had my first serious fumble between C3 and C5 this evening, and I was surprised by how my left hand was less responsive than my right, specifically my middle and ring left-hand fingers. These are the most mobile when playing strings, while the right-hand fingers keep station on the frog end of the bow. Perhaps keyboard playing may help my fingering agility on the fiddle, if not my intonation.

For the foreseeable future there is little scope for personal tuition. I am very self-propelled (an OU graduate) and almost entirely self-taught on the violin. Has anyone any advice on the better etudes and exercises for an old, stoic, introvert wannabe keyboardist?

 

[Rayblewit]

Has anyone any advice on the better etudes and exercises for an old, stoic, introvert wannabe keyboardist?

Are you playing piano style bass left hand or acmp. style chords left hand?

 

[happyrat1]

For exercise material if you enjoy classical, Bela Bartok's "Music For Children" is public domain and free to download at this website.

For Children, Sz.42 (Bartók, Béla) - IMSLP

imslp.org

Secondly, Youtube is full of video tutorials about any subject you can suggest.

Everything from finger exercises to how to deal with repetitive stress injuries.

Finally, there are extensive tutorials on method and technique as well as theory here on the forums. You might have a bit of difficulty finding what you want but it's probably in there if you carefully browse the threads. Even if you don't find the specific item you're looking for the threads are well worth browsing.

Nice to meet ya. Here's hoping you stick around.

Gary

 

[lategraduate]

Are you playing piano style bass left hand or acmp. style chords left hand?

Thanks, Ray; I'm at that volatile and awkward stage, full of "I never really thought of that" moments. As a first guess, I'm going to follow the piano tradition. A little thought infers that this is the most adaptable (I'm possibly wrong).

 

[lategraduate]

For exercise material if you enjoy classical, Bela Bartok's "Music For Children" is public domain and free to download at this website.
...
Finally, there are extensive tutorials on method and technique as well as theory here on the forums...
Gary

Thanks, Gary; I found the Bartok piece already when I browsed the ABRSM syllabus (no, I don't plan on getting graded, just educated) for grade 1 material but the resources you've linked to will be invaluable.

I'll look for the forum hand-outs today. I didn't see them yesterday; I'm used to a more in-your-face layout such as Fiddlerman.com where the tutorials and etudes are very prominent.

 

[Rayblewit]

Peter,

I'm going to follow the piano tradition.

I was asking so that you get some relevant responses.
Personally, I cannot play bass piano.
I offer you no help at all.
Others here are well equipped to give you some good advice of which you ask.
Anyway, someday I might take the plunge to learn bass piano, so I will be curious and very interested in seeing any responses you may get.

I had my first serious fumble between C3 and C5 this evening, and I was surprised by how my left hand was less responsive than my right, specifically my middle and ring left-hand fingers.

Anything in-between C3 and C5 is like the filling in a sandwich. Those two octaves are usually the busiest in most tunes. You need to get that right! I rarely travel past C5 . . btw.
I would think that your middle and ring fingers - left hand are playing C1 and C2 octaves. . . You do need help!

Ray

 

[Biggles]

I had my first serious fumble between C3 and C5 this evening,

An OU graduate) and almost entirely self-taught on the violin.

Has anyone any advice on the better etudes and exercises for an old, stoic, introvert wannabe keyboardist?

It is the damn left hand, it is almost like it has a mind of its own.

Or rather it is expecting to be co-ordinated with what the right hand is doing.

It boils down to what is or rather what is not in your brain. Working on independent left and right hand actions will stimulate your brain to generate neural pathways that will enable you to control the actions, at least that is the theory in an article or book I read a few years ago when I started to make the transition from a stringed instrument to a keyboard. It is still a work in progress as far as my keyboard abilities are concerned.

Following up on Ray’s comment. When I started to play a keyboard I started to have lessons and the instructor asked ..... do you want to play piano or keyboard? There is a big difference in how you will be taught.

Think about what that instructor said, it does make a lot of sense.

The OU, is a great institution, I have a BA and a BSc (Hons) from them myself. I really should have a T Shirt emblazoned with “I Survived An OU Summer School”.