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I started piano lessons when I was 35 Years old - practiced 1 - 2 hours daily for 5 years and actually got up to intermediate level. Then, I got married and took on a very demanding job. My piano playing was abandoned. Now in retirement, at age 64, I find I am totally unable to play at all and can't even read music anymore. Makes me wonder if I am brain damaged. I've tried and tried for about 6 months. The debate now is whether to totally give up, sell the baby grand which I've kept tuned and repaired all this time, or to hire a classical piano teacher and try to dig all that buried knowledge out of my brain. Any ideas???
I grew up in an Italian family and as it is a tradition, someone has to be able to play the accordian. Guess who was the lucky one? I played religiously until I turned 18 and enlisted in the Army. The accordian sat in a closet for 45 years until I retired last year. Needed some refreshing, but I now find it to be an enjoyable way of passing the time.
About 25 years ago, I went to my internist in Santa Monica for my annual physical. Who was sitting in the waiting room but Lawrence Welk. We got to talking and being an accordianist himself, thought he would enjoy this riddle:
Q: What's the difference between an accordian and an onion?
A: Nobody cries when you cut an accordian in half.
One of the things that I want to do once we have moved to our new retirement home, is to learn to play a musical instrument. I am still debating on which one I would want to attempt.
Depends on what kind of music you want to play. For country, folk, and rock music the guitar is your best choice, tho bass, drums, and keyboards are also good options. For jazz, add horns as an option. If you like classical, then pick your favorite orchestral instrument. In the end its not about what you play or how well, its about how much you enjoy playing.
Depends on what kind of music you want to play. For country, folk, and rock music the guitar is your best choice, tho bass, drums, and keyboards are also good options. For jazz, add horns as an option. If you like classical, then pick your favorite orchestral instrument. In the end its not about what you play or how well, its about how much you enjoy playing.
Being of part-Irish descent, music (particularly singing) was always a part of every Family gathering, when we were young. I began playing accordion at about 8 years old, but during the early '50's, that was no longer "cool" for a young, pre-pubescent fella; you had to play guitar, or drums!
When I got the teen years, I naturally gravitated to a drumset a neighbor kid had. He & I used to trade different licks, trying to out-do each other, but also to learn how to play to recorded music. Because I had a part-time job, I had some money coming in that I saved-up, so I could buy that red-sparkle beginner's drumset at my former accordion teacher's shop. Then, I joined-up with some guitar players from my high school. we formed the school's sock-hop dance band.
Many years later, post-marriage, relocation, and a re-awakened desire to play music again, I bought into another drumset, and began auditioning with various Country Music dance bands in the area where we were living, at that time. Ended-up working with some very-talented Country Music "stars" - and many not-so-bright dim-bulbs, too; the music 'biz' is full of 'em.
Once we get retired, I'm hoping I can pick-up the sticks again, and begin gigging with some old friends who are still playing, too. It won't be as intense as when I was playing full-time, but (hopefully) it'll be fun!
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Being of part-Irish descent, music (particularly singing) was always a part of every Family gathering, when we were young. I began playing accordion at about 8 years old, but during the early '50's, that was no longer "cool" for a young, pre-pubescent fella; you had to play guitar, or drums!
When I got the teen years, I naturally gravitated to a drumset a neighbor kid had. He & I used to trade different licks, trying to out-do each other, but also to learn how to play to recorded music. Because I had a part-time job, I had some money coming in that I saved-up, so I could buy that red-sparkle beginner's drumset at my former accordion teacher's shop. Then, I joined-up with some guitar players from my high school. we formed the school's sock-hop dance band.
Many years later, post-marriage, relocation, and a re-awakened desire to play music again, I bought into another drumset, and began auditioning with various Country Music dance bands in the area where we were living, at that time. Ended-up working with some very-talented Country Music "stars" - and many not-so-bright dim-bulbs, too; the music 'biz' is full of 'em.
Once we get retired, I'm hoping I can pick-up the sticks again, and begin gigging with some old friends who are still playing, too. It won't be as intense as when I was playing full-time, but (hopefully) it'll be fun!
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I started my teenage musical adventures playing the drums on a borrowed set. After a couple of weeks of daily practice, my parents bought me a guitar.
I've been playing on and off since then, but I'd also like to get back into playing on a regular basis. I suspect that when we retire, it won't too hard to find people my age to play with.
I started piano lessons when I was 35 Years old - practiced 1 - 2 hours daily for 5 years and actually got up to intermediate level. Then, I got married and took on a very demanding job. My piano playing was abandoned. Now in retirement, at age 64, I find I am totally unable to play at all and can't even read music anymore. Makes me wonder if I am brain damaged. I've tried and tried for about 6 months. The debate now is whether to totally give up, sell the baby grand which I've kept tuned and repaired all this time, or to hire a classical piano teacher and try to dig all that buried knowledge out of my brain. Any ideas???
Does it have to be classical music?
You might try buying an Aebersold play-along CD and giving simple jazz a try. Lead sheets have a tiny fraction of the complexity of written out classical tunes.
Personally, I think that people really need to break loose from printed music anyhow. It's a crutch.
Not yet retired, but soon, I hope! I started taking acoustic guitar lessons about a year ago. Don't practice as much as I should but am definitely making progress and I really like it. Go for it!
Knowing nothing about the OP, I'd suggest a $200 Fender bass and a copy of Rocksmith.
I second the bass idea, but don't just try to learn via Youtube videos and books. Hire a teacher. The private music teacher industry has suffered greatly from the advent of Youtube "lessons", as has the quality of musical ability in new musicians. I'm sure OP isn't looking to audition for some band, but the social aspect of taking instrument lessons can be pretty rewarding in itself, if you get a pleasant teacher who understands that conversation and relationship can be as important as proper technique, with older students.
I started my teenage musical adventures playing the drums on a borrowed set. After a couple of weeks of daily practice, my parents bought me a guitar.
I've been playing on and off since then, but I'd also like to get back into playing on a regular basis. I suspect that when we retire, it won't too hard to find people my age to play with.
That's right ... Hopefully, some of the older players I used to work for will still be around, and still playing.
You just never know who you're going to run into (again)!
One of my best friends & his DW own a dancehall and restaurant in Texas. They have a terrific house band, but occasionally need a sit-in. Just being there will be "old home week" with old instrumentalists coming & going ... I hope to be able to find a group that way
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OP, I'm not quite retired yet, but I did take up piano in my late 40s (I am now 56) and I love it. I have always wanted to play -- when I was a kid my mom saved up and bought me a used piano, but then we couldn't afford the lessons. These days I mostly play by ear using a bunch of "fake books," where you play the melody with your right hand and chords with your left hand.
What I love about playing this way is (a) you can sound (to non-musicians) like you know how to play and (b) you can see progress SO quickly, which of course is very gratifying. Once you learn the chords, the rest is pretty simple.
You can also play "games" with music theory, e.g. transposing songs into different chords. You know right away if you are playing the right melody and chords because you can hear any mistakes. Having to think through which chords go with which notes in the melody is quite a workout for my brain (as well as my fingers).
At some point I would like to take lessons AND get better (faster) at reading music, but for now I enjoy what I can do. It is very relaxing!
Best of luck to you, and let us know which instrument(s) you choose!
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