Keyboard for Musically Challenged Individual?

[DigiDave]

Thanks for the continued support guys. Your breakdown is well descriptive Alchemy, but a little too soon for me to take in. Additionally I pretty much struggle with imaging words - but I am sure once I understand more of the theory in the months I'll be able to ready others more clearly. Thanks for those wiki links too.

I have favourited the YouTube tutorials Cowboy. Excellent tuition for my level of learning. Especially love the Fur Elise one. Good Call - much appreciated.

Thanks for the kind words Ray (I hope I got your name right/alias?) Classical was my preference by far on guitar, although played on steel string. I did better with picking out the melodies and later enjoy picking bass using one of Tommy Emanuel's Tab Books. I just never wen far because I lacked the confidence due to my lack of understanding of theory and not being able to read music. That's about to change.

I'm still yet to finish laminating my own flash cards and altering the data from the DVDs and CDs. More photocopying and what not. I have more books in transit and still contemplating my approach. Whilst I take this time to do all these things ... which is actually time consuming and takes me a bit to fit into my routine; I am learning already despite leaving the keyboard covered.

I'm sure I will have a few questions as soon as I've nailed my approach and straddle the keys.

 

[DigiDave]

Had a lot on today, but manged to finish the Treble and Base Clef Note Flash Cards today. Took a bit of doing from downloading, printing, cutting, laminating and then cutting again - but very rewarding in the end. Not exactly cheap as chips online for a full set. 48 notes in total. I can say with certainty that learning this way is very helpful. I seem to be coming up with my own way of remember using both acronyms and landmark imaging as well as reversing the alphabet all at the same time to nail the answers rather quickly. I can see there will be a learning curve going from the flash card to the sheet, however I'm confident I'll be ready for that when it counts.

Laminating them makes the notes stand out more and it's a whole lot easier to shuffle them:

​

I ended up printing more flash cards:

• Note Values
• Dynamics
• Intervals
• Key Signatures
• Rest Values
• Tempo Markings
• Time Signatures

I'm yet to cut and laminate those - but by the time I do, I'll know a lot more than I currently do. : )
http://linkwaregraphics.com/music/flashcards/

Great way to learn the music!

 

[Fred Coulter]

I am still yet to pick out a Goal Song. I've red that's really important ... having something to work towards.

One of the City Commissioners for the city I work for told me that her goal song is the entire Well Tempered Clavier. I'm not sure if she means both books, or just book 1. Either way, it's a heck of a challenge.

I'm not sure what I'd set as a goal song; there's so much good music out there. One possibility I've thought of is arranging The Planets for electronic keyboards. I've seen an arrangement for organ, which would be a good starting point. Then comes the picking of sounds, etc. (There's no good reason to limit myself to either authentic organ sounds or the original orchestra sounds.) But I need to get my chops in much better shape.

I would not work on an easy version of your goal song. Transitioning to the "real" version may be more difficult if you've got the easy one in hand.

 

[Alchemy]

One of the City Commissioners for the city I work for told me that her goal song is the entire Well Tempered Clavier. I'm not sure if she means both books, or just book 1. Either way, it's a heck of a challenge.

I'm not sure what I'd set as a goal song; there's so much good music out there. One possibility I've thought of is arranging The Planets for electronic keyboards. I've seen an arrangement for organ, which would be a good starting point. Then comes the picking of sounds, etc. (There's no good reason to limit myself to either authentic organ sounds or the original orchestra sounds.) But I need to get my chops in much better shape.

I would not work on an easy version of your goal song. Transitioning to the "real" version may be more difficult if you've got the easy one in hand.

I'm definitely not in your league of music but I have found the true answer to every question I ask is the same. Truth! When I ask a question of myself and as I am reminded of that answer I first think "how so?" Then it hits me.
BTW, with your love and knowledge of classical, and the area you live, I wonder if you know my cousin. He may not want to be identified so publically but he recently left the Florida Symphony, where he and his wife played, to move back to his home town. He is very accomplished and his wife maybe even more so.
edit "Florida Orchestra" and a couple large operas.

 

[Fred Coulter]

I'm definitely not in your league of music but I have found the true answer to every question I ask is the same. Truth! When I ask a question of myself and as I am reminded of that answer I first think "how so?" Then it hits me.
BTW, with your love and knowledge of classical, and the area you live, I wonder if you know my cousin. He may not want to be identified so publically but he recently left the Florida Symphony, where he and his wife played, to move back to his home town. He is very accomplished and his wife maybe even more so.
edit "Florida Orchestra" and a couple large operas.

Not my league, my father's. I'm just trying to do something fun.

I probably don't know your cousin, although my father's widow might. She's in Miami. Or some of the Stetson professors I know.

Opera is, for me, an unknown territory. I'm trying to learn something about it because that's what my daughter's learning in college.

But none of this matters. Play what you enjoy, and always try to improve. That's the important thing.

 

[Alchemy]

Not my league, my father's. I'm just trying to do something fun.

I probably don't know your cousin, although my father's widow might. She's in Miami. Or some of the Stetson professors I know.

Opera is, for me, an unknown territory. I'm trying to learn something about it because that's what my daughter's learning in college.

But none of this matters. Play what you enjoy, and always try to improve. That's the important thing.

I did some checking myself. We were close til we were young adults and he just sort of disappeared although I knew he was in music school since he was very young. I guess they are a lot bigger than I knew. They did a lot of trendy stuff for an orchestra and are one of the most famous in the world I guess. I was told he was first seat violinist during the 80's to about 2012. I'm still checking and collecting youtubes he's in since this jarred my memory of him. It also made me remember an uncle who's painting hung on a wall of my great grandmothers. He is in a WW! uniform with a clarinet. He played for John Phillip Sousa but I don't think I ever heard his name. I'm checking into that as well.
For me, while my cousin was in music school, I was jammin to black sabbath and gettin in trouble so there's no comparison.

 

[DigiDave]

I for sure read up on your links there Fred and you make an excellent point re the transition from one version to another of the same song. You also nail it Alchemy with the answer of Truth. A challenging perspective at the best of times, yet the most rewarding path.

Have a good day guys

 

[Alchemy]

I challenging perspective at the best of times, yet the most rewarding patch.

I'm glad for you that you know this, yes indeed

 

[DigiDave]

Corrected my Typo - I meant - rewarding Path ...

Sometime I require a brick wall and helmet before working out where my next step should be placed.

 

[Alchemy]

I'm too late now to edit mine.