Retirement plan - learning to play the piano - any suggestions?

MisterE

MisterE

Fractal Fanatic
I'm retiring in a couple of months and I'm thinking about learning to play the piano.
I was screwing around with an old midi keyboard and an couple of plug-ins while working on a song and that got me interested.
Anyone have any suggestions for a good course for beginners?
I was also looking at a good keyboard and was thinking of getting the M-Audio Keystation 88 MK3.
Or does any one have a better suggestion.
Thanks.
 
Great idea, and good luck with it!

M-Audio gear is definitely not what I'd go for if you're serious about it. I had one of their Midi controllers and absolutely hated it - had it away at work with me and it ended up in the trash.

What's your budget for an instrument/controller? Is acoustic an option? I would start looking at piano teachers in your area.
 
I'm looking at a midi controller because, eventually, I want to play around with synth sounds an organs and so.
For the moment I'm looking at a basic controllers without all the extra pads, sliders and whatnot.
The cheapest possible with 88 keys.
That's why I was considering the M-Audio.
It gets some good reviews and is dirt cheap - €205.
If I get good at it, in time, I will consider buying a decent controller with weighted keys and all.
But for the moment, I just want something good to get me started.
As far as teachers are concerned...
Considering the current health issues and the fact that, where I live, they are rare, I'm looking at online courses or software.
Of course, these won't help me with my posture ;)
So I'll have to keep that in mind and also stay motivated.
 
A friend of mine started with the Artistworks piano course and made great strides in no time. The instructor gives you paced lessons and you get to submit videos which he critiques and advises you what to focus on. Based on his success I'd highly recommend it.
 
My only advice is to set a schedule for everything you'[re going to do in retirement.

I'm watching my father in retirement and honestly it's frickin' pitiful. He has a massive brain and all kinds of talent and yet he's in the basement right now watching Fox News I'm sure. He complains about being bored. He has so little imagination that last weekend he said he might go and find a job because he's so bored.

Actually I think it's because he has no money, because he was asking me to help him figure out how to get the VA to pay up on his diabetes, had a real hard time swallowing the fact that it's in no way a service connected disability. He's too proud to say so, of course.

Just make sure your shit's straight, please.

As for the piano, be willing to start from the bottom musically. Scales and children's songs and music. It's a completely new skillset and you have to be willing to build entirely new neural pathways from scratch.

Which leads me to being patient. As a person of a certain age you are not going to be able to learn as fast as you learned guitar with your young plastic teenage brain (I assume that's when you picked up guitar). You do have the advantage of already being a musician, but still manage your own expectations and just enjoy it.

I have an old M-Audio es61 that, as a piano, isn't great. As a MIDI controller it's fine. It's fine to start out on the cheap but like the guys were saying above, you get what you pay for and if you need for the keys to feel good on order to maintain your enjoyment and drive then you want to plus up to something with weighted keys that actually feels like a piano. MIDI controllers and workstations are just that. They're controllers and creating tools, not necessarily performance instruments.
 
Luckily I'm not that old, I get to retire at 59 ;)
But you're right.
I should be patient, and definitely make a plan.
That's what I want to do.
But first I have to find a course that suits me.
I've been playing for a couple of hours and can already play Don't Stop Believin' - albeit the two handed part separately.
Now I have to work on playing them together :)
The idea is to be able to play chords and stuff, not the noodling - I'll do that on my guitar.
I'll definitely have a look at the Alesis.
Thanks
 
Retirement is wonderful, so long as you plan for it and are ready for the change. I have no idea how I got anything done while working, because I am always busy now, even though I should have 40-60 extra hours every week. I'm in my second year and am loving it.

I have a used Casio Privia console piano that I plink around on, and also would like to learn more. It isn't a professional action, but it is a great learner piano, with lots of additional sounds. They are cheap on the used market.

After decades of getting the right and left hands in time with one another, I find the difficult thing on piano is getting them to separate! Slow and steady wins the race, I guess. Just make sure to set aside a specific schedule and stick to it. Unlike the regular job, it is really easy to let 100 other things take that time every day.
 
Retirement can be a joy from what I’ve seen from my dad. He has thrived in retirement. He has taken on a bunch of art and design projects and has become more active in the community.

I used to play piano, guess I technically still do. I you can, during the COVID era, try to play some real pianos to learn how they feel. Then when you choose an electric piano, get one that feels like a real piano. That way it won’t be so awkward when you switch between your electric piano and a real one.
 
I'm not actually going to get a real piano in time, if I get any good a t it.
As I mentioned, I wanted to fool around with synths and such so I will probably get a good master keyboard or controller with weighted keys.
In the meantime, I've also been looking at some online lessons like:
  • Skoov
  • Flowkey
  • Playground Sessions
  • Piano For All
...
 
I've learned to play a few songs on the piano since the late 80's but only really learned piano in 2012 because my then Radiohead tribute band was offered a few gigs in Italy and Turkey, and our keyboard player didn't want to go. So I practiced my ass off for a month and a half using his notes and using youtube vids like these:



Just for fun (and cause I like Muse) I actually tried to learn that song. I wrote down every note and used to learn to play like that. It's probably akin to learning a trick, and not really learning the instrument. But it did help me to learn how to play because I think if you can learn how to play a song like that, you have pretty much learned the basics of the instrument. Like learning how to play guitar by learning to play a Steve Vai song. Probably not the smartest way to do it, but nobody ever said humans were smart.
 
My idea has already been shut down but...
Scope craigslist for a month or two and get a baby grand for free or $200-500 and pay delivery
 
Muad'zin said:
.... It's probably akin to learning a trick, and not really learning the instrument. ...
Click to expand...
In a similar vein, I have the mad dream of doing what this guy did, some time before I die...
learn Chopin's Ballade No. 1 in G minor (but nothing else :p)

I bought the book, have the sheet music, but I dunno...

"Play It Again: An Amateur Against the Impossible" by Alan Rusbridger
Amazon product ASIN 0374232911
 
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