Can everyone learn to play Piano...

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fustercluck

fustercluck

Diamond Member
Dec 29, 2002
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Is it possible for all people to learn how to play the piano with two hands simultaneously? I have a hard time believing i'll ever be able to do it. I can't fathom playing two different tunes with two different hands at the same time, it just seems impossible when you think about it. Is there something wrong with my brain where only one limb can work efficiently at a single time or do i likely just have to keep practicing?
 
J

Juice Box

Diamond Member
Nov 7, 2003
9,615
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isint it, theoretically, like typing? Once you learn the notes and their order, its simply putting the "words" together
 
H

Heisenberg

Lifer
Dec 21, 2001
10,621
1
0
I don't think every person can do it. I've tried to learn in the past - I can half-ass it, but I know I'll never be really good. I'll just stick to guitar and bass I guess.
 
K

kogase

Diamond Member
Sep 8, 2004
5,213
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Originally posted by: DLeRium
Originally posted by: kogase
Just have to keep at it.
Click to expand...

Half of music is practice. The other half is talent. There are some things you just will never be able to do no matter how much you practice.
Click to expand...

Can that be proven? Or is it just a belief you hold? If that's the case I find your input worthless.

I started with simple stuff and worked my way up. Slowly but surely learning to play things of greater complexity. All it takes is perseverence.
 
MBrown

MBrown

Diamond Member
Jul 5, 2001
5,726
35
91
Its not that hard. I dont technically know how to play piano but I play around with both hands. It prolly comes easier to me because I play the sax and drums.
 
Schadenfroh

Schadenfroh

Elite Member
Mar 8, 2003
38,416
4
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Can the one armed drummer from Def Lepord play the drums?

Yes


If someone were to hack an arm off of a (insert random piano player), he/she could probably learn how to play again, would not have the range of sound, but hey... cant have everything.


Wait... this thread is about everyone being able to play the piano and not one armed piano players? Darn it.... someone start one about one armed piano players!
 
O

oboeguy

Diamond Member
Dec 7, 1999
3,907
0
76
Originally posted by: kogase
Originally posted by: DLeRium
Originally posted by: kogase
Just have to keep at it.
Click to expand...

Half of music is practice. The other half is talent. There are some things you just will never be able to do no matter how much you practice.
Click to expand...

Can that be proven? Or is it just a belief you hold? If that's the case I find your input worthless.

I started with simple stuff and worked my way up. Slowly but surely learning to play things of greater complexity. All it takes is perseverence.
Click to expand...

Honestly, if you have to ask, you'll never know. It IS true. I doubt you have as much talent as, say, Alfred Brendel, so you'll never play piano consistently as well as he does, no matter how hard you practice. That doesn't mean you can't play a particular piece beautifully, though. I'll never play the oboe consistently as well as Alex Klein.
 
S

Suspicious-Teach8788

Lifer
Feb 19, 2001
20,155
23
81
Originally posted by: kogase
Originally posted by: DLeRium
Originally posted by: kogase
Just have to keep at it.
Click to expand...

Half of music is practice. The other half is talent. There are some things you just will never be able to do no matter how much you practice.
Click to expand...

Can that be proven? Or is it just a belief you hold? If that's the case I find your input worthless.

I started with simple stuff and worked my way up. Slowly but surely learning to play things of greater complexity. All it takes is perseverence.
Click to expand...

How do some people play better than others by barely practicing? How can some play by ear so naturally? It's all talent. Just like some people pick up sports a lot faster. You can train all you want but you may never be NFL quality. Practice isn't just all there is. If it were, then playing piano professionally would be just like getting a job like being an engineer.... anyone could be one.

I can't exactly offer you proof on paper, but as a pianist myself I have seen many people who just can't really get it. Sure they can play by reading, but it will never be the quality of some other better piano players. Music is an art. It's not just a skill. We all can type 100wpm if we tried, but piano isn't just pressing hte right keys at the right time. YOu don't play by memory, but rather you let the energy flow through you, and you don't need to remember how you need to press a certain key. Rather it just comes to you as you go into the song.
 
K

kogase

Diamond Member
Sep 8, 2004
5,213
0
0
Originally posted by: DLeRium
How do some people play better than others by barely practicing? How can some play by ear so naturally? It's all talent. Just like some people pick up sports a lot faster. You can train all you want but you may never be NFL quality. Practice isn't just all there is. If it were, then playing piano professionally would be just like getting a job like being an engineer.... anyone could be one.
Click to expand...

No idea. I don't think I'll just write it off as "talent", some sort of unmeasurable mystic force that some people simply have. To take some stuff from oboeguy's post, Alfred Brendel started learning from a very young age, and was very disciplined. I don't see how it has anything to do with "talent", it makes much more sense to assume it's a combination of circumstances, environment, and personal discipline.
 
S

Suspicious-Teach8788

Lifer
Feb 19, 2001
20,155
23
81
Originally posted by: kogase
Originally posted by: DLeRium
How do some people play better than others by barely practicing? How can some play by ear so naturally? It's all talent. Just like some people pick up sports a lot faster. You can train all you want but you may never be NFL quality. Practice isn't just all there is. If it were, then playing piano professionally would be just like getting a job like being an engineer.... anyone could be one.
Click to expand...

No idea. I don't think I'll just write it off as "talent", some sort of unmeasurable mystic force that some people simply have. To take some stuff from oboeguy's post, Alfred Brendel started learning from a very young age, and was very disciplined. I don't see how it has anything to do with "talent", it makes much more sense to assume it's a combination of circumstances, environment, and personal discipline.
Click to expand...

I can see how some of you think of music and playing instruments as some sort of science, but it just isn't. Can you even explain why some people can play piano by ear? I can tell you I practiced 2 hrs a week or so to finish my piano requirements, and one of the things I enjoy the most is playing by ear. Yet I'll see some people who I know practice every day for at least an hour or more, and can't do the same. At the same time I know a friend who played 2 years of piano only, but plays any song by ear perfectly with very little effort.

If you believe everyone can achieve the same artistic abilities, then you're wrong. Then there's nothing special about Beethoven, Mozart, Copland, Michaelangelo, Picasso, etc..
 
T

toekramp

Diamond Member
Jun 30, 2001
8,426
2
0
Originally posted by: Juice Box
isint it, theoretically, like typing? Once you learn the notes and their order, its simply putting the "words" together
Click to expand...

that's what i was thinking :)
 
P

potato28

Diamond Member
Jun 27, 2005
8,964
0
0
1 hand for trebele clef(high) and 1 hand for bass clef(low)... hmmm could be difficult...
 
K

kogase

Diamond Member
Sep 8, 2004
5,213
0
0
Originally posted by: DLeRium
I can see how some of you think of music and playing instruments as some sort of science, but it just isn't. Can you even explain why some people can play piano by ear? I can tell you I practiced 2 hrs a week or so to finish my piano requirements, and one of the things I enjoy the most is playing by ear. Yet I'll see some people who I know practice every day for at least an hour or more, and can't do the same. At the same time I know a friend who played 2 years of piano only, but plays any song by ear perfectly with very little effort.

If you believe everyone can achieve the same artistic abilities, then you're wrong. Then there's nothing special about Beethoven, Mozart, Copland, Michaelangelo, Picasso, etc..
Click to expand...

Again you've said, so again I'll say: I don't know for sure why that is, but I'm not going to write it off as talent.

I think one mistake lots of people make is thinking they can just mindlessly practice something for an hour a day and it will just naturally come to them. You have to have curiosity and be ready to take deep insights into what you're doing, rather than simply plunk the keys and wait to get better.
 
Mrvile

Mrvile

Lifer
Oct 16, 2004
14,066
1
0
It's definately possible for everyone to learn how to play with both hands. Just keep practicing.

Playing the piano isn't like typing. There's rhythm and simultaneous key depression (chords) involved.
 
S

Suspicious-Teach8788

Lifer
Feb 19, 2001
20,155
23
81
Originally posted by: Mrvile
It's definately possible for everyone to learn how to play with both hands. Just keep practicing.

Playing the piano isn't like typing. There's rhythm and simultaneous key depression (chords) involved.
Click to expand...

And is that all there is? I don't think so. It's not just pressing the right keys at the right time, and even if you add in tempo, beats, expression, it's not just about how hard you press, when you press, when you press so hard, when you press softly, when there's silence. Music has these attributes, but as the piano player, you need to be in the music yourself. Otherwise, all you're playing is playing by ear/memory.
 
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