Re:Kids and music lessons: why do many promising players qui...
by raffraffraff on Thursday January 05, 2023 @04:40AM
(#34257772)
Jamming! Music is social. It's a wonderful feeling sing or play along with others.
Piano is a great instrument. Learning to play at a good level (I'm talking 9 years of practice, exams that test you on music notation, timing, ear etc transfers to other instruments. However it's extremely lonely, and therefore boring, to practicing some bullshit polka that nobody wants to hear. I went to lessons for 9 years, sat 7 grade exams, and quit as soon as I left home. Lessons never taught me to jam, fill in, improvise.
Looking at the Beatles documentary "Get Back", they were just kids with instruments who got to jam full-time. There are plenty of instrumentalists that absolutely kick their asses. What made them special was that they weren't afraid to pay what they wanted to play, and to experiment, together.
(They also drove themselves to produce something important to a deadline)
Piano is a great instrument. Learning to play at a good level (I'm talking 9 years of practice, exams that test you on music notation, timing, ear etc transfers to other instruments. However it's extremely lonely, and therefore boring, to practicing some bullshit polka that nobody wants to hear. I went to lessons for 9 years, sat 7 grade exams, and quit as soon as I left home. Lessons never taught me to jam, fill in, improvise.
Looking at the Beatles documentary "Get Back", they were just kids with instruments who got to jam full-time. There are plenty of instrumentalists that absolutely kick their asses. What made them special was that they weren't afraid to pay what they wanted to play, and to experiment, together. (They also drove themselves to produce something important to a deadline)