New talent!

To take up oil painting again,I did try a few years ago and lost the interest after a while I now feel ready to get back into it and make a go of it this time.

Oh i am so pleased for you glamanana so this time next year we can get together and show off our talents

I have been promising myself to take up the piano again, I stopped lessons when DD overtook me at seven and passed her first exam less than a year after commencing lessons.

Oh do start again harrigran then i can pick your brains.

I'd love to learn piano. About how much do lessons cost, does anyone know? And would an electronic keyboard be ok to practice on?

I'd love to learn piano. About how much do lessons cost, does anyone know? And would an electronic keyboard be ok to practice on?

Learn loads more about flower arranging!

Hi NotTooOld im not having lessons (yorkshire lass wont pay )so taught myself to read music now using internet to help but have to use head phones or i would drive DH crazy

Keyboard would be fine as a starting point, as long as it is the type with keys the same size as piano keys. If you progress well, you may need to think about a real (or electronic) piano, so that you are able to make use of the pedals to sustain or quieten notes.

The biggest challenge for learning piano as an adult is getting your brain to internalise the distance between notes so that eventually you can be looking at the music and playing, rather than having to look down every few moments to check where the next note is. It is worth starting by closing your eyes and playing octaves - e.g. middle C, then the C an octave below and so on. That way your brain (ancient though it might be!) will start to get grip on the distance between notes.

Piano lessons are not cheap - £10 or so for half an hour.

Lots of good luck with this!

By the way there is a series of music books called "It's Easy to Play....." - they have different titles that include jazz, Christmas carols, ragtime, etc.

NotTooOld, I think the cost of lessons varies but not by much; I restarted my piano lessons in October 2009 after years of not having had
a piano, and was paying £10.00 for a half hour lesson. When I gave up in 2014, because we had moved and I went from a ten minute walk to a half hour drive to get to him, I was paying £13.00 for half an hour. Half an hour doesn't sound a lot, but it really is enough. I was about to move on to Grade 5 so I did think I'd achieved something when I stopped my lessons, but I felt I had plateaud and am not sure I ever would have been any better than that. As for keyboards, you need to find out if the teacher you choose teaches keyboard - some do both and some don't.

Lucky I have "It's Easy to Play Jerome Kern". Good stuff!

Gosh guys thanks for all that info,Luckygirl that is so helpful many thanks

I, too, decided to start the piano last year and bought a portable digital one. It's brilliant. I am too nervous ( and can't afford) proper lessons so am using a book called 'It's never too late to play piano'. Getting on quite well with it . I did learn for about a year at eleven so knew the notes.
I did a lot of research and bought the cheapest with the same number of notes as a real piano and one with weighted keys.

Greyduster if you've passed your Grade 4, the you'll have sufficient knowledge to teach yourself new tunes. Did you do any theory exams?

NotTooOld I charge £15 for 40 minutes. You can use a good full-sized keyboard for practice but it's not ideal.

Nandalot digital pianos are great.

Anya I told him at the outset that I didn't want to take exams so he told me that we would work our way through all the theory books and he would grade me as we went but he said "but don't expect me to give you an easy ride!" And he didn't. I still have the books.

I have been thinking about doing a sugarcraft course. I quite enjoy fiddling about icing cakes (or at least I did until the latest fiasco which is GS's birthday cake!) but I would like to develop a bit of 'finesse' so that they don't look quite so rustic!

You go for it Greyduster and send us a photo bet youll love it

Think this is great, just great. One of the joys is fulfilling a dream which was thwarted for whatever reason. Well done campodol and good luck. I think a really great thing at this stage of life is a 'project' no matter what. My own is one which has NO pressure and is being achieved at my whim and pace. That means on lazy days, when I just can't be bothered, I just don't indulge. If I took up music again I would feel 'compelled' to practise. Pressure. Guess I'm just plain lazy but I am having success and am 'winning' in my own small way. Project is great motivation no matter what.

I always wanted to play the clarinet. But as much as I tried I couldnt get a note out of it, not dnough puff! 2 years ago de ide I wanted to ge a super doper camera, learn how to se it and get a photo in the Countryfile Calendar. This year I finally got around to getting the camera and having my first lesson on how to use it. So here I go...

I've been learning to play piano for the last two years. I'm still fairly rubbish, more Les Dawson than Liberace (I know Les was a brilliant pianist really!), but I love it! I have a weekly lesson, and use Alfred's Adult Piano Course books. Go for it, Campodol, and good luck!

Thank you Kim19 you really have urged me on and good for you doing what you are comfortable with well done.
Barmyoldbat what a trooper your well on your way to being the next david bailey good luck ,we'll all get there i know we will a bouquet for you both