The above describes my unfortunate condition. When I was about 12 years old we each in the school music lesson had to stand up and sing along with the piano to audition for the school choir. Most kids gave a 30 second la - la -la and some were chosen. For my turn, I remember standing up and within less than 5 seconds being very firmly told to sit down. That ended my musical career.
I like music, but to me a scale is used to measure a drawing and a chord is a straight line across a circle, and you eat quavers.
Well, in retirement now, I wonder if I could learn to play an instrument - we have a piano in the house.
Any recommendations for the best instrument to start on and the method to use? Or, honestly - am I wasting my time?
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Drums?
Last edited by: Manatee on Wed 29 Dec 10 at 19:30
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Kazoo? Even I can manage one of them.
I had a similar experience at around that age. It wasn't a lanky music teacher called Mr Laine by any chance?
Last edited by: bathtub tom {p} on Wed 29 Dec 10 at 19:36
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Comedy responses aside, are you sure you're tone deaf? My wife thinks she is, but she's not really - she can hit a note if she concentrates and listens to herself, and I think if she practised a bit she'd do it naturally like most folk.
Last edited by: Manatee on Wed 29 Dec 10 at 19:40
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Start with a vuvuzela and take it one step at a time from there.
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Buy a keyboard. You can probably pick a decent one up from a car boot or similar for very little money; go for one with full-size keys, Yamaha or Casio are the best bet; they all have sockets for headphones if your other half starts to object to the racket.
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>> Start with a vuvuzela and take it one step at a time from there.
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If he's going for a vuvuzela I expect his significant other will insist he takes a lot of steps before he blows it.
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He would probably end up taking it up an unintended orifice...
Sideways...
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>> Any recommendations for the best instrument to start on and the method to use? Or,
>> honestly - am I wasting my time?
I can think of worse ways of wasting time, and if it gives you pleasure, why not? Start on your piano. You can play the simplest tunes to the most incredibly complex stuff on one.
If it drives other members of your household mad, you could buy a keyboard and play it through headphones.
Thats a shame being cut off so early in life. That teacher could have deprived us of a latter day Rachmaninov.
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>> Thats a shame being cut off so early in life. That teacher could have deprived
>> us of a latter day Rachmaninov.
Pity he wasnt Garry Glitters music teacher.
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My wife bought my son an electronic drum kit for Christmas. Sometimes my wife can be really naive...
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>>My wife bought my son an electronic drum kit for Christmas. Sometimes my wife can be really naive...
What kind Humph? We got my boy a Session Pro something or another, he fair likes it, been battering away at it, we occasionally hear some noise but not much as he plays it through headphones and his room is on the top floor of the extension......
The fact that it has kept him off his xbox is a miracle in itself!
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It's called a "Clarity" Bobby. Certainly loud anyway.
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>> >> Any recommendations for the best instrument to start on and the method to use?
>> Start on your piano.
I agree - other possibilities violin/cello, clarinet or trumpet.
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My brother learned the saxophone using a digital one using headphones. So the possibilities with digital may be endless.
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If you're playing from sheet music, with some instruments (piano for example) it shouldn't matter if you're tone deaf.
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I'm a decent amateur clarinet player but have always struggled in my attempts to learn piano - perhaps my brain can only cope with one note at a time.
So by all means try a keyboard, but don't be put off if you don't get very far, and try a monotone instrument as well. A 'school' descant recorder (Aulos do a nice one for about £12) and a tutor such as this www.musicroom.com/se/ID_No/010035/details.html might be a cheap way to start.
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>> A 'school' descant recorder
I suggested a recorder rather than clarinet/flute as both the latter require a certain amount of technique to get a sound out of them, whereas with a recorder you can pretty much just blow. That means you can concentrate on learning about the dots - you can always move up to something more complicated(/expensive) later if you find yourself enjoying it.
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I agree with others who have said that tone-deafness is a very unlikely condition; unless the person concerned speaks in a monotone or otherwise fails to use accepted intonation patterns in speech, then that person is certainly not tone-deaf. However, some individuals find it harder than others to match a given musical pitch (i.e., sing in tune) than others.
As a keen amateur musician I would encourage anyone who is inclined to give learning an instrument, or singing, a go, no matter what their age. It is true an older person will learn more slowly, but there is no reason for age to get in the way of some useful progress.
Choose your instrument with some thought as to the sound it produces; as you practise (which is the only way to make progress, coupled with tuition of some sort), if you don't basically like the sound you make - and it will be a bit raw to start with - you won't get anywhere. After all, you will have to listen to yourself an awful lot as you learn.
Seek inspiration, from recordings, live performances especially and take an interest in whatever field of music you wish to inhabit - jazz, classical, whatever. YouTube is a huge resource of good and not-so-good performances of every imaginable sort of music.
Above all, enjoy it. There are various "hidden agendas" in playing music: some people are driven by some strange infection, almost, that has got hold of them - they are obsessives, perhaps. Others find it relaxing or even therapeutic - the breath control required for wind instruments may have something to do with that, or simply the soothing power that music can have.
It is a discipline; much of it is about control. It is creative. It can build self-confidence and a sense of satisfaction. Above all, in my view, is its social potential; although a keyboard player might spend a lot of time on solitary practice, the biggest joy of all is making music as part of a large or small group. And if you get an appreciative audience as well - wow, what a buzz!
Whatever instrument is chosen a personal tutor will make a huge difference; without that, starting to play will be a very lonely and frustrating experience. A good tutor will be frank about what level a given person can achieve and should be prepared to say if their pupil would do better with a different instrument. But of course there's nothing to stop anyone from just "having a go" on whatever is available and muddling along at first before getting more serious later.
I'd say, "Go for it!"
A footnote: some cheap or so-called "beginner" instruments are so poor they will seriously handicap a learner. This another reason to go to a teacher for advice.
Last edited by: ChrisPeugeot on Thu 30 Dec 10 at 13:17
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I suppose the piano is the way to go as there's one in the house. Now to get a book like "Piano Playing for Dummies".
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Playing an instrument can be a lot more fun if you do it with other people - not always easy with a piano.
EDIT: sorry - good luck :)
Last edited by: Focus on Thu 30 Dec 10 at 14:42
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I would have thought that piano or guitar would make sense. Electric forms of each can be played through headphones, not an insignificant consideration. I think the guitar is more physically demanding, but neither is easy.
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The indicators for my musical career were there even earlier than Dulwich mentions.... at junior school aged 8 in a yearly musical thing I was one of three from six who were told not to sing but just to do the actions in our part. Tried again though in secondary school with violin when 12... major fail on that too. Then encouraged to take up piano at 13... fail again.
However as may be noticed from my participation in threads on music I have been a fan of listening to music pretty well every day of my life. I can hear subtle things in music and its production so being unable to play is odd... but I've come to terms with it.
Behind me in this room is my daughters elec guitar and amp and I've had many a sneaky try on that when there's no-one in.... fail again.
I just have to accept I have nut and bolt fingers/brain but take satisfaction from the fact leaning over to the CD player and popping in something from the collection still gives me a buzz.
BTW when I first noticed the thread title I expected it to be by Hawkeye.... he not only can't make music but hates listening to it as well. I'm very much looking forward to hearing how entertained he was by the rest of his musical family over Christmas :-)
Last edited by: Fenlander on Thu 30 Dec 10 at 16:43
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Fenlander said:
>> The indicators for my musical career were there even earlier than Dulwich mentions.... at junior
>> school aged 8 in a yearly musical thing I was one of three from six
>> who were told not to sing but just to do the actions in our part.
>> Tried again though in secondary school with violin when 12... major fail on that too.
>> Then encouraged to take up piano at 13... fail again.
I had a similar experience. Small mammals would rapidly leave the area as and when I produced 'music'.
I suspect schools use or used this as a way to select out the nice middle class kids whose parents play instruments, and who immerse their kids in a culture of music. If you get lessons when young, you will pick up gradually. I suspect it is really about a mix of confidence and work, with not that much innate ability. I might be mistaken.
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Tone Deaf Musical Moron - help needed ! - Manatee
