I'll start now

[end]

Hi,

I've dreamed of playing the piano all my life. Now I'll buy an electric piano (my own Xmas gift) and try to learn it. I can read music (slowly, but I'm working on it and I'm improving) and I study another instrument (amateur), but I don't have a gift for music. I do work very hard, as I love to be busy with music. I have a naive question  that's burning my mind. Laugh at me, but please, answer.

How many years (average) till one (somebody who's not shy of hard work and with a very high pain threshold) can play the easiest Chopin music. And can you name it? The easiest Chopin piece?

And the Liszt one? (The easiest piece)

Thank you very much for taking your time to answer.

[db05]

Congratulations on your new piano, and have fun practicing.

How many years (average) till one (somebody who's not shy of hard work and with a very high pain threshold) can play the easiest Chopin music. And can you name it? The easiest Chopin piece?

And the Liszt one? (The easiest piece)

I have a classmate who just started last March and could play Chopin's Waltz in Db "Minute" by September. So that's less than 6 months. He's not incredibly talented, just an ordinary guy. And it is not the easiest Chopin imo, and not the shortest. The shortest and easiest I know is Prelude No. 20 in Cm. It would take much less than a year if you work smart. You can jump right in and learn it in 1-3 months, or do your basics first and finish it in 6 months.

Liszt has a work called "Four Short Pieces", so either pick one from there or one of the easier Consolations. No personal experiences on this, so I'll leave it to the other members of this forum.

[end]

Thank you very much for your encouragement. If as your friend I could play a Chopin piece in one year or less, or even in two years, I'd be in heaven.

[shortyshort]

Thank you very much for your encouragement. If as your friend I could play a Chopin piece in one year or less, or even in two years, I'd be in heaven.

You would not, because by then you will have set higher goals for yourself. 

You will never beat it. 

[end]

You don't know me. I dream small. 

I've been studying the guitar for a few months and can play (badly) some of the music I love. I'm already happy about it. I want to improve myself, of course, and improve my performance of these pieces I love, and I'll continue working very hard on it, for the work itself is a pleasure. But I'm already happy about it.

I can just pick up a music sheet and play it on my guitar. That's heaven. The result isn't good, but, hey, I'm a beginner. But I can recognize the music I'm playing. That's already wonderful to me. This was my goal. From now on, everything is a bonus.

[j.s. bach the 534th]

Thank you very much for your encouragement. If as your friend I could play a Chopin piece in one year or less, or even in two years, I'd be in heaven.

see, this is a problem that I've noticed in everybody who is not really familiar with piano repertoire. Whenever they think of Chopin, they automatically think "Oh, really hard" but really, Chopin has a lot of easier pieces. I also learned the Minute Waltz and Prelude No. 20 within a few months of starting as db05 described. His Cantabile (in B flat major I think), is 13 or 14 measures long in 6/8 time. (at a pretty slow tempo). You have to be good at playing chords to do it, but otherwise it is pretty easy.

[end]

I'll be honest with you: I have Chopin's Andante Spianato (op.22) in front of me right now. I started working on the left hand pattern today. The problem is that my keyboard really sucks (narrow, short keys). I'm researching to buy an electric piano (can't have the real thing).

It looks very difficult. But I'll play it one day (just give me 10 years!!! )

I dance classical ballet, therefore the fixation with Chopin: been listening to it since young age. Now, I just need to play it...

But I'm absolutely crazy about Liszt. I HAVE to listen Etude d'execution transcendante n.12 and Un Sospiro on a daily basis! However, I have seen the music score and I know I'll never play it. I can live with it. As I've said, I dream small... but I do dream!

[yuc4h]

If you really plan to start your piano playing by learning andante spianato op.22, there are three possible outcomes:

1) You will eventually just give up trying to learn it and possibly stop playing the piano.

2) You will eventually injure yourself and that will force you to give up.

3) Even if you somehow learn to play a horrible rendition and butcher the piece, it will prevent you from being able to relearn it the right way due to the bad habits accumulated.

[end]

Hi yuc:

you misunderstood me. I'll start as one should: at the beginning.

The Andante Spianato is for the future. I can't resist playing with it, though. I'll buy my piano, then look for instruction and follow it. I do hope to be able to play it, or at least be studying it, in 10 years. My keyboard's small and inappropriate. I've been playing easy things on it for the sake of it. I got the score and I couldn't resist trying the left hand. Do you think even playing with it (not playing it, as anyway, even if I tried, I could never put lh and rh together!!!) will be harmful? It just sounds so good and calming...

[G.W.K]

If you really plan to start your piano playing by learning andante spianato op.22, there are three possible outcomes:

1) You will eventually just give up trying to learn it and possibly stop playing the piano.

2) You will eventually injure yourself and that will force you to give up.

3) Even if you somehow learn to play a horrible rendition and butcher the piece, it will prevent you from being able to relearn it the right way due to the bad habits accumulated.

I find that a rather pessimistic approach. "end" is trying to learn something that he/she has always wanted to do, and I admire that attempt. I too have tried to do that, self-teaching myself. So please, try not to be so pessimistic and ruin other's dreams before they have begun.

In response to your question "end" (which is worded very politely, something that you don't see often with new members! ), I would suggest Chopin's "Minute Waltz" as I, personally, think it is one of the easiest.

As for Liszt, I know none that I would class "easy", unfortunately. However, that is personal opinion so I would wait for other's responses.

I wish you luck in your music and hope you will succeed!

G.W.K

[mad_max2024]

Ok, I'll say it...

Get a teacher.
You will progress a lot faster.

[G.W.K]

Ok, I'll say it...

Get a teacher.
You will progress a lot faster.

Yes, that is true. You can learn much faster and learn everything correctly with a teacher but not everyone has the time/funds/etc to get a teacher. And self-teaching yourself isn't that bad a method. Paul McCartney self-taught himself and cannot read sheet music at all.

Now he is a multi-millionaire.

G.W.K

[mad_max2024]

And self-teaching yourself isn't that bad a method.

Yes it is.
Take it from someone who's been there.
Theory you can learn by yourself, but practice learnt wrongly is very hard to set up straight again.

Of course I know not everyone can get a teacher, I just mentioned it as an advice because end looks to me like a very interested newbie. The choice is ultimately his, I rarely try to convince people to do anything.

Paul McCartney is Paul McCartney.

[yuc4h]

Hi yuc:

you misunderstood me. I'll start as one should: at the beginning.

The Andante Spianato is for the future. I can't resist playing with it, though. I'll buy my piano, then look for instruction and follow it. I do hope to be able to play it, or at least be studying it, in 10 years. My keyboard's small and inappropriate. I've been playing easy things on it for the sake of it. I got the score and I couldn't resist trying the left hand. Do you think even playing with it (not playing it, as anyway, even if I tried, I could never put lh and rh together!!!) will be harmful? It just sounds so good and calming...

Hello,

Yea, I surely misunderstood you, I thought you were one of those who think they'll start their piano playing with FI 

Good to hear that you plan to study playing properly. I personally think the best place to start seriously learning the piano is by studying Bach invention #1 (it will be quite a challenge however)

I don't think that trying Andante Spianato hands separate will be harmful in anyway, quite the contrary. It will somewhat improve your technique (but there are better ways to do that). The problems begin if you try to play ht with inadequate technique for prolonged periods of time. The bad habits accumulated while playing ht are much harder to unlearn than those with hs.

[tsagari]

Hi,

I've dreamed of playing the piano all my life.
How many years (average) till one (somebody who's not shy of hard work and with a very high pain threshold) can play the easiest Chopin music. And can you name it? The easiest Chopin piece?

You sound very much like me. I realized also that my whole life had been determined by this dream. Choices I made in my life, my social life friends etc.
 Anyway I've started 3 and half years ago. Now I can play Chopin nocturne waltz ect the pieaces I would never thought in my life that it would be within my reach. And this is my advice WAIT UNTIL YOU ARE TECHICALLY MATURE TO PLAY THE PIECES YOU WANT THE TIME WILL COME AND TRUST YOUR TEACHER

[j.s. bach the 534th]

And self-teaching yourself isn't that bad a method.

Yes it is.

Should I be insulted? I'm self taught and I do not seem to be any worse at all than those who are being taught by real teachers.

[end]

Hi,

thanks for posting here. Everyone's opinion is welcome.

I'm (a she, not a he) learning the guitar on my own and I'm quite happy with the results. My objective is not to play as a pro, but to play it as best as I can, taking in consideration my means.

However, for the piano, I do intend to get a teacher, for I don't know the first thing about it. I won't be able to have too many lessons, though. But I'll have enough to get started and then whenever I can afford it.

The problem is that now I need to pay for the piano and for a silent violin (I have the real thing - a cheap version, though - but poor husband deserves a break...)


tsagari:

wow!!! Congratulations!! I hope I'll be posting such an encouraging message to someone else in three years time. Thank you VERY much.

________________
I'm so addicted to Liszt, I NEED to listen to his music on a daily basis. I can't begin to describe what I feel when I listen to his music. It's a full body experience. Some Chopin pieces do the same to me. The Andante Spianato is one of them. It'll be indescribable to be able to play a measure of a Liszt piece one day, even if I'll never be good enough to play it whole. Like getting a few seconds in heaven. And if I can one day play Chopin's Andante Spianato... can't wait to have my piano to get started on this (very) long journey...