Starting piano with a lot of music experience on another instrument

[eugenewrotethis]

Hello therrreee! I want to start piano, and have played cello for 7.5 years now with lots of orchestral experience. I can read treble and bass clefs, have basic theory knowledge and rhythms are not a big problem (but I'm going to guess when time signatures overlap on piano I'll freak out) and was wondering what a projected estimate of how good I could get in a year would be? I am a junior in high school right now so I don't have too much time before college.

[keyboardclass]

Do you know how to sink the weight of your left arm into the cello?  Do you play with that weight for vibrato?

[eugenewrotethis]

Yesss especially after all of the thumb position work I've had to do

[keypeg]

Hello therrreee! I want to start piano, and have played cello for 7.5 years now with lots of orchestral experience. I can read treble and bass clefs, have basic theory knowledge and rhythms are not a big problem (but I'm going to guess when time signatures overlap on piano I'll freak out) and was wondering what a projected estimate of how good I could get in a year would be? I am a junior in high school right now so I don't have too much time before college.

Eugene, I'm not a teacher but I play a number of different instruments as an amateur covering wind,string, and keyboard.  It seems that some things cross over from instruments, and other things are unique to each instrument.  For example, pianists try to learn to sing on the piano in legato phrasing, and you would have a sense of that from the cello, as well as hearing the voice of the bass coming through.  But for the uniqueness, you want to play and think like a pianist, not like a cellist playing the piano. 

For example, on strings your bow hand creates the emotion, phrasing and dynamics, and on winds the breath does the same thing.  Your left hand is the intellect doing the notes.  There is a certain collaboration between left and right hand each playing a different role.  But on piano, each hand does both.  Your right hand is playing the notes while at the same time creating dynamics, articulation etc.  You'll even be playing several voices with one hand so that different fingers will be creating different shades, such as bringing out the soprano while subduing lower voices.

It also seems as if pianists are aware of chords and progressions, oriented vertically, while playing other instruments we are oriented more melodic and horizontal.  For me at least it seemed like a different way of thinking and hearing.  Keyboard players seem to be much more aware of theory than players of other instruments.  Since they have a whole orchestra in their hands, they pretty well have to.

Another thing is that piano starts out "deceptively easy" and then gets hard later on, while many other instruments start off hard.  To play a note in tune and get a decent sound on  a string instrument, or any sound at all on a flute or brass instrument, is hard to do.  Even a chicken can peck out a note on the piano.  So we can be induced to ignore technique or not realize that it exists and then be caught out at a higher level.

This doesn't answer your questions and I don't know if any of it is helpful.

[keyboardclass]

Yesss especially after all of the thumb position work I've had to do

Don't know anything about cello playing.  How does your thumb enter in to sinking the arm weight into the fingerboard? 

[lostinidlewonder]

Why not stick with the Cello? Personally I believe you need to dedicate yourself to one instrument there is not enough years in our life to master more than one instrument in my humble opinion. People try but become merely a jack of all trades type musicians then. But there is nothing wrong with exploring and being able to play other instruments proficiently and for most people that is what only interests them.

All instruments have an idea of musical expression, when to get louder, softer faster or slower and shades in between this. As a string player you will know how phrases of music naturally move, if you have lots of experience with Bach then you will know it well. In my opinion Bach is the unifying force between the instruments, so study Bach for both your cello and piano.

Since you have had experience with the cello think back to the 1st year that you played, how far did you get? The same will apply to piano, but as keypeg mentioned the piano is easy to play but gets deceptively difficult. With cello you have to have proper technique to produce the right sound, if you are slightly off you obviously know you have done something wrong. But with the piano you can do something slightly inaccurate with your technique and still produce a nice sound. This is what makes the piano a deceiving instrument to learn, right and wrong have a often a very subtle difference.

BUt there is nothing wrong with learning the piano with "not so good" technique. I come across it all the time with students. Bad habits can be erased and replaced or encouraged to move in a more appropriate direction. When you form your technique you do not have to play with a model of perfection but what feels comfortable to you. What you find comfortable also needs to develop you have to learn what feels comfortable as apposed to what feels MORE comfortable.

[eugenewrotethis]

The first year I played cello I had no experience with rhythms, notes, dedication, and theory knowledge. And on cello when you go past the neck and over the fingerboard on high notes, it requires your thumb to push down along with the rest of your fingers, and the thumb usually presses down on 2 strings at the same time. I'm giving this a go anyways, but how far should I expect to get if I practice an hour or more daily?

[keyboardclass]

The first year I played cello I had no experience with rhythms, notes, dedication, and theory knowledge. And on cello when you go past the neck and over the fingerboard on high notes, it requires your thumb to push down along with the rest of your fingers, and the thumb usually presses down on 2 strings at the same time. I'm giving this a go anyways, but how far should I expect to get if I practice an hour or more daily?

Hey, that's really interesting.  I should be watching more closely!  You need piano as an add on if you want to be a musician rather than just a cellist - so go for it!  That weight technique will be useful.  Learn to apply your weight in the same manner to chords on the piano but release straight after.

[sucom]

I agree. Go for it!  I used to be a cellist - it was my second instrument at music college and the strength you will have built up in your left hand will be very useful for playing the piano.  Just think how enjoyable it will be if you can record and accompany yourself while playing the cello!  I used to love it!