De-lurking and have questions

[jmccolley]

Hello,
I’ve been a lurker here for a couple weeks.  I am now ready to speak!  I have a couple of questions, but first a little about me.  I started piano lessons at age 6 and went right through until age 18.  I almost went to music school but decided against it because of extreme stage fright.  I figured I’d never even get past the audition, never mind all the recitals that would be required.   I took lessons again in my early 20s for a short while.  Then I got married, had kids, full time job, etc, and now I am 42.  I’ve played on and off over the years, mostly off.  Seven years ago I bought a Yamaha Clavinova with the idea that I’d get into digital music, midi files, etc.  That never happened.  I do enjoy playing it, it’s got the weighted keys so it feels a bit like a real piano.  I love that I can plug in my headphones and not bother anyone.  I am now back into practicing every day, and trying to relearn the repertoire I left off with so many years ago.  So here are my questions for you all.

Should I trade in the Clavinova for a real piano?  It’s been so long since I’ve played on a real piano that I’m afraid I might be thinking I’m better than I really am.  In other words, am I losing the ability to produce quality sounds on an acoustic piano by solely practicing on digital?  I really wish I could afford (and had the room) to have both types of pianos. 

Second question is about improvisation.  This is a skill that I never learned.  I know chords, I get chord progressions, I can pick out a melody line after listening to a song a few times.  But I cannot sit down and just improvise like I’ve seen some people do.  Is this something learnable, or is it just natural talent that I lack?  How many classically trained pianists here are able to improvise, and does it come naturally or did you have to struggle to learn how to do it? 

Thanks for you advice,
Jen

[keyboardclass]

If you know a good piano when you see one, get one.  Depending where you are there are plenty of bargains to be had.

[brianlucas]

I think it depends on your goals.  I'm sure a lot of classical teachers and players here will say you need an acoustic piano.  And while nothing beats the real thing, digital pianos are so much better in feel and sound than they used to be.  I played a show on a Clavinova recently and found it to be pretty close to a real piano.  Also keep in mind that no 2 acoustic pianos feel the same.  Add the headphones option you mention and personally I'd stick with the Clavinova.

As to your question about improvisation, it TOTALLY can be taught and is taught.  You mention that you know chords and progressions, do you know scales?  If so, that would be your starting point.  If the song is in F for example, play around with the F major scale and let your ear pick out what it likes.  Getting into jazz theory and alternate scales will be a little trickier, but I teach all of my students to improvise, even from the very first lesson.  Starting with basic scales (like C) and then expanding out from there.

The main thought I get from your post is that you have to enjoy the journey.  It sounds like you get frustrated with how slowly you are learning and then back away from it.  Give yourself permission to take your time and have fun along the way.  If you take the pressure off yourself, you will be amazed how much faster you progress.

Good luck!
-Brian
www.pianoin8weeks.com
www.brianlucas.com