Learn How To Play Guitar & Guitar Accessories

Question: When you took music lessons as a child, when did you go through a rite of passage?

(Posted by: suhwahaksaeng on 2009-04-03 22:10:23)

Someone told me that when she was a child, she thought using the piano pedals was elite. So she was very proud when she was assigned her first piece using the pedals. When I was a kid, I was overawed by the older students I saw carrying yellow G. Schirmer books, with no sappy illustrations, no sappy song lyrics, and no sappy programmatic titles. So I still remember the first yellow book my piano teacher gave me and the first yellow book my violin teacher gave me. And you?

Posted by: hafwen on 2009-04-04, 23:15:06

When I was at primary school, the whole class was required to learn the recorder. We were all issued a plastic recorder each (a brown and white Schott.) Once a week, someone would come into our classroom and we'd all sit behind our desks, and have our group lessons. I was one of the handful that truly enjoyed recorder. And I recall three proud moments: 1. When I was allowed to play one of the few wooden Dolmetsch recorders at school - even as a 9 year old, I knew that the wooden ones were much nicer to play than the plastic ones! 2. When I was 10, the recorder teacher suggested that a handful of us could play treble recorder as well as descant - I was one of the "chosen few, " and so proud of my new "big " recorder - and the other kids were so envious! 3. When I was 11, I was chosen to play treble recorder in a small ensemble at a huge Schools festival! So with this early encouragement, it's no wonder that nearly 40 years on, I'm still as passionate about the recorder, and always keen to quash any illusions that it is merely a "toy. " Interesting question, Suwahaksaeng, and it was lovely reliving these sweet memories! Hafwen x

Posted by: Nathan D on 2009-04-03, 22:14:50

My first Bach piece for classical guitar, Prelude For Cello Suite #1. It was quite an undertaking!

Posted by: glinzek on 2009-04-03, 22:31:00

That is a very cool story. I hope those yellow covers never go away. When I first started taking lessons, I went to a recital my teacher gave. Among the pieces he played was the Gershwin Preludes. I thought they were the absolute end. So a few years later when he assigned them to me, I knew I had made it to the big time. I ate them for breakfast lunch and dinner. Drove everybody in the house crazy learning them. Those are still very special pieces for me. Glinzek

Posted by: Alberich on 2009-04-03, 22:37:02

I remember nothing at all about when I first used the pedals(was too small to reach them when I had my first piano lessons), nor any of the sheet music. To the best of my recollections, this was at about age 6 years. What I guess one could call my "right of passage ", was my debut, 6 mos. after I had begun lessons. My teacher - a long story, regarding her, which I've already related more than once on this forum - persuaded my parents that I was ready for my debut. Needless to say, I had nothing to say in the matter. So, I "debuted ": but I remember it only - even though all said it was wonderful - as a horrifying, most painful experience. And would counsel all parents, to really think long and hard before forcing one of their children to follow in my foot steps - God forbid. Alberich

Posted by: Kalibasa on 2009-04-03, 22:37:56

I remember being very excited when I first had a piece with *five sharps*! How cute. In viola I was very diligent when it came to my first Vivaldi pieces (transcribed from violin, of course). Actually, though, when I was a child I was more of a rebel. I loved piano from between I was five and nine, but after that (until I was thirteen) I swore I hated piano and was awful about practicing. I hid my books behind the piano, "clever " stuff like that. Obviously I got over it (for piano, not viola), but I remember my main rite of passage happening in college. That was when I first when back to piano (I'd quit when I was fifteen) and studied like crazy, when I was assigned a difficult Rachmaninoff prelude after about a year and a half I was quite proud. Fun question, thanks!

Posted by: Wendy M on 2009-04-03, 23:02:37

I basically liked the piano ever since I started lessons, but would get bored when I practised. It was only when I discovered the wonders of chopin (woot!!) that I found practising piano to be enjoyable, fulfilling, satisfying, gratifying, whatever words you wish to describe it. That was when I was around 13.

Posted by: i. jones on 2009-04-03, 23:08:13

Shoot .... I think there were several. 1. Moving away from the in-mall piano store studio to a private home studio (same teacher, different location). 2. Moving away from the mimeographed music my teacher and her husband used, Melody/ Chord they were at least 30 years ahead of Scott "The Piano Guy " Houston, and into the red John Thompson books. 3. Moving on to a new Teacher, Mrs Whittaker, and getting out of the Thompson books and into The John W. Schaum "Pop " Piano Course (I still have those books. EL. 744, 745, & 746 Along with "Harmony Lessons by John W. Schaum EL 373. And the "Best of " composer series. (only Beethoven and Bach are still in my file cabinet.) ) 4. First piece of real "Sheet Music " (not in a book) Solfeggietto -- CPE Bach.

Posted by: petr b on 2009-04-03, 23:09:56

Starting at age six, I had a lucky start with a great first teacher. I started with Bartok Microkosmos Bk. I and a collection of 'Beginner's Bach.' Neither the covers of the music or the music itself was in any way condescending or cutesy. There weren't gold stars or candy 'prizes.' It all seemed very adult. 1st watershed (literally) sometime in the course of that first year, I was re-assigned a piece for the next week. Until then I had learned things well enough within one week to move on to something new. I recall being close to tears. 2nd: after Fifth grade, I spent the summer at Interlochen Arts camp. I was in a community of hundreds of other young people who also had an advanced musical ability for their age. A second grade camper knocked on the door of my practice room and asked what my teacher had assigned me that week. It was one movement of a Bach French Suite. This second grader sat down and played through it, skillfully and with good musicality, then said to me, "This is a nice piece, you will enjoy working on it. " Later that summer this seven-year old boy won concerto competitions playing a Mendelssohn Cappriccio! This was a very valuable lesson: No matter how good you are at something, there can always be someone better at it than you. And yes, fun question, thank you. Best, Petr B.

Posted by: MissLimLam on 2009-04-04, 02:21:43

When I first started piano, (aged six) I hated it. This was because all the pieces I learnt were along the lines of "Gee Giraffe, " which was a piece that consisted only of the note G. It also had a boring rhythm (crotchets and minims). I think my rite of passage was when I got a piece with the grand staves! When I could finally play both hands I was really proud of myself. (I think it was Minuet in G (Bach)?) In singing, when my teacher finally let me start singing songs (instead of doing excersizes) I was so HAPPY!! and trumpet, I used to be so jealous of all the people playing first trumpet, when I had to play third. But now I always play second or first, so I love it!

Posted by: Papagena on 2009-04-05, 12:33:52

In fourth grade when I first began learning the flute, I remember being really excited that I memorized on the pieces from the book. It was "Hot Cross Buns " and it consisted of the same three notes. But that did not matter, I was very proud of myself. I remember running down the steps to my mom and proudly performing for her. Then again in fourth grade when our band began performing pieces on full sheets of paper instead of three line melodies from the practice books. Then in seventh grade when I got the "Most Improved Band Member Award ", actually, I was the second most improved, but somehow ended up with the bigger award. Earlier that year I was failing band class because I never practiced, but then something clicked and I began spending more time practicing than breathing. Well, that might be an exaggeration! :P

Posted by: Mr. Selick on 2009-04-05, 17:43:05

� had the same excitement for using the pedal. Now I have an excitement for not using it because it can cover up mistakes. I don't want to fool myself into thinking that's I'm playing legato, when I'm actually not. Unless it's contemporary music. That's a different matter. I remember hating the piano for the first 5 years of my lessons, so I didn't feel extremely excited when my piano teacher was writing down a page of Hanon, Pischna, Czerny, Chopin and Moszkowski studies in my notebook. The one thing that always overawed me was contemporary music. I was always craving to play Debussy, get to floor the pedal and go through dissonant passages without having to check my notes! Now, I really want to play serial music, but my teacher's a B I T C H, so she doesn't let me play anything serial until I have reached the theoretical maturity. I do dabble in some in my own time though!