I never really had any formal piano lessons growing up. I pretty much taught myself to play, suing the Reader's Digest Children's Songbook. I had no idea what the ABC thing was all about. The first note I knew was middle C, which for me was 1. The next note was 2, and so on. If there was a sharp, it had a + next to the number. There were no -, because they just used the lower number with the + sign. So a B flat was actually 6+.
Once I had all the numbering down I memorized where the notes were placed on the scale. This was I was able to learn how to play melody and harmony on the right hand. The left hand was totally different. I did not have a number scale to follow for those lower notes. So I would start at 1 (middle C), and count the notes backwards to find the one I wanted on the scale. It was hard work! But I persevered, and pretty soon I had those notes memorized as well, and could play simple songs.
I think I got to be pretty decent at playing. Not great, but okay. Since I never had any formal lessons, I never really had anyone to push me when things got tricky. If I felt the work was too much, I simply didn't do it, choosing to stay with the "easy" songs.
When I was at college I was able to take a beginning piano course just for fun. There I learned that everything I had taught myself was pretty much wrong. I had the hardest time figuring out the right fingering. When you are used to doing something one way your entire life, it is really hard to change those habits. I still don't do it the right way. Oh well.
When Craig and I went on our first date, one of the things we did was head down the music practice rooms in the DeJong Concert hall at BYU. I had told him I had composed a few simple songs, and he wanted to hear them. After I had finished, he said he wanted to play some songs for me. And he did. Beautifully. By memory. Yeah, that boy didn't stand a chance after that. His playing totally won my heart, and I was NOT letting anyone else have him! LOL.
For those interested in knowing, Craig's whole family is very musically talented. They all play at least one instrument, and they are all great singers. They love music so much that when my IL's purchased a Grand Piano, they decided to build a whole room for it! No, I am not jealous. Well, okay, a little. But they let me play it whenever I want:-)
Craig and I have been married now for 7 years, but we have never had a piano of our own. A little out of the budget. The only times we got to play was when we visited family that had a piano. Not really often enough for us to keep up on our skills (well, Craig has skills, I just pretend to).
Well, our dreams have come true at last! Not long ago I was sitting in church (one of those rare times when I actually had the day off), and one of the ladies mentioned that she and her husband where moving and had a very large old piano that they didn't want, and were willing to give away if anyone cared to have it. I practically fell out of my seat! I mean that literally. All the ladies around me had a good laugh. And they kindly spoke up for me.
The piano indeed large and old. In fact, it is over 100 years old! Still in pretty good shape, though. It is seriously out of tune (I can't seem to find a tuner that wants to tune it), but I still play it every day. It is such a wonderful thing to have a piano in the home!
And even better, Cameron loves it, too. We probably won't start him on lessons (and yes, I will make sure he gets lessons), until he is eight. Right now he just enjoys tinkering on it and making up little songs. So cute! He definitely has some musical genes in him:-)
And to show off it's loveliness, here are a few images:-)
