About a half-dozen people have asked me to teach them “keyboard.”
A couple years ago I would have stuck my nose in the air and said I don’t play “keyboard,” and I do not teach “keyboard.”
I’m getting over that … still. I still sometimes have to take a deep breath before I respond more humbly.
Because what they mean is can I teach them how to play a keyboard in a worship team-type setting. Few people in my social circles these past several years have the time, if even the interest, to learn classical piano. Or to make their children. And that’s fine. Part of me is still coming to terms with the fact that a decade of classical piano lessons has come to chord sheets with no Latin on them at all.
*deep breath*
It’s a difficult request for other reasons too. I have no idea how to teach what I myself took about a year to figure out. And where I started (Music Performance Major) is not at all where my friends are starting. It’s been months and I’m just figuring out where to start and what to do second, etc.
Now that I’m getting it down, though, I wanted to share. Because if you don’t play any kind of musical instrument, you really should. Because there are worship leaders out there who would be much more comfortable and effective if they knew an instrument. Because there are songwriters – Christian or not – who would be better if they could play a keyboard.
So I’m uploading worksheets – one lesson at a time – to the Music Theory page.
Of course, and I’m not just saying this, these are no substitute for a real music lesson with a real person who can tell you what you’re doing wrong and keep you on track. But it’s a start. Maybe you know someone who plays piano/keyboard but doesn’t know how to teach you. These might help.
There are three up so far. Take your time with them. Make sure you’ve learned one before going on to the next. And have fun!
Best. Quote. EVER:
“Part of me is still coming to terms with the fact that a decade of classical piano lessons has come to chord sheets with no Latin on them at all.”
Paul had no idea what “I die daily” really meant. 😉
well. seeing as how i began playing the clarinet and bass clarinet back in fifth grade – and continued through high school – i have to admit i felt a little void forming in my stomach when i first sat down with somebody excited about “worship music” and discovered the general lack of creativity that is common throughout most of the field…
although piano is by no means my forte – i understand your sense of coming to grips with “chord sheets” and “no latin” haha.
thanks for the post :]
Really? That’s interesting, ’cause for me it was the opposite. It was the almost required aptitude for creativity that really intimidated me when I started translating my music into a worship setting.
After ten years of classical lessons, I was used to having every note and every dynamic (etc.) written out. There’s creativity to be had in performing classical music, of course, but not nearly what it takes to sit with a chord sheet and make the rest up. I’ll never forget the look on our worship leader’s face when I asked if she had sheet music! 🙂
…i hope i didn’t giggle. 🙂
how you f[eel]/[elt] about people asking you to teach them “keyboard” is about how i feel when people tell me i’m “artsy”…just before asking me to do some pages of a Creative Memories scrapbook or make tedious tiny items for a craft fair. oO(“i think you mean “craftsy”) quelle snob extraordinaire, non?
You probably did giggle, but not right in my face. 😉