Q. I am an accomplished pianist (playing and taking lessons for 12 years). I've taught myself cello but haven't gotten over the beginner level for the last six years. I sing a lot, especially while I play piano. I know my notes and piano chords and advanced music theory.
I don't have a lot of time on my hands but I'm wondering if I could learn how to play and sing one song in four months.
Also, can I start on a half-size toy guitar?
A. Could you learn to play and sing one song in 4 months? Possibly. Depends on the difficulty of the song and on your own musical aptitude, manual dexterity, and willingness to work at it.
You say you've taught yourself cello, but "haven't gotten over the beginner level for the last six years", that doesn't bode well for your ability to teach yourself guitar quickly, however, especially if you don't have a lot of time to practice.
Can you start on a half-size toy guitar? If that's all you've got, I guess you can. It will undoubtedly sound like crap and probably be impossible to get or keep in tune, but if you don't care about that I guess you can manage. I know guys with big beefy hands who play mandolin and fiddle beautifully -- if they can get around on those itty-bitty little fingerboards with speed and accuracy with their thick fingers, you should be able to manage the fretboard on a half-size guitar.
How do you pick up guitar and cello if you can already play other instruments?
Q. I have played violin for 10 years, piano for 4 years, flute for 2 years, and I can also play viola because it's so similar to violin. I love the sound of cello and bassoon though, and guitar's awesome and convenient. Is it hard to pick guitar and cello up with my prior instrumental background? Would I need lessons, or can I just learn these based on my prior knowledge of violin, viola, and chords/music theory?
A. I play all the instruments you do, plus the brasses and oboe/English horn, but I'm betting I'm quite a bit older. I think being a jack of all trades is immense fun, and I love it when I'm called to sub in a group on, for example, euphonium, when my degree is in violin.
However, for cello....I'd suggest a few lessons because the left hand position is quite different from violin/viola, the vibrato technique is different, and the bow hold is quite different. It takes a lot more strength to play cello.
Bassoon is a big pain in my opinion, but that doesn't mean *you* shouldn't play it! There are elbendy-seven different fingerings for some of the notes, and the thumbs get a major workout. I agree it is a cool sounding instrument.
I always recommend a few lessons at the begininng with a competent teacher, to keep you from getting way off on technique that keeps you from progressing. Much better to spend some time and money up front so you get started right.
which instrument is best to learn music theory with?
Q. Is piano better to learn music theory with or is guitar? And where can I find a teacher who will teach me the instrument and music theory without going to college.
A. I'm a guitarist, but I would say piano.
Here's why:
On guitar, you can only use four fingers to play a chord, and at most you can only play a chord with six notes. On piano you can use ten fingers to play a chord and play a chord with ten notes.
On guitar, you have to use both hands to play a note, whereas on piano you only need one finger. This is important because it means you can play more notes faster. Run your finger across a piano and you'll hear 88 notes in one second. You could never do that on a guitar, even if you're the world's fastest guitarist.
On guitar you generally are only going to be able to play one melody at a time. Some very talented guitarists can play two at a time with finger tapping, but they are the exception and not the rule. Pianists on the other hand do that all the time.
It's very difficult to play the major scale on a guitar if you're just learning to play. Any beginner can play the major scale on a piano: Just play the white keys one after another from a root note.
But then again, cool people play guitar because piano lessons are for little girls. So guitar is still better.
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Title : How long will it take to learn guitar?
Description : Q. I am an accomplished pianist (playing and taking lessons for 12 years). I've taught myself cello but haven't gotten over the be...