The Introduction Thread

[Xaoz]

Don't worry about it. I still can't play 95% of them. Just don't look at any of Bespinben's arrangements if you don't want a heart attack.  It's just that we arrange to get it as close to the original as possible. We aim to make all pieces playable, but, of course, some would require months of practice. Be warned, there are a few abominations out there left over from before the site enacted quality control policies. We're trying to replace them, but be warned. They are ugly.

Yes, I think I already found some relics where tempo and other instructions are missing completely and even for me the whole thing looked like some patchwork... I cannot recall the piece, though.
When I got the piano, I was pretty optimistic and printed like 100+ pages of sheets from Zelda and Mario.
Then I looked at them one by one. Can I play this? ****, no! Next! Can I play this? I don't even know what that stuff means! Next! This went on until like Minuet of Forest, which I finally managed to play!  I would really love to play most of the Zelda stuff but for me it's probably still a long way. And my sight-reading is awful! It takes me ages to read a new piece (Even though I already improved a lot)!
How long have you been playing? I want to know when I will be able to play 5% of all this

[Maelstrom]

Well, sadly, I haven't been practicing much for the last six months, so I'm not that good right now. But I took lessons for 5+ years (I think). Some easier pieces for you to play: Song of Healing. Dire, Dire Docks, Super mario 3D World songs, Zelda's Theme (OOT) and maybe Lorule Castle. The arrangements of Bloop, Olimar12345, The Deku Trombonist, and FierceDeity are probably all challenging, but will sound very good with practice.

[Sebastian]

Don't worry about it. I still can't play 95% of them. Just don't look at any of Bespinben's arrangements if you don't want a heart attack.  It's just that we arrange to get it as close to the original as possible. We aim to make all pieces playable, but, of course, some would require months of practice. Be warned, there are a few abominations out there left over from before the site enacted quality control policies. We're trying to replace them, but be warned. They are ugly.

Abominations we are working on replacing


Welcome Xaoz! Love that username.

[Xaoz]

Wait, wait, wait... You telling me I need to take lessons for more than 5 years to be able to play 5% of the stuff posted here? Holy ****! I accept that challenge!

So far I managed to play Lost woods and Kokiri forest (except for the fast beginning). Oh and song of storms. Even though the 2nd part of songs of storms is still pretty hard for me(where the left hand has to do this fanzy jumping ). But on good days it works pretty well ok!

My teacher said I managed to already get pretty far (started taking lessons in November). I have to admit, that I play a lot... But before I took lessons I had no idea how much I was doing wrong... My god, I did not even know it was possible to do so much wrong!

Welcome Xaoz!

Thank you!

Love that username.

You would be the first one! I do love yours, though!

[Maelstrom]

yeah, piano is one of those instruments it's near impossible to teach yourself.....

[Sebastian]

Wait, wait, wait... You telling me I need to take lessons for more than 5 years to be able to play 5% of the stuff posted here? Holy ****! I accept that challenge!

So far I managed to play Lost woods and Kokiri forest (except for the fast beginning). Oh and song of storms. Even though the 2nd part of songs of storms is still pretty hard for me(where the left hand has to do this fanzy jumping ). But on good days it works pretty well ok!

My teacher said I managed to already get pretty far (started taking lessons in November). I have to admit, that I play a lot... But before I took lessons I had no idea how much I was doing wrong... My god, I did not even know it was possible to do so much wrong!

Thank you!

You would be the first one! I do love yours, though!

My mom is an independent piano teacher and has been teaching for 20 years. She has about 25 students currently. 2 adults in that 25. Over these 20 years she's noticed that adults learn much quicker. So maybe you'll get good quicker than you think!
Depends how hard you practice

[Xaoz]

My mom is an independent piano teacher and has been teaching for 20 years. She has about 25 students currently. 2 adults in that 25. Over these 20 years she's noticed that adults learn much quicker. So maybe you'll get good quicker than you think!
Depends how hard you practice

I started playing the guitar when I was really young and it was easy as eating. I did not practice much, but still improved and could play every piece that I got during lessons.
At the piano I feel like a cripple who has no clue what he is actually doing. During my lessons this feeling is even worse, since I play some **** that I practiced day and night for a whole damn week and my teacher is just like sight-reading the **** out of that piece and it sounds way better than the garbage I made of it, haha Then after my demotivating lessons I get home and watch Tom Brier sight reading the Zelda horse race before I cry myself to sleep 

[Sebastian]

Well, lol, hopefully you'll do better

[Xaoz]

Better than Tom Brier? Of course I will!
I hope with enough patience and practice it's possible to play most of the sheets. But the patience... Ugh... I want to play these Hyrule Field themes madly

[Maelstrom]

Well, your teacher has been playing for years. I remember when my mom could sight-read all my pieces despite not practicing piano in years. And I had so much trouble with them. It WILL take time. But it will be worth it in the end. Just remember, you can't become a master with even a solid month of practice. (Well, maybe if it's the same song.  )  Sight reading is probably the last big piano skill you will learn, and it's also the hardest to forget.

[Xaoz]

Well, your teacher has been playing for years. I remember when my mom could sight-read all my pieces despite not practicing piano in years. And I had so much trouble with them. It WILL take time. But it will be worth it in the end. Just remember, you can't become a master with even a solid month of practice. (Well, maybe if it's the same song.  )  Sight reading is probably the last big piano skill you will learn, and it's also the hardest to forget.

I feel like sight reading is something that you can always improve. Before I saw these Tom Brier videos I had no idea this was even doable. First time I watched them I couldn' t stop laughing for like five minutes straight. But it is really awesome to see how good one can become.
I think for sight reading the best I can do is take some lower level pieces and just try to play them, right?
You guys got any other advice/tips?

[Bespinben]

yeah, piano is one of those instruments it's near impossible to teach yourself.....

Keyword: near.

I think for sight reading the best I can do is take some lower level pieces and just try to play them, right?
You guys got any other advice/tips?

Hymnals are usually good sight-reading practice. The harmonies are usually very predictable, so you get a feeling for chord awareness too. It's how I got better at it, tbh.

[Clanker37]

Wait, wait, wait... You telling me I need to take lessons for more than 5 years to be able to play 5% of the stuff posted here? Holy ****! I accept that challenge!

Hey, I've been playing the piano for a decade and even I struggle sometimes with some of the stuff on this site! It's mostly Bespinben's fault...

Anyways, welcome!

[mikey]

I got a guitar when I was 6 years old and 10 years later i still couldn't figure it out.  Strings just aren't my thing.  Personally I think piano is one of the easier instruments to learn lol

[braix]

I can't play arrangements with arpeggios and more than 8ths
Also I find it hard to read sheets with a more than 3 sharps/flats in the key