i've been playing piano for 9 years... but i have yet to be able to read sheet music, identify a chord, a certain note, and be able to explain music itself :heh: . what does it take to proceed to the next level of music expertise? simply practice? or do you all sit down, and just read and play the music in your head?

i would like to compose, but how can i compose when i can't even play what comes to mind? i have all these song patterns, movements and all in my head, but i can't take them out into the material world. i want to be able to present what i've been carrying these few years. now i'm taking basic musical introductory courses in college, but to have been playing for 9 years and still not feel "fluent" with my instrument feels rather... disappointing. i also play drums, and used to be a cellist, but by now, i can't even remember what strings are what. i guess i'll start fresh...

i've been listening to compositions, and i feel rather... undermined.
how long have you been playing music?

All this is covered in separate threads. Once you grasp music theory, all will become clear. Practice helps your ability to play and reinforce musical ideas. Don't feel undermined. People with music in their head like that compose great songs. I think you can only be fluent with your instrument if you can play it with your eyes closed and able to sight-read superbly.

will i can play music with my eyes closed, but that's just memorization.
to me, sightreading is like playing DDR with alot more buttons.

i wish i could just -hear- a sound and be able to play it. i have a friend that can do that, he's got perfect pitch. i envy musical talents like that >.<

i have my own forte, but i guess i just have to strengthen it with other practices T:
how many hours do you guys spend a day focusing on music?

i've been playing piano for 9 years... but i have yet to be able to read sheet music, identify a chord, a certain note, and be able to explain music itself . what does it take to proceed to the next level of music expertise? simply practice? or do you all sit down, and just read and play the music in your head?

It's surprising but i guess it's normal. For you, you need to listen to more classical music instead of playing them. Listen to ones you played before, then listen to the ones that are bit harder. Listen to Classical Symphonic pieces. But the part about "be able to explain music itself" is truely dependant on YOU, as in how much you love music and how much you want to know music. Learn the history of music, it's really interesting in my opinion, and it shed some light into some of your questions. Just like Mathematics, you can't get better if you keep practicing the same thing. You need to learn then use it again, learn then use, learn then use. Music is the same thing. You need to learn music through theory, history and harmony, then use it in the pieces you are playing.

I really got into music 2 years ago... I always enjoyed it, but for some reason in grade 11 after I finished vocal music in school it struck me that I needed to play the flute, after that I realized I'm a theory whore, I realized once you understand theory, practice becomes that much easier too. yeeey!

I want to study music after my 5th year (I'm stying back for a year in high school) I hope to do something in music or teach ^_^

I dunno why but I always think this is taking the easy way out (I finished my grade 12 vocal practical exam in 20 minutes XD)

but I do kinda wish I was in music longer then on and off

will i can play music with my eyes closed, but that's just memorization.
to me, sightreading is like playing DDR with alot more buttons.

i wish i could just -hear- a sound and be able to play it. i have a friend that can do that, he's got perfect pitch. i envy musical talents like that >.<

i have my own forte, but i guess i just have to strengthen it with other practices T:
how many hours do you guys spend a day focusing on music?

ok it sounds like you have natural ability (or at least that's what you claim). You just don't seem to understand how music works. I actually don't believe you can sightread that well because if you did you'd have no problem in the first place knowing how to compose or do whatever you wanted to do. From what you say though, I think you are quite good.

Composing has nothing to do with that though. I know many great musicians who can play some instrument perfectly, but only improvise composing. Composing is a totally different talent.

well i've been playing beethoven lately, but it's all finger memory.
i can't play freely without sheet music [ie: with chords] but i can't play quickly with it either. the only pieces i can play are ones i've practiced for a certain period of time. but i guess that's similar for all pieces isn't it :/

maybe i may have gotten a little emotional before because i was so frustrated with a certain piece ^^;
and yea, i can't sightreed that well @.@ [ddr with alot more buttons?]

as far as understanding music, i can believe i understand how it works [now that i think about it *i was high during the last two posts* XD ] but i wanted perfect pitch, which is probably a god-given gift e.e

has anyone been able to play "rage your dream" from initial D? i first saw it on ichigos website, but i can't play it fast enough, especially that very interesting "fill in" after the first transition. fast fingers.

has anyone been able to play "rage your dream" from initial D? i first saw it on ichigos website, but i can't play it fast enough, especially that very interesting "fill in" after the first transition. fast fingers.

you also have to remember that music from Inital D is all Eurobeat, and eurobeat is generally OMGWTFSPEEDFAST... or at least that's how my friend describes it after he slaves over composing his eurobeat. I haven't heard rage your dream but would it sound good if you played it slower until you got used to it and then gradually speed it up?

(I dunno, I was in piano for about a year, that's how I learned to play stuff)

yea it -was- fast
either they used a computer program to play it, or someone with uber-fast fingers, each longer than 4 inches @.@

i've been looking for programs like that, the kind that pusts music onto Noteworthy Player. i know there are computer drum tools, but is there one for piano?

nothing is impossible so it might have been speeded up by computer. Either that or the guy practised loads

i was thinking that too.