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Blind and Visually Impaired Community

Full History - 2016 - 08 - 21 - ID#4yuvrm
5
Piano, guys (self.Blind)
submitted by DreamingTheMelody
Hello blind community.

I'm a bit of a musician; I sing eternally, dabble a bit in the guitar and the piano, and lazily write lyrics/songs when I feel inspired. However, I've been trying to get a bit more into piano playing as of recent, and there's one thing that I don't think I realized so much until now:

Everything is sheet music, man. If you want to learn the guitar, there are a thousand websites dedicated to documenting the chords necessary to learn songs, but that's hardly the case for anything piano (or at least, from what I've come across while googling). I have a pretty good ear, and I know the basics: crossing over fingers to play scales, I know enough music theory to figure out proper chord composition/how to learn scales themselves, but my ear definitely isn't good enough to teach myself everything auditorily.

I realize that me not knowing what it is that I want to learn on the piano isn't helping my case--I'd like to learn enough to be able to accompany myself while singing, but I also have a vague sort of desire to play classical music as well. I realize that those incorporate completely different things, but I wouldn't mind fluctuating between the two--if I even could, you know?

Noteworthy things:
-yes, I am completely blind. Synthesia, print music, and the like are not options for me.
-my ear is good enough to pick up melodies, but not the composition of the entire chord itself, presumably. I'd be open to trying to fix that, if you guys have suggestions for that.
-I'm not super learned in braille music, but I know a tad. I just don't know how useful that even is--since programs that would be useful for transcribing braille music from print music cost an arm and a leg.
-I know basic piano technique; that's not really my worry here. I am definitely open to new things that you think a blind person wouldn't have been taught in about a month's worth of piano lessons, though.

I guess just if you guys have any suggestions, I'd appreciate it! Thanks!
pepijndevos 1 points 6y ago
Taking lessons sounds like a great plan if you find the right person.

When my brother was applying for the conservatory, he had to practice hearing intervals and chords. He simply had one of us play a chord or interval and then he guessed.

So you also play guitar right? Could you maybe share your experience here? https://www.reddit.com/r/Blind/comments/4znuaz/accessible_guitar_tuner/
bonsai_mountain 1 points 6y ago
I think that piano lessons would be great for you! Increasing your knowledge will help you with Braille music, improve your ear, possibly to the point where you could actually listen to a composition and reproduce it.

I wish you the best of luck, it's a wonderful pursuit!
throwitawayyy1234 1 points 6y ago
I'm sorry I can't really help answer your question but your comment caught my attention because I play piano and my mom is blind. She always says she wishes she had learned. Unfortunately she doesn't know how to read Braille.
Since I was curious about your question I started googling and came across this https://nfb.org/Images/nfb/Publications/fr/fr18/Issue1/f180105.htm
if you live in the US then you can rent music books from the national library service. Again, I'm sorry I wasn't a great help to your question but keep up the music!!
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