Paul's piano playing When did he start?
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That might be an easy question to the 'pro' fans. When did Paul start to learn piano? And was he educated by a pianist or who introduced him to the instrument?
I mean it took a long time to see him playing that instrument the first time with the Beatles (was it Hey Jude?) so it was a hidden treasure and I presume he started before playing guitar. Am I right or wrong?Regards
Frank -
@gazon said in Paul's piano playing When did he start?:
That might be an easy question to the 'pro' fans. When did Paul start to learn piano? And was he educated by a pianist or who introduced him to the instrument?
I mean it took a long time to see him playing that instrument the first time with the Beatles (was it Hey Jude?) so it was a hidden treasure and I presume he started before playing guitar. Am I right or wrong?
Regards
Frank@gazon So you're right. Mr. McCartney started to play the piano before playing the guitar and even tried his hand at the trumpet in between. He even tried the trumpet in between, which made him conclude that blowing a trumpet and trying to sing at the same time doesn't work very well. Lol That's why he asked his father to exchange his trumpet for a guitar. For the little anecdote. The first guitar Mr. McCartney got was right-handed. So he tried to play the guitar backwards. But it didn't work too well. So he took the strings off and put them back on right side up for him. So that's what it's all about. To answer your question about when Mr. McCartney started playing piano and with whom. Well, I might not be very precise. But in short. He started playing piano with his father, who was also a musician. It would be him who taught him to play this instrument. Moreover the song "When I'm Sixty four" was written by Mr. McCartney at the age of sixteen. If I am not mistaken. That's all I know anyway. I hope I didn't say too much nonsense.
I hope I answered part of your question.
Little Willow -
I believe that I have read that Paul took formal piano lessons when he was living with the Asher family in London. I believe one of his stories is that he took "Eleanor Rigby" to a piano lesson and played it. The piano teacher then wanted him to go back to playing scales. I think you see Paul emerge as a pretty piano player on "Martha My Dear." I just asked my wife a days ago (she is a great pianist) about Paul as a piano player. She said he is a good pianist.
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@littlewillow said in Paul's piano playing When did he start?:
@gazon said in Paul's piano playing When did he start?:
That might be an easy question to the 'pro' fans. When did Paul start to learn piano? And was he educated by a pianist or who introduced him to the instrument?
I mean it took a long time to see him playing that instrument the first time with the Beatles (was it Hey Jude?) so it was a hidden treasure and I presume he started before playing guitar. Am I right or wrong?
Regards
Frank@gazon So you're right. Mr. McCartney started to play the piano before playing the guitar and even tried his hand at the trumpet in between. He even tried the trumpet in between, which made him conclude that blowing a trumpet and trying to sing at the same time doesn't work very well. Lol That's why he asked his father to exchange his trumpet for a guitar. For the little anecdote. The first guitar Mr. McCartney got was right-handed. So he tried to play the guitar backwards. But it didn't work too well. So he took the strings off and put them back on right side up for him. So that's what it's all about. To answer your question about when Mr. McCartney started playing piano and with whom. Well, I might not be very precise. But in short. He started playing piano with his father, who was also a musician. It would be him who taught him to play this instrument. Moreover the song "When I'm Sixty four" was written by Mr. McCartney at the age of sixteen. If I am not mistaken. That's all I know anyway. I hope I didn't say too much nonsense.
I hope I answered part of your question.
Little WillowVery nice, lilwillow. Once in an interview, Paul said, he thought about having piano lessons, after the Beatles began, but he felt he was too far ahead of the game. That it was too late for piano lessons by then.
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@littlewillow said in Paul's piano playing When did he start?:
@gazon said in Paul's piano playing When did he start?:
That might be an easy question to the 'pro' fans. When did Paul start to learn piano? And was he educated by a pianist or who introduced him to the instrument?
I mean it took a long time to see him playing that instrument the first time with the Beatles (was it Hey Jude?) so it was a hidden treasure and I presume he started before playing guitar. Am I right or wrong?
Regards
Frank@gazon So you're right. Mr. McCartney started to play the piano before playing the guitar and even tried his hand at the trumpet in between. He even tried the trumpet in between, which made him conclude that blowing a trumpet and trying to sing at the same time doesn't work very well. Lol That's why he asked his father to exchange his trumpet for a guitar. For the little anecdote. The first guitar Mr. McCartney got was right-handed. So he tried to play the guitar backwards. But it didn't work too well. So he took the strings off and put them back on right side up for him. So that's what it's all about. To answer your question about when Mr. McCartney started playing piano and with whom. Well, I might not be very precise. But in short. He started playing piano with his father, who was also a musician. It would be him who taught him to play this instrument. Moreover the song "When I'm Sixty four" was written by Mr. McCartney at the age of sixteen. If I am not mistaken. That's all I know anyway. I hope I didn't say too much nonsense.
I hope I answered part of your question.
Little WillowLittle Willow got the gist of it. He wrote the TUNE to When I’m Sixty-Four when he was 16, but didn’t write the WORDS until 1966, the year his dad turned 64.
He probably played the piano first, maybe even at age 13 or so. He got the trumpet for his 14th birthday and did learn how to at least play When The Saints Go Marching In. (He can still play it, as he did a couple years ago - search for it on YouTube) The rest about trading in the trumpet for the guitar was correct. After seeing a poster advertising a Slim Whitman concert, Paul realized that Whitman was also left-handed with his guitar strung the opposite way to a right-handed player.
Here’s the video. He’s playing one of Louie Armstrong’s trumpets too!
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@wandy said in Paul's piano playing When did he start?:
Very nice, lilwillow. Once in an interview, Paul said, he thought about having piano lessons, after the Beatles began, but he felt he was too far ahead of the game. That it was too late for piano lessons by then.
@wandy Thank you. Especially since Mr. McCartney could already play the piano well. But just one thing. It's never too late to take lessons in anything at any age
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@njr said in Paul's piano playing When did he start?:
Little Willow got the gist of it. He wrote the TUNE to When I’m Sixty-Four when he was 16, but didn’t write the WORDS until 1966, the year his dad turned 64.
He probably played the piano first, maybe even at age 13 or so. He got the trumpet for his 14th birthday and did learn how to at least play When The Saints Go Marching In. (He can still play it, as he did a couple years ago - search for it on YouTube) The rest about trading in the trumpet for the guitar was correct. After seeing a poster advertising a Slim Whitman concert, Paul realized that Whitman was also left-handed with his guitar strung the opposite way to a right-handed player.
Here’s the video. He’s playing one of Louie Armstrong’s trumpets too!@NJR Wow you are more precise than me.
I'm having a bit of trouble remembering the dates. I also learned something about the song. Thank you.
I hope all this information helps you @gazon. -
@thrillington said in Paul's piano playing When did he start?:
I believe that I have read that Paul took formal piano lessons when he was living with the Asher family in London. I believe one of his stories is that he took "Eleanor Rigby" to a piano lesson and played it. The piano teacher then wanted him to go back to playing scales. I think you see Paul emerge as a pretty piano player on "Martha My Dear." I just asked my wife a days ago (she is a great pianist) about Paul as a piano player. She said he is a good pianist.
@thrillington Oh thank you for this story. I really didn't know it.
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@littlewillow said in Paul's piano playing When did he start?:
@thrillington said in Paul's piano playing When did he start?:
I believe that I have read that Paul took formal piano lessons when he was living with the Asher family in London. I believe one of his stories is that he took "Eleanor Rigby" to a piano lesson and played it. The piano teacher then wanted him to go back to playing scales. I think you see Paul emerge as a pretty piano player on "Martha My Dear." I just asked my wife a days ago (she is a great pianist) about Paul as a piano player. She said he is a good pianist.
@thrillington Oh thank you for this story. I really didn't know it.
He wanted to play the scales but the fish wouldn't let him
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@wandy said in Paul's piano playing When did he start?:
He wanted to play the scales but the fish wouldn't let him
@wandy 🤪
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@littlewillow said in Paul's piano playing When did he start?:
@gazon said in Paul's piano playing When did he start?:
That might be an easy question to the 'pro' fans. When did Paul start to learn piano? And was he educated by a pianist or who introduced him to the instrument?
I mean it took a long time to see him playing that instrument the first time with the Beatles (was it Hey Jude?) so it was a hidden treasure and I presume he started before playing guitar. Am I right or wrong?
Regards
Frank@gazon So you're right. Mr. McCartney started to play the piano before playing the guitar and even tried his hand at the trumpet in between. He even tried the trumpet in between, which made him conclude that blowing a trumpet and trying to sing at the same time doesn't work very well. Lol That's why he asked his father to exchange his trumpet for a guitar. For the little anecdote. The first guitar Mr. McCartney got was right-handed. So he tried to play the guitar backwards. But it didn't work too well. So he took the strings off and put them back on right side up for him. So that's what it's all about. To answer your question about when Mr. McCartney started playing piano and with whom. Well, I might not be very precise. But in short. He started playing piano with his father, who was also a musician. It would be him who taught him to play this instrument. Moreover the song "When I'm Sixty four" was written by Mr. McCartney at the age of sixteen. If I am not mistaken. That's all I know anyway. I hope I didn't say too much nonsense.
I hope I answered part of your question.
Little WillowI wanted to make sure that I told the story correctly. I believe this is actually in the lyrics book. Quoting Paul from New Yorker magazine at https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/10/25/paul-mccartney-writing-eleanor-rigby-beatles
"And, when I was in my early twenties, Jane’s mum, Margaret, organized lessons for me with someone from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she worked. I even played “Eleanor Rigby” on piano for the teacher, but this was before I had the words. At the time, I was just blocking out the lyrics and singing “Ola Na Tungee” over vamped E-minor chords. I don’t remember the teacher being all that impressed. The teacher just wanted to hear me play even more scales, so that put an end to the lessons." -
@thrillington said in Paul's piano playing When did he start?:
I wanted to make sure that I told the story correctly. I believe this is actually in the lyrics book. Quoting Paul from New Yorker magazine at https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/10/25/paul-mccartney-writing-eleanor-rigby-beatles
"And, when I was in my early twenties, Jane’s mum, Margaret, organized lessons for me with someone from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she worked. I even played “Eleanor Rigby” on piano for the teacher, but this was before I had the words. At the time, I was just blocking out the lyrics and singing “Ola Na Tungee” over vamped E-minor chords. I don’t remember the teacher being all that impressed. The teacher just wanted to hear me play even more scales, so that put an end to the lessons."@thrillington Thank you very much for all this information. Very nice and interesting story. Thanks for the link too. I'm going to go and educate myself. Lol
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@littlewillow said in Paul's piano playing When did he start?:
@thrillington said in Paul's piano playing When did he start?:
I wanted to make sure that I told the story correctly. I believe this is actually in the lyrics book. Quoting Paul from New Yorker magazine at https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/10/25/paul-mccartney-writing-eleanor-rigby-beatles
"And, when I was in my early twenties, Jane’s mum, Margaret, organized lessons for me with someone from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she worked. I even played “Eleanor Rigby” on piano for the teacher, but this was before I had the words. At the time, I was just blocking out the lyrics and singing “Ola Na Tungee” over vamped E-minor chords. I don’t remember the teacher being all that impressed. The teacher just wanted to hear me play even more scales, so that put an end to the lessons."@thrillington Thank you very much for all this information. Very nice and interesting story. Thanks for the link too. I'm going to go and educate myself. Lol
Jane's mum taught George Martin to play the Oboe.
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@wandy said in Paul's piano playing When did he start?:
Jane's mum taught George Martin to play the Oboe.
@wandy Oh. Gee. I didn't know that. Very interesting. Thanks for the information.
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@littlewillow said in Paul's piano playing When did he start?:
@wandy said in Paul's piano playing When did he start?:
Jane's mum taught George Martin to play the Oboe.
@wandy Oh. Gee. I didn't know that. Very interesting. Thanks for the information.
And that was well before George Martin ever met the Beatles!
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@njr said in Paul's piano playing When did he start?:
And that was well before George Martin ever met the Beatles!
@NJR Ah, okay. Thanks for the information.