[musictlk] Learning music theory and basics for improvisation

[H. Field]

Hello Luretta,
I believe that what you want to do can be done. The National Library 
Service has a large number of taped music tutorials for piano. I 
suggest that you contact your reader advisor, or sign up to the 
library for the blind if you aren't a member yet, and your reader 
advisor will be able to go through what's available with you and you 
can try out your selections.

After you exhaust what's available there you can try those that have 
been commercially developed for the blind in other places by doing a 
Google search. Some other countries, like England, have such courses 
on tape. I have pasted an e-mail from Bill Brown below. He produces 
piano tutorials on tape. Perhaps you can contact him for more specific 
information.

Good luck and happy practising.

Regards,

Heather Field

Subject: Music Courses for the Blind
Date: Monday, September 11, 2006 3:37 PM

From: "Bill Brown" billdebb at bellsouth.net
Music Courses for the Blind

My websites
www.musicfortheblind.com
and
www.musicvi.com
carry beginner courses for over a dozen instruments and hundreds of 
individual song lessons in an all-audio format. The NLS carries almost 
everything I have and of course the lessons are available for purchase 
through the website's secure server as well.

Musically Yours,

Bill Brown



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "L Fairman" <lfairman at pacbell.net>
To: <musictlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, June 18, 2007 10:32 PM
Subject: [musictlk] Learning music theory and basics for improvisation


Hi all,

I am looking for ways of learning the basics of music theory, as well 
as
skills that will enable me to improvise on the piano, and perhaps 
accompany
spontaneous informal singing among friends.

As a youngster, I had a great wish to play blues and jazz on the 
piano.
What happened was that my advisors/teachers all told me I would need 
to
study classical music for several years first, before venturing out 
into
other forms of music.
So, I learned classical pieces by heart, working from braille music 
scores,
and never did get to the jaz/blues music that was my goal.

Many non-musical years intervened.

Now, having recently retired from a career in computers and government
management, I'm once again looking for ways of learning piano that 
will
satisfy my wish to improvise and to readily convert tunes I hear or 
imagine
into enjoyable piano expressions.

Might any of you have experiences or ideas to share that could help me 
along
my way?
I can still read braille music to some extent, but would truly prefer 
not to
get into the mode of memorizing others' compositions.
I expect that by learning and practicing some basic musical structures
(scales, chords, time signatures...), I will eventually be able to use 
this
to create songs that are pleasing to play and to hear.

Am I overly idealistic?
Can improvisation be taught?
What kinds of musical knowledge and skills do I need to achieve my 
dream?
Based on your experience, what are the most effective ways of learning 
music
basics?

Thanks very much for any thoughts or suggestions!

LuRetta


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