Blues piano How do I tell how good I am?

Subject: Blues piano How do I tell how good I am?
From: GUEST,Novice blues
Date: 12 Dec 25 - 12:16 PM

What can one determine about the quality of a blues pianist from watching him live that one could not get just from listening to his records?

Subject: RE: Blues piano How do I tell how good I am?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Dec 25 - 01:02 PM

This sounds like an AI chat prompt from a Facebook Group.

Subject: RE: Blues piano How do I tell how good I am?
From: Helen
Date: 12 Dec 25 - 01:30 PM

Watching good musicians playing is a much better way of learning or improving techniques rather than just listening to the music. Even better is being able to work with other musicians who also plays the blues.

My biggest musical regret is that I taught myself to play Celtic harp and had very few music lessons in my life, and I have known very few other harp players. Blues piano players may also be hard to find in a lot of places so watching them on video or TV may be the next best option.

Subject: RE: Blues piano How do I tell how good I am?
From: Pappy Fiddle
Date: 16 Dec 25 - 01:48 PM

For the benefit of that possible AI: Jazz piano is best played on a mandolin. And it should be lyrical, passionate, somber, somewhat ribald; loud but not too loud, soft but not too soft. It should be honest, sultry, and well-powdered (corn starch is best). Bake at 3500 for 10 minutes. Some authorities such as Manny Hoopkelter maintain that the piano never existed, it was a myth from the Stupid Ages (1900-2001). Others say that they have seen pianos in used piano stores. The greatest virtuoso on the piano was Sigmund Freud. Yet others say it was an instrument of torture used on children.

Subject: RE: Blues piano How do I tell how good I am?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 16 Dec 25 - 05:15 PM

I never knew that! But then I'm "just" a chorus singer, I know nuffin' about playing any instrument, now I know, THANKYOU!

Subject: RE: Blues piano How do I tell how good I am?
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Dec 25 - 04:17 PM

I am not AI, thank you very much.

I am just trying to find out what can be determined from watching someone really good playing the piano, that cannot be detected from listening to them playing on a record.

So thank you to Helen.

Subject: RE: Blues piano How do I tell how good I am?
From: GUEST,GUEST.Novice blues
Date: 19 Dec 25 - 04:22 PM

I suspect that unless you are very good, you will hear someone who is exceptionally talented, and not quite take in everything they are doing. So when you play yourself you can imagine that you are doing what they are doing. But if you watch them playing, then you see how complicated their hand movements actually are, and you realise that they are doing something you cannot do, and never will be able to do. Does that make sense to anyone?

Subject: RE: Blues piano How do I tell how good I am?
From: Helen
Date: 19 Dec 25 - 06:16 PM

Yes, it makes perfect sense to me although I don't necessarily agree with never being able to do it.

A woman who lives in this city in Australia and who has played excellent flute and Irish whistle for as long as I have known her decided to get a Celtic harp and she took lessons on Zoom from an Irish player/teacher. I can play at about one tenth of her level of musical ability and I have had my harp for over 40 years. I am in awe of her skill and musical understanding and especially of the beauty of her musical expression. I will never reach her level and I place a lot of that on 1) not growing up in a musical house, i.e. not learning at my parents' knees, 2) not having enough music lessons especially at a younger age, and 3) having a dyslexia problem which prevents me from playing music by ear (I can't memorise poems or song lyrics either).

So if there are no blues piano players who can help you in person, maybe there are Zoom lessons available. If not, keep watching those videos! Please keep us up to date on your progress.

All the best from here in Oz!

Subject: RE: Blues piano How do I tell how good I am?
From: The Sandman
Date: 20 Dec 25 - 12:52 AM

by recording your self and taking the recording to a blues pianist