I will try to make this very very long story short. As some of you might remember from a previous thread I was (mis)diagnosed with restless leg syndrome. A week or so ago after symptoms progressed bigtime, and meds didn’t work after a few months, I sought a second opinion. The doctor is thinking I have young-onset Parkinson’s (I’m 24). I’m taking some meds, and will see the noggin doctor on the 11th. Good news is, the meds are working. Not all of the symptoms are gone, but they are fading. I haven’t felt this good in years! Of course, if I’m taking Parkinson’s meds, and the symptoms are getting better… But at this point, that doesn’t really bother me, I will be happy when I get a diagnosis from the neurologist. The past few months of “My body won’t STOP” has been killing me. So while it is not ideal, I’ve reached acceptance. Yay!
So this is where the piano comes in. I used to play a tiny bit years ago, but I can still read sheet music. My SO (who I live with) has a piano in storage that he wants to get in the house, but he doesn’t play. I was thinking, wouldn’t it be neat to take lessons, and suprise him by playing him a song for Christmas?
The thinking is that I won’t have full coordinated use of my hands in the future, as I am currently losing my ability to write (most days I have to write with 2 hands). I thought this might be a nice memory for us to look back on.
I don’t know if it’s possible though. Not the physicallity, but actually learning to play a song in a little less than 2 months? Any PianoDopers out there have some insight? I’m willing to practice all hours (Mom has a piano) and take as many lessons as possible, but I have no idea if this would even be practical.
Oh, and how do you find piano teachers? There is a music shop an hour from where I live, that’s the closest I can find.
If you can read sheet music, and know where the corresponding keys on the keyboard are (ie where middle C is, etc), I see no reason why you couldn’t teach yourself a simple tune.
I’d suggest learning the melody with the right hand first and potentially simplifying the left hand to chord notes or just a single bass note for each chord change.
This reminds me of something I once witnessed. A woman in a wheelchair had the constant shakes. As she sat there, her whole body was shaking. She also directed a choral group that I saw perform once. To conduct, she got herself onto a stool and in the seated position, directed the songs expertly. At the end of each piece, she would throw her arms into the air and hold them there. rock solid, no shakes in either arms, head, nor body. Then the applause would start and she would relax and start shaking, apparently uncontrollably. My point being that even if you have uncontrollable parkinson’s (I don’t know what her actual problem was), it might not interfere at all with playing the piano.
NRichards, my late father had Parkinson’s and I have seen a great deal of the disease up close (and sometimes, entirely too personal). If you have any questions please do not hesitate to PM me, okay?
Now, as far as piano goes–you may want to consider contacting the music teacher(s) at a local high school. My hubby is a middle school music teacher and has a variety of musical contacts throughout the community.
And I don’t see why you can’t learn to play a song in two months. Something simple where the left hand plays holding chords while the right plays melody would seem perfectly doable.
I think it’s the technique I’m just oblivious to, as I have tried this. I think I need someone to say “Don’t do that, do this”.
I’m not exactly sure what I want to play, but something out of the ordinary. I want to play a romantic song, but modern. So yeah, no idea.
That is a really good idea about contacting a teacher at a high school! I never even thought of that. I plan to make a bunch of phonecalls tomorrow, to get this in motion, I’m really excited about it!
I’m sure you could easily learn a song in two months, especially since you have prior experience. If you get some piano sheets with chords written at the top, you can play the right hand melody and the left hand chords. Much easier than reading bass and treble at the same time, and sounds almost as good.
Obviously I am not a neurologist and you shouldn’t take medical advice from me, but has essential tremor been ruled out yet by your doctors? That could be a cause. I’d ask the neurologist to run some tests so s/he can rule that condition out as a possible cause of your shaking.
From your age and description (you have trouble writing, whereas parkinson’s tremors are more tremors that occur at rest. Essential tremors are worst during action) essential tremor should be something that needs to be ruled out as a possible cause.
After you get a diagnosis, spend some time here.
Tons of people with movement disorders go there to talk about treatment, prognosis, etc.
Those are not my only symptoms, I didn’t want to go into everything as it is not the focus of the thread. Plus, the purpose of seeing the neurologist is to see if it could be anything else. I’m having trouble writing because of weakness, not tremors. The tremors are definatly worse at rest: you should see me right now, I’m rockin and rollin!
By all means get a teacher if you don’t think you can teach yourself.
What I would just say is this - it’s much nicer to listen to a simple song played well than a hard song played badly. Choose a beginner’s song, not something intended for someone sitting their Grade Four exam, if you know what I mean.
There is no definitive test for Parkinson’s. I have it, and for years I thought I had Essential Tremors. A neurologist had some tests done to rule out what it wasn’t, and said that’s about the only way to do it. Then you treat it. I do woodworking, and the shaking isn’t usually too bad with tools in my hands. You might find playing the piano to be good therapy. There are a few things about Parkinson’s that really suck: loss of fine motor skills (who knew that included bladder control), loss of balance, and loss of memory will do for a start.
