From 3rd grade(ish) up through senior year of high school, I was fairly into music. I was in both band and orchestra, and played numerous instruments as well as piano. I was never really great, but was proficient enough and played in a few community orchestras as well for fun. When I went off the college, I kind of dropped it and haven’t touched an instrument in a long time.
By chance recently, I acquired a free upright piano. I thought it would be nice to have around for the kids (since fooling around on a piano is what got me into music myself when I was young). Side note: this plan is somewhat succeeding.
Anyway, it’s pretty apparent to me that I literally forgot everything I knew. I used to know a few pieces from memory, but that’s just like gone from my brain. I tried pulling out my viola, but my hands don’t seem to remember where they go to the point that I probably need finger tape again.
Has anyone else come back to music after not playing for a long time? Any tips?
Here’s the bright side, you probably don’t remember your bad habits either!
What I wouldn’t give…
If you’re in search of your old muscle memory repeating basic exercises from when you were playing with the highest familiarity was what brought a lot back for me. Anything you played a bunch to warm-up, the actual pieces I could only get phrases relearning guitar.