Who's Learning How To Play the Piano?

[GolfLivesMatter]

Ok, so I thought Golf was hard! But holy heck! It seems impossible to read the Grand Staff, keep timing, all while translating everything to the fingers in real-time....mind boggling! I'm getting better, but all I can say is this AIN'T easy!

 

[Smallville]

I never played the piano other than messing around with it, but I played the Marimba in band, so I knew what the keys were and how to play different parts of the instrument with each hand. Haven't touched it in over 40 years though.

 

[darthweasel]

Ok, so I thought Golf was hard! But holy heck! It seems impossible to read the Grand Staff, keep timing, all while translating everything to the fingers in real-time....mind boggling! I'm getting better, but all I can say is this AIN'T easy!

if you study theory pretty hard and learn the intervals it makes a HUGE difference. I am primarily a guitar hack, but using the basics of intervals, scales, and chord-building theory I can...muddle around the piano and not sound terrible and with a good book I am going to start working the left hand on it as soon as this ^&*( nerve heals

 

[GolfLivesMatter]

if you study theory pretty hard and learn the intervals it makes a HUGE difference. I am primarily a guitar hack, but using the basics of intervals, scales, and chord-building theory I can...muddle around the piano and not sound terrible and with a good book I am going to start working the left hand on it as soon as this ^&*( nerve heals

And knowing the circle of fifths really helps when playing to anticipate the chords that are about to unfold. I did a lot of study on building chords which does really help, which naturally led to understanding scales more easily. I dabbled in guitar and found it much harder to see the intervals vs piano. Both require each hand being independent of the other. In comparison golf should be much easier because the hands are basically tied to each other.


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[luvagoodshot]

I began taking piano lessons and was progressing nicely until I injured four fingers on my left hand, and that's when I quit the lessons.

 

[MWard]

Ok, so I thought Golf was hard! But holy heck! It seems impossible to read the Grand Staff, keep timing, all while translating everything to the fingers in real-time....mind boggling! I'm getting better, but all I can say is this AIN'T easy!

Like any instrument, gotta start with the chords and go from there. You're not gonna start busting out a sonata in the first month. Work on getting the C scale done with one hand, then the other, then both at the same time. Then you can work on arpeggios, then move to G, D, A, E, B, F

 

[PJSprog]

A good teacher is very beneficial to the early learning process. If you're doing this on your own, you might seek a teacher. Once you get some experience under your belt, though, like anything else, it gets easier.

... and once you get that down, start looking at organ music. (hint: there are 3 and sometimes 4 staves to read)

 

[butchammon]

I have been struggling to play properly instead of by ear. I took Bach's "Prelude in C Major" piece by piece, note by note, hand by hand, and slowly got it down. I worked at it, and worked at it, and can now play it at the right tempo.

 

[PJSprog]

I have been struggling to play properly instead of by ear. I took Bach's "Prelude in C Major" piece by piece, note by note, hand by hand, and slowly got it down. I worked at it, and worked at it, and can now play it at the right tempo.

I was obliged to work hard. Whoever is equally industrious will succeed just as well.
- Johann Sebastian Bach

Study Bach. There you will find everything.
- Johannes Brahms

Now there is music from which a man can learn something.
- W. A. Mozart

You can never go wrong with Bach.
- PJS

 

[GolfLivesMatter]

A good teacher is very beneficial to the early learning process. If you're doing this on your own, you might seek a teacher. Once you get some experience under your belt, though, like anything else, it gets easier.

... and once you get that down, start looking at organ music. (hint: there are 3 and sometimes 4 staves to read)

3 or 4 staves! NO! Lol

 

[Desmond]

My teacher moved away, and my Yamaha stands alone and sullen.

 

[GolfLivesMatter]

My teacher moved away, and my Yamaha stands alone and sullen.

Yamaha being quiet? That's not good!

 

[checkered]

I wish I would have stuck with lessons longer than I did. I would be pretty damn good by now. I can tinker, but I haven't practiced enough in far too long. I need to work on it more. Granted I only have a 66 key synth, but better than nothing.

 

[GolfLivesMatter]

I wish I would have stuck with lessons longer than I did. I would be pretty damn good by now. I can tinker, but I haven't practiced enough in far too long. I need to work on it more. Granted I only have a 66 key synth, but better than nothing.

66 key plenty good! Youtube has so many folks who show you how to play songs.

 

[checkered]

66 key plenty good! Youtube has so many folks who show you how to play songs.

For sure. I use it when I record and it is more than sufficient. I just tend to pick up a guitar or sit on my drums more often than go stand at the keys and play when I get the musical urge. I need to tickle the keys more often.

 

[GolfLivesMatter]

For sure. I use it when I record and it is more than sufficient. I just tend to pick up a guitar or sit on my drums more often than go stand at the keys and play when I get the musical urge. I need to tickle the keys more often.

Whiter Shade of Pale would probably sound really cool. I play it on the piano, but borrowed an arranger keyboard and it sounded just like the song.

 

[PJSprog]

Whiter Shade of Pale would probably sound really cool. I play it on the piano, but borrowed an arranger keyboard and it sounded just like the song.

One of the expansion cards in my Roland XP-80 has a boatload of B3 presets. One is called Whiter Shade, and it dead-on nails that sound. Love those organ patches.

 

[Bucketsofjoy]

Like any instrument, gotta start with the chords and go from there. You're not gonna start busting out a sonata in the first month. Work on getting the C scale done with one hand, then the other, then both at the same time. Then you can work on arpeggios, then move to G, D, A, E, B, F

Wardy those are some $5 words you used there, do you speak music?

 

[MWard]

Wardy those are some $5 words you used there, do you speak music?

Played piano for... god, 6-7 years? Literally can’t remember.

 

[GolfLivesMatter]

Like any instrument, gotta start with the chords and go from there. You're not gonna start busting out a sonata in the first month. Work on getting the C scale done with one hand, then the other, then both at the same time. Then you can work on arpeggios, then move to G, D, A, E, B, F

Hanon and several Czerny books are a workout too.

 

[MWard]

Hanon and several Czerny books are a workout too.

You said Hanon and I literally said something very vulgar directed at you.

Great book, but that guy can catch on fire

 

[Paladin]

Piano vexes me. My wife is decent, and both my older children play. I use it for theory sometimes, to play scales so I can understand them on guitar. But reading two staffs? No way.

 

[Bucketsofjoy]

You said Hanon and I literally said something very vulgar directed at you.

Great book, but that guy can catch on fire

My reaction as well.

 

[GolfLivesMatter]

Piano vexes me. My wife is decent, and both my older children play. I use it for theory sometimes, to play scales so I can understand them on guitar. But reading two staffs? No way.

You'd be surprised how you can get used to reading two staffs. For me, knowing the chords to the song makes it much easier because the bass clef typically has less complexity in rock/pop/country music. To me, reading TAB for guitar is mind boggling if playing something with some pace.

 

[GolfLivesMatter]

Just a tidbit some folks might enjoy, but those who know music will yawn. MANY songs are written using the I, IV, V chords. So if you start with C chord, play F, then G, then back to C. You will hear some song in your head. Then you can start with D, then G and A chords. Lots of songs start and end off on the "I" chord, so knowing it's a C chord makes it much easier to know you'll be playing a F ("IV") then G chord ("V"), and/or relative minor.

Here are examples of I IV V songs in their original keys:

"Bad Moon Rising" by Creedence Clearwater Revival - I IV V in the key of D = D G A Chords
"La Bamba" by Richie Valens - I IV V in the key of C = C F G Chords
"Summertime Blues" by Eddie Cochran - I IV V in the key of E = E A B Chords
"Steal My Kisses" by Ben Harper - I IV V in the key of G = G C D Chords
"Wild Thing" by The Troggs - I IV V in the key of A = A D E Chords