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Author Topic: Learning to play a piano Frank Cox Film God Posts: 2234 From: Melville Saskatchewan Canada Registered: Apr 2011 posted 04-08-2015 12:36 AM                        A lot of the folks on this message board are really smart and artistic dudes, so you will be a great source of advice since I've never tried anything like this before. I got the idea a little while back that it might be interesting to learn to play a piano. My scheme, such as it is, would be to purchase a digital piano of some sort, then get whatever lessons I need off of ye olde Internet, play around with my piano and see what happens. My ultimate goal would be to be able to play boogie, since I've always got a big kick out of that musical style. I'm sure that in the near term, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star will be more like what I could actually manage to plink out. I did teach myself to read sheet music several years ago with the purpose of adding music to some computerized birthday and Christmas cards and I think a game or two that I wrote at that time. I vaguely recall ripping off some Beethoven and some Dixieland riffs from some sheet music that I found around that time; must have been a program of some sort. But that was all 20+ years back, I've had no reason to look at anything similar since, and I've pretty much forgotten what I used to know about it. I still remember that middle C is in the middle. My knowledge of music in general (outside of listening to it) is pretty much nil. Do any of you fine folks have any recommendations for someone in my position who's never had much exposure to that sort of thing up to this point? I figure if kids can do this, I see no reason why I can't manage it.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-08-2015 01:49 AM                        I took piano lessons for several years and then switched over to organ (I liked the sound of the organ better -- more variety). About 10 or 11 years of lessons in all. I don't know how successful you would be with lessons off the internet, since you don't have somebody there pointing out what you're doing wrong. And, I can definitely say that playing well is NOT as easy as a good piano player makes it look. But the results of hard work and practice are very rewarding. I would suggest finding a teacher for at least the fundamentals, maybe a year's worth of lessons, and then decide from there if you want to consider internet lessons or continue with personal instruction. That's the route I'd take, at least. From personal experience it would be hard to beat the personal instruction route - for one thing, it's a lot more motivating to keep going when you hit rough patches. Caution: If you let it slip that you're a piano player, you will soon get inundated with requests to play music at churches, weddings, funerals and the like, so be careful who you brag about your new-found talent to. Unless of course you're the type who LOVES to play in front of as many people as possible... in that case let us know when your debut CD comes out!  |  IP: Logged Rex Oliver Film Handler Posts: 65 From: Greenville, NC. USA Registered: Apr 2013 posted 04-08-2015 02:14 AM                     While on the appliance and vacuum site forums-other interests-members on those sites talked about playing home type organs.Thought-buy a Lowrey organ and learn to play!But a big problem New TOL Lowrey organs now cost $67,000!!!!No music instrument dealers in town where I live that carry organs or pianos-but a couple places that have small instruments such as guitars.Remember an era when home type organs and pianos were AFFORDABLE!!  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-08-2015 08:03 AM                        As one who played the piano as a kid and who would like to get back to it at some point in the future, my thought would be that it might be worth taking a lesson or two before buying a piano (digital or real) to see if this is something that you would enjoy. I agree that there is no real substitute for in-person lessons from a good teacher. This will prevent you from teaching yourself how to do something wrong and then having to un-learn it later. In addition to the actual performance aspect, you will also need to learn something about music theory, which is something that you can teach yourself. I have no particular experience with digital pianos, except that people I know who play them say that they have gotten to the point where they are very good. If you do not have the space or cash for a real piano, I suspect that a modern digital variant would make a good substitute.  |  IP: Logged Robert Koch Film Handler Posts: 93 From: Williams Ca USA Registered: Apr 2006 posted 04-08-2015 05:33 PM                     I am 93 yrs old and have played since grade school. I have a Yamaha 5ft 3" grand which I still play it most every day. My portfolio consists mostly of Gershwin Jerome Kern, Johny Green and others of that era. The worst part is to find someone still alive that knows what I`m playing. I`ve known a couple of people of retirement age that have been serious enough to learn, to put in the time it takes to finally play well. They started with a good teacher which usually starts with a reference from a person knows a good teacher from a poor one. Always remember a marvelous player isnt always a good teacher You can do it if you are willing to devote the effort  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-08-2015 06:00 PM                        quote: Scott Norwood I have no particular experience with digital pianos, except that people I know who play them say that they have gotten to the point where they are very good. My wife's church has a digital keyboard that can sound like an organ or a piano. The piano function sounds almost uncannily like a real piano, although it doesn't quite have the right sound if you hit the keys really hard (Elton John style). But for a cheaper alternative to the real thing, you'd be hard pressed to beat it. It's made by Kawai, I think.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 04-08-2015 09:32 PM                     I've been playing the "Ivorys" since 1959 and still play on a continual basis. I had my share of great teachers who did teach me something and had the 'mechanical' ones who just listen to you play without teaching you any fingering techniques or any form of skills. I gave them all up and went on my own. It wasn't until the magic of the internet that tonnage of resources came into being to download all one can almost need to gain an knowledge of music and how to apply it to any instrument, including the keyboards. Yet, one really needs the instructor - to 'baby step' one along with anything new in this field. Presently, I'm a church organist and a member of our church's music committee. I have to instruments at home - a Casio 76 note keyboard and a three manual Midi Organ that I constructed using a well-known virtual organ software that we organists are really getting attached to, and the name of the software is Hauptwerk. Do a search on this software to find out the details and all of the magic that can be produced by using this software. Course, the big push that is in my favor with music is that I studied Music in college to learn tons more what's inside the piece (the art of music) instead of just listening to it and playing it (the mechanics of music.) In short, I love music and still learning. -Monte  |  IP: Logged Frank Cox Film God Posts: 2234 From: Melville Saskatchewan Canada Registered: Apr 2011 posted 04-21-2015 12:15 AM                        I've had one of these for about a week now: Casio CDP-230R I bought this one because it was cheap and seemed like a good beginner machine; my idea is that if I really get into this I can always purchase a better/more expensive one later. Now I'm really amazed that they can sell that thing for under $400. I'll admit that I don't have a lot to compare it to, not having had a lot of exposure to musical instruments before, but this thing is really something! It does 400 different instruments and while I haven't tried them all out, I'm impressed with the sounds of the ones that I have tried. The default Grand Piano is great, and it does a church organ that will send shivers down your spine. The first day I had it I just had to teach myself to play Amazing Grace just so I could hear that organ. I've spent the week teaching myself some simple chord progressions and I'm really happy with what I have here. Perhaps as I get more advanced I'll discover this machine's limitations, but I haven't found anything to complain about so far. My biggest challenge so far is getting my hand position right. It's a lot easier now than it was a few days ago, though. I have a Sennheiser headphone that I use for this and that; I"ve plugged the piano into the headphone so neither my wife or my budgie bird will throw me out of the house when I'm fiddling around with this.  |  IP: Logged Kenneth Wuepper Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1026 From: Saginaw, MI, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 04-21-2015 01:50 PM                     Hello Frank You might find this internet based class very useful. The teacher has found some very simple and correct ways to learn to play music on keyboard instruments. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqGKVjPnHlY&list=RDfqGKVjPnHlY#t=2 Any music with guitar chords listed above the notes can be used to play a very pleasing version of a song. KEN  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-21-2015 02:35 PM                     at the keyboards slightly bigger than a casio The 4-19 Wurlitzer at Casa Loma Toronto  |  IP: Logged Robert Koch Film Handler Posts: 93 From: Williams Ca USA Registered: Apr 2006 posted 04-22-2015 07:37 PM                     Frank: If you want "shivers" you havent ever listened to one of those 4 manual " Wurlitzers, Gordon has pictured, "opened up". A theatre organ. Nothing can compare; nothing has or ever will  |  IP: Logged Christos Mitsakis Expert Film Handler Posts: 242 From: Ag.Paraskevi, ATHENS, GREECE Registered: Sep 1999 posted 04-24-2015 01:04 PM                     Gordon, Master Organist, You look terrific!  |  IP: Logged Jeff Taylor Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 601 From: Chatham, NJ/East Hampton, NY Registered: Apr 2000 posted 04-24-2015 01:49 PM                     Back a number of years ago I was allowed a few minutes on the stage left console of the Radio City Music Hall Wurlitzer. I won't say I actually "played" it, but what a thrill to pick out a few chords and stomp those bass notes. Thank goodness nobody was around! What a magnificent instrument.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-24-2015 03:41 PM                     The first time i played one the regular organist at the organ grinder pizza said make sure you have the pedal on the right all the way down before you play your first cord hmmm cresendo pedal at full almost knocked me off the bench  |  IP: Logged Jeff Taylor Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 601 From: Chatham, NJ/East Hampton, NY Registered: Apr 2000 posted 04-24-2015 03:54 PM                     Yea, I opened up the shutters at the Music Hall, and even though nobody was around I had to back off--it was scary loud and I could feel the bass up through the bench.  |  IP: Logged

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