Need to learn Piano, Any Advice?

[BluPHI!!!]

Hey illmuzik fam,

For a couple on months, I've been desiring to express myself musically on another level.
After I punch out beats on a beat machine after a while, I get bored and want to express myself more musically. This all started when I started listening to more old school soul music.

THE ISSUE IS:
I want to learn how to play piano on my own.

Does anyone who knows how to play have any suggestions and advice for someone who wants to play by ear and learn on his own?


Any great software teaching programs that you recommend??

Any advice would be helpful.


Thanx

 

[SeveredTies]

I was the same way.....I took piano lessons when I was 12 or so. My teacher was teaching me basic stuff and I didnt want to spend hours practicing "mary had a little lamb". What I did was got a beethoven sheet music book and picked out "moonlight sonata", then I got a CD with the song on it. It took me a year to learn how to play it all the way through. I just continued to take songs way beyond my playing abilty and disect them, and then learn them slowly till I knew them so well I could play the song with my eyes closed. 14 years later it has payed off. I guess its more of a backward way of learning, but its good if you cant wait. But I do HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you learn the traditional way of reading music as you play it.

What you might want to do is pick up a music theory book. It will help you in any instrument. As long as you know where the notes are and what chords and variations give you a certain feeling, you will be able to make your own music on the piano, guitar, etc.

If you need any help PM me and I will give you some options of what to try if you get stuck.

 

[classic]

Listen frat, as a classical pianst i can tell you, there is no shortcut, it takes time, and pratice, you can learn the basic's from those books but that will only get your so far. There is now subsitute for lessions, you need somebody to correct your mistakes and get your fingering tecnique down(which is VERY important)

My advice would be to buy a hannon book, this is like weight traning for your hands, buy playing differnt scales in differnt patterns it strenghens your fingers and promotes independent movment,... ALso invest in piano lessons from a good teacher, there is no way around it

What you might want to do is pick up a music theory book. It will help you in any instrument. As long as you know where the notes are and what chords and variations give you a certain feeling, you will be able to make your own music on the piano, guitar, etc.
.

I dont really agree with this, there is a big differnce between learning music theory and actually learning and instrament, now your right ,if you know theory it will help you pick up other instraments fast, BUT the main thing in learning a new instrament is traiing your eyes and hands to react to a note on a page, or a certain way of playing that instrament(muscle memory)




class..

 

[SeveredTies]

.... there is a big differnce between learning music theory and actually learning and instrament, now your right ,if you know theory it will help you pick up other instraments fast, BUT the main thing in learning a new instrament is traiing your eyes and hands to react to a note on a page, or a certain way of playing that instrament(muscle memory)
class..

I see what you are saying about Actually Playing The Instrument. Music theory doesnt help you train your muscles but it will help your knowledge if you want to expand and make your own music. Learning music theory can only help you no matter what you are trying to play.

 

[Shwaz]

You don't need to learn to play classical piano to express yourself making beats. In fact, you don't really need to learn to sight read either (I can hear my piano teacher shrieking in my head right now).

Check out this site:
http://www.apassion4jazz.net/keys.html

Learn your scales and your chords. If you know what key you want to play in, your pick that scale and you play the notes and chords in that scale. If you know all the scales and related chords, expressing yourself will come. You will have to practice not only playing up and down the scale, but experimenting with the scale. Start memorizing the major scales and chords c-b, minor scales and chords c-b, and the major and minor 7th chords. If you have all that down, you will be a well on your way.

If your dead set on learning to sight read go here. Its a note flashcard game.
http://www.theviolincase.com/Flashcards/

 

[BluPHI!!!]

Thank you so much Shwaz for that info!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In the Word's of Big Boi: "Ill BE ON IT--LIKE EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!!!!!!!!!

(LOL)

 

[classic]

You don't need to learn to play classical piano to express yourself making beats. In fact, you don't really need to learn to sight read either (I can hear my piano teacher shrieking in my head right now).

personally i still think thats only gonna get you so far and its very limiting....
YEa you will learn a couple of chourds but what happens when you wanna take things futher,

dont learn how to sight read?? Come on man... Thats not good advice at all, you should defainly learn how to read music even on a basic level. How is he gonna memorize major 7ths and triads,major scales etc.. if he dosent even know what they are on the staff???

If you have previous experince reading music or playing another instrament then thats one thing but if your trying to come at this cold turkey, your gonna learn ALOT better and faster with a couple of BASIC lessons from a teacher. Book learning is not a sustitue for human interaction,espically with something new. I only say this casue ive seen it 1000 times, cats say they wanna learn on there own, a month later they get fustrated and quit...Very few people can learn the piano on their own.... Taking lessons forces you to take it seriously IMO.....

but to each his own, holler at me in a month and you will see

 

[SeveredTies]

i agree with you on that class!

 

[FistFulloDollaz]

it also depends on where you want to take ur music and what kind you doing

you could have a Rolex or a Timex, both are good watches but they essentially do the same thing TELL TIME

....its really the same wit music if you doin Hip Hop, its really not about is this the right note or whatever, its what sounds right

thats what separated hip hop from other genres in the 1st place

keep in mind that alot of people can play piano or many instruments and cant make a good beat to save they life

 

[O-H-TEN]

Get yourself one of those programs like "Instant Play Piano". It is no substitute for a real teacher; but it will teach you enough to get you started. It shows you how to play, how to read, and even has an ear training part to it. It also has a part where you can play your own stuff and it will show you what notes or chords you are actually playing. It's not that expensive either. There are like 4 different versions of the program, I think, so you have to find the one that will teach you what you want to know. Here's a link where you can read a little about the program and buy it if you want: http://store.worldstart.com/product.php?productid=1677 Look it up on ebay also, you can find it sometimes for about 9-15 dollars.
ONE

 

[classic]

....its really the same wit music if you doin Hip Hop, its really not about is this the right note or whatever, its what sounds right

thats what separated hip hop from other genres in the 1st place

keep in mind that alot of people can play piano or many instruments and cant make a good beat to save they life

I agree to a certain extent, just becasue you play the piano or any other instrament dose not mean it will make you a better producer, learning how to play an instrament(others peoples music) and composing your own music are 2 totally seperate talents.... I went to school with some of the best pianists in the country and most couldent compose shit if you asked them too, they are to focused on playing other peoples music...

With that being said if you want to learn something(piano) you may as well do it the right way instead of having to backtrack,which you will if you try and teach yourself with no musical experince...

Its like trying to improve your golf swing with no feedback, you need somebody to correct your mistakes... trust me....

class...

class...

 

[J Cro]

i went today and found out that it costs 20 bucks a lesson at the music place next door to my work. all they do is music lessons and at 20 bucks a pop its a good deal to me. the guy said one month of lessons which is 100 bucks and ill be able to play simple melodies and i could be playin over my own beats etc(this is givin that i put all the effort required into it) but that doesnt seem too bad to me.

 

[classic]

i went today and found out that it costs 20 bucks a lesson at the music place next door to my work. all they do is music lessons and at 20 bucks a pop its a good deal to me. the guy said one month of lessons which is 100 bucks and ill be able to play simple melodies and i could be playin over my own beats etc(this is givin that i put all the effort required into it) but that doesnt seem too bad to me.

Exaclty, good for you, thats about the range for lessions these days
... It kills me when cats will spend thousands of dollars on gear and shit , but wont invest money in music lessons(which is more imporant IMO)

clas.....

 

[J Cro]

Exaclty, good for you, thats about the range for lessions these days
... It kills me when cats will spend thousands of dollars on gear and shit , but wont invest money in music lessons(which is more imporant IMO)

clas.....

whats funny is is u can tell some cats u dont need like an mpc to make beats and they will think your an idiot. but then they will say that knowing anything about music is not nessacary.

i know how t construct chords and shit i understand progressiins and all that. i kno what augmented chords and diminished chords etc etc are
and i have a novice understanding(still reading) about stable/unstable tones, circle of fiths etc

but it doesnt do as much good if i cant ju bang it out on the keyboard.

if i could play it could take me 2 seconds to try a progrssion i wrote in my head. as opposed to tryin to punch it all in on the piano roll.


you only limit yourself when you go with ignorance

 

[Shwaz]

Classic, I stand corrected, you need to learn the notes on the scale in order to learn your scales and chords. What I meant by not needing to learn to sight read is sitting down with sheet music and playing. And yes, if you learn the music theory you will be a more accomplished musician. However, you learn your chords and scales you have made a big step.

 

[2_nice]

i say just play......... you will over time learn how to voice chords yourself and as your ears gets better you will not have a problem working out the 'right notes' to play.....

really often all you need is a coupla notes or a chord or two and play those in rhythmically and just keep practicing and you will learn yourself

 

[Shonsteez]

I jumped in a little late on this one, but to second a few things and maybe add a little too, I would say -

YES. Definitely learn all your scales and understand why they work the way they do. (Dont just mesmorize them, that can only help to a certain extent.)

YES. Learn yer triads, learn yer 7ths, whatever it is ur interested in, but def. the basics for sure.....

Learn to play with BOTH hands....this is really a huge deal if your used to really only using yer left or yer right to bang out a simple bass line or melody...the whole frequency spectrum really opens up and u can do a whole lot more with it then.

And YES. Fucking learn how to sight read! - Why not!?...If yer gonna bother to learn all this other shit, u might as well intigrate probably one of the most useful parts. (Its hard to see how this is important from the git, since I for one also didnt get it before getting deeper into leanrning my fundementals - But once u do, its like everything starts to fall in place and u seem to just have a better understanding of how music works and is created....I dunno, its hard to explain - Im sure some of the other trained pianists will give me a knod of approval on this tho).

 

[SeveredTies]

I jumped in a little late on this one, but to second a few things and maybe add a little too, I would say -

YES. Definitely learn all your scales and understand why they work the way they do. (Dont just mesmorize them, that can only help to a certain extent.)

YES. Learn yer triads, learn yer 7ths, whatever it is ur interested in, but def. the basics for sure.....

Learn to play with BOTH hands....this is really a huge deal if your used to really only using yer left or yer right to bang out a simple bass line or melody...the whole frequency spectrum really opens up and u can do a whole lot more with it then.

And YES. Fucking learn how to sight read! - Why not!?...If yer gonna bother to learn all this other shit, u might as well intigrate probably one of the most useful parts. (Its hard to see how this is important from the git, since I for one also didnt get it before getting deeper into leanrning my fundementals - But once u do, its like everything starts to fall in place and u seem to just have a better understanding of how music works and is created....I dunno, its hard to explain - Im sure some of the other trained pianists will give me a knod of approval on this tho).

Yeah man,
I agree. If you can, learn to sight read. Its not imperative that you do so but if you can sight read at an advanced level you are a MASTER!! I remember going to College Conservatory of Music at University of Cincinnati and this girl picked the sheet music for a song I was trying to learn at an advanced level and she played it EXACTLY the way it should be played. I was thoroughly impressed.

BUT BUT BUT.....I believe this a talent that only a few brains can learn in a reasonable time. Its just what I believe. At the very minimum try to learn to sight read for a few years. 5 maybe 10yrs as long as you are making progress. LEARN TO SIGHT READ if its feesable.

 

[Shonsteez]

Oh no doubt,....the shit is like learning another language or something....You have to start all over again, i believe its beneficial tho.