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I'm wanting to learn how to play the piano

GrimReaperGrimReaper Registered User regular
edited May 2009 in Help / Advice Forum
Okay, so recently i've been playing with the idea of taking up a hobby. Years ago in school (middle school) I played a tiny bit of the piano, however I have forgotten everything in regards to it.

Can anyone recommend me videos/guides on leaning to play and also keyboards. I was thinking of getting something that I could for example connect up to my computer via USB and learn to play via that.

Of course I wonder if there is anything like Rockband but for teaching to play the piano (and if there isn't i'm off to patent it or something).

I've got aspergers syndrome so if there are any guides that play to the strengths of it that'd be useful, I tend to zone out on certain kinds of books/guides. For example something that plays to my ability to be very focused on singular tasks rather than being overloaded with lots of things at the same time.

EDIT: D'oh, can this be moved to Help / Advice please.

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  • joshofalltradesjoshofalltrades Class Traitor Smoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
    edited May 2009
    In the meantime, I learned to play piano with the Miracle system for DOS. It's actually pretty decent if you can still find one on eBay or something. I'm not aware of many things like it around today, but maybe someone else is.

    joshofalltrades on
  • SamSam Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    GrimReaper wrote: »
    Okay, so recently i've been playing with the idea of taking up a hobby. Years ago in school (middle school) I played a tiny bit of the piano, however I have forgotten everything in regards to it.

    Can anyone recommend me videos/guides on leaning to play and also keyboards. I was thinking of getting something that I could for example connect up to my computer via USB and learn to play via that.

    Of course I wonder if there is anything like Rockband but for teaching to play the piano (and if there isn't i'm off to patent it or something).

    There's a game called Keyboardmania but afaik it's arcade/japan only. Plus the HIT THIS NOW TO NOT FAIL IN THE NEXT 3 SECONDS thing doesn't work well when you're using a keyboard.

    Sam on
  • ulanshadulanshad Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    GrimReaper wrote: »
    Of course I wonder if there is anything like Rockband but for teaching to play the piano (and if there isn't i'm off to patent it or something).

    Yes, Synthesia - it was even originally called Piano Hero. And it's free!

    ulanshad on
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  • ElkiElki get busy Moderator, ClubPA mod
    edited May 2009
    Moving.

    Elki on
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  • mechaThormechaThor Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    I'm interested in learning how to play the piano as well. Having played the saxophone for a number of years (I would assume this to be true about other instruments) getting lessons make things drastically easier, as I've heard that playing while developing bad habits can lead to problems that become much more difficult to correct after you've been playing for a while, but this is coming from what I remember from past "teach me how to teach myself to play piano" threads. Do you already have a piano/keyboard?

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  • DaxonDaxon Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    I'd advise going down to your local music shop and asking if they have any phone numbers for piano teachers.. then go learn how to play from someone who's experienced and good at it.

    Daxon on
  • KhavallKhavall British ColumbiaRegistered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Take lessons
    Take lessons
    Take lessons.

    Don't play on a 3/4 size keyboard. And take lessons.

    There are so many things that go into just making a sound correctly on the instrument that unless you just want to learn so that you can play Billy Joel at an odd party you need lessons or you'll make it very easy to mess up your wrists/arms. And even then I'd still recommend lessons. Lessons are amazingly helpful.

    Also, I'd imagine your setup around your computer isn't going to be the best place to learn to play either... posture is actually somewhat important, you need a specific height and distance from the keyboard as well.

    Khavall on
  • GrimReaperGrimReaper Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Hmm, I hadn't thought to take lessons. I just googled piano teachers in Leeds and there are loads.

    Bugger is I am saving up, and I was hoping to teach myself. But if lessons is the advice then lessons it is.

    So, do the following:

    * Get a full sized keyboard to play
    * Take lessons

    I do not currently have a keyboard/piano no.

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  • joshofalltradesjoshofalltrades Class Traitor Smoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
    edited May 2009
    GrimReaper wrote: »
    Hmm, I hadn't thought to take lessons. I just googled piano teachers in Leeds and there are loads.

    Bugger is I am saving up, and I was hoping to teach myself. But if lessons is the advice then lessons it is.

    So, do the following:

    * Get a full sized keyboard to play
    * Take lessons

    I do not currently have a keyboard/piano no.

    I taught myself and (not trying to come off as egotistical) I'm pretty good. Not going to play in Carnegie Hall anytime soon, but good enough to play by ear along with most rock bands and sight read sheet music up to performance in a day or so.

    Lessons are great if you don't have experience with a musical instrument and/or you don't feel like a teacher will go at your pace. I taught myself guitar, harmonica, drums, piano and a bunch of weird instruments nobody else plays because instructors insisted on going at a snail's pace when I was noticeably past that.

    Don't let anybody fool you into thinking that paying for a teacher is the only way. It might be... but at least give self-teaching a shot first if money is a concern. If you're having trouble or you plateau, then start lessons.

    joshofalltrades on
  • TrentusTrentus Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    It might be a good idea to find a teacher, go for a couple of lessons, and ask them about various resources you could use that would be more suited to the way you work. I think a few lessons in the beginning could be important just so you learn what should be doing with your hands. The last thing you want is to develop RSI or something (although I've got a few friends who are self taught they have good form).

    After a few lessons you might like to try going it alone for a little while. It could be worth while going back for a lesson every now and then though, just to work on a few things you're having trouble with, or even just to have someone listen to you and tell you what things you need to focus on.

    Trentus on
  • cooljammer00cooljammer00 Hey Small Christmas-Man!Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    88 keys.

    They have light up cues on keyboards now, which is just weird to me.

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  • BartholamueBartholamue Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    What are the smaller keyboards used for, anyway?

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  • cooljammer00cooljammer00 Hey Small Christmas-Man!Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    What are the smaller keyboards used for, anyway?

    People who don't have room? Most standard keyboards don't have an octave or two, I believe.

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  • KhavallKhavall British ColumbiaRegistered User regular
    edited May 2009
    What are the smaller keyboards used for, anyway?

    Portability mostly. Cheap keyboards that can be moved around normally have smaller keys and less keys, so they fit places. I have one gig pretty often that's outside and nowhere near where anyone in the group lives, there's no parking anywhere near, and they have to lug a keyboard around, so they bring a smaller one to set up quickly and move it around. I hate it because it sounds like ass, it screws up my feel, and it's completely unresponsive to my touch.
    I taught myself and (not trying to come off as egotistical) I'm pretty good. Not going to play in Carnegie Hall anytime soon, but good enough to play by ear along with most rock bands and sight read sheet music up to performance in a day or so.
    You are doing something wrong. I'm not going to presume to guess what it is without looking at you play, but I can tell you if you haven't taken lessons you're doing something wrong. I'd put money on a lack of control and uneven sounds coming from different fingers too, but hey maybe you're the exceptional pianist that isn't like everyone else.

    Piano isn't about hitting the right notes at the right time. Lessons will teach you how to even just phonate correctly. There's so much that goes into just basically playing correctly that you just can't learn it yourself, not correctly. You can learn enough to play with a rock band by yourself, you can learn enough to bang out the basics of a song with horrible tone and no control by yourself, but you can't learn how to play the piano by yourself, there's just too much going into it.
    because instructors insisted on going at a snail's pace when I was noticeably past that.
    If you have an instructor that is worse for you than self-teaching then ditch them, by all means. But when you're first learning an instrument? The instructor is going to be better than you at the instrument, they're going to see things that you don't, and they're going to know how to work on things. If your instructor is having you run something when you think you've learned it already chances are you're doing something wrong. Seriously, I don't mean to come off as a dick, but the arrogance is staggering in thinking that you, who has no training in what you're doing, are going to be more knowledgeable than an instructor who has training and expertise in the area. It's not going to work that way. Never in my history of taking lessons, even with bad teachers, has any instructor said "That was right. You got it totally right. Now keep working on that". That phrase will never be uttered by an instructor. If you ever are having a problem with pace, then tell your instructor. They'll either work on mixing things up a little or they'll explain why they're pacing things that way.

    I've spent entire semesters on 2 pieces. 2. I'm spending the entirety of this summer working on one 3 minute piece.


    Don't get it in your head that a completely untrained self-taught student knows even close to as much as a trained instructor. The insight you'll get working with a teacher is staggering, and you'll ultimately learn much, much faster and better with proper teaching than with self-teaching.

    Khavall on
  • shadydentistshadydentist Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    The question really is, how good do you want to be?

    That really should determine whether or not you want lessons.

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  • hectorsehectorse Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Take lessons

    Classic Instruments are sooo not like rock instruments in the sense that they actually need some sick amount of time, to even sound right.

    Coming off as a violin player turned drummer turned bassist/keyboardist (not pianist by any stretch of imagination) learning how to play with the correct technique from the beginning is paramount. Bad technique leads to frustration down the road, so it really doesn't matter that you spend 1 year on the basics, because it's 1 year that you will never have to do again.

    Hell it took me 5 years of violin practice to find a voice in there! That's when I started sounding good!

    With classical instruments, every piece is a technique struggle. You can almost auto-pilot on the drums, bass, electric guitar and keyboard, but with the piano it's a constant struggle to play at the perfect tone and phrasing every time you do it!

    AND BY THE LOVE OF GOD WOULD ANY OF YOU PIANISTS, GUITAR PLAYERS AND SINGERS STUDY WITH A GOD DAMN METRONOME!! Jeez

    /rant

    hectorse on
  • saladesalade Registered User new member
    edited May 2009
    Am I the only person who is impartial to lessons? If you understand music theory, and are able to accept that somewhere down the road it would be helpful to have a professional look at you play every once in a while, than what's wrong with learning on your own? It's certaintly doable.

    Maybye you won't learn a masterful technique, as if you were taking lessons, but it could be helpful finding your way around a keyboard. although technique is apparantly paramount for classical music, ask yourself is that what you really want to do?

    If it is than go take lessons. If you just want to know how to comp, or something like that, than why can't you teach yourself? It's just a hobby.

    Although to be fair, teaching yourself is certaintly harder. Especially if you know nothing about music (theory).

    salade on
  • KhavallKhavall British ColumbiaRegistered User regular
    edited May 2009
    salade wrote: »
    Am I the only person who is impartial to lessons? If you understand music theory, and are able to accept that somewhere down the road it would be helpful to have a professional look at you play every once in a while, than what's wrong with learning on your own? It's certaintly doable.

    Maybye you won't learn a masterful technique, as if you were taking lessons, but it could be helpful finding your way around a keyboard. although technique is apparantly paramount for classical music, ask yourself is that what you really want to do?

    If it is than go take lessons. If you just want to know how to comp, or something like that, than why can't you teach yourself? It's just a hobby.

    Although to be fair, teaching yourself is certaintly harder. Especially if you know nothing about music (theory).

    Why bother doing the math first, just start welding some metal together and if it falls down just build it again correctly, it's certainly doable.

    You will fuck up your technique if you self teach, and you have potential to hurt yourself because of it, and if you decide you like playing and want to continue and get better than "bad" you'll have to unlearn bad techniques and relearn the basics of the instruments. Also you'll learn slower. Also you'll end up worse.

    It's not that you won't learn "masterful" technique, it's that you won't learn basic technique.

    Without lessons you will not learn how to play the instrument. You will instead learn to hit the instrument. Badly.

    Khavall on
  • mooshoeporkmooshoepork Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    How can you hurt yourself for not having lessons? I think a few people in here are overreacting just a little bit...

    mooshoepork on
  • TrentusTrentus Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    How can you hurt yourself for not having lessons? I think a few people in here are overreacting just a little bit...

    You can develop RSI through improper/poor technique. My music teacher and the school's piano teacher actually had this problem (earlier in her life... she wasn't teaching poor form to her students or anything). But I do have to agree with you... things are getting a little heated and well... stupid.

    There are some great musicians who are self taught, and yes, some of them play the piano.

    Trentus on
  • desdinovadesdinova Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Disclaimer- I play bass clarinet and I pretend to play piano and bass guitar. I've worked music retail for years.

    You should take a few months of lessons. Even if the only thing you get out of it is posture, that's the most important part. RSI and carpal tunnel are very real threats but in the short term, finger strain and fatigue aren't fun. If you're not having fun then why would you keep practicing? An instructor provides direction and encouragement on top of that.

    To the automaths in the thread, if OP were truely capable of your kind of learning he would have already been doing it, not posting on a forum for advice. :)

    From a gear standpoint- I'll echo the calls for an 88-key piano and hammer-action. Some, usually older, instructors will want you to have a real piano. If you have money to throw around, a modern electronic piano with half-damper capability is excellent. An older used one with a good keybed won't have as fancy a pedal system but will be more than adequate. Overlooked models to watch for on the used market are the Alesis QS8 series and Ensoniq KT88.

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  • KhavallKhavall British ColumbiaRegistered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Trentus wrote: »
    There are some great musicians who are self taught, and yes, some of them play the piano.

    This is really misleading.

    There are not really any great pianists who are self-taught at Piano.


    Seriously, people, self-teaching is just going to result in so many things wrong with ability to play. It will cripple someones ability to progress in the future, there's potential for injury, it will result in a worse player. This isn't "Getting too heated", this is pretty much stating what it is.

    Khavall on
  • saladesalade Registered User new member
    edited May 2009
    Khavall wrote: »
    Why bother doing the math first, just start welding some metal together and if it falls down just build it again correctly, it's certainly doable.

    Oh, I see your point. Just like it is impossible to derive ANY practical use out of an object you have made without meticulously making techincal drawings, and running your designs through multiple simulations, it is also impossible to learn which buttons to press on a piano to make the sound you want to come out.

    Yes, I know, it's more than that. you have to learn how to press them correctly. like how to press the button with just the right ammount of pressure, or learn why they have that blasted third pedal down there.

    BUT you can make a piano sound fine without knowing all that crap. Sure, you won't be a world class pianist, or even a professional one. It's too bad since the life of a professional musician is so glamorous, and isn't filled with hardship at all! All fifteen years of it anyway.

    Just in case you still don't get it: I'm not stating that someone self-taught at piano has as good a chance as being as "good" as someone who took lessons. I'm just stating that it doesn't really matter.

    You should also ask someone to tell you the correct way to do things once in awhile. How are you going to measure yourself if you have no feedback from other perspectives?

    salade on
  • KhavallKhavall British ColumbiaRegistered User regular
    edited May 2009
    I mean I personally love the life of a professional musician. But I'm certainly not going to recommend it to someone who isn't already on that path.

    Here's the thing, and let's see if saying it this way makes it any more clear as to what I'm getting at here:

    Self-teaching does nothing but limits you as a pianist in every way. You will sound worse, you will play worse, you will lack control, you will make it much easier to injure yourself, you will learn slower, you will most likely miss things while moving ahead that need to be worked on. This isn't a "PoTAto" v "PoTAHto" thing. Self-teaching makes you worse. Period. You will not learn how to play the instrument, you will learn how to hit the instrument.

    There are a billion disadvantages to self-teaching, and the only advantage is that you'll save a bit of money unless of course you decide you want to get better than you can from self-teaching in which case you'll have to take lessons to fix everything you messed up for yourself and then relearn it all.

    Khavall on
  • GrimReaperGrimReaper Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Just a note guys, I'm not wanting to do this to try and become a professional musician. I'm wanting to do this as a hobby, something to learn and perhaps become proficient at playing some Mozart.

    As professions go I'm perfectly good as an IT Manager, I'm wanting to learn to play the piano (including reading sheet music, learning about music in general) to help take my mind off computery things and to be able to play some music I absolutely love.

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  • KhavallKhavall British ColumbiaRegistered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Hahahaha. Yeah, we know.

    If you wanted to be a professional my advice would be "Go back in time to when you were 6 years old and start working then"

    Khavall on
  • davidbarrydavidbarry Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Something that you might like to try (and granted, it's going to be slow-going in the beginning) is picking out some very easy songs and trying to learn them by ear.

    Get feel for what YOU think sounds good, because that's what matters.

    There are plenty of awesome self-taught musicians out there.

    davidbarry on
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  • hectorsehectorse Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    GrimReaper wrote: »
    Just a note guys, I'm not wanting to do this to try and become a professional musician. I'm wanting to do this as a hobby, something to learn and perhaps become proficient at playing some Mozart.

    As professions go I'm perfectly good as an IT Manager, I'm wanting to learn to play the piano (including reading sheet music, learning about music in general) to help take my mind off computery things and to be able to play some music I absolutely love.

    The way I see it

    Hobbies are supposed to be fun.

    For me, in order for music to be a cool hobby, I must have fun with it, and it's pretty much impossible for me to have fun playing something if it doesn't sound half decent. The same with your playing, if your technique is not good, you'll get frustrated because it will sound horribly and what's most important, you won't know where the what the fuck you did wrong!

    Believe me, getting a teacher will be more rewarding!

    And dude, Mozart are big words. Probably the hardest part of Mozart's is precisely the reason you need a teacher: the actual notes are about 30% of Mozart's; tonality, phrasing, intention and sound balance are more important.

    You can't learn that without a teacher drilling you every week lesson.

    Stop being cheap, playing music is not cheap and a teacher is absolutely the worst place to start being cheaper

    [Unless you are a gifted freak there is no way you can do this at super-level if you haven't been practicing since at least 12 years old with good teachers]

    hectorse on
  • hectorsehectorse Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Also

    Classical Musical instruments aren't drums or bass or electrical guitar

    They aren't pick up and play.

    They are gigantic time consuming endeavors that take years to even get to a mediocre level.

    And then, in top of that, you need to have something worthwile to say, or else you will end up like the gazillion violin-playing asians out there: notes 100%, no emotion, worthless

    The Central nervous system motor paths for violin of piano playing take ridiculuosly long to form

    hectorse on
  • GrimReaperGrimReaper Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    hectorse wrote: »
    GrimReaper wrote: »
    Just a note guys, I'm not wanting to do this to try and become a professional musician. I'm wanting to do this as a hobby, something to learn and perhaps become proficient at playing some Mozart.

    As professions go I'm perfectly good as an IT Manager, I'm wanting to learn to play the piano (including reading sheet music, learning about music in general) to help take my mind off computery things and to be able to play some music I absolutely love.

    The way I see it

    Hobbies are supposed to be fun.

    For me, in order for music to be a cool hobby, I must have fun with it, and it's pretty much impossible for me to have fun playing something if it doesn't sound half decent. The same with your playing, if your technique is not good, you'll get frustrated because it will sound horribly and what's most important, you won't know where the what the fuck you did wrong!

    Believe me, getting a teacher will be more rewarding!

    And dude, Mozart are big words. Probably the hardest part of Mozart's is precisely the reason you need a teacher: the actual notes are about 30% of Mozart's; tonality, phrasing, intention and sound balance are more important.

    You can't learn that without a teacher drilling you every week lesson.

    Stop being cheap, playing music is not cheap and a teacher is absolutely the worst place to start being cheaper

    [Unless you are a gifted freak there is no way you can do this at super-level if you haven't been practicing since at least 12 years old with good teachers]

    Well, my only gift is that I have a good singular focus. (I can be very obsessive/focused on a single task, which has sort of played well in my field of expertise)

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  • OrogogusOrogogus San DiegoRegistered User regular
    edited May 2009
    hectorse wrote: »
    And then, in top of that, you need to have something worthwile to say, or else you will end up like the gazillion violin-playing asians out there: notes 100%, no emotion, worthless

    This seems kind of harsh on someone who just said he wants to learn how to play piano, like maybe some Mozart. Is the goal here to convince him not to get into it? Even if he stays the course he's not likely to be able to put emotion or voice into it for a while, and it's entirely possible he never will. But even a completely wooden rendition of Moonlight Sonata or even Minuet in G Major sounds impressive enough to most people.

    Orogogus on
  • hectorsehectorse Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Orogogus wrote: »
    hectorse wrote: »
    And then, in top of that, you need to have something worthwile to say, or else you will end up like the gazillion violin-playing asians out there: notes 100%, no emotion, worthless

    This seems kind of harsh on someone who just said he wants to learn how to play piano, like maybe some Mozart. Is the goal here to convince him not to get into it? Even if he stays the course he's not likely to be able to put emotion or voice into it for a while, and it's entirely possible he never will. But even a completely wooden rendition of Moonlight Sonata or even Minuet in G Major sounds impressive enough to most people.

    I know it's harsh, but I would like him to know that piano playing is much much more than than just hitting the keys! If he understands that, then he is set for life =]

    Are you ready to take the step and do the work?

    If so, the greatest satisfactions of your life lie ahead (seriously, playing music is fun as hell!, plus it gets teh ladiez)

    (and get a teacher)

    hectorse on
  • DsmartDsmart Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Khavall is so fucking annoying

    Dsmart on
  • KhavallKhavall British ColumbiaRegistered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Dsmart wrote: »
    Khavall is so fucking annoying

    Gee that's great help and advice.


    And you realize that I'm "so fucking annoying" because I'm trying to help the guy do what he asked to be able to do in the OP? Except I'm doing it with advice that'll actually, you know, work?

    And that I know what I'm talking about here?

    Khavall on
  • hectorsehectorse Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Dsmart wrote: »
    Khavall is so fucking annoying

    He's actually right this time.

    Dude wants to learn piano but not pay for classes.

    Not going to work

    hectorse on
  • OrogogusOrogogus San DiegoRegistered User regular
    edited May 2009
    hectorse wrote: »
    Orogogus wrote: »
    hectorse wrote: »
    And then, in top of that, you need to have something worthwile to say, or else you will end up like the gazillion violin-playing asians out there: notes 100%, no emotion, worthless

    This seems kind of harsh on someone who just said he wants to learn how to play piano, like maybe some Mozart. Is the goal here to convince him not to get into it? Even if he stays the course he's not likely to be able to put emotion or voice into it for a while, and it's entirely possible he never will. But even a completely wooden rendition of Moonlight Sonata or even Minuet in G Major sounds impressive enough to most people.

    I know it's harsh, but I would like him to know that piano playing is much much more than than just hitting the keys! If he understands that, then he is set for life =]

    Are you ready to take the step and do the work?

    If so, the greatest satisfactions of your life lie ahead (seriously, playing music is fun as hell!, plus it gets teh ladiez)

    (and get a teacher)

    I'd think that he's likely to have years before this becomes a significant concern, even if he already knows how to read music, and that it's premature and counterproductive to tell him that all the scales and drills that he needs first are worthless music. It's, like, okay for him to enjoy some of what he'll be able to do before he gets to that point.

    On a related note, I don't know about Leeds, but here in San Diego crazy Russian piano teachers are generally the best piano teachers. I don't know if they often take on adult students, though.

    Orogogus on
  • KhavallKhavall British ColumbiaRegistered User regular
    edited May 2009
    hectorse wrote: »
    Dsmart wrote: »
    Khavall is so fucking annoying

    He's actually right this time.

    Dude wants to learn piano but not pay for classes.

    Not going to work

    And that's not even what's happening here.

    The OP seemed to be fine with the idea of taking lessons, though he originally said he would prefer not having to spend that money. Then a bunch of other people came in and said "Don't bother it's totally not important" and some went so far as to spout something about how instructors would go at a slow pace and the student obviously knew more than the instructor about what they needed so they were just fine without real training or something. Of course I'm going to be disdainful of that sort of things, because it's bad advice.

    Khavall on
  • hectorsehectorse Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Orogogus wrote: »
    hectorse wrote: »
    Orogogus wrote: »
    hectorse wrote: »
    And then, in top of that, you need to have something worthwile to say, or else you will end up like the gazillion violin-playing asians out there: notes 100%, no emotion, worthless

    This seems kind of harsh on someone who just said he wants to learn how to play piano, like maybe some Mozart. Is the goal here to convince him not to get into it? Even if he stays the course he's not likely to be able to put emotion or voice into it for a while, and it's entirely possible he never will. But even a completely wooden rendition of Moonlight Sonata or even Minuet in G Major sounds impressive enough to most people.

    I know it's harsh, but I would like him to know that piano playing is much much more than than just hitting the keys! If he understands that, then he is set for life =]

    Are you ready to take the step and do the work?

    If so, the greatest satisfactions of your life lie ahead (seriously, playing music is fun as hell!, plus it gets teh ladiez)

    (and get a teacher)

    I'd think that he's likely to have years before this becomes a significant concern, even if he already knows how to read music, and that it's premature and counterproductive to tell him that all the scales and drills that he needs first are worthless music. It's, like, okay for him to enjoy some of what he'll be able to do before he gets to that point.

    On a related note, I don't know about Leeds, but here in San Diego crazy Russian piano teachers are generally the best piano teachers. I don't know if they often take on adult students, though.

    They don't...

    I went to one of those crazy San Diego's Russian Violin Teacher and even as an advanced student, he gave me a hell of a hard time! It was worth it. We spent a year relearning technique

    hectorse on
  • mooshoeporkmooshoepork Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    I think this is getting a little bit ridiculous.

    Guy wants to learn piano. He doesn't want to be some piano prodigy.

    "YOU'RE FINGERS WILL FALL OFF WITH IMPROPER TECHNIQUE"
    "YOU'LL HAVE NO EMOTION AND BE USELESS LIKE AN ASIAN"
    "YOU'LL NEVER AMOUNT TO ANYTHIIIIIING"

    Calm the fuck down.

    He wants to learn how to play some tunes. It's perfectly possible without lessons.

    Jesus christ, you people sometimes.

    mooshoepork on
  • JansonJanson Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    There's a heck of a difference between 'tunes' and 'Mozart', though. As someone who had piano lessons for 10 years (and I still would not say I could play most Mozart) I have to chime in and agree with hectorse and Khavall

    The piano is immensely rewarding, even if you do just sit down once in a blue moon (I no longer have a piano, so I play extremely rarely) and belt out a few notes, but I'd feel comfortable saying it is the most complex and difficult instrument you can learn

    Janson on
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