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Plink Plink: I Want to Learn Piano
Hewn
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I'd like to learn the piano. I have the most basic musical training, such as being able to read notes, but beyond that I'm an absolute novice. Obviously lessons are the likely the best and fastest route, but there are a handful of other items for which I thought you could provide input.
Keyboard:
I'd like to learn on a keyboard for it's size (full piano not practical for me), noise level (ability to wear headphones or reduce volume), and computer shenanigans (such as hooking up to cool editing software on the computer).
Can anybody recommend a keyboard that would be a pleasure to play and learn on, but not entirely break the bank of a beginner who could not appreciate all of it's intricacies until years down the road?
Software:
Any essential software for learning or mixing that are essential? I'm using a Mac.
Online resources:
Any gems out there that would steer me in the right direction?
Thanks in advance!
Keyboard:
I'd like to learn on a keyboard for it's size (full piano not practical for me), noise level (ability to wear headphones or reduce volume), and computer shenanigans (such as hooking up to cool editing software on the computer).
Can anybody recommend a keyboard that would be a pleasure to play and learn on, but not entirely break the bank of a beginner who could not appreciate all of it's intricacies until years down the road?
Software:
Any essential software for learning or mixing that are essential? I'm using a Mac.
Online resources:
Any gems out there that would steer me in the right direction?
Thanks in advance!
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Warframe: TheBaconDwarf
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I dunno about the keyboard situation though; that is a bit tricky. There are a whole lot of skills that go with playing piano that are hard to practice on a keyboard, and to do it right without having an actual piano you really need a full-size weighted keyboard - and even then, it won't really be the same.
You can definitely learn the basics of not tripping over your fingers on a non-weighted, small, crappy keyboard, because that's what I did, but it's something you grow out of very quickly if you're serious at all.
To be a "keyboard" player do you need to be a "piano" player? I have no idea what the answer to this question is, but I do know that being a piano player means I can play a keyboard.
Hanon's T'he virtuoso pianist' will give you iron fingers by the time you are done with it. I was not raise on it but my piano playing friends were and they swear by it and are much better than me.
I was taught through 'doctor gradus ad parnassum' another set of nice instructional etudes etc.
I would hotlink right to the pieces but the site doesnt seemt to allow that.
If all you care about is playing synth in an 80's cover band or mixing your own stuff on a computer, a keyboard is fine. If you want to actually play piano music, you need to learn on an actual piano. Even if it's an electronic one. In the long run it will benefit you immensely if you learn on the real thing. If space is an issue, consider something like this, which runs about $1400 USD. I'm sure you could find something cheaper, but you are really going to want something with a real piano keyboard if you're learning piano.
But yeah, if you want to do the real thing, you have to learn on the real thing. Unfortunately the real thing is $Texas.
Will learning on a full-size weighted keyboard really be such a disaster if I want to play a piano?
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No, if you get something like the Roland I posted you won't be able to tell the difference. They are made to mimic the feel of a real piano, and respond accordingly to allow you to play from pianissimo to fortissimo. You'll have to buy a pedal and stand, and should probably get a piano bench as well.
http://www.rolandus.com/products/productdetails.aspx?ObjectId=857&ParentId=87
Like I said, this will run you around $1400 USD, but is a reasonable facsimile of a real piano.
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Pianos are expensive. Obviously if you find something used on eBay it's going to be cheaper. Pianos aren't like band instruments that you can pick up a student version of for $300. Most people who learn to play piano have the benefit of growing up in a house that has a piano. I stand by my original statement that if Hewn is serious about learning to play piano (as opposed to mashing some chords on synth in a cover band) he needs to have something approximating a real piano to practice on. Some cheap Casio from Best Buy with springy keys and no action isn't going to help him in the long run.
It really depends on the keyboard. I've had about 15 years of playing piano, and in that time I've probably only found one or two keyboards that I can comfortably say feel like an actual piano. The rest of them have some quirks or tendencies that require you to slightly alter your playing which, if you started learning with that, would make the transition from keyboard > piano harder.
If you wish to go the keyboard route, find one that: a) is a full-length keyboard, none of this cut-the-top-and-bottom-octave-or-two-of-keys-off crap that I've seen time and time again, and b) get a pedal (you won't use it early on, and actually should learn not to use it early on, but later it's near mandatory unless you're solely playing Bach).
Oh and find a sturdy keyboard stand naturally, and something to keep your music up (the other problem about keyboards, if you're playing long pieces, your music stand tends to hold 4-5 pages max whereas an upright can comfortably fit all 6-8 pages. This won't be a problem for you for a long time).
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Warframe: TheBaconDwarf
You do not need an expensive piano to start. You can resell a digital piano that is in good condition for no or little loss. There is always some guy whose kid is starting lessons and needs a piano.
Yeah...That is a horrible idea. Sure it's portable, and probably cheap, but it's also probably even worse to learn on than a non-weighted keyboard. And it shows, that kid has some horrible technique.
If you get yourself a decent keyboard, on top of lessons or without you could give this a whirl, especially if it's already on your computer. I haven't tried it myself but it seems like it could be fun practice.
Especially when you're going over technical exercises and they're boring and hey the PA forums are right there.
I would suggest a stand alone digital piano, as others have mentioned, as they're relatively less expensive, and put more emphasis on the feel and sound of a *piano*, rather than loading it up with synthesis, trumpet samples, or whatever. If you had more background, or were looking for something less specific, then that might be an option, but if you're looking for a piano, focus on the piano aspects.
My wife has commented to me that in the area here there are a lot of cheap acoustic pianos, typically uprights, that are very cheap on Craigslist. The universal attribute is that they all need a tuning, which costs between $50-$200 or so (I'm told). If you found a good deal on CL and then spent some money getting it tuned up, you'd have an instrument that you could play and would have the feel & sound of a piano because, you know, it's a piano. Could be worth a look. If you don't have the size, or you don't want to deal with offloading a piano if you decide it's not your thing, definitely go the digital piano route.
I'd definitely agree with everyone here that even just a month of lessons will help a lot to avoid beginner mistakes with fingerwork and technique. I took lessons as a kid so it all came back to me pretty quickly, but without that training you can make a lot of mistakes without even knowing it.
The simplest and best way to practice is to do scales, chords, and arpeggios every day for at least a half hour. I use this book whenever I practice, but you don't necessarily need to buy it if you know the scales already.
If they are not learning proper technique then it's no good, of course.
But if it helps them practice and generates interest in practicing, it's a pretty sweet tool.
I've given drum lessons for quite a few people that looked into them because of Rock Band for example. They're more than happy to learn the "real technique" and so long as they're not completely out of form I encourage them to practice Rock Band in addition to just the rudiments and all.
That and I look forward to completing my MIDI -> Rock Band convertor.
It could have something to do with him being a little kid. :?
I think it's great if you're not really looking to play an instrument. We're on the same boat as far as generating interest goes, and yeah, GarageBand rocks it for getting people who previously had no interest in music, or were musically inclined but not playing, to actually get into putting stuff together and thinking about songs and music.
My point is more that if you're interested in an instrument, and playing that instrument well, tethering it to a computer creates a distraction and another hurdle to just practicing when you get the muse. I kind of see all of the myriad options you can get with VSTs, plugins, and whatnot, similarly -- if you're trying to learn to play Piano, but GarageBand lets your keyboard sound like a bass guitar, you'll probably get distracted and plink around with a bass guitar sound for a while, or fiddling with a simple synth, or what have you.
Not that it can't be great fun, but that's a different purpose. That's all.
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