To Learn Piano

[cancer]

[SIZE="1"]I am a freshman in college for graphic design, and I know how to play no instrument, and I can not read music. Basically, I've never done anything involving music. However, I now wish to learn piano, and at my school there are plenty of practice rooms so I would have time to learn, though I would have to be self-taught (until I can take piano 101 as an elective possibly, though I'm not sure when that could be).
Does anyone have any advice for what I should do to learn to play the piano and learn to read music in a way that I will learn most effectively? I just don't want to learn the wrong way. I have a friend who is helping me and my friend is giving me basic books on piano, though I just wanted some input from the Boards to see what you all think. Thanks.[/SIZE]

[AzureWolf]

[COLOR=maroon]Piano is probably the hardest instrument to learn, but ironically the easiest to self-teach the basics to. Most colleges have free or discounted lessons either by the school or some third party. I would advise you to take lessons after you learn the basics of music theory and the piano.

Dedicate half an hour a day (or a full hour, that would be best) to piano. Whether it is just learning about the piano or playing it, make sure you are regular. You can take a day or two off every week of course, but the key is to be regular. Most people will just let the time slip them by and then it gets harder every week to start back up and do your original pacing.

Listen to piano music regularly to get an ear for it. When you can, try to pay attention and imagine the musician or yourself playing the keys and how they are jumping. Frankly, I've heard about this trick and it's never worked for me, but so many people swear by it that it's worth a try, eh? I only improve by hearing myself play, haha.

After eight weeks of consistency (or whenever you feel frustrated and that you aren't improving), shut yourself off from the piano for a week or two. When you get back to it and return to your cycle, you should notice more comfort and familiarity with the piano, if not improvement as well. I know coaches and athletes have a name for this phenomenon, but it applies to music as well.

It's important that somewhere along the line - maybe not for two years or more, but sometime - you seek a teacher. They will correct you and make the proper adjustments.
Also, to produce a sound on the piano seems so simple (i.e., press down on the appropriate key, like typing), but when you get to certain pieces, they require the advanced techniques only a professional can teach you. There are so many different ways to press the same key, and every finger needs to have equal strength to press all those gradients since you never know when you'll need to use your pinky to strength and press a hard note. You'll notice this when you start practicing that your pinky will be the weakest and hardest to hit the notes with, but yeah...


I had a friend who taught himself piano in 2nd grade, and I have another friend who started when he was a sophomore in college and he too had no music experience. They are both very talented, so you shouldn't give up. Regularity was what helped my latter friend, while starting early helped the former friend, haha.[/COLOR]

[BlueYoshi]

[color=darkred]Yeah, pretty much what AzureWolf said. If you want to be self-taught, then that's fine, but don't pass up the opportunity to get help from your peers when it's available. I'm a self-taught guitarist, and had it not been for jamming with mates there would be lot of stuff that I wouldn't know about playing guitar today.

On that point, jam with friends as well. Not only is it fun, but it gives you a good idea of how you're progressing with the instrument.[/color]

[cancer]

[SIZE="1"]All right, those were some good replies, thank you. I do have another question though. What is the best way for me to learn where the keys of the piano are so I'll be able to play with both hands and quickly find the keys? I know that for different songs your hands start out at different places and move all over, so I can't really rely on muscle memory of keeping my hand in a certain position every time, so I don't know, what should I do?[/SIZE]

[Vicky]

[quote name='cancer'][SIZE="1"] What is the best way for me to learn where the keys of the piano are so I'll be able to play with both hands and quickly find the keys? [/SIZE][/QUOTE]

[SIZE=1]Write the notes on the keys with a marker pen! XD

It does actually work. I'm not sure about anyone else but that's how I learnt where the keys are (although I'm not much of a piano player; I needed it for my Music GCSE). I think you can always rub it off once you're learnt...

Maybe you could do that, rub all of them notes off except each C and fill in the blanks as you play to learn (someone did that in our year and it worked).[/SIZE]

[AzureWolf]

[quote name='cancer'][SIZE="1"]What is the best way for me to learn where the keys of the piano are so I'll be able to play with both hands and quickly find the keys? I know that for different songs your hands start out at different places and move all over, so I can't really rely on muscle memory of keeping my hand in a certain position every time, so I don't know, what should I do?[/SIZE][/QUOTE][COLOR=maroon]Simple, it's touch typing...

[i][B]ON CRACK[/i][/B]

Yeah, that's really what it is: knowing where you are and knowing where you want to be. This requires a lot of practice and discipline. However, no amount of training will let you START at the right place. You have to look at the keys anytime you disconnect yourself from the piano to the extent you have no idea where at least one key is (i.e. the last key you pressed). You have to look at the keys when you start to gain a sense of placement, because maybe the seat has shifted, the piano is new, the angle is dfferent, etc. Everyone looks, it's ok.

I'll use typing as a (poor) analogy: how do you know where to put your fingers on the keyboard? Yeah, ok, nowadays all keyboards have that little bump on the "f" and "j" keys, so you don't have to look. But what if they weren't there? Yeah, you have to look - [B]or press at least one key to have a sense of how to reach "f" and "j"[/B]. The piano is no different (but doesn't have the bumps) so you have to look here too. However, unlike the keyboard, there's no locked position, no "home keys," so that second trick (the stuff in bold) comes into play.

In theory, you don't have to look at the keys again once you start, just like how you don't have to look at (or feel for) the keys. On the piano, you can remove all your fingers to a certain degree and still have a sense of placement. That's how you jump from one side of the keyboard to the other. It just takes practice - [i][B]A HELLUVA LOT OF PRACTICE[/B][/i], but that's all it is.

The jury is out on whether it's good to look at the keys or not. Professionals seem to look at the keys instead of the music when they are really immersed in a song, but you still will need it when you need to look at music.

So, that's the long story. You just have to practice it. Looking and pressing may work in some songs, but some are too fast to let that be acceptable. Even the professionals who do look already know without looking.

However, that's a long ways from now. Understanding music theory and being able to read music come first, haha.

I hope that answers your question.[/COLOR]

[eleanor]

[quote name='cancer'][SIZE="1"]All right, those were some good replies, thank you. I do have another question though. What is the best way for me to learn where the keys of the piano are so I'll be able to play with both hands and quickly find the keys? I know that for different songs your hands start out at different places and move all over, so I can't really rely on muscle memory of keeping my hand in a certain position every time, so I don't know, what should I do?[/SIZE][/QUOTE]

[font="trebuchet ms"] I'm going to go against the crowd and say that's a bad idea. Never try to play with both hands when you're first learning to play piano. It will just make things harder and you won't have a fuller understanding of the basics. Trying to sightread as a beginner is just asking for hell. Unless you're a prodigy, don't do it.

There's one thing you should remember:

Scales are you friends. Practice them, memorize them, use them as warm-ups every day, love them. Scales are essential to [i]any[/i] instrument playing, and it especially helps on the piano. PLAY SCALES. The first piano book you should buy is a scale book, and there are plenty of other beginner books to build off of.

As for learning where the notes are, it's just clear-cut memorization and practice. When you practice scales, write the letters of the notes underneath, and you'll eventually find your way around with enough practice.

I don't want to be a bummer, but it's rather difficult to learn any instrument at your age, but it's definitely possible with consistent practice and passion. It's just harder for your fingers to react and for your mind to memorize those notes as you get older, so you'll probably need to put in extra effort.

But it pays off! Piano is one the most enjoyable instruments to play. That's my personal opinion, anyway. :)[/font]

[cancer]

[QUOTE]I don't want to be a bummer, but it's rather difficult to learn any instrument at your age, but it's definitely possible with consistent practice and passion. It's just harder for your fingers to react and for your mind to memorize those notes as you get older, so you'll probably need to put in extra effort. [/QUOTE]


[SIZE="1"]Yes, I do know that it will take extra effort, but I will practice piano as I practice visual art: with perfectionism. I am learning from a book called Group Piano for Adults, which is a book that teaches the basics, so I'm going to spend my entire college career in piano practice rooms every weekday for say, one or two hours a day at the least. [/SIZE]

[Andy]

[quote name='Vicky'][SIZE=1]Write the notes on the keys with a marker pen! XD
[/SIZE][/QUOTE]

[FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="2"]I think I might try that.:p

Ahem, but yeah, I played piano for about 3 years. I guess you could say I was pretty good, but it would be pretty hard to tell considering I was playing against my friend's who have been taking piano since they were 6 or 7(they're both 15 now)...bastards, lol. They are practically a couple of Beethoven incarnate's, seriously, they're pretty good. And from watching them play all these year's I can tell you one thing, [B]practice[/B]. I know it may sound a bit clique, but it really work's. Just get you a few basic piano book's, and start teaching yourself how to play. And then just continuously practice on that for about an hour(or more) a day. Hopefully that'll work for you.^^[/SIZE][/FONT]

[eleanor]

[quote name='cancer'][SIZE="1"]Yes, I do know that it will take extra effort, but I will practice piano as I practice visual art: with perfectionism. I am learning from a book called Group Piano for Adults, which is a book that teaches the basics, so I'm going to spend my entire college career in piano practice rooms every weekday for say, one or two hours a day at the least. [/SIZE][/QUOTE]

[font="trebuchet ms"] With your attitude, you should do great. :) [/font]

[Chiyasha]

First of all, I wanna say to AzureWolf that your advice is really valuable to those want to learn to play piano from the basics. I read them too, although not a beginner anymore but I am not a pro too. Just an average piano player.

Better to start off with getting a book on how-tos. That always explain notes, scales, key signatures and music terminology in detail yet language-friendly (easy to understand). With them books, at least, you can teach yourself (nobody's bugging you for playing wrong notes:animeswea) how to play piano. And it's a great way too, cuz you are learning the placing of notes at the start yet on the same time, you grow more familiarise with sounds of each key pressed (then suddenly began to play music which made you familiar over something). You develop your own styles too!

Another best thing to self-taught piano is there is no need to take theory exams:animesmil Just take time to master your piano skills, that's the best part.

My experience of playing piano is somehow odd to me. I did take piano lessons in music school when I was young but then quit once reached pre-teens. I thought I wasn't destined to be an amazing pianist, so self-taught guitar at early teens.
But in years later, I gave myself the chance to polish my piano skills. Self-taught this time, (depended on music source i.e songs) I grew very appreciated that I somehow created my style of piano playing, at the same time, memorising key sigs and notes with struggle. I feel myself like a pro out of nowhere.

What I am trying to say is, make use of self-taught. It's much more effective and also it's opportunistic to stimulate creativity and develop own styles! It's not necessary to hire a piano teacher, she'll play the same thing too, only that she'll bug you and say with a musical tongue which all you can do is guess.

Finally--- YES, PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE! Nuff said. If you avoid that, hardly there's any point why should you start this anyway.