Just Bought a Yamaha Piano

[Eric Mc]

I've always wished that I could play piano and read music properly. Over the years I've purchased various cheap and cheeful keyboards (including the now iconic - but rather crude - Casio VL Tone back in 1983)

However, I've decided to take the plunge and do it properly and have just bought myself a Yamaha YDP140. It seems a good compromise between basic features, sound and price.

Hopefully, it will be delivered within the coming week.

Now for some lessons.

[Meeja]

Excellent.

I'm sure you will enjoy the learning curve. It's been a long time since I learnt to play, so there may be decent books/internet resources for beginners these days..... when I began over thirty years ago, it was simply a case of finding a good teacher, and lots of practice!

IMO the personal sense of achievement when you master a particular piece of music is very hard to match.

[Eric Mc]

I'm looking forward to it. I've already booked my first lesson.

Now, which style shall I opt for? Am I more Bach or Bachman Turner Overdrive?

[Meeja]

Eric Mc said:

I'm looking forward to it. I've already booked my first lesson.

Now, which style shall I opt for? Am I more Bach or Bachman Turner Overdrive?

I was taught classical initially, with a bit of pop/rock stuff thrown in to prevent me getting bored as a child.

One or two songs I enjoy playing....

ABC - All of my Heart
Dire Straits - Private Investigations
Coldplay - Clocks
Tori Amos - (Pretty much anything she has done)

Conversely, I have to say that on occasions, I find belting out a "good" classical number more theraputic than a rock/pop piece.

Ragtime is also great fun to play (Scott Joplin stuff)

Although each to their own... am sure that many pianists would disagree with me!

[Size Nine Elm]

Some Chopin can be quite simple to play, and is nice to hear yourself playing something melodic.
(But not all Chopin! The minute waltz still eludes me...)

Or get a book of Supertramp favourites - more keyboard focused than BTO...

[Meeja]

Size Nine Elm said:

Some Chopin can be quite simple to play, and is nice to hear yourself playing something melodic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcF4HrfF_xw

[Sim89]

Can't go wrong with classical or contemporary classical, a la Dustin O'Halloran, Ludovico Einaudi etc.

[ShadownINja]

Good going, EricMC! Play the pieces you like. It will inspire you to play more. Well, unless you happen to like stupidly difficult pieces like I do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6VxVmt6UOA <--- I could probably do the first 40%. It's the rest that would leave me stumped. Just too technical for a rank amateur like myself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arv2umVgbIc <--- Not a chance in hell. Tried for 3 years and admitted defeat.

Edited by ShadownINja on Wednesday 31st March 23:21

[Eric Mc]

Hmm - I see myself learning chords and playing simple rock and roll type stuff - initially anyway.

From what I can see, learning to read proper musical notation is an integral part of learning to play the piano. I have been in a musical/operatic society for over 20 years so have got used to reading music (in a simplistic way) so I can follow sheet music, once I have been given the starting note and key.

[Meeja]

Eric Mc said:

Hmm - I see myself learning chords and playing simple rock and roll type stuff - initially anyway.

From what I can see, learning to read proper musical notation is an integral part of learning to play the piano. I have been in a musical/operatic society for over 20 years so have got used to reading music (in a simplistic way) so I can follow sheet music, once I have been given the starting note and key.

The biggest part of learning piano (IMHO) is to get your left hand working completely independantly of your right. It is easy for a right handed person to play melodies with the right hand, and chords with the left... which is fine, but it limits what you can play. Once you get used to your left hand working "on it's own" that is a huge step forward.

Apologies if that sounds simplistic.

The ability to read music already (even limited knowledge) is a huge benefit.

Good luck Eric - and stick at it - the enjoyment you will get long term will be enormous.

[ShadownINja]

Eric Mc said:

Hmm - I see myself learning chords and playing simple rock and roll type stuff - initially anyway.

From what I can see, learning to read proper musical notation is an integral part of learning to play the piano. I have been in a musical/operatic society for over 20 years so have got used to reading music (in a simplistic way) so I can follow sheet music, once I have been given the starting note and key.

That will help. Understanding music theory will make the journey easier.

You might appreciate this series of books:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/101-Hits-Buskers-Book-1/dp...

[Eric Mc]

ShadownINja said:

Eric Mc said:

Hmm - I see myself learning chords and playing simple rock and roll type stuff - initially anyway.

From what I can see, learning to read proper musical notation is an integral part of learning to play the piano. I have been in a musical/operatic society for over 20 years so have got used to reading music (in a simplistic way) so I can follow sheet music, once I have been given the starting note and key.

That will help. Understanding music theory will make the journey easier.

You might appreciate this series of books:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/101-Hits-Buskers-Book-1/dp...

I've been playing simple guitar for years so have quite a few music and song books.

I've also toyed with the idea of learniong keyboard/piano for a long time. I've been messing around with cheap keyboards for years, including (as mentioned above) buying a VL Tone a quarter of a century ago

I have a client who is a piano tutor so I think an offset fee arrangement might be in the offing.

I've already booked my first lesson.

[Meeja]

Eric Mc said:

I've been playing simple guitar for years so have quite a few music and song books.

I'm the opposite. I play piano, but have wanted to play the guitar for years, and have never done anything about it.

Incidentally, my father-in-law plays guitar (played in a "Working Men's Club" type gigging band for years) and wishes he could play piano. Christmas is usually fun when he "just so happens" to have his guitar in the car when they come over, and we end up jamming a bit!

[Size Nine Elm]

Eric Mc said:

Hmm - I see myself learning chords and playing simple rock and roll type stuff - initially anyway.

Remember you need to get that right foot up on the top of the keyboard for those Jerry Lee Lewis/Little Richard moments

Meeja said:

The biggest part of learning piano (IMHO) is to get your left hand working completely independantly of your right. It is easy for a right handed person to play melodies with the right hand, and chords with the left... which is fine, but it limits what you can play. Once you get used to your left hand working "on it's own" that is a huge step forward.

I've been trying to play boogie-woogie for a few years - you need to set your left hand off, and then forget about it and concentrate on the right hand... not easy...

[Eric Mc]

Size Nine Elm said:

Eric Mc said:

Hmm - I see myself learning chords and playing simple rock and roll type stuff - initially anyway.

Remember you need to get that right foot up on the top of the keyboard for those Jerry Lee Lewis/Little Richard moments

Meeja said:

The biggest part of learning piano (IMHO) is to get your left hand working completely independantly of your right. It is easy for a right handed person to play melodies with the right hand, and chords with the left... which is fine, but it limits what you can play. Once you get used to your left hand working "on it's own" that is a huge step forward.

I've been trying to play boogie-woogie for a few years - you need to set your left hand off, and then forget about it and concentrate on the right hand... not easy.

I see what you mean The left hand needs to go off on auto-pilot while the right hand provides the accompaniment to the song or plays the melody.

I also love the jazz style that was used as theme and background music for the film "The Firm". Does anyone know who played it and where it can be sourced?

Edited by Eric Mc on Thursday 1st April 11:17

[tangent police]

Best advice is to:-

a) Learn some basic blues scales, boogie woogie jams. This is huge fun and you can sound like Jools Holland pretty easily (He is actually quite a st pianist)

b) Learn the basics of modern harmony and start applying it to lead sheets. (Short Score).

In essence, short score is just the melody (easy to read) and chord symbols.

From this, there are a zillion ways to play the tune in every style. It's how jazz works.....well, how it starts off working.

Enjoy yourself, it is hugely rewarding

[Eric Mc]

I'll keep coming back here for inspiration.

Thanks for all the encouragement.

[Size Nine Elm]

And if you really want to stretch your hands, try and play these chords...



Not hard, not fast, just impossible to play unless you're suffering from some sort of giantism...

Edited by Size Nine Elm on Thursday 1st April 12:03

[Meeja]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdVVq2mDbjc

I learned to play this many years ago... because I heard it on the radio in my dad's car when I was around grade 4 (I think!) It actually wasn't that hard, and the "slip-note" style allows the odd error to be forgiven

I do remember my mum at the time pleading with me to play something else when I was learning it. (No electronic pianos with headphones in those days!)

[Eric Mc]

Stop - you'll have me looking up Russ Conway next.