How long to learn piano / keyboard
Discussion
GetCarter said:
PomBstard said:
GetCarter said:
Lots of good stuff about learning scales
Ta for that - have been practicing, and driving the kids nuts!Should this be just going up, and using right hand only, or practice with both, and in both directions??
I'll keep practicing these, but please let me know any other basic hints/tips or point me in the direction of a decent online or printed tutorial - time means getting lessons ain't an option. Thanks.
celticpilgrim said:
Aah, the dreaded dots - reminds me of the French & Saunders sketch where Raw Sex put Ralph McTell on trial
O/T I used to play bass with Raw Sex 
I used to share a flat with Roland. Sadly Simon died in 2013. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnF-vTBX-tw
Edited by GetCarter on Monday 2nd February 07:55
Super Slo Mo said:
I'm no expert on the digital stuff, but ideally you need 88 keys and weighting. Graded weighting to the keys is better (lighter at the top end, heavier at the bottom), but I doubt it makes that much difference to a beginner. I think it's much easier to control a weighted keyboard than non-weighted (do they even exist anymore?), as it strengthens your fingers leading to better control and expression.
Most of them seems to have graded keyboards, but the more expensive ones have a 'hammer action' which is supposed to mimic the action of an acoustic piano more realistically. These models seem to be much heavier (20+ kg) and I need to be able to put mine away after playing. Chap at our local shop has recommended this for a beginner:http://uk.yamaha.com/en/products/musical-instrumen...
Any thoughts?
telford_mike said:
Most of them seems to have graded keyboards, but the more expensive ones have a 'hammer action' which is supposed to mimic the action of an acoustic piano more realistically. These models seem to be much heavier (20+ kg) and I need to be able to put mine away after playing. Chap at our local shop has recommended this for a beginner:
http://uk.yamaha.com/en/products/musical-instrumen...
Any thoughts?
It looks ok. Thoughts are that it's 76 key and 32 note polyphony. Neither are much of an issue for a beginner, but I think you might notice the 32 note polyphony as you get more advanced. That stage might, of course, be a few years away yet.http://uk.yamaha.com/en/products/musical-instrumen...
Any thoughts?
I'm just getting back into it and have got myself a slightly more expensive Yamaha, a stage piano; the P105. It's not particularly heavy, or sophisticated, it's about 12 kg's and the action/weighting is remarkably close to the real thing, for the price. It'll do me for a good while I reckon, and is slim enough to fit in one of our upstairs rooms without causing too much havoc.
I spent most of my youth learning electronic organ, non-touch sensitive and non-weighted. I managed ok, although the heavier keys of a properly weighted keyboard develop your muscle control better.
I wouldn't worry too much about 'hammer action', yes, they do feel like the real thing, and for a proper virtuoso, it's probably a big deal, but for us mere sausage fingered mortals, normal weighting is adequate at least until you get more advanced. I don't know what the weighting is like on the one you linked to, the spec I found says 'touch sensitive', rather than 'fully weighted', but it might still have some weight to it.
To be fair, if the only instrument you ever play is this one, it doesn't matter at all.
It's more of an issue if you're jumping from your own keyboard to someone else's with a proper action, then you'll have a bit of a learning curve to get over each time as you initially press the keys gently and nothing much happens
. If you're anywhere near J15 of the M6 this week or next, you're more than welcome to come and have a look at my piano, and compare it to an unweighted keyboard or electronic organ, both of which I also have.
Du1point8 said:
is the Yamaha P105 a good starter kit?
I've not had it a week, so it's a bit difficult to say, although I'm loving it so far. All I wanted though is a realistic piano sound, which it is as it's sampled from the Yamaha CF3 grand, plenty of polyphony, and reasonably realistic action. There's not a massive amount of different in feel between it and the grand piano I'm having lessons on, so it suits me just fine.
I don't know if the professionals commenting on this thread have any views?
Can I join in please?
I tried lessons for over a year from a little old lady (played piano in the methodist chapel up the street) back in the early 80's. She was great fun, especially when she sang along as many of the pieces were hymns. I tried bringing in a few other numbers, amusing hearing her singing along with Elton John - I guess that's why they call it the Blues (Rolling like thunder under the covers) but I digress.
I have tried to get back into it, with a little more time on my hands now (and because my 9 year old has started guitar lessons) and have looked at the Brendan Kavanagh Boogie Woogie lessons on YouTube BUT, the picture keeps buffering and pixelating and I cannot really make out what his fingers are doing.
Anyone got any basic sheet music for the first few lessons or something similar?
Thanks
I tried lessons for over a year from a little old lady (played piano in the methodist chapel up the street) back in the early 80's. She was great fun, especially when she sang along as many of the pieces were hymns. I tried bringing in a few other numbers, amusing hearing her singing along with Elton John - I guess that's why they call it the Blues (Rolling like thunder under the covers) but I digress.
I have tried to get back into it, with a little more time on my hands now (and because my 9 year old has started guitar lessons) and have looked at the Brendan Kavanagh Boogie Woogie lessons on YouTube BUT, the picture keeps buffering and pixelating and I cannot really make out what his fingers are doing.
Anyone got any basic sheet music for the first few lessons or something similar?
Thanks
I don't offhand as I never started piano from scratch, but transferred from another instrument. However, there are sources of free scores online, have a google and see what pops up.
Personally I find the online videos difficult to follow anyway, and prefer 1 to 1 tuition, but everyone learns differently.
Personally I find the online videos difficult to follow anyway, and prefer 1 to 1 tuition, but everyone learns differently.
Super Slo Mo said:
I've not had it a week, so it's a bit difficult to say, although I'm loving it so far.
All I wanted though is a realistic piano sound, which it is as it's sampled from the Yamaha CF3 grand, plenty of polyphony, and reasonably realistic action. There's not a massive amount of different in feel between it and the grand piano I'm having lessons on, so it suits me just fine.
I don't know if the professionals commenting on this thread have any views?
The new Yamaha action is very good, although I haven't sampled it on any of the budget end of the range - I don't know whether it differs or not. As for sound I'm not blown away with any default sounds from pretty much any digital piano on the market yet. The best bet is using software such as pianoteq - but it is still worlds away from an acoustic instrument.All I wanted though is a realistic piano sound, which it is as it's sampled from the Yamaha CF3 grand, plenty of polyphony, and reasonably realistic action. There's not a massive amount of different in feel between it and the grand piano I'm having lessons on, so it suits me just fine.
I don't know if the professionals commenting on this thread have any views?
Just a quickie on sounds... if you want the best available then connect a keyboard to a computer and run software such as Kontakt (which will work with a sequencer), which enables you to load dozens of different pianos - many of which are HUGE files.
This is a sampled Bosendorfer recorded here in my studio: http://www.stevecarter.com/modp2.mp3
...and the same sample (with real strings) recorded in Angel Studios: http://www.wcpmuk.com/cpm/car461/
This is a sampled Bosendorfer recorded here in my studio: http://www.stevecarter.com/modp2.mp3
...and the same sample (with real strings) recorded in Angel Studios: http://www.wcpmuk.com/cpm/car461/
Super Slo Mo said:
I wouldn't worry too much about 'hammer action', yes, they do feel like the real thing, and for a proper virtuoso, it's probably a big deal, but for us mere sausage fingered mortals, normal weighting is adequate at least until you get more advanced. I don't know what the weighting is like on the one you linked to, the spec I found says 'touch sensitive', rather than 'fully weighted', but it might still have some weight to it.
To be fair, if the only instrument you ever play is this one, it doesn't matter at all.
It's more of an issue if you're jumping from your own keyboard to someone else's with a proper action, then you'll have a bit of a learning curve to get over each time as you initially press the keys gently and nothing much happens.
Thanks, you just saved me a few hundred quid To be fair, if the only instrument you ever play is this one, it doesn't matter at all.
It's more of an issue if you're jumping from your own keyboard to someone else's with a proper action, then you'll have a bit of a learning curve to get over each time as you initially press the keys gently and nothing much happens
. Super Slo Mo said:
If you're anywhere near J15 of the M6 this week or next, you're more than welcome to come and have a look at my piano, and compare it to an unweighted keyboard or electronic organ, both of which I also have.
Thanks again. I'll try as many as I can at the local shop but if I need more I'll get in touch.GetCarter said:
O/T I used to play bass with Raw Sex I used to share a flat with Roland. Sadly Simon died in 2013.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnF-vTBX-tw
Roland's brother Richard was my PE teacher at school. Lovely guy. I used to share a flat with Roland. Sadly Simon died in 2013. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnF-vTBX-tw
Back on topic, my youngest has just started piano lessons. I've also got a bit of time on my hands and have enjoyed practising with him over the last couple of weeks (Ode to Joy and May had a Little Lamb so far
) and have been thinking about taking it up, never having played any sort of instrument when at school.Thought I'd update this thread as things have moved on. I bought a nice piano (Korg Havian 30) in May last year, and messed about with online learning (pretty useless) for a couple of months before it became obvious that I needed the discipline of lessons. I got a recommendation for a teacher and she's turned out to be really good. Had a dozen or so lessons last summer & autumn before we left the UK for the winter.
Missed the piano a lot while we were away so I bought another one, and had lots of fun learning Christmas carols, but didn't enjoy it anywhere near as much without lessons. Returned to the UK in April and started weekly lessons again. I really feel like I'm getting somewhere with the piano now, currently working on grade 3-ish pieces and I can't imagine not having this hobby.
So in summary, absolute beginner to grade 2/3 took about 30 lessons, along with an hour of practice most days. A big investment of time, but hugely rewarding. A good teacher is the key. Thanks for all the advice & encouragement.
Missed the piano a lot while we were away so I bought another one, and had lots of fun learning Christmas carols, but didn't enjoy it anywhere near as much without lessons. Returned to the UK in April and started weekly lessons again. I really feel like I'm getting somewhere with the piano now, currently working on grade 3-ish pieces and I can't imagine not having this hobby.
So in summary, absolute beginner to grade 2/3 took about 30 lessons, along with an hour of practice most days. A big investment of time, but hugely rewarding. A good teacher is the key. Thanks for all the advice & encouragement.
telford_mike said:
Thought I'd update this thread as things have moved on. I bought a nice piano (Korg Havian 30) in May last year, and messed about with online learning (pretty useless) for a couple of months before it became obvious that I needed the discipline of lessons. I got a recommendation for a teacher and she's turned out to be really good. Had a dozen or so lessons last summer & autumn before we left the UK for the winter.
Missed the piano a lot while we were away so I bought another one, and had lots of fun learning Christmas carols, but didn't enjoy it anywhere near as much without lessons. Returned to the UK in April and started weekly lessons again. I really feel like I'm getting somewhere with the piano now, currently working on grade 3-ish pieces and I can't imagine not having this hobby.
So in summary, absolute beginner to grade 2/3 took about 30 lessons, along with an hour of practice most days. A big investment of time, but hugely rewarding. A good teacher is the key. Thanks for all the advice & encouragement.
I miss my keyboard... Its currently in storage whilst Im on the other side of the world, so I have no chance to play or any more learning.Missed the piano a lot while we were away so I bought another one, and had lots of fun learning Christmas carols, but didn't enjoy it anywhere near as much without lessons. Returned to the UK in April and started weekly lessons again. I really feel like I'm getting somewhere with the piano now, currently working on grade 3-ish pieces and I can't imagine not having this hobby.
So in summary, absolute beginner to grade 2/3 took about 30 lessons, along with an hour of practice most days. A big investment of time, but hugely rewarding. A good teacher is the key. Thanks for all the advice & encouragement.
Thats great OP, I bought a Kawai piano last year after years of neglecting the keys. I had learnt up to grade 8 electronic keyboard in my formative years and had a Yamaha for years after that but I seriously needed an upgrade with weighted keys so splashed a lot of cash on the digital piano. I play it daily now that it's in the lounge, every time I walk past it I almost want to play a quick few chords.
I think you'll get a lot of satisfaction from it, and you'll never know it all. I find that I'm good with contemporary stuff but I'm terrible at Jazz because it's a completely different way of playing. Find what styles you like the most and experiment with the basics. Happy playing
I think you'll get a lot of satisfaction from it, and you'll never know it all. I find that I'm good with contemporary stuff but I'm terrible at Jazz because it's a completely different way of playing. Find what styles you like the most and experiment with the basics. Happy playing
Good stuff OP. That's pretty good progress too, I agree, a good teacher makes a world of difference.
In my case, I had a kind of concert scenario earlier in the year, well, it wasn't really a concert as such, just me playing light background music for a couple of hours at a local charity AGM.
Absolutely loved it though, ended up with my laptop driving a big monitor so I could have my entire repertoire displayed electronically rather than on paper, while I controlled the page turning with a little foot switch. Some of the pieces I played were 9-13 pages long (Einaudi and similar), and my memory isn't so great these days so I struggle to play without notes as at least a rough aide memoire.
Keep it up, I get so much enjoyment out of it and it's great mental exercise too.
In my case, I had a kind of concert scenario earlier in the year, well, it wasn't really a concert as such, just me playing light background music for a couple of hours at a local charity AGM.
Absolutely loved it though, ended up with my laptop driving a big monitor so I could have my entire repertoire displayed electronically rather than on paper, while I controlled the page turning with a little foot switch. Some of the pieces I played were 9-13 pages long (Einaudi and similar), and my memory isn't so great these days so I struggle to play without notes as at least a rough aide memoire.
Keep it up, I get so much enjoyment out of it and it's great mental exercise too.
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