I wanna get started on the keys/piano, help me

[BrandonBass]

Been wanting to play it for awhile but have given a serious try. First of all, I have no intentions of playing anything resembling dream theater or flight of the bumblebee. I just want to have one more option when im writing songs, and thought it might come in handy if my band is covering some Fray or Coldplay tunes.

I know how to read, I know how a quarter note or whole note looks like in standard notation but I cant read and play along. It will a very long while before I register it into my head and into my hands. Being able to sight read is not my top priority now, like I said I just wanna write song simple tunes.

I know my major and minor scales, I have a decent sense of rhythm. Ive tried playing by ear but its harder to figure the chords as opposed to a linear line on bass. Tips?

[BillyIVbass]

Take it slow and steady. I read a short book called "Super Sight Reading Secrets" that had some good drills.

Basically it breaks down sight-reading into a few different sections. So it might have you look at a piece and only play the notes, then another may be play one note and only focus on the rhythm of the song.

You want to train yourself to be looking ahead.

Also basic Music Theory Exercises will help a little.
http://www.musictheory.net/trainers/html/id92_en.html

Good Luck

[Stumbo]

How about getting a piano instructor?

They can analyze your skills and lead you from there.

[MalcolmAmos]

Yes you need an instructor for a little while at least.
Gotta know how to move your fingers over the keys, there is a trick to this. Running your scales - going up scale so you do not run out of fingers - you only have 5 and the scale has 7 notes you tuck your thumb under grab another starting spot and keep going and coming back you reach over with the middle finger, etc. Did you know that? It's things like this the instructor will give you. And save you a lot of time. If a teacher is not in the cards do a Google on Yoke Wong or Pete Sears. Pete has a instructional video for less than $20 that is well worth your time. Yoke has several free instructional videos. Her DVD lessons are good, rather expensive however. http://www.google.com/search?sourcei...f1734aaf8628c5
http://www.amazon.com/Piano-Lessons-...5266148&sr=8-2

Everyone seems to start with Alfred's # 1 instructional book. It is time well spent. Our Daughter was my instructor and got me started.

After you know your way around the keyboard - have your left hand playing with your right hand - you may want to look into chord piano. Here you play accompaniment - chords with both hands, Left hand does one pattern and the right does another pattern. My point in saying this is after you know your way around the keyboard you do not have to go the classical route, there are several other roads you can go down.

I use the keyboard to work out melodies and I primarily play chord piano. It is a great additional instrument. Here is where you can find more help. http://www.pianoworld.com/forum/ Check out the Adult Beginners Forum section.

Have fun.

[MontzterMash]

Here's another endorsement for the Alfred series of piano books. I bought the first two for my wife after looking through a whole bunch of different method books. Alfred's was the one I saw that had the best structure and least nonsense. And, now she's finishing the first book and is making really good progress. Way more than if I had tried to teach her (some of the best advice I ever got: boyfriends and husbands tend not to be the best teachers)!

Like anything, if you find something you like and a good way to learn it, you can easily surprise yourself on how much you can learn. Give it a go!

[manbass]

I happened upon Scott Houstons PBS show "Play Piano in a Flash" and Put it on my DVR. He does a good job getting the beginner student to start with chord reading from lead sheets not grandstaff. Its true 99% of what we all play & practice is from lead sheets and that takes the Melody/harmony/chord and bass simultaneous reading of grandstaff intimidation factor out of the head. Look on your local pbs show schedule and record/watch it. Then go onto traditional methods IMO.

[scyzoryk]

I would completely recommend www.piano-play-it.com. The author is a bit quirky and funny, but he does an amazing job teaching piano/keys for FREE. I'm a bass and guitar player and have never really touched keys, but after a few lessons i'm able to play some pretty basic chord progressions and inversions and play songs like John Lennon's Imagine.

Don't bother with the merchandise until you try it! I've recommended it to a few friends already:

Lesson plan: http://www.piano-play-it.com/piano-play-it-sitemap.html

[funk generator]

Id deffinatly put sight reading at higher priority lol Learning the theory behind piano will greatly help you with writing. Learn all the cadences, how to transpose, all the major and minor keys. Any theory you can get your hands on is helpful

this website helped me alot

Musictheory.net