Piano lessons - good idea? bad idea?

[Jim Nazium]

I realize that if you really want to be a complete, well rounded, educated musician then you need to know piano. But what if you just want to be a reasonably competent bass player?

I'd like to learn some basic keyboard skills, mostly because I hope it will improve my ability to hear chord changes. But I have limited time to practice, and I'm worried about taking time away from the bass. What do y'all think - should I take some piano lessons, skip the lessons but get a piano chord book and just mess around, or stick to the bass?

[PRUNEFACE]

I think learning any instrument can be a good thing. You should think about Sousaphone too.

[dmusic148]

I think it's a great idea. I studied piano before bass, so I'm coming from it at a different angle. I believe it was helpful-even if you're already an accomplished player, it will open up your ears IMO.
As usual, lessons are recommended. Maybe take 5 or 10 and see what you think. I don't believe for a minute it will 'take away' from your bass playing. Ever notice that many of the best musicians play several instruments? Clears your head, improves focus IME.

[HogieWan]

get a lesson and ask for recommendations for a good book. Go back to for another lesson after you finish the book. Repeat.

[Beck McCartney]

I agree, you should learn piano. Are you the kind of person who learns well on your own?You don't necessarily need to take lessons to learn your way around a keyboard. I have written a lot of songs on the piano with out ever taking them, although I do wish I could play classical piano.

[MonetBass]

+2. It will allow you to see chord voicings (inversions, etc.) and functions. Always a good idea IMO.

[JTE]

It'll help you a LOT. First, it'll be easier to "see" scale and chord construction, and how chords come out of the scales. Second, you'll be able to actcually hear chords with tight voicings or large voicings AND hear how different bass notes work with them. But talk the teacher- make sure they undertand your goals. If you're not really interested in becoming a clasical pianist, then make sure the teacher's not guiding you down that path.

But also be aware that a ot of the useful stuff in learning music is going to be associated with the same stuff that guides you to a classical performance education too.

John

[wysiwyg248]

It should help you tremendously, specially if you want so play more harmonic lines.
Remember, as a bass player, we play the pianist left hand.
By learning the relationships between harmony and melody, you will be able to combine them when playing your Bass.
Ask the teacher to teach chords and listen to them until the become second nature (the sound of them), this will make you play much better when jamming (jazz specially)

[Stumbo]

Originally Posted by Jim Nazium

.... I hope it will improve my ability to hear chord changes.

You might want to take a look at these links:
http://www.miles.be/ Free downloadable ear trainer (basic/advanced)
http://www.teoria.com/ Many trainers/tutorials. Music theory, ear training, read music, chords, intervals, etc.

They can really help hear the notes within chords and help you to learn to harmonize.

[Cabazon]

Originally Posted by Jim Nazium

I'd like to learn some basic keyboard skills

With that, I'd say that piano lessons are a good idea. Why not?

[Richard Lindsey]

Originally Posted by Jim Nazium

I realize that if you really want to be a complete, well rounded, educated musician then you need to know piano.

No, not really. To be those things, what you need IMO is not to know piano but to know melody, harmony, rhythm, tone, touch, and nuance (among other things). Piano in itself is not the point.

The value of getting at least some familiarity with the piano is that it can be an extremely useful way of helping you understand some of that stuff. But it doesn't have some huge mystical value all by itself. Just plinking on the piano doesn't necessarily do you much good unless you're also working on the stuff you really need to understand.

If you want to be a piano player, then yes, you do need to know piano. If what you want is to be a better bass player and overall musician, then no, IMO you don't absolutely need to know piano. But working on some piano can be a terrific and highly convenient means for helping you to learn the important stuff.

All that said, I don't see how learning some piano could possibly be a bad thing. It could only be good, or at worst neutral. But to get max benefit, I'd say you'd want to couple it with some theoretical study and ear training. For instance, just learning where to put your fingers to play "Volga Boatmen" or something on the piano may not do much to help your ability to hear and recognize chord changes.

[pfschim]

reasons why:
- melodic training
- harmony/theory training
- two hand independence
- broader aural spectrum than nearly any other instrument
- very visual representation of intervals/scales/chords (although does not translate to a fixed pitch/fretboard instrument very directly)
- very cool instrument to have basic mastery over

reasons why not
- none
(other than the possible reduction in time spent on bass and the potential cost)

[karter2000]

I'm actually doing that right now, ie learning piano. I've been playing bass for a few years now, and I wanted to expand my music theory knowledge. Good to know I have the right idea, judging from the responses!

[DopplerShift]

Screw the piano!! Play the Katzenklavier!!!

[Richard Lindsey]

Originally Posted by karter2000

I've been playing bass for a few years now, and I wanted to expand my music theory knowledge.

Again, learning piano, by itself, doesn't increase your music theory knowledge at all, any more than learning any other instrument would. As with any instrument, it depends on how it's taught and how it's learned. If all you learn is where to put your finger on the piano to make a particular note come out, you won't learn anything about theory. Theory is independent of the instrument. It just so happens that the piano affords a great opportunity to visualize and display a lot of this stuff. But it doesn't make the theoretical stuff happen in your head unless you make the effort to address the theory.

[Jazzdogg]

I'm definitely not a piano player; I know just enough to help when working out parts, voicings, harmonies, communicating musical ideas with bandmates, writing out transcriptions, and so forth. When I'm listening to new music, I find it helpful to be able to visualize the arrangement of notes and chords on both my bass and a keyboard - gives me two bites of the apple.

A rudimentary understanding of piano also makes it easier to grok what the keyboard player is laying down at a glance, and to figure out which chord the guitarist is actually playing - or should be playing.

[caeman]

Originally Posted by dmusic148

Ever notice that many of the best musicians play several instruments? Clears your head, improves focus IME.

I always thought that was Musician ADD. Too much enjoying themselves to concentrate on just one instrument, we have to try them all!

[20db pad]

Originally Posted by DopplerShift

Screw the piano!! Play the Katzenklavier!!!

It's a beautiful instrument in the right hands, but the costs for cat food, cat littter, and veterinary care are prohibitively expensive.

[DopplerShift]

Think of them like strings. There's no need to take care of them, when they die replace them with new ones!! There's certainly no shortage of cats in the world and they're usually FREE.

Originally Posted by 20db pad

It's a beautiful intrument in the right hands, but the costs for cat food, cat littter, and veterinary care are prohibitively expensive.

[caeman]

There is no such thing as a free cat. Or puppy.

I admit that I want to learn to play piano, but mostly because it looks like fun. By next year, I will have picked up a used keyboard from some pawn shop.