How to get started learning keyboards?

[Lobster11]

I've been playing bass for about 8 years, and now I've decided to try to learn a little about playing keyboards. I don't aspire to be a keyboard player, but rather to use it for working out musical ideas and compositions and to enhance my understanding of music theory and anything else that will ultimately improve my bass playing and musicianship more generally. So, I just picked up a used keyboard on the cheap (a Yamaha PSR-510 for 50 bucks) via craiglist, and now I want to get started.

I snooped around the Internet looking for beginner lessons and discussions, and the problem I'm finding is that almost all such sources assume no prior knowledge of music or music theory. My knowledge of theory is pretty good (though not so much my sight-reading), so what I'm looking for are tips or sources that will be particularly helpful to me as a bass player who already has that knowledge.

For example, I came across one site that suggested learning the basic chords associated with the modes of the key of C -- C, Dm, Em, F, etc... -- and then learning the others as variations of these (i.e., by lowering or raising the 3rd). That simple idea hit home as something that could keep me busy for a while with a clear learning strategy.

So, does anybody have any suggestions, tips, advice, or sources to recommend? Thanks!

[tplyons]

Get a teacher. Learn proper technique.

I started off teaching myself on a keyboard. I ended up teaching myself with awful posture and ended up putting additional stress on my wrists.

My teacher fixed my posture and technique enough for me to continue to teach myself.

[Damakun]

Hello ! I happen to be a keyboardist who is trying to learn bass - pretty much the opposite direction of the one you are going in, lol ! You may want to try the 30 Day Keyboard Workout. It is in the same format as the same books for guitar and bass, and basically gives a variety of exercises that gradually get more difficult in two cycles of 30 days. I find it helpful to use to stay sharp, as I have not been able to continue with lessons.

Having said that, lessons would save a great deal of time/pain/effort, at least for 3 to six months. My experience was very similar to tplyons : once you learn enough to not hurt yourself, practising will be that much better.

Additionally, if you want to round out your theory knowledge, there's a couple of books by Dave Stewart (of Stewart and Gaskin) that I found very helpful. Understanding The Dots, in particular, is my favourite.

Finally, remember that, unlike the bass, the keyboard has several conventions that are centuries old. You may find it helpful to quickly scan some of those beginner books to get the fingerings. In fact, if I have the time, I can dig up a site that has that information.

Oh ! Dunno if you have the Bass Grimoire, or the Guitar Grimoire, but they do have a Keyboard Grimoire as well...

As I type this I found this site - http://www.pianofundamentals.com/book/en/1.III.5.4

It seems a bit dry, but toward the middle it shows the correct fingerings for the scales. If I find more stuff like this, I will post again and let you know.

[Damakun]

Okay, I remembered this guy : Michael Furstner - http://www.jazclass.aust.com/courses.htm#2

This link takes you straight to the meat of the site. He has been online for at least 5 years, and he used to only post one lesson at a time, but now they are all available, all free, and should be less dry and more lively than that other link I found - although it, too, is very valuable. However, you did emphasize that you only wanted to play keyboard as your second instrument and as a song-building tool, so this link to Furstner's site may actually be more helpful to you. It is certainly as clear as you are likely to get, and it is all free.

Now that should *definitely* get you going ! Let me know if that helps !

NOTE : His use of "digital" is as in "fingers" (digits). Those pages show you how, when, and why to use the various fingerings.

[Lobster11]

Cool -- thanks! Both of those websites look great, and both will be helpful in different ways for different things. Between them I've certainly got more than enough to get started.

I also did some research on the Dave Stewart books. There are only two, but it's confusing because both were released under multiple titles in different countries. Anyway, both are available at Amazon in paperback for about 10 bucks apiece, and they look really good. I think I'll go ahead and order them too.

I wish I could return the favor and offer some recommendations for you as you move in the opposite direction. However, you've already found one of the best resources for bass -- right here at TB!