Trying to pick up piano again, suggestions?

[Fong249]

I've never been into lessons. Period. I took piano lessons as a kid and hated it, and i took guitar lessons and hated it. I've found my own technique, my own way of doing things and my own sound when it comes to bass and guitar. Now, on to the predicament.

As mentioned above, I used to play piano. I never reached an advanced state and i never really plan to. However, I am interested in picking up the piano again as a complement to my bass playing. I figure that understanding piano would give me a more visual understanding of modes, scales and chords, and also improve my sight-reading. Either way, I'd like your opinion on some good books that helped you pick up piano. P.S., I already have the real book as I play Jazz... I'd like to get to the point where I can go through the Real book and understand the flow a little better.


Thanks!

[Thunder Pulse]

Originally Posted by Fong249

Trying to pick up piano again, suggestions?

Watch your lower back.

[IanStephenson]

Leave it to the pro's:http://www.uk-piano.org/movers.html

Seriously I'd get lessons. Teaching has moved on from what was inflicted on kids back in the day. A good teacher will work with you. Just playing piano isn't really going to help you learn theory, but going to a piano teacher (or good music teacher in general), and saying you want to learn theory, and they can teach you the theory you need, along with enough playing to get by.

Ian

[Thor]

I think in a similar fashion.

I went back and took summer piano lessons in college. I had
a frank discusion with the teacher about what MY goals were,
and what I wanted to get out of the instruction. She was
able to tailor the lessons to give me what I needed from the
process.

Also, just like bass, there are certain kinds of exercises that
will help your playing improve much faster than noodling
around on your own.

Add to that the motivational factor, you know that if you paid
for the lesson yourself, you will do the homework.

[BlackLake]

Hey bud, I'll help you out. I an RCM teacher.

As you are an older beginner I suggest starting with scales and triads. There is tons of easy sheet music on the web, and I can scan some for ya if you want.

Learn the circle of fifths, and do your technical evcercises (scales, triads) in that order (C-G-D-A-E, etc) that way you have a scale with no sharps, then 1 sharp, then 2 etc.

Always learn your songs HS (hands separate) followed by HT (hands together - only when hands are good at it separate)

Learn BOTH clefs and learn them well!

Use the sayings (Treble) Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge (lines) - FACE (spaces)

and (Bass) Good Boys Deserve Fudge Always (Lines) - All Cows Eat Grass (spaces)

Find 3 really easy piano pieces, and start working on them. Start with 1, and move on when you can play it well HT.

*make sure all beginning songs are in the key of C major (no sharps/flats)

One other suggestion for now, learn your musical alphabet backwards well....GFEDCBA (so many people over look it's value) also learn it CDEFGABC and CBAGFEDC

A teacher would be great!, this will get you further faster, as well as breaking you of any bad habits.

[CamMcIntyre]

A nice jazz piano book is the one that Jerry Coker has out. Check www.jazzbooks.com for it. It's the book that my college jazz piano class used-it's targeted towards none piano majors. Since you mentioned wanting to be able to play through the real book, the coker book will help a lot.