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colonp fucked around with this message at 17:15 on Mar 8, 2014 |
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Mar 18, 2008 03:03
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Schirmer publishes these really great books called "First Lessons in Bach". Book 1 is beginner level stuff, just beyond learning how to read music and beginning to develop 2-hand coordination. They are basically simple little technical exercises that Bach wrote for beginning students. They're short, elegantly simple, and beautiful. There's also a little one sentence piece of advice at the beginning of each piece, such as "A study in legato playing and careful balance of tone." I think there's two books, but maybe more. Edit: I wanted to address some jazz stuff brought up in the previous page. Scales are all well and good, but I think jazz pedagogy is taught completely rear end backwards these days. Start simple. I hear guys play hip lines with terrible time and no sense of phrasing, and they sound like clowns. I know it's a cliche, but listen to the jazz greats - they can make the simplest thing (like one or two notes) sound hip as poo poo. It's all in the inflection, style, and most important of all: groove. I'm not saying you shouldn't be practicing modes and scales, but if you think practicing scales alone is going to make you sound good, be prepared to be shocked when 6 months from now you still sound like a high school kid noodling around on the piano. Listen to real jazz players. However, it's really not a great idea to start listening to McCoy Tyner or Mulgrew Miller and try to start playing like that. It makes much more sense to begin your musical education with much "simpler" playing than that. Please, I beg of you, don't be one of those tenor players farting out shittily played Michael Brecker licks. sblum fucked around with this message at 06:24 on Mar 19, 2008 |
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Mar 19, 2008 06:14
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Adrenochrome posted:I came home for Spring break and after reading through this thread, I figured I might as well dust off my old lovely $100 Yamaha keyboard and . Uh, I don't think you should start thinking about composing any time soon. For the base clef just move everything down a third from the treble position. Example the C above middle C is the third space going up. It's the seconds space going up on base clef. Basically, just go to the music store and ask them for a beginners theory work book. They'll lead you in the right direction.
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Mar 20, 2008 04:13
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(Just an excuse to practice more though I guess)
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Can anyone tell me where to find some good songs to play? I've gone through all the "how to play ____" videos on Youtube and I don't know a lot of songs with good piano parts.
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Mar 23, 2008 18:14
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davy jones posted:Can anyone tell me where to find some good songs to play? I've gone through all the "how to play ____" videos on Youtube and I don't know a lot of songs with good piano parts. I'll be honest with you that's a kinda silly question. Considering that with a piano you can play both the melody and the accompaniment you can basically take any song and turn it into a "good piano part". Specifically however I guess you're looking for bands and artists that use piano for their riffs. So for easy stuff that everyone would know you could go with Coldplay or The Fray or The Beatles. For things a little more advanced go for Ben Folds and Elton John. Really though, if you go to a music store, you'll be able to find a poo poo load of popular and unpopular music that has created the arrangements for just about any pop song etc. Have fun. [EDIT] Guess I misread your question a bit. pianosheets.org is a good place. It's pretty difficult to just get all the sheet music you want for anything, unlike guitar. Either torrent it through pianosheets.org and if you can't find it there you're probably going to have to buy it. I'm leaving my original response in there anyway for whatever reason.
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Mar 23, 2008 22:59
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I'd like to buy a digital piano with "real" keys. I found a (second hand) Yamaha P80 for 550€, so I have a couple of (probably silly) questions : -Can I plug it onto my guitar amp ? -If so, how much impact will it have on the sound ? I have a Line6 Spider II 212. In the back there's a "Speaker output" thing - which I think feeds the sound directly into the speakers, without modification. -Same question with my stereo. -If these options don't work, what would you recommend for just room use ? -If I want to play with a drummer, what would you recommend ? I assume I'd need a 100w amp like guitars, but that may be stupid. -Can I send the signal into my computer via MIDI/USB, modify the sounds using Reason sounds, and then send the signal back into my stereo or amp, all without any noticeable delay ? Using another (old) keyboard, my computer, and a stereo, there was quite a sizable delay, although I minimized the sample rate on Reason. -Should I be looking at any other models in this price range ? I want hammer thingy keys as I intend to play classical music, 88 keys for the same reason, and MIDI out to record on my computer and mess around with Reason. I don't really need that many sounds on the keyboard itself. I want easy access to a good acoustic piano, and decent pianos for more Stevie Wonder type stuff, and for blues-rock stuff. For my "mess around and make funny sounds" needs, I'll just plug it onto my laptop, unless some other keyboards in this price range offer that. An0 fucked around with this message at 21:02 on Mar 24, 2008 |
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Mar 24, 2008 20:52
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An0 posted:-Can I plug it onto my guitar amp ? quote:-Same question with my stereo. quote:-If these options don't work, what would you recommend for just room use ?  .quote:-If I want to play with a drummer, what would you recommend ? I assume I'd need a 100w amp like guitars, but that may be stupid. quote:-Can I send the signal into my computer via MIDI/USB, modify the sounds using Reason sounds quote:all without any noticeable delay ? quote:Using another (old) keyboard, my computer, and a stereo, there was quite a sizable delay, although I minimized the sample rate on Reason. The P80 is not a bad choice and has a better keyboard feel than most other weighted controllers, but see if you can score a secondhand Audiophile 2496 or something like it for the 'puter.
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Mar 24, 2008 23:27
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Thank you very much ! I'm almost certain I'm going to buy it now, just a question of money.
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Mar 25, 2008 19:13
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Another question. What would be the cheapest way to record videos of myself playing while keeping decent sound quality? Would a webcam suffice?
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Mar 28, 2008 18:06
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davy jones posted:Another question. What would be the cheapest way to record videos of myself playing while keeping decent sound quality? Would a webcam suffice? No-no's: - never use a cellphone camera, it's an insult to everyone involved. - you can use a regular digital camera, but the audio quality is an insult to everone involved. It does not even qualify as "good enough" for YouTube. Your ravings about how gorgeous this or that vintage synth are are useless if you use a lovely recording method. How to solve this if you do not want to plonk down a lot of $ for a digital video camera: Use your digital camera (provided that it records at at least 15 frames per second) to record the video. Make sure your memory card is big enough (SD-cards come in 4gb sizes nowadays) and hope that it has continuous recording (some cameras shut off automatically after a minute). Put it on a stand, even if you have to build some kind of contraption to get it at the right position (mic boom stands + creative use of tape works). The best shot is the overhead shot so your head isn't in the way and you don't have to take separate shots. Then, put the synth's outputs in your computer's audio interface. Also, hook up a microphone. Start recording the video. Now, clap your hands so the microphone records this. Shut down the microphone, unless you actually want to talk during this instead of show text slides. Start playing. Don't be afraid to mess stuff up; if your camera's memory's big enough, you can afford a few goofs. After you're done, there's the first problem; how to synchronize the audio and video? Well, that's what clapping your hands was for. It's trivial to find the right position in the sound file. Move it to the right position and lock it, use guides if your software supports this. When you cut out any video parts, make sure the exact size of the audio part is cut, too. When you have made a little mistake, cut out the bits and use a crossfade so your head or hands don't jump immediately to another position. Adobe Premiere comes in a cheaper version called "Elements" which should be more than capable for the job already. If you're serious about this, try to see if you can borrow a camcorder from a friend or family member; you can still use the technique to record audio separately, because it means it'll get compressed and reduced in quality at the very last moment. Don't worry about the sync; Flash video and audio tend to run out of sync eventually anyway.
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Mar 28, 2008 22:54
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Yoozer posted:long post Wow, thanks! Great information. Can you recommend me a decent, relatively cheap microphone? I'm just doing this to make videos to show my family.
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Mar 29, 2008 23:36
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I'm one of those people who played for a couple years as a kid, stopped, and at age 22 am wanting to play seriously again. The piece my teacher started me out on was Clementi's Op.36 No.1 (1st movement), which was OK but took me about 3 weeks to learn...now I've been learning Bach Invention #8, and after a good month now I still have a mental block on a couple measures on the 2nd part, and playing it at proper speed can be pretty tough for me. I started learning Chopin's Op. 69 No. 2 as well a week ago which has come a lot easier to me so far than the Bach piece. I was just wondering what are the difficulty levels or grades of these pieces, I'm kind of concerned about the speed of my progression...but I am only able to practice maybe 4 days a week for a couple hours each. Another question, how do you deal with nerves? My teacher frequently points out a tendency I have to be pretty tense when playing, and I tend to get pretty nervous when I practice, especially if people are outside the room or whatever.
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Apr 13, 2008 06:47
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Day 29 in Search for Lost Hog posted:I'm one of those people who played for a couple years as a kid, stopped, and at age 22 am wanting to play seriously again. The piece my teacher started me out on was Clementi's Op.36 No.1 (1st movement), which was OK but took me about 3 weeks to learn...now I've been learning Bach Invention #8, and after a good month now I still have a mental block on a couple measures on the 2nd part, and playing it at proper speed can be pretty tough for me. I started learning Chopin's Op. 69 No. 2 as well a week ago which has come a lot easier to me so far than the Bach piece. I was just wondering what are the difficulty levels or grades of these pieces, I'm kind of concerned about the speed of my progression...but I am only able to practice maybe 4 days a week for a couple hours each. Is the Chopin you're learning a Waltz if so I'd say Grade 8 or Grade 9 in RCM. What kind of progression are you expecting with these pieces? And you state you can only practice maybe 4 days for a couple of hours each. That is plenty of time to practice. The ideal situation is to practice every day and play each song as long as necessary until you've improved in some way. But, not everyone (including myself) has either the discipline or schedule to allow this. But the amount you're practicing is great. As to nerves: You get nervous even when you're practicing alone? If so, it's not a question associated with music. However, if there are people around or it's your teacher that's alright. I do the same, it's just performance anxiety. It's natural to get nervous when other people hear you play. That's fine. Best way to fix or lessen it is to just play in front of as many people as possible and make it a plan that whenever people are around to play out all that much more. Also, don't be afraid to make mistakes.
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Apr 13, 2008 23:11
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Alizee posted:Best way to fix or lessen it is to just play in front of as many people as possible and make it a plan that whenever people are around to play out all that much more. Yeah, this mostly. I'll tell you something that works for me: Before you start practicing (i.e. before you get nervous at all), just sit still in an upright position and relax your whole body. Try to feel and remember what it's like to be loose and relaxed and not tense. Then go and sit down at the piano, and let the nerves come... When I get nervous, it's somewhat like a giddy and super-heightened sense of awareness. And the natural reaction would be to tense up - but instead, try to think back to what being loose was like, and try to imitate that. Then just start playing. If none of that does anything for you, then just keep playing, you get used to it over time. I'm in two performance classes right now (piano and guitar), and I try to play loud and convincingly when we're playing as a class, and most of the time I make horrible, painful mistakes. Nobody's judging, though.
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Apr 14, 2008 04:07
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Day 29 in Search for Lost Hog posted:Another question, how do you deal with nerves? My teacher frequently points out a tendency I have to be pretty tense when playing, and I tend to get pretty nervous when I practice, especially if people are outside the room or whatever. I'm just learning right now and I feel like this a lot too. I find that after you've practised a piece often enough to really know it, your fingers kind of switch to autopilot - overthinking where to go next makes me gently caress it up, so I just let my brain take over. Or you could pretend you're a freeform jazz tortured genius and all the bum notes you play are just part of your brilliance
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Apr 14, 2008 22:36
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Found a great site if anyone's looking for sheet music. http://www.pianofiles.com You list all of the sheet music you have and you can trade with other people. Right now it says there are over 1,300,000 sheets for trade. edit: Also have a question. Are there any exercises I can do to get better at playing different beats on each hand? davy jones fucked around with this message at 05:16 on Apr 22, 2008 |
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Apr 22, 2008 03:00
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What price range am I looking at if I want a keyboard with plenty of different sounds, recording/playback, rhythms, and the ability to hook up to my computer?
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Apr 22, 2008 20:06
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davy jones posted:edit: Also have a question. Are there any exercises I can do to get better at playing different beats on each hand? By "beats" do you mean cross-rhythms like in Chopin's Fantasie-Impromptu? Or are you simply talking about learning to coordinate your left and right hands? If the latter, I love playing Bach's inventions and sinfonias. Play through enough of them, and your hand coordination will vastly improve.
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Apr 22, 2008 20:33
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80k posted:By "beats" do you mean cross-rhythms like in Chopin's Fantasie-Impromptu? Yeah I don't know the right term but I mean playing different things with each hand.
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Apr 23, 2008 01:26
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davy jones posted:Yeah I don't know the right term but I mean playing different things with each hand. "Different things" doesn't narrow it down much. Here is basically what the other poster is trying to say. Are you trying to play like quarter notes in the right hand while you play straight 16th notes in the left hand. OR Are you trying to play triplets in the right hand while you play a straight rhythm in the left hand. Basically are you playing something that sort of "contradicts" it's other hand. If so, somebody else already asked this question and I explained what I think is the easiest way to do so before. Just read up a bit
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Apr 23, 2008 04:49
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So, I've decided to learn to play the piano. I would like to get an electronic keyboard that is as much like a real piano as possible, with weighted keys and the pedals and everything. I don't really care about how many synth voices it has or whatever, but it would be nice if it can hook up with my computer. Basically I would get a real piano if I could, but don't have that much money and also don't want to move heavy furniture. Any suggestions on what would be good? I plan on paying for this with my tax rebate, so my budget is potentially up to $600, assuming nothing goes wrong. However, I'd like to get away with paying less if I could. I am completely new to piano so I probably don't need something super duper high quality, but I am fairly serious about this undertaking so I'll want to use this for a long time, so I probably shouldn't get a complete piece of poo poo either. Lastly, where should I do the buying? Amazon or something? New or used?
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May 1, 2008 07:50
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chiyosdad posted:piannooo honestly getting a used piano (+tuning, +moving) off of craigslist is going to be a hell of a lot cheaper than dropping $ on an electronic keyboard with weighted keys. There are piano moving services in the same section on craigslist and they won't cost you all that much. if you do decide to go with the electronic route...get used. In a lot of cases, buying music gear new is silly (especially for a first instrument). As for me, I got my keyboard at a thrift store for $4 so I got my money's worth out of it the first week. greasygranny fucked around with this message at 17:29 on May 1, 2008 |
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May 1, 2008 17:26
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greasygranny posted:honestly getting a used piano (+tuning, +moving) off of craigslist is going to be a hell of a lot cheaper than dropping $ on an electronic keyboard with weighted keys. There are piano moving services in the same section on craigslist and they won't cost you all that much. But you still have to maintain and regularly tune the piano, which has a significant annual cost. A digital piano is extremely useful to have around, as they can be lightweight and portable, not too expensive, and require no maintenance. It is, imo, far more suitable for a beginner than a used piano off of craigslist. chiyosdad, I'd recommend going to some local music shops and trying them out there. You also might see some decent used Yamaha digital pianos (like the P-90 or P-120) close to your price-range on craigslist. For lowest price, the Casio PX-200 or PX-320 is pretty good value. For medium-price (around a grand, or cheaper used), I'd be looking at the Yamaha's. For higher-price (over a grand), I'd look into the Rolands.
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May 1, 2008 17:44
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I am a student and foresee myself moving quite a lot in the coming years, possibly across the country. I really think an electronic is the way to go. Thanks for the suggestions. I started looking at some of those models. As a result I had to look up "polyphony" on wikipedia, heh. The more you know! Some guy's review had this to say about the P120: quote:The Yamaha P120 is total crap. It has a 3-level adjustment for velocity sensitivity. No matter what, it is impossible to play pianissimo on this keyboard. This is the keyboard to ruin budding prodigies. The one to wreak havoc on pianists. The gift for your stepsons. The choice of brand-name conscious brutes. Also, it's apparently discontinued. I will look into local shops but is there really a benefit to trying it out in person? I mean, being a complete noob, I won't know the difference, right? My original plan was to just grab one online based on recommendations here, since, actually, I do not own a car and would have to rely on the kindness of friends to shop in person. Also, what happens if I get it used and it breaks? I mean you don't get the warranty right? chiyosdad fucked around with this message at 21:21 on May 1, 2008 |
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May 1, 2008 21:11
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The guy that reviewed the P120 sounds like an idiot. The idea that it is impossible to play pianissimo is a nonsensical statement, since you can always turn the volume down. What he is trying to say is that he thinks it has a low dynamic range. Being unable to play piannissimo with the volume up is synonymous with not being able to play triple-forte when the volume is down, if the dynamic range is too low. At the medium or heavy setting, if you cannot access dynamic levels between piannissimo and double-forte, than you need to work on finger strength. Sure, it doesn't have the dynamic range of a concert grand (no digital instrument does), but for amateurs playing standard repertoire, it is more than sufficient. I owned the P120 for several years, and never had a problem with dynamic ranges. The P120 and the newer P140 uses Yamaha's GHE (Graded Hammer Effect) weighted keys which is a very respectable weighted key (significantly better than the GHS used on the lower end Yamaha models). The internal speakers are crap, but if you use decent monitors or headphones, that is not a problem. It doesn't hurt to go try out different brands at the store before you buy, even if you are a total noob, unless it is awfully inconvenient for you to do so.
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May 1, 2008 22:15
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80k posted:It doesn't hurt to go try out different brands at the store before you buy, even if you are a total noob, unless it is awfully inconvenient for you to do so. Yeah, you can just mash keys and fiddle with switches and see what the different kinds are like. You're less likely to be disappointed with an instrument that you played before you bought, I think.
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May 1, 2008 23:37
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Either get a friend that can play well or someone in the store that can to try out things for you if you don't know yourself. I have a Triton Extreme and although it's probably one of the more expensive ones in terms of replicating a piano touch I don't like it that much. So don't worry about the price, just worry about the touch.
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May 1, 2008 23:45
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colonp fucked around with this message at 17:15 on Mar 8, 2014 |
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May 2, 2008 07:26
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Does anyone have any suggestions on how to find a good teacher? I've asked a few friends but no one has been able to suggest anyone. Or if anyone knows anyone around Arlington, Va I'd be grateful.
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May 12, 2008 05:14
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Puck42 posted:Does anyone have any suggestions on how to find a good teacher? A very good place to start is the national Music Teacher's National Assocation (MTNA). From there, you can search for nationally certified teachers by zip code. Also, states, regions, and cities will have their own local chapters that are affiliated with MTNA (for instance, there is an Oregon one, and a Portland-area-specific chapter, for where I live). I just did a quick search, and there is VMTA: Virginia Music Teacher's Association which is affiliated with MTNA. Northern Music Teacher's Assocation, and Alington Music Teacher's Assocation. The Virginia chapter, and the Northern Virginia one look like legitimate MTNA-affiliated chapters, with good resources for finding teachers in Arlington. They both have a "find a teacher" link. Many of the teachers names will have "NCTM" after it, which means they are nationally certified (a good place to start, though there will definitely be many fantastic teachers that are not certified). You could start with those. Send out as many emails as you can to nearby teachers, and describe yourself and your goals as clearly as possible. You can generally do a first round of screening through email. If you are an adult student, ask them how much experience they have with adults. Also, most will offer a free first lesson, which is the best way to get to know their teaching style.
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May 12, 2008 06:06
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I am relatively new to the world of music, and more specifically the piano and guitar. I want to convert a song that was written for the guitar into a piece for the piano. Are there any pitfalls or tips/tricks I should know about? Are there any common ways to spice up a song that is mainly played just a note at a time? The song is "The Animals Were Gone" by Damien Rice. I couldn't find any sheet music for it, so I am just converting the tab I see. Here is the tab I am using: http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/d/damien_rice/animals_were_gone_tab.htm Here is the song: http://youtube.com/watch?v=1DJaPxJKhYU *The intro is missing from it. Thanks for your help.
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May 13, 2008 01:05
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The numbers for tabs indicate the degree of semi tones raised from the open note. So for example: If you want to do something that is on the E string that goes 0-1-0-1. That would equal E-F-E-F.
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May 13, 2008 04:17
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Not made much progress at all since I posted on here several months ago  Well actually I managed to upgrade the keyboard I was on to a full 88 key electric piano, and I picked up a couple of books at the library to help me understand theory a bit more. On that front I feel fine. I just can't break the barrier of playing both hands at the same time. My right hand i happy, but my left is still slow and lumbersome. More practice I guess, but can I have some suggestions for some of the more simple pieces to practice this kind of thing with? I think it may be time for me to get a tutor.
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Jun 7, 2008 00:17
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I'd like to recommend this website for people looking for rock-esque songs with piano parts. http://www.freepianosheets.com/
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Jun 8, 2008 03:42
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Fat Turkey posted:Not made much progress at all since I posted on here several months ago Seriously, it'd be for the best. Not only do you progress less without a teacher but you also can make negative progression which will take forever to fix by learning bad habits. But good on you for trying! If you can't afford one just try to keep it up
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Jun 8, 2008 05:27
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Fat Turkey posted:
It would be the most beneficial to get a teacher who can pinpoint exactly why your HT is out of sync, it could be a rhythm problem or not practicing enough HS technique before you go on to HT, etc. Without knowing what the problem is it's difficult to suggest a piece. I will however, share what worked for me: I would learn the RH part of a measure with my RH and my LH. It's tedious but it can really help strengthen the LH as well as getting the LH used to being in rhythm and independent. I would also play random major, minor, augmented and diminished chords in every key for a few minutes every day.
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Jun 8, 2008 07:02
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Can anyone suggest a good resource for some common blues standards? I never got around to learning them.
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Jun 8, 2008 22:27
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Another day, another semester. In my last semester, I've started taking private piano lessons under my school's tuition for the first time. It ended about a month ago, and I've played Sonatina no.1 by Clementi, all three movements, for my recital. I still have little bits of mistakes over the piece, but I play it pretty well. I've just started on my summer private piano class, and I got moved on to early intermediate level (it's been around seven months since I've touched the piano for the first time). My teacher decided I should work on the Hanon exercises, as well as learning the scale of each piece before I play them. I got assigned Musette in D Major (it says "Composer Unknown", probably Bach?), Clementi Sonatina no.2 first movement, and Schubert Waltz in B Minor. One of each era. The first Hanon exercise is making me realize how much I hate my ring fingers. My teacher has some sort of loving spider fingers and can raise it an inch above the keys. I can barely even do a centimeter, and it's very difficult trying to keep all my other fingers on the keys. Is there anything I could do with my ring fingers during the times I'm away from the piano? Also, any suggestions for music books on 20/21st century pieces? I want to play something a little new for once.
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Jun 11, 2008 05:01
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ShinAli posted:Another day, another semester. Everyone hates their ring fingers! They're naturally weak because they share a tendon with your pinky instad of having one of their own like all your other fingers. Honstly, I would say that the best exercise for them IS practicing piano. Shumann actually wrecked one of this fingers (I'm pretty sure it was the ring finger) trying to make it stronger with some weird contraption. Ruined his performing career.
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Jun 12, 2008 01:36
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ShinAli posted:Also, any suggestions for music books on 20/21st century pieces? I want to play something a little new for once. Mikrokosmos is a set of exercises / small pieces by Bela Bartok, which he wrote in ascending order of difficulty. You seem talented so you could probably plow straight through a lot of them. Here's a video of two of the harder ones (note their high numbers): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ly2ggiDoow&feature=related
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Jun 12, 2008 13:08
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