Q. I have never attempted to play piano, BUT WAIT! I can play guitar really well, but I've never tried piano. Anyone here play both? Is it easier or harder to play than guitar? What can I do to learn how to play it? Thanks!
A. Gee whiz, buddy.
Just have the time and patience to get into it, is all. And, get a hold of a keyboard if you are really serious, if not finding a piano somewhere and getting use to one.
Getting a nice 61-key digital keyboard can get you started well enough. Not that expensive, and all that you will need for learning, and entertainment for the next few years. Expect to pay $200 - $500 for a good enough digital keyboard.
Look at and try out: Casio; Kawai; Korg; Williams and Yamaha to start out with. They all have models that go into the full, 88 key piano layout. Even some (Kawai and Yamaha) brands have true 'acoustics' that are fantastic. And, real expensive.
Get to a music store, piano dealership or GC to discover all there is to keyboards and the like. Make it a real adventure, and if possible, take someone with you who is already a player to try everything out you can get your hands on.
I would say that a piano is a bit easier in even making tunes right off, but takes some usual time, patience and personal dedication (as well as discipline) to really find out what any keyboard or piano can come to mean to you.
Buy the usual help aids as chord charting books and learning manuals, DVD instructional, and do a little research and window shopping before deciding upon what you can use. Then realize what your needs and expectations are when it is time to choose that keyboard or piano.
And, you will know in a few months of applying yourself, if you get the bug to come to love and appreciate it all... or realize it will just be a support for your endeavors in the following years to come.
All short, of taking lessons through a good instructor.
How to play big chords with small hands on the piano?
Q. I have small hands and short-ish fingers. Makes it hard to stretch for really big chords. Is there any particular way to do this or technique you can use that makes it easier? Also, is it acceptable to play an interval of a second on the bottom of a chord with the side of your thumb if you absolutely can't reach? I mean, that's better than skipping one of the notes, right?
A. Yes, Ivory, seconds, thirds, anything going that can be bridged by a cannily placed thumb is not just 'allowed' but simply advanced technique. Note, however, that this also means you will have to train yourself to learn to voice multiple keys by that single thumb differentially. For every solution there is a price, and learning to voice multiples-at-once by "side-of-thumb" is far from easy, but like all else, will come to you the more you do it and devote time & attention to mastering it, maintaining a savagely critical ear at all times.
The adaptations you will arrive at to cope with bigger layouts will be yours and yours alone. By the sound of it, you've already got the hang of the essentials: *never* break anything until you have absolutely no other way, and *never* miss out a sound *ever*, period. It will cause you grief, sticking to these, but will also keep you properly honest... :-)
All the best, and good luck!
which intruments are easy to learn and play?
Q. i'm just interested in playing a new instrument and i don't play any. i've played keyboard in school and nothing else. if you have any advise just include whatever you think might help.
A. Generally no instrument is easier to master than another. Even the plain old recorder has exams to level eight (The same as piano and guitar). The best instrument to learnis the piano.
Piano uses both clefs and you'll be learning to read the notation for just about every instrument in the world. (There is an Alto clef (C clef) used for mid range instruments) but if you can read treble and bass,it's nothing to read that.)
Piano uses all chords and scales, can be used for any style of music. You'll also learn to co-ordinate the use of two hands at the same time and the ultimate: Never let your left hand know what your right hand is doing! This means that you have to train one hand to play in threes while the other plays in fours, or one hand loud while the other is soft, or one legato and the other staccato (I'll explain that another day) Or use all three combinations at the same time.
A lot of intstruments can only play one note at a time (like the flute) and they're very limited. Know any rock bands that have flute in every song on their album?) Piano has as many notes as you can get down (Called plyphony).
People who learn a stringed instrument can usually only ever play other stringed instruments competently. Same goes for wind instruments. Piano players can read the music for those instruments and once you know the basic layout of the instrument, it's nothing to pick it up and play it.
Piano is a percussion instrument, so you'll also be able to play drums, oh, and sing. Piano will teach you melody and harmony, ryhthm and bass.
I learnt piano. But I play everything. I have never had a lesson in any other instrument. I work as a professional musician (Have never had any other work, ever)
Oh, and one day, you're going to want to record, and a keyboard can do EVERYTHING. That type of keyboard is called a workstation. They synthesize sounds (You make the sound you want), sequence (you record each section of the song and tell the keyboard what order to play it back in), drum machines (Record your own drum patterns) effects (On board reverband distortion etc...) AND it's a home studio! The only thing you can't do is the vocals (But, I WISH someone would invent one that made coffee!).
So, my answer is, learn piano (Not keyboards) because then no matter what else you might want to play, you'll know what youre doing.
All the best.
Cat.
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Title : How can I learn to play piano? (N00B ALERT)?
Description : Q. I have never attempted to play piano, BUT WAIT! I can play guitar really well, but I've never tried piano. Anyone here play both? Is...