Q. Okay, I'm learning to play the piano because i'm very good at other instruments and felt that would be a good one to figure to learn to play, but heres what happens:
I pick a song and can quickly pick up the melody on the piano but have trouble figuring out which chord to play to complete the sequence or to possible play as an instrumental on my own. Any suggestions on how to solve this problem?
A. Take a couple lessons, or get a "keyboard chart". You put it behind the piano keys and it shows the chords on the notes.
complete beginner needs electric guitar help?
Q. Okay, here's the situation:
I was given a guitar, that I've fitted with a set of pink super slinky ernie ball strings, I have never played an instrument before and don't know how or to what note I need to tune them to.
I don't have much money for a guitar tuner or a piano or anyone I know that could tune it for me, how do I TRY TO LEARN TO PLAY a guitar that I don't know how to use or tune to what tightness.
I really want to learn to play some songs by The Stone Roses, but I don't know what I'm doing, I have found a chord book in the house that I guess I could use.
If anyone could suggest anything of help I'd appreciate it greatly.
Thanks in advanced.
A. As far as tuning goes, if you have a microphone of any sort for your computer, you can use this program. I LOVE it.
http://www.aptuner.com/cgi-bin/aptuner/apmain.html
It's simple. Just plug in your microphone, start up the program, and start playing strings. You want your strings to be E2 A3 D3 G3 B4 E4, at least at first.
Another tuning trick is to just tune "to your guitar". Again, your strings (in standard tuning) are, lowest pitch to highest, E A D G B E (I remember these by Eddie Ate Dynamite Good Bye Eddie... can't remember where I got this from but it's catchy, no?) Soooo... the way this works is tune your E string. (Or not... the notes will still be in tune relative to each other) Then, press the E string down at the 5th fret, and it will play an A, which you can tune your A string to. Then, press your A string down at the 5th fret, and it will play a D. Repeat for G, but for B, move up to the 4th ret. Then, for the last E, move back to the 5th fret.
And a thing about tuning: With old strings that haven't been tuned in a while, you will need to retune them 2 or 3 times in the first 5 minutes. I'm not sure if it's the same with brand new strings.
Secondly: Google is your friend. Simply put in your song, artist, and the word "Tab" or "Chords" (Chords is easier for an absolute beginner; I still can't play tabs...). You will usually find chords or a tab for any popular song. My favorite site is Ultimate Guitar (http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/) which is really awesome for beginners, because for most chords in the song it will show a little chord chart when you hover your mouse over it.
As for reading a tab...
Here's what a tab for a G chord looks like, just as an example.
--3------
----------
----------
----------
--2------
--3------
Your top string in this example is your high E string, the bottom on the guitar, and the bottom is your low E string. In other words, it's looking at your guitar like you will be looking at your guitar when you're playing it, not as your audience will see it.
The numbers represent which frets you need to press down at.
Anyway. Don't get down on yourself if you can't play something at first, and just have fun with it! I've only been playing 5 months, so I remember what it was like to be an absolute beginner.
jazz piano HELP!!!!!?
Q. I've been playing classical piano forever(I'm almost 15)!! I've done bits and pieces of different genres of music. But no jazz. I've grown up around lots of jazz and always admired jazz piano improv. So i started a jazz camp this week and they basically hand me music with tons of chords I don't recognize quickly and at least 4 flats per song. They expect me to sight-read which I am good at. But this is so much harder. I'm in a small ensemble where I am the only pianist and they want me to do random solos I can't keep up with. It's a complete mess... What should help?? How to improv or try to???
A. just do your best. Jazz _does_ require advanced skills that you won't pick up overnight, so don't expect too much of yourself; that'll just make this painful instead of fun.
This free booklet from Jamey Aebersold has a bunch of piano voicings around p 49... since you read well that should help you at least decipher the chord charts.
http://www.jazzbooks.com/mm5/download/FQBK-handbook.pdf
There's a lot of other great info as well, including tips on improvising, as well as the Charlie Parker story that everybody knows: how he got laughed off the bandstand when he was about 16 or 17. He later became one of the most influential jazz players of all time, for not just sax but everybody... there isn't a jazz player alive who hasn't studied Bird.
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Title : Piano Question!?
Description : Q. Okay, I'm learning to play the piano because i'm very good at other instruments and felt that would be a good one to figure to l...