Q. I'm in my thirties and I play guitar. I just got a 61 key electronic keyboard for the holidays. I need suggestions for good beginning piano books appropriate for my age. The book stores and Amazon have nothing. I guess that I need to go to a community college bookstore or something.
A. What kind of music do you like? There are two routes you can take: Classical or Contemporary.
Classical although more complex and sophisticated is in my opinion easier to learn ( at first) becase it is more detailed and self explanatory. Once you learn how to read, sheet music. You can pick up a work by chopin and little by little start playing (poor technique though, but audible).
Contemporary styles are very very difficult to teach yourself (I speak from experience). You have to decipher chord symbols, study rhythms, harmonize melodies, memorize chord progressions, hand inversions, all instantaneously if you want it too sound good.
Honestly, a teacher is your best bet. Believe me you'll knock yrs off your quest.
But if your like me, who wants to be self taught: Let me recommend:
Piano for dummies (good introductory stuff)
Contemporary music theory (lv 1,2)
" " " " ear training
Pop piano book
all by mark harrison (awesome books!)
Jamie aebersold books (there are alot, but its play along, his methods have been proven, and you can start IMPROVISING the standards and classic jazz tunes.
For classical music:
I don't know any good books honestly, ther are so many methods out there. Personally once I learned how to read music (youd be surprise how quickly you can pick it up) all you have to do is get the sheet music for whatever it is you want to play (bach, beethoven, mozart, chopin, whatever)
let them be your teachers, everything is in the sheet music.
Anyway good luck!
BTW, you got a good headstart, since you already play the guitar. You have a good grasp of chords and progressions. This will aid you in piano. That 61 keyboard you got is good for the beginning but you should consider after awhile, if your still into it to at least getting a 76 keyboard one. That way you'll avoid frustrations when you see that there aren't enough keys to play a piece that you started (like moonlight sonata).
How do you explain this advanced, alternate ending chord in music ?
Q. On the piano, let's say we are in the key of A minor (Am). When the song ends, instead of resolving to the Am, we end on D to D octave on the left hand and on the right hand we play C E G# B.
How does this chord work and why does it sound "off" but good?
Do you know any other alternate ending chords for both major and minor keys ?
A. B
G#
E
C
A
wold be A minor major 7/9, so that would be the "normal" chord to end the cadence
Changing only the Root from A to D makes it a D7/13/#11 which can be seen as a substitute for the A minor chord.
It gives the listener the impression that the song is not finished yet- which it is.
its a common trick used in Jazz to substitute the I minor chord with a IV chord.
What is the first step in mastering the piano?
Q. ...Besides having access to a piano XD What to practice? By the way I can play the beginning of Pathetique by Beethoven.
A. Well as an ARCT student, I believe that technique is very important. Those are the scales, chords, note patterns etc. I know those are boring but trust me, the work will pay off.
Learn your musical terms like the dynamic contrasts, the tempo markings like Grave, Commodo and Andante.
Also try to learn theory as it lets you understand your music more.
History is also good to learn because it kind of gives you the "background" of your song so then you can understand more of the emotions trying to be conveyed in the music.
Having a piano teacher would be great as they can guide you through very well (:
btw, being able to play the beginning of pathetique is nothing . . . the rest of the song is waaaayyyy harder. I play that sonata , all 3 movements (the second ones my fave xD)
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Title : Any suggestions for good beginning piano books?
Description : Q. I'm in my thirties and I play guitar. I just got a 61 key electronic keyboard for the holidays. I need suggestions for good beginnin...