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Playing the Keyboard - How to Start

PostPosted: Sat May 26, 2007 7:32 pm
by Destroyer2000
Anyone have any tips on how to go about learning to play the keyboard quckly? Or atleast get the basics down relatively fast? I'm a quick learner, and have some slight (and I mean very slight. So slightl that its not existant almost) experience with it. I don't know how to read music, either. I want to learn how to play the keybaord, and guitar or bass. So, any ideas?

PostPosted: Sat May 26, 2007 7:36 pm
by Kawaiikneko
The thing about piano/keyboard is that you have to read two lines of music and that takes awhile to get used to.. The actual playing of piano is easy to get used to (you're pushing down keys...) but to start playing fast your hands have to get used to it. You might be better off with guitar. I've heard it's a lot easier to teach yourself and there's less reading music involved.

PostPosted: Sat May 26, 2007 8:20 pm
by Destroyer2000
Yeah, I can play guitar relatively well. I know a lot of chords for it, anyway. But I WANT to learn keyboard, and I can just practice guitar and bass on the side. Or both at the same time; it wouldn't be too hard.

PostPosted: Sat May 26, 2007 8:22 pm
by Truth
it's really easy on how to play and get good.


practice.

PostPosted: Sat May 26, 2007 9:02 pm
by K. Ayato
Get a handbook on piano theory and techniques. In other words, a book that'll teach you fingering and exercises.

PostPosted: Sun May 27, 2007 9:07 am
by Truth
Can't you just say the easily comprehended thing first?

PostPosted: Sun May 27, 2007 11:00 am
by Destroyer2000
Truth wrote:Can't you just say the easily comprehended thing first?


How about this? Stop talking. What I said was easily understandable; everyone else seemed to. Why can't you? For a new user, your sarcastic attitude isn't a good thing.

PostPosted: Sun May 27, 2007 12:16 pm
by Truth
I wasn't talking to you, and that was quite mean.

PostPosted: Sun May 27, 2007 12:31 pm
by mitsuki lover
The best and only good way of learning the piano is to find a really good piano teacher.Ask around at your church or school as to who takes piano lessons and ask them about their teachers.
Learning the piano is not something you ought to do on your own.I know there are a lot of popular how to do books around but they're mainly crap.
There is no easy way about it,if you are really serious about this you are going to have to find someone to teach you.End of story.

PostPosted: Sun May 27, 2007 2:54 pm
by K. Ayato
I'd help teach, but I live far away :( Sorry.

PostPosted: Mon May 28, 2007 5:12 am
by Sapphire225
I've played music ever since I was young. You have to understand the noites, sharps and flats on the keyboard/piano. (the sharps/flats are the black keys)
There are some tutorials on sites on the internet, that's how i learned to play the keyboard.

PostPosted: Mon May 28, 2007 7:34 am
by Raiden no Kishi
Learn to read music and possibly get some piano lessons, as the "keyboard" is really just an electronic piano that can make non-piano sounds. If you can read music and learn which keys correspond to which notes, you're golden. It's all up to practice from there. Look up places like animescores.com or Ichigo's Sheet Music to find some anime sheet music ~ they've got lots of cool stuff.

.rai//

PostPosted: Mon May 28, 2007 7:51 am
by Mithrandir
Sapphire225 wrote:There are some tutorials on sites on the internet, that's how i learned to play the keyboard.

You learned how to play piano from the Internet? Wow. Just... Wow.

PostPosted: Mon May 28, 2007 9:04 am
by AsianBlossom
Here's my advice: try starting out with some easy books. Yes, they are a little childish, but they at least start you off with the basics. I'll also echo the advice to find books that teach you technique and fingering.

And a little more advice: you're asking for help here, so be nice about it. We don't have to help you if you're going to be mean.

PostPosted: Mon May 28, 2007 9:15 am
by K. Ayato
He wasn't being mean, AsianBlossom. That comment about being mean was directed to someone else.

Carrying on. Destroyer, you could also try getting a "fake" book of Broadway Musicals, oldies, etc. Basically they just give you the notes for the melody. Or get a guitar/piano/voice songbook. They help out too.

PostPosted: Mon May 28, 2007 9:26 am
by Destroyer2000
Well, basically, I need to learn it the way I would learn to type; the 'home' keys, so to speak, of where to put my fingers starting off. Once I get that down, I can pick up pretty much anything else easily. Knowing how to read music isn't necessary, is it? I mean, I want to learn how, but I have no idea how long or how hard that would be.

PostPosted: Mon May 28, 2007 9:28 am
by K. Ayato
Really depends on the book you choose to help you out. Once you learn the "home keys" and how to identify the black keys, you're pretty much set.

PostPosted: Mon May 28, 2007 9:33 am
by Destroyer2000
Awesome. BTW, do they keys on a keyboard and on a piano match, or are there different numberes of keys on each?

PostPosted: Mon May 28, 2007 9:36 am
by K. Ayato
On a piano keyboad, you should have a total of 88 keys. An electronic keyboard should roughly match up.

Oh, about keyboards, make sure your hands can rest naturally on the keys, with space between your fingers, like how they rest on a computer keyboard more or less. I once had a keyboard that left no space at all between my fingers, so I couldn't play.

PostPosted: Mon May 28, 2007 9:57 am
by Destroyer2000
Ah...my keyboard has total of 76 keys. It's an MD-1700 model, so yeah...I dunno what that means. But I'm gonna learn how to play this thing, irregardless.

PostPosted: Mon May 28, 2007 10:05 am
by K. Ayato
Good luck.

PostPosted: Mon May 28, 2007 10:12 am
by Destroyer2000
Thanks. I need to learn the sharps and flats and things, I've realized. I know the middle C, but that's the only thing I know for certain.