Pianists

I thought I'd start a threat for all of us that play the piano! I've been playing ever since I was seven, and I love it :D
My current love is the Pride and Prejudice score. It typifies (I don't even know if that's a word :rolleyes:) my favorite kind of music. :)

i play the piano! this is my third year and i love it!!! my current favourites that i'm playing are 'Boston' by Augustana and 'Untitled' by Simple Plan. Ive started my grade 1 stuff this year. before i was on the younger levels, but i had the habit of finding harder pieces and learning and wanting to play them instead because i was bored with the easy stuff, so my piano teacher got me the grade 1 stuff! :D

I took piano lessons for a few years in middle school. I still play every now and then. My favourite song to play is Fix You by Coldplay. It's a simple version, but very beautiful.

I looove playing the piano and miss taking lessons very much. I started playing when I was 10 and took lessons up until I left for college in August of last year, which amounts to roughly 9 years of lessons.

The last piece I played before stopping lessons was "Sonata in D" by Beethoven. I've still got most of it memorized. :D

I love to play lots of different Broadway songs and Cole Porter because then I can sing along. My littlest sister and I play duets sometimes with a book we "inherited" from one of our first teachers. :whistle: We refer to the theme from Schindler's List as "our" song.

i play the piano! this is my third year and i love it!!! my current favourites that i'm playing are 'Boston' by Augustana and 'Untitled' by Simple Plan. Ive started my grade 1 stuff this year. before i was on the younger levels, but i had the habit of finding harder pieces and learning and wanting to play them instead because i was bored with the easy stuff, so my piano teacher got me the grade 1 stuff! :D

:lol: I've always been playing stuff that I wasn't assigned...it got worse as I discovered the music store, and broadway scores :D

I love to sing along when I play...I think that it's most fun at Christmas time :D :D

Yes, my mom is one of those that gives you no choice but to take piano lessons until at least freshman year in high-school (insisting that we'll thank her :lol:), then we can choose whether or not to continue. I kept going; however, my brother has since quit.
I'm so glad that I kept going! The only problem I've ever really had with knowing how to play the piano, is that it's not a very portable instrument. :p

Oooh, I adore the piano. It's my love. Whenever I go to a friend's house and see they have a piano, I can't help but play.

I've been playing since I was around three or four years old. My dad taught me for a couple of years (he's been playing most of his life) and then I got an actual teacher when I was around six. She's been my teacher ever since, and now I'm seventeen. It's really sad, because next year I'm moving out and so I won't be able to take lessons with her anymore, and so she's trying to convince me to stick in my city so I can take on a few of her other students and make a bit of money for myself. lol.

My favourites to play are probably anything by Bach, and the music from Le fabuleux destin d'Amelie Poulin. It's got such beautiful music, it's incredible. I also love to play songs by Muse. Their piano partitions sound very much like Rachmaninoff, and now I'm planning to look for Rachmaninoff sheet music.

Baaaah, I can't wait till I move out, cause my dad said he'd get me an electric baby grand for my birthday to bring to res. I cannot wait, cause my piano is obnoxiously loud and it's hard to play pianissimo without using the left pedal... we need to have that fixed.

My current love is the Pride and Prejudice score.

Every time I see the movie I want to play that! :)

I've been playing for about...seven years? I'm not very serious about it though. I'm more into band. But piano is the prettiest instrument (as far as sound goes)...it's beautiful.

My current love is the Pride and Prejudice score.

Every time I see the movie I want to play that!

For anyone who is interested: where I bought the Pride and Prejudice sheet music (http://www.amazon.com/Pride-Prejudice-Motion-Picture-Soundtrack/dp/1423411137)

:lol: I've always been playing stuff that I wasn't assigned...it got worse as I discovered the music store, and broadway scores :D


:lol: yes, i discovered not only those stores, but online stores that give you samples, and online site that give you the entire song. :p

I just bought a huge lot of piano music by Alan Hohvaness. I'd play anything by him. However I will have to do a bit of waiting as it has to be sent from Europe to the USA.

Has anyone else ever played any of his music? I have in an orchestra on violin or viola and had it played at my daughter's wedding (trumpet and organ- Prayer of St. Gregory). It is so ethereal and spiritual.

If anyone wants complete sheet music of popular songs for free, there's a really good site I found called ABC Music (http://www.abcmusic.tk/piano/browse.php?alpha=num). I've found loads of really nice songs on there, and they're generally great quality.

And for any other Muse fans... Microcuts.net (http://www.microcuts.net/uk/tabs) has the sheet music for almost every single Muse song. I love that site so much.

Yay for being cheap!

I love the piano! I've been playing since I was six, so that makes this my... *counts on fingers*...*runs out of fingers, takes off socks*... 11th year.

I thought I'd start a threat for all of us that play the piano! I've been playing ever since I was seven, and I love it :D
My current love is the Pride and Prejudice score. It typifies (I don't even know if that's a word :rolleyes:) my favorite kind of music. :)

Ooooh, I really want to learn to play that. I have the score, and ever since I first heard it, I've wanted to be able to play it... it's so lovely and peaceful. I think I'll buy it soon - thank you so much for posting the link :)

I'm currently working on a Mozart sonata, and a Chopin prelude - both very difficult. For the Chopin, I can only learn about two measures per week, it's so darn complicated :lol: But it's also very beautiful, so I don't mind too much. Has anyone else ever played a Chopin prelude?

Has anyone else ever played a Chopin prelude?

I've only ever played Chopin Prelude No. 4

The thing about Chopin, is that it seems easy...but it's not :no: :lol:

I've been playing piano for about... 3 and a half years. I love it so much. I go crazy when I get new sheet music, I just have to learn it! My favourite pieces I've played so far have been Jack Sparrow and Dawn from Pride and Prejudice. Right now I'm focusing on Canon in D and the main title from Black Beauty (which can be found at pianothemes.com)

Oh, and has anyone ever heard of the piano makers "Martin-Orme"? I have an old piano made by this company but I can never find any info on them.

I played piano for about 12 years, though I had to give it up went I left for college. Now I try sometimes, but my fingers are terribly rusty...

I think my favourite piece, of the ones I played was Mozart's sonate K331 in A major (the one with the Alla Turca, thought that's not my favourite part). I used to hate Bach, till I began to study Maths seriously; don't ask me how, but it was the moment I began to understand uncle Johann-Sebastian. I also liked Beethoven, too, thought it's so hard to play! I would have needed a finger more in each hand to be able to play it properly, haha.

Chopin? He looks so soft and languid... but he can turn out very hard. I didn't play any prelude, but several nocturnes and waltzes, and a couple of studies. One of them had nothing to envy to Beethoven.

After speaking of our favourite pieces, what about our least favourites? I really hated Bartok's Mikrokosmos for years. Actually, Mikrokosmos made me hate Bartok for years, till I began to like disonances. But you can't make a 10-years-old child play songs that sound better when you press the wrong key than when you do it properly! The most likely is that the child begins to hate piano.

I love Bartok. What is interesting is that when I was in High School we played some of his pieces in orchestra and guess what? They are in Mikrokosmos as piano pieces! Mostly folk dances.

I write a lot of piano accompaniments for the school orchestra music when there is no piano part. When I am past it I will give them all to the school system. I just made up a piano accompaniment for my grandson's audition for Regional Orchestra and it makes him play great! I hope he does as well during the actual audition.

yay for pianists!!

i started playing piano when i was 3 - my mum taught me until i was 9 and then i auditioned for the Royal College of Music ( a music conservatoire in london) and got in!! i've now been playing the piano for 11 years and am taking my grade 8 in a couple of weeks! :scared:

i LOVE chopin and debussy, also ravel - although they are all really hard. I don't really like mozart too much but haydn's good!

I've played about 4 nocturnes by chopin (C# minor, F minor, E minor and E major) and a few preludes, but i'm not sure which ones...

I was brought up in a musically-deaf family. There was nothing of great interest happening, and I only got into music a couple years back. I have tried tinkering on a piano, but found it difficult. I am having my first piano lessons after christmas next year!! :D something I have been begging my mother for for months.

I am fairly apt at playing the keyboard, but I only copy music by Linkin Park and Evanescence... nothing amazing really.
I love the piano, and I try to play, but it does go completely wrong, in fact all of the time :) Hopefully my lessons will help me... *Fingers crossed*

:)

I learned to play the piano from when I was about eight until I was about eleven. Unfortunately I don't really play anymore but it's funny that whenever I do sit at the piano, I can play one of my favourite tunes that I haven't played in years but still remember how it goes without looking at the music.

I've been playing piano for five years now. It's ok, but I like the cello better.

I've only ever played Chopin Prelude No. 4

The thing about Chopin, is that it seems easy...but it's not :no: :lol:

I'm currently working on Chopin's prelude in E minor and one of his nocturnes in E minor. The only problem I'm having is trying to do those huge chords at the end of the prelude and the trills in the nocturne. Consider the fact that this is my 7th year playing...

I play piano too. My music teacher used to make me play classical music all the time, so i quit. I still play a bit of classic, if i really like it. I've been playing since I was like 4 :D.

Anyways, does anyone have any advice for what kind of music to buy that's not classic? It doesn't matter what kind, just not classic. I'm kind of stuck.

When you go to the music store look for the books that have all the music from movie soundtracks. Some books are just one movie but there are large books that are anthologies of many films. You could get the Harry Potter music. The music from The Polar Express is nice also. The nice thing about film music is that it plays like classical music but it is popular music for the masses of people who would never think to listen to Bach, Chopin or Schumann.

If there is a popular band that you like, they often have music books to go along with their albums. If not, try Billy Joel. His music is great! (Not easy either)

thanks for the advice!

*looks for Harry potter music*

I am not a pianist but I would love to play the piano. I honestly think it takes great skill and talent to play it. I mean you use both hands and sometimes play the melody & non melody at once. I think its very cool.

I've been playing for a few years now...I'm just getting started on some classical music, though. My education was spilt up by four years, but I've been back playing for a year now. I like Mozart, Beethoven...pretty much anything, as long as I can play it...

I am not a pianist but I would love to play the piano. I honestly think it takes great skill and talent to play it. I mean you use both hands and sometimes play the melody & non melody at once. I think its very cool.

It's actualy not that hard. Just get a keyboard, since those are cheaper, usually, that have those glow up keys that teach you how to play. Or, if you already know how to read music, there are two clefs, treble and bass. Its really easy, and im not just saying this because i've played for a very long time. the non melody is usually easy. It also helps if you've heard the piece before. Also, be patient, it takes a while to learn a song, for me, on average, a week or two. And about 2 months to make a song really good and be able to play it perfectly. The shortest amount of time it took me was a month :D, i'm so proud. but normally i take two months.

Some day you pianists may grow up to be an organist. I love playing the organ. It's so much fun to be paid for having fun. Of course, you feel like you need to be an octopus, what with three manuals for your hands, and a keyboard for your feet also.

Here's a picture of my baby. Note the diet colas (to stay awake - chronic fatigue syndrome) and the pain pills (fibromyalgia) but nothing will stop me from playing. It is such a high!

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d69/cathairetic/Myorgan.jpg

If there is one thing i love its PIANO.........

I'v been playing since i was 10 and I did up to 8 levels. Then just stopped doing exams because I had to sit for the Advanced Level exam at school (I'd just say its something like N.E.W.T exam!)

But I love playing and whenever I'm free I just play my stuff. My favourits so far have been Mozarts Piano Sonatas! Old but brilliant!

It's actualy not that hard. Just get a keyboard, since those are cheaper, usually, that have those glow up keys that teach you how to play. Or, if you already know how to read music, there are two clefs, treble and bass. Its really easy, and im not just saying this because i've played for a very long time. the non melody is usually easy. It also helps if you've heard the piece before. Also, be patient, it takes a while to learn a song, for me, on average, a week or two. And about 2 months to make a song really good and be able to play it perfectly. The shortest amount of time it took me was a month :D, i'm so proud. but normally i take two months.

I have a keyboard and I can read music (I play the flute which is in treble clef) I can play bits and pieces of things that I learned by ear and by reading and playing it off my flute sheet music but I rarely use my thumbs and I'm thinking that I'm begining to develop bad hand technique. And I don't want that to happen since I'm going to be majoring in music composition in a year and a half from now when I graduate in may of 2009. I think they give piano lessons but I'm not entirely sure. >.>

...I'm going to be majoring in music composition in a year and a half from now when I graduate in may of 2009. I think they give piano lessons but I'm not entirely sure.
They do give piano lessons. Anyone majoring in any kind of music, composition or the instruments has to be able to play keyboards. Usually, they want you to be able to play, for example, the Bach Inventions. Music is one of the most difficult majors in my opinion, because not only must you keep up with all your studies but you have to practice at least two hours a day. And when juries come up, you are practicing all day long. I know, I've been there. Good luck to you. You will have great joy in your life.

They do give piano lessons. Anyone majoring in any kind of music, composition or the intstruments has to be able to play keyboards. Usually, they want you to be able to play, for example, the Bach Inventions. Music is one of the most difficult majors in my opinion, because not only must you keep up with all your studies but you have to practice at least two hours a day. Any when juries come up, you are practicing all day long. I know, I've been there. Good luck to you. You will have great joy in your life.

Heh ^^' I'm offically more nervous than I originally was about going into this major. Will they let me major in music composition & minor in music education? I really have only a limited choice on what I would like to do >.> I don't know if could handle the music major cause I'm probably a little bit below average in my musical skills i.e sightreading, counting (but better than most)And I am terrified of playing by myself in a large group of people. Which is why I never do reigon band.

I mean musics probably the only thing I can actually do. I've thought about these fallowing as a career Music,Culinary Arts or Photography. (Or maybe psychology, but I do that in my spare time /child psychology) . I can't cook though so I don't know how well the culinary arts would work out

Will they let me major in music composition & minor in music education?That sounds like a music major to me. When you undertake to study music there are some basic courses that everyone takes and one of them is Sight Singing. At least it was back in the '70s when I returned to school. I think that you can major in composition with a minor in music education. That way while you are composing lovely pieces you can teach school to support yourself until you become famous. ;) After all no one wants to live in a garret and eat tinned beans for dinner every evening. :p

I have a keyboard and I can read music (I play the flute which is in treble clef) I can play bits and pieces of things that I learned by ear and by reading and playing it off my flute sheet music but I rarely use my thumbs and I'm thinking that I'm begining to develop bad hand technique. And I don't want that to happen since I'm going to be majoring in music composition in a year and a half from now when I graduate in may of 2009. I think they give piano lessons but I'm not entirely sure. >.>

that is bad hand technique. Playing piano is kind of like typing, except the palm of your hands dont rest on the keys.

that is bad hand technique. Playing piano is kind of like typing, except the palm of your hands dont rest on the keys.

Don't foerget sitting with your back veeeeeeeeery straight! Ontherwise you'll teacher won't stop scolding you. They're right, because if you don't sit well you can end up with a very sore back after a couple of hours. But I would have thanked in my time that they told me how to sit correctly (it's still harder when you're playing the pedals) and not just to do it.

Another piece of advice: your wrist must be relaxed, no matter you're playing chords or arpeggios. There are ways of manage it, though it requires patience and exercise; it's like warming-up before playing a sport. The last year I studied piano I got a wrist injury thanks to a heavy suitcase, and it never healed completely because of a study by Chopin.

i have been a pianist for 6yrs....i jus' finished moi grade 5 piano xam and i git ma results yest!!!..no...i won't tell ya moi results!!!!!...ma faves r beethoven,mozart,chopin....and many more...too lazy to pen them down!!!...lolz....

that is bad hand technique. Playing piano is kind of like typing, except the palm of your hands dont rest on the keys.

Yeah yeasterday I tried playing Fur Elise on my keyboard (actually attempting to use my thumbs) and I was only like minorly successful in that ^^' I need to start incorporating my thumbs into playing the keyboard before I end up with it forever and probably fail my music major T_T. I just don't know how to fix it though.


@ cathairetic- yeah hopefully but I don't know what I will do if I lose my love for music (or teaching little kids XP which ever comes first)

just think of the keyboard as like a typing keyboard. That's the way your fingers move, the position, the thumbs, etc. Also, i suggest moving your upper body with your hands. That makes it a bit easier to play and it looks a bit better. And curve your hands+fingers. (i never did, drived my teacher crazy)

My fingers naturally curve because I play the flute, I mean I can see the typewriter analogy but I cant put my thumbs in the picture for some reason =/

Well, going back to basics: Your fingers on both hands are numbered -
1 thumb
2 pointer
3 tall man
4 ring finger
5 baby finger

Try some first grade pieces with the numbers written in and start using those thumbs!

oh, about the numbering, try going through your pieces and figure out which ones are thumbs, and do lots of scales. They annoy you, but it helps, especially since you need to cross over your thumbs and that kind of thing.

c scale
right hand: 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5
notes: ----C D E F G A B C
left hand: 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1

I actually have this kind of pad thing with like the finger combinations on all the scales (or at least i think i have all the scales *flips through pad*)

If you have it can you can it and send it to me. It would help me alot

how about type it? because i wrote it down. its only going up though. to go down, just do everything backwards.

also, i would go into quote to see it, since the forum is getting rid of the spaces

All Major Scales

key: top line is the name of the scale, second line is the finger numbering for the right hand, the second line has the notes, and the third line is the finger numbering for the left hand.

b=flats
#=sharps

1: thumb
2: pointer
3: middle
4: ring
5: pinky

C Major
1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5
C D E F G A B C
5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1


D Major
1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5
D E F# G A B C# D
5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1

E Major
1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5
E F# G A# B C# D# E
5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1

F Major
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
F G A Bb C A E F
5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1

G Major
1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5
G A B C D E F# G
5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1

A Major
1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5
A B C# D E F# G# A
5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1

B Major
1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5
B C# D# E F# G# A# B
4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1

Db Major/C# Major
2 3 1 2 3 4 1 2
Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C Db
3 2 1 4 3 2 1 3

Gb Major/F# Major
2 3 4 1 2 3 1 2
F# G# A# B C# D# F F#
4 3 2 1 3 2 1 4

Bb Major/A# Major
4 1 2 3 1 2 3 4
Bb C D Eb F G A Bb
3 2 1 4 3 2 1 3

Ab Major/G# Major
3 4 1 2 3 1 2 3
Ab Bb C Db Eb F G Ab
3 2 1 4 3 2 1 4

Eb Major/D# Major
3 1 2 3 4 1 2 3
Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb
3 2 1 4 3 2 1 3

Awwwww, just get a book with all the scales written out. They're available in the music stores. Most students loathe practicing scales but they are a necessary evil. You might as well toss in some arpeggios while you're at it. It's like ice skaters having do to do all the basic figures before they can do all the fancy stuff. A good foundation will let you climb higher.

However, remember what I told you, FireSlytherin. You will learn to play keyboards in uni because all music majors must be proficient in this. It is part of the curriculum for players of other instruments.

Don't worry yourself about it. Make sure you are really good on your instrument of choice and you will learn keyboards when you sign up as a music major.

i didnt even know there were things like that. I actually still need to learn the minor scales, probably should've learned them before quitting....

Yes, scales are a bore, but sometimes you have to do it. You can try to make it a bit less boring (it's impossible making it a total fun so you're impatient to get home and sit before the piano to play scales, but something is something) playing them with different rythyms. This way, besides, your fingers will win agility.

yes, and they really help with getting to know key signatures. I can't tell what a piece's key signature is just by listening, but it has helped my violin, and i can do piano sight reading way better than i could without scales.

I wouldn't call myself a "pianist" -- yet. However, my love of the piano is great.

I have what is known in my family as the picking talent -- I can sit down to a piano and pick out a tune that is in my head. We don't own a piano, but we do own an electric organ. I also have an electric keyboard.

I am trying to finally learn how to play piano traditionally -- I'm starting to self teach myself how to read music and such. I'm doing ok so far I think. The problem is being able to pick up where I've left off if I have to quit my "lessons" for a while.

Piano is definitely one of the prettiest and elegant instruments. It's got so much soul in it.

I wouldn't call myself a "pianist" -- yet. However, my love of the piano is great.

I have what is known in my family as the picking talent -- I can sit down to a piano and pick out a tune that is in my head. We don't own a piano, but we do own an electric organ. I also have an electric keyboard.

I am trying to finally learn how to play piano traditionally -- I'm starting to self teach myself how to read music and such. I'm doing ok so far I think. The problem is being able to pick up where I've left off if I have to quit my "lessons" for a while.

Piano is definitely one of the prettiest and elegant instruments. It's got so much soul in it.

i never really liked piano much. i know its complex and elegant and everything, but now i like violin way more. you can just do so much more with it, like vibrato and different things with the sound, stuff that i cant do on the piano. but i guess i still like it, i just hated the music my teacher gave me :p

Yesterday I made several video recordings with various orchestras. I had to wear makeup and very glitzy jewelry. I had some piano solos in the midst of all this and it is a pain to sit there and play various bits while they do sound checks so as to balance all of us. The director was very nice though. The only bad thing was when I played 'solo' I had cameras zooming about me here and there and it was annoying as I was trying to concentrate on not making any bloopers. :p

I play the piano as well, right now I'm playing a Mozart Sonata, a piece by Rachmaninov, some Khatchaturian and I've also got some Satie, Shostakovich and Schumann lying around(nice alliteration huh? ;))

I play the piano as well, right now I'm playing a Mozart Sonata, a piece by Rachmaninov, some Khatchaturian and I've also got some Satie, Shostakovich and Schumann lying around(nice alliteration huh? ;))

I love Mozart's Sonatas, the Moonlight Sonata is my favorite. I'm playing Rachmaninov (wow, that's hard to type :lol:)...and I love Khatchaturian's Andante!

So, it's officially Christmastime...and this year I'm working on a really cool arrangment of Carol of the Bells...I'm very excited.

Have any of you ever played the Scaramouche Suite for two pianos by Darius Milhaud? What a hoot. Is it ever fun. If you have a friend who can keep up with you, try it.

Awwwww, just get a book with all the scales written out. They're available in the music stores. Most students loathe practicing scales but they are a necessary evil. You might as well toss in some arpeggios while you're at it. It's like ice skaters having do to do all the basic figures before they can do all the fancy stuff. A good foundation will let you climb higher.

However, remember what I told you, FireSlytherin. You will learn to play keyboards in uni because all music majors must be proficient in this. It is part of the curriculum for players of other instruments.

Don't worry yourself about it. Make sure you are really good on your instrument of choice and you will learn keyboards when you sign up as a music major.

On my flute I like scales I beg my bad director to let us play them (I just like them because even though im not solid at my sight reading or playing really hard pieces of music I can play all 12 scales plus a decent chromatic )

I know I will learn I just want to have some foundation because I'm not the best player because I don't pratice at home and I don't do reigon band (they play this really hard music and the best out of the state perfom together in a band full of the best high school players in the state) I only do solo & ensamble and I normally pic a level 2 or what not but this year im going for a class II or class I .

The only instument I can play is the flute but I want to switch instraments but I don't know if they will let me or if I can to begin with. I will be more proficent if my parents will let me sell my sisters clarinet which technically she hasn't played for 3 years or so now, not counting playing it once or twice for a 15.

I am attempting to teach myself how to play the piano.
If anyone has any pointers or techniques, feel free to share!

Get some beginner books like John Thompson's Teaching Little Fingers to Play and his Grade One Book. If you are teaching yourself it is best if you learn to read music via the "middle C" method that has you playing this note first with your thumbs and working out (up and down) to your little fingers. The piano uses the entire grand staff of notes with middle C right smack-dab in the .....middle of the keyboard. This way you learn to read bass clef and treble clef painlessly and use both your hands almost at once.

yeahh, i know the notes and the scale, i think ;]
When you are playing bass, do the notes on the staff go A B C D E F G in an ascending order?

Aw, I miss playing the piano! I used to take lessons when I was in secondary school - it got me out of maths class! But my teacher wasn't the nicest, so I quit after I finished school because of her and because I just didn't enjoy practicing (necessary evil I know!) I do really wish that I hadn't stopped, maybe when I go home from my travels I might start taking lessons again. Although I'm sure my parents will make me pay for a piano if I want to get one again...and I don't know how that will work seeing as how I'm planning on buying a horse when I get home!!! :lol:

yeahh, i know the notes and the scale, i think ;
When you are playing bass, do the notes on the staff go A B C D E F G in an ascending order? The lowest note on the piano keyboard (on the left) is A. The notes go up ABCDEFG and repeat the letter names until you come to the highest note. I taught piano for years and was quite successful at it, with some students coming to me who had failed with other teachers. However, I did not teach my own children how to play piano. It was like trying to teach your mother-in-law to drive a car. My oldest daughter taught herself through Thompson's Third Grade Book so I suppose you can do it too! She wanted to write duets for string instruments and piano so she was motivated to learn the grand staff. She is now a university professor of French but she still plays the cello professionally. We are very fortunate that musical talent runs rampant in our family genes.

Yesterday I made several video recordings with various orchestras. I had to wear makeup and very glitzy jewelry. I had some piano solos in the midst of all this and it is a pain to sit there and play various bits while they do sound checks so as to balance all of us. The director was very nice though. The only bad thing was when I played 'solo' I had cameras zooming about me here and there and it was annoying as I was trying to concentrate on not making any bloopers. :p

I would never be able to play well if that happened. It must've been so hard.

Get some beginner books like John Thompson's Teaching Little Fingers to Play and his Grade One Book. If you are teaching yourself it is best if you learn to read music via the "middle C" method that has you playing this note first with your thumbs and working out (up and down) to your little fingers. The piano uses the entire grand staff of notes with middle C right smack-dab in the .....middle of the keyboard. This way you learn to read bass clef and treble clef painlessly and use both your hands almost at once.

Can I get the book at an H&H Music Store? or will I have to order it online.

It would be nice if my band director could help me, he plays the piano but he's so busy and I'm still waiting for one of them to find the books on triads and conversions they have xp their office is a mess.

Any well stocked music store should have the Thompson Books. They're classics. I know that my local store has them, they also teach many instruments there. They want me to teach piano there but I would rather do it at home if I start again, and keep all the money for myself. :D

I would too lol hopefully (fingrers crossed I do well though) if I don't get far in my major I could teach piano and get money off of it ^^

i agree, you should start with thompsons. They are sold almost anywhere, and they are very good. mostly boring classic music, but very helpful. They are mostly bits and pieces of music, at least books 1 2 and 3, book 4 has full pieces. After you get good, i suggest buying a book of random music. Since the thompsons are only bits and pieces. the good thing about them is that they have little excerpts at the tops of some of the music that explains a bit about the piece or how to play it. For example, if a piece has some pedal in it, it may explain a little about it.

Alfred's is also a good beginner's brand, though I do suppose it is more geared towards children.

I play since I was six

Alfreid is pretty good, since it has full songs and it's good at teaching techniques.

Alfreid is pretty good, since it has full songs and it's good at teaching techniques.
It does, but I don't like the way it introduces concepts. I don't know what would be best since I've tried just about everything but since I can sight read fairly well I've picked up on things pretty quickly from whatever book I've tried. My biggest difficulty right now is finding a teacher who will teach me for a decent price.

I love playing the piano so much! I started lessons in first grade, and I'm a senior now, but I stopped in tenth grade - it's way too much money, and I wasn't getting much from my teacher; she works more with beginners. I try to practice on my own, but it's too much work! I can sightread most anything contemporary, but I haven't had time to sit down and really learn a classical piece for too long! :( I'm hoping to start lessons again once I'm off at college. Meanwhile, I doodle around with contemporary books when I have any time, play stuff I know, and make stuff up.

I also teach piano lessons for beginners - I'm probably not the best teacher in the world, but the (very few) students I've had have enjoyed themselves! It's good money and good review for me.

And I play the keyboard in my church youth group band. It's very difficult to make stuff up on the fly! It's been good practice to learn to play and improvise from a guitar chord sheet, though - I love it; it has helped my theory a lot. Anybody know good sources for Christian sheet music?

Any Christian bookstore might have it, also check online:

www.musicnotes.com

If you have a credit card you can download the music to your computer and print it right out. Otherwise send a check and they will mail the music to you. Musicnotes has LOTS of Christian comtemporary music.

cool thanks! i'll check that out. :D

I personally like the Schaum books. They are great for beginners.

i agree, you should start with thompsons. They are sold almost anywhere, and they are very good. mostly boring classic music, but very helpful. They are mostly bits and pieces of music, at least books 1 2 and 3, book 4 has full pieces. After you get good, i suggest buying a book of random music. Since the thompsons are only bits and pieces. the good thing about them is that they have little excerpts at the tops of some of the music that explains a bit about the piece or how to play it. For example, if a piece has some pedal in it, it may explain a little about it.

Could I find it at walmart? Because I do not know when I'll be able to go to the music store, all the music stores in our area are being closed, / are closed H&H went bankrupt so...there aren't that many around.

Could I find it at walmart? Because I do not know when I'll be able to go to the music store, all the music stores in our area are being closed, / are closed H&H went bankrupt so...there aren't that many around.

In all honesty, no, you aren't going to find iit at wal-mart.

And if your music stores are closing...run! don't walk! Ususally there are great sales on music when a store is closing!

I love playing the piano so much! I started lessons in first grade, and I'm a senior now, but I stopped in tenth grade - it's way too much money, and I wasn't getting much from my teacher; she works more with beginners. I try to practice on my own, but it's too much work! I can sightread most anything contemporary, but I haven't had time to sit down and really learn a classical piece for too long! :( I'm hoping to start lessons again once I'm off at college. Meanwhile, I doodle around with contemporary books when I have any time, play stuff I know, and make stuff up.

I also teach piano lessons for beginners - I'm probably not the best teacher in the world, but the (very few) students I've had have enjoyed themselves! It's good money and good review for me.

And I play the keyboard in my church youth group band. It's very difficult to make stuff up on the fly! It's been good practice to learn to play and improvise from a guitar chord sheet, though - I love it; it has helped my theory a lot. Anybody know good sources for Christian sheet music?

I don't know about the christian sheet music thing, but just check some music stores and ask the people. I really only play classic and romantic and baroque stuff,since thats what my teacher used to make me buy. but then i quit, and i dont want to play it, but i'm not sure what i should buy, since i already wasted some money, and i cant return it.

In all honesty, no, you aren't going to find iit at wal-mart.

And if your music stores are closing...run! don't walk! Ususally there are great sales on music when a store is closing!


Not like that cause normally they have fewer items than they would have if it were actually open.

Remember when I posted that I had made some video recordings for television? OMG! I watched myself today and I said that the cameras were in my face? They were on me more than necessary in my opinion. They shot my music, my hands, my jewelry, my reactions to the conductor when the cameras should have been on all the orchestra players. I think I got more time than anyone!:err: This has convinced me to save up for a face lift. I need my chin line back. Ugh! I'm glad I didn't make any bloopers for them to record. My hands may be old in appearance but they can really move over those piano keys.:p

Does anyone know of any really good technique development programs other then Hanon? I have a deep hatred growing for Hanon and it's getting worse with each day more I use it. That and octave scales. I swear I'm going to end up with carpal tunnel if I'm not careful...

Hmmmm... my teachers used to give me studies from Moskowsky (well, I think that was his name), but it was really horrible, I don't think you like it too much... Compared to it, Hanon is the sweetest music ever written.

The best when learning would be playing something for technique, like Hanon or Burgmuller, or even my hated Bartok's Mikrokosmos, but, at the same time, something more "musical", you know: Chopin, Bach, Mozart, etc. If I must say the truth, I learnt lots of technique playing Scarlatti, who isn't precisely the "scale and octave" type; but it was because my teacher in that time was wonderful. BUt if yours makes you play only Hanon... Well, I don't wonder you're fed up with it.

I've always wanted to learn how to play piano but only got the opportunity a year and a half ago. So yeah I've only been playing for a short time but I'm currently playing Chopin's Etude op. 10 no. 1 and a Debussy prelude. My teacher who is a first year out after graduating out of the Sydney Conservatorium thinks if I work hard I can audtion at the end of the year so that's what I'm working towards! But my downfall is sight-reading or just plain note recognition but my teacher's told me what to do for that! Hope it works *fingers crossed* !!! What I'd like to ask is how many people here love the Harry Potter theme music like Hedwig's theme I love that piece and play it on the piano!
My god is Chopin! hahaha! I LOVE Chopin! My favourite works of his are his Nocturnes! Has anyone ever been to youtube and seen Martha Argerich play the polonaise or the scherzo??? I also love playing the music from Amelie (movie) and also Pride and Prejudice (Liz on top of the world)! I also have a Jane Austen music book which has the music from Sense and Sensibility and BBC Pride and Prejudice!

The best when learning would be playing something for technique, like Hanon or Burgmuller, or even my hated Bartok's Mikrokosmos, but, at the same time, something more "musical", you know: Chopin, Bach, Mozart, etc. If I must say the truth, I learnt lots of technique playing Scarlatti, who isn't precisely the "scale and octave" type; but it was because my teacher in that time was wonderful. BUt if yours makes you play only Hanon... Well, I don't wonder you're fed up with it.

Yeah... It's not that I play only Hanon, it's the repetition. I've been playing from the Hanon books since I was 9 and I am really tired of it. I hate not having a melody to follow. I was taught to sing the notes as I played them and I do that in my head to this day. I learned how to play in a pretty unique way, but I really think it helped me learn to love playing.

I don't think I've ever played any Scarlatti, but I'll look into it.

I don't think I've ever played any Scarlatti, but I'll look into it.

I'm afraid he's not much known outside Spain (he was born in Naples, but lived here almost all his life; he was the music teacher of Queen for several years).

Here (http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=251600094)you can find some videos. I played the K141, though not half as well as Mrs Argerich.

I play the piano :).

I started when I was five, but then I quit because I couldn't handle it. I started up again in about 3rd grade, but then my teacher moved away three years after that. And I have to admit...I was kind of glad. That teacher scared the bajeebers out of me.

I just started up again recently. My teacher goes to my church,a nd she's very friendly. I think I'm doing way better with her than with my old teacher because of it; I'm progressing more.

Another thing I like about my teacher is that she gives me more of a variety of music. I just finished up on a piece from the newer Pride and Prejudice film, and now I'm starting up on some Chopin. I also play church hymns as well as songs from my lesson book.

Yeah... It's not that I play only Hanon, it's the repetition. I've been playing from the Hanon books since I was 9 and I am really tired of it. I hate not having a melody to follow.
Yeah, I know what you mean. I have to play Hanon, too, and it gets boring sometimes. But mostly it's just frustrating for me :shrug:

Oh I remember hanon... I found it really boring too, but the good thing was it didn't take long to learn (when I got older i'd just run through it once before my lesson - i sometimes have difficulty sitting down to the piano more than once a week :p). Now I don't have to do it anymore. Still have to do sight reading though, which I really don't like, along with those ear tests.

My favorite composer to play is probably Chopin. I also like Beethoven and I'd really love to learn the third movement of the Moonlight Sonata one day.. I've been getting really lazy with my practicing though... :p I'm just working on finishing my grade 10 for the RCM.

My parents bought be a piano about a year ago because I said I wanted to play it. I also said before that I wanted to play the violin, but my mom said I probally wouldn't be able to handle it. Then I said I wanted my dad to teach me the guitar, but my mom said why don't you learn how to play the piano. Well I started it and it's not easy. Plus I'm a procrastinater(procrastinaters unite...tomorow)so I've been puting it off for a while. The last time I practiced was last Thursday. I need to tell my to yell at me if I don't do it because if I don't well I think my grandma will start bugging me because she wanted someone to play the piano in church.

If you learn piano first you will be able to pick up almost any instrument and figure it out. I taught myself to play many different instruments as a teenager. I learned violin from a teacher and went from beginner to advanced in a year. I have even taught violin and viola and they are not my main instruments: piano and organ. There's nothing much as fun as playing around with a pipe organ. Woo Hoo! J.S. Bach rocks!

cathairetic, you're my idol. I tried to learn violin when I was about 12 (and already playing the piano) but it was a disaster. I never managed it to sound different from an angry cat... :( The advantage we pianinst have over other musicians is that we can read to keys at the same time! :lol:

And yes, Bach rocks, but as all geniouses he's horrible to deal with. I needed to reach college and begin studying Maths and Algebra to understand him...

I'm finally taking piano lessons again this semester, and I am sooooooo happy to be back! My piano teacher is have me work on a Chopin Nocturne and a Mozart piano sonata (K332). Both are excellent pieces, and I am really enjoying the nocturne! :D
If you learn piano first you will be able to pick up almost any instrument and figure it out. I taught myself to play many different instruments as a teenager. I learned violin from a teacher and went from beginner to advanced in a year. I have even taught violin and viola and they are not my main instruments: piano and organ. There's nothing much as fun as playing around with a pipe organ. Woo Hoo! J.S. Bach rocks!
I actually did that the other way around... I played violin for about a year before starting in on the piano. My violin teacher taught a piano lesson before mine, and I finally convinced my parents to let me try my hand at piano, too. I played the violin for another three years after starting piano, French horn for two, and then I took up singing per my mother's suggestion so that I could "play two instruments at once." :lol:

I am supposed to go to Disney World to play for a film there with the orchestras I play for but I just had to shell out $1300 for my elderly Siamese cat who tried to die. We foiled her this time but I am so broke and I will have to pay for a hotel while I am there. I think I will have to stay home. Pah! At least I can still play at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg VA

Now I don't have to do it anymore. Still have to do sight reading though, which I really don't like, along with those ear tests.
I actually really like sight reading. I'm pretty good at it too. I think it was the way I was taught when I was younger. Now I can sight read most music that comes my way, and if I can't sight read it I REALLY have to work on it to get it anywhere near right. I've never really understood why that is though.

If you learn piano first you will be able to pick up almost any instrument and figure it out. I taught myself to play many different instruments as a teenager. I learned violin from a teacher and went from beginner to advanced in a year. I have even taught violin and viola and they are not my main instruments: piano and organ. There's nothing much as fun as playing around with a pipe organ. Woo Hoo! J.S. Bach rocks!
That is why my mother made me learn how to play the piano. It's really almost my only instrument though. My fingers just don't like stringed instruments. I've tried many times, but the only one that's partially worked is guitar. I'd like to learn how to play the organ, but at the same time I know that if I learn how I'll be asked to play in church.

I teach myself a piano. A neighbour gave us a piano in 2005, and I took it upon myself to find as many books as possible to teach myself to play. I recently bought the Wicked songbook, and all of the melodies are easy to play but the chords are quite difficult! I've taught myself many of the songs I know from just hearing them once (I've got a memory that just soaks up everything until I'm ready to use it, it's really handy!), and some of them I get from a book and if they don't sound right I edit them myself :P. I play for fun, and just to show that I can do it. Being able to touch type means I've memorised where all the piano keys are too, so that makes it a whole lot easier for me.

The old lady pianist DID go to Disney World and it was the trip from Hades. Just a short laundry list of what happened...
I had a panic attack just before we left. I just lay down on the grass so I wouldn't faint and had the dry heaves.
Just before we left, it was asked if everyone had their instruments. Someone had actually left theirs in the school!
Kids came in their pajamas and we had to stop the bus and unload it so they could get dressed before we went into MGM Studios.
I ended up in First Aid there because of heat exhaustian.
The bus caught on fire on the way to the hotel and we were dumped next a lake full of alligators. The kids wanted to play with the alligators.
A deluge of a rain storm put out the fire.
We were 6 hours late to the hotel because a bus could not be found.
The music was ruined in the rain and the conductor was up all night, photocopying enough parts for everyone to play the next day at the concert.
Armadillos at the hotel pool. The kids wanted to play with the armadillos.
I was sunburned during playing the concert and the men in the sound booth turned up my keyboard so loud I thought you could hear my parts in Georgia!
Lightning shut down many rides.
A student had head lice. And he followed me around like Mary's lamb. We had to delouse him.
Two fire alarms with me undressed at the time. I couldn't get downstairs because the elevators wouldn't work so I decided to be stoic and burn to death (I have to ride in a handi-cart because I have a bad back.) I guess all the fire trucks, etc. did their job because I am still here.
The workshop at Epcot was embarrassing for me and the director because the orchestra wouldn't or couldn't follow the conductor.
I was with a group of guys who kept trying to see breast enlargement scars on big busted girls who raised their arms up in the air to play the video games when we were in line for Soaring.
All this among other things.
I did my part and played well when I had to - concert and workshop.
And my dinner coupons were given to students who foolishly spent all their money on toys for souvenirs.
Someone tried to play a 'mature' movie on the bus video. I stopped that in time. Good grief!

Oh yes, piano playing can get you into many interesting situations.:rolleyes:

MMm I've been playing the piano going on six years now, before that i had 4 years of experience with keyboard instruments, so I'm a little further down the road than you'd think. I just finished a piece by Rachmaninov, for the summer I have more Rachmaninov, some Schumann and a waltz by Chopin, as well as Shostakovich and Mozart.

I didn't notice there was a thread for pianists! Yay!
I've played the piano for almost ten years, and have taught for a little more than a year.
My favorite piece I've ever played is Grieg's Concerto in A minor. I blame that on the fact that I have been classically trained. (My teachers always really pushed that genre.) Anyone familiar with it? It's beautiful!

It's great to see a thread for pianists! I'm so excited! I've been playing for over ten years, and I'm so excited someone finally started a thread about us keyboard lovers!
MMm I've been playing the piano going on six years now, before that i had 4 years of experience with keyboard instruments, so I'm a little further down the road than you'd think. I just finished a piece by Rachmaninov, for the summer I have more Rachmaninov, some Schumann and a waltz by Chopin, as well as Shostakovich and Mozart.
I've actually just started to learn a piece by Rachmaninov. I think his music is really complex and strange, but fun once you get it. Chopin is also one of my favorite composers. I hope you like the waltz you're learning! :D

I've been playing the piano for about 7 and 1/2 years. I just recently quit lessons ( I know, but I had a really busy year this year with Geometry, AP English, the musical, and the ACT so I knew I wouldn't practice much). But, I still play my favorite songs like; Mission: Impossible, Black Forest Polka, and The Addams Family

I didn't notice there was a thread for pianists! Yay!
I've played the piano for almost ten years, and have taught for a little more than a year.
My favorite piece I've ever played is Grieg's Concerto in A minor. I blame that on the fact that I have been classically trained. (My teachers always really pushed that genre.) Anyone familiar with it? It's beautiful!
Back in the fifties there was a film version called Cinerama which was filmed with three cameras so you got a wrap around experience of the film... I remember seeing 'Windjammer.' It was about the some Danish students and how they went to sea on a cruise to learn the ropes, literally. One boy's mother would not let him go unless he practiced the piano every day so an upright piano was loaded into the hold for him. He played that Grieg concerto every day and when the ship got into New York he played a concert with some big orchestra, I think in Carnegie Hall. I can't remember the orchestra, it was so long ago. But it was a great movie. I had to have that concerto after that, and my teacher kindly got me the music so I could learn it. You brought back some old memories with your comment.

Does anyone besides me play Jazz piano? I love playing Jazz, but I'm not very good at it.

I love my keyboard, I want to learn more about reading music, but I do have a musical memory and can play instruments by hearing it, and I love working out chords on my guiter and piano!

Does anyone besides me play Jazz piano? I love playing Jazz, but I'm not very good at it.

My Harmony teacher tried to teach us some jazz during my last year. He said I could be good if I tried, but honestly, I felt totally lost without a score. Pity, for I really like jazz; but I'm unable to think as fast as it needs.

We had an early Oktoberfest at our church and although we usually have a complete om-pah band this time there were just two people. A man keyboard and a woman played soprano and alto sax. I don't know what that guy did with the keyboard but it sounded like there was a complete band. He used accordian alot and the drums were obviously in the keyboard too. With them both singing it was great. I have a keyboard here that belongs to my grandson so I am going to see what I can conjure up.

Sorry... Octoberfest at a church? Wasn't that the great beer party at Munich??

I'm Lutheran.... German Lutheran. Oktoberfest is a big thing. Beer is just one of God's gifts to show he loves us. Anyway, I actually don't drink beer, but I chow down on the German cooking. :drool: There was a lot of that and dancing and people came in their German costumes. We had people come from far away that weren't even Lutheran but Catholic. Any excuse for a party...:eyebrows:

I'm learning piano level 7. I played Fur Elise and Colors of the Wind which are both grade 7 leveled songs. They are both beautiful!

If no one has heard of the band Muse. they have a great pianist. listen to the song Hurricanes and Butterflies. there is an amazing piano solo in it. its also a great song :)

Once Upon A December is a beautiful song to play the piano!

From the soundtrack of Anastasia?

From the soundtrack of Anastasia?
I'd assume so. I love that movie! :)

I'm learning Grieg's "Ballad" for my piano jury Sunday, and I've also been working on Debussy's "Le pas de neige" and the second movement of a Mozart piano sonata. It's great to be taking piano lessons again! (And get college credit for them, too!! :D)

Lucky you. I was moolighting myself for a year to finish my piano studies at the time I went on with the college ones, and I got a pittance of college credit. It was not scientific enough for them :grumble:

The symphony orchestra in which I am a violist is playing two concerts this weekend. Dress rehearsal is tomorrow night and I hope that I find a decent piano and a celesta to play. One of the pieces is for a mass choir and the orchestra and I am the pianist on this piece. I have had crappy pianos and digital keyboards so far. At least the harpist showed up so I no longer have to play her part, too. The orchestra used to hire a pianist whenever they needed one but then they discovered that I was 'really good' on the piano so now I do that job too.

I play the piano for all the school orchestras here and this week and next week are a nightmare with all the performances, rehearsals, and we even have a trip around to all the elementary feeder schools to encourage the students to sign up for orchestra. I have so many different folders of piano music right now that it is making me silly. I have ended up keeping everything in my car so at least I know that wherever I am I will have the right accompaniments. I shouldn't complain. It pays really well.

I'm learning Grieg's "Ballad" for my piano jury Sunday, and I've also been working on Debussy's "Le pas de neige" and the second movement of a Mozart piano sonata. It's great to be taking piano lessons again! (And get college credit for them, too!! :D)
I'd love to be able to get credit for playing the piano. I guess I sort of am with Jazz band (I'm the keyboardist this year :D), but I'd rather play solo than in an ensemble.

I have a question that might only be applicable to younger people, but with a piano background is AP Music Theory interesting, or does it seem to be a lot of review?

I had so much fun jamming with my talanted best friend on her piano yesterday, it was fun and improvational with really really bad piano playing techniques but it was so so so fun, and she also taught abit of this song, and I could play it, and she thinks I can play by ear!

I have a question that might only be applicable to younger people, but with a piano background is AP Music Theory interesting, or does it seem to be a lot of review?
AP Theory wasn't offered when I was in high school, but my younger sister has taken it and learned a lot from it. She primarily has a piano and percussion background. I suppose it would depend on what kind of training you previously had in music; we're both more classically trained and didn't learn how to read chord progressions until taking theory courses. (Theory as I understand it tends to focus quite a bit on harmonies and their functions within music.)

Most of the theory majors I know here or the people who do well in it tend to enjoy math and science to some degree because theory is a lot of problem solving and requires you to use some logical thinking skills. I really like the classes I take now, though they can prove challenging sometimes. I'll try to ask my younger sister about her feelings on the actual AP course before I give you a definite answer, but I think the background knowledge is always good to have! :)

AP Theory wasn't offered when I was in high school, but my younger sister has taken it and learned a lot from it. She primarily has a piano and percussion background. I suppose it would depend on what kind of training you previously had in music; we're both more classically trained and didn't learn how to read chord progressions until taking theory courses. (Theory as I understand it tends to focus quite a bit on harmonies and their functions within music.)

Most of the theory majors I know here or the people who do well in it tend to enjoy math and science to some degree because theory is a lot of problem solving and requires you to use some logical thinking skills. I really like the classes I take now, though they can prove challenging sometimes. I'll try to ask my younger sister about her feelings on the actual AP course before I give you a definite answer, but I think the background knowledge is always good to have! :)
Thanks, I'm debating taking it. It sounds like a good class to take, but I've learned to play from all directions (Jazz, Classical, and some combinations of the two) so I wasn't sure if it'd just be review of what I already knew.

I pretend I can play piano. I mean, I know what the notes are and a few basic chords, and I can play a few songs, but I've never taken a lesson. All I know about piano (keyboard really) comes from the glorious website of Youtube and my more talented friends. :lol:

I pretend I can play piano. I mean, I know what the notes are and a few basic chords, and I can play a few songs, but I've never taken a lesson. All I know about piano (keyboard really) comes from the glorious website of Youtube and my more talented friends. :lol:
therefore you can play, being lessoned is probably preferred, but they are probably heaps of people who learn on their own, like me

I go to piano lessons. I enjoy playing the piano if I am playing a good piece. lol

I'm going to start practicing the piano again, but I'm basically teaching myself how. I've got a book and everything and actually taught myself a few simple songs before, but the problem is, I absolutely hate reading music. I wish I could just do what my dad does when he plays guitar and play by ear. I guess it's a skill you're born with or something.

I really don't want to go to lessons and I doubt my parents would pay for them. Does anyone know of anything online or a uhm... I dunno, something from the store that's good at teaching the basics of playing the piano or learning how to read music?

I go to piano lessons. I enjoy playing the piano if I am playing a good piece. lol

Me too :D

I started piano in First Grade- just simple songs. There was lots of hitting, screaming and tantrums. I stopped for a while and I started playing again in Fourth Grade. I still didn't want to, but I did. I mainly kept going because my mom persuaded me by saying that if I did these songs now, I could play whatever I wanted, later. I'm learning the theme to The Office right now.

Does anyone know of anything online or a uhm... I dunno, something from the store that's good at teaching the basics of playing the piano or learning how to read music?

When I began playing piano I used (well, my teacher) Bastien's books (http://www.musicroom.com/search.aspx?contribid=84&searchtype=artist). They were really basic, since they are thoguth for children between 6 and 10. I don't know, ig that'll be of any help...

Or you can use John Thompson's Teaching Little Fingers to Play and his First Grade Book.

My favourite new piece to play is The Heart Asks For Pleasure First by Michael Nyman. It's from the film The Pianist. It's so gorgeous.

I love piano music. You can play almost anything on piano and it often sound really good.

I would like to learn to play piano, i have a keyboard but i don't know how i should start. Does anyone know any good way to start learning how to play?

I reiterate..... you can use John Thompson's Teaching Little Fingers to Play and his First Grade Book. Get them in a local music store. Or some basic beginner books in Swedish.

I just started studying piano at the conservatory this year. I was given these books:
Aaron: Piano course for adults, nice melodies, very easy
Bartok Mikrokosmos Book 1: horrible horrible book, the melodies are absotutely awful, I have been practising the exercises a lot but can't learn them because the melody just does not make sense to my ears. Lots of canons, dorian modes and god knows what else :S really frustrating,
Beyer: op 101 If I'm not mistaken, nice book, nice exercises, the best one so far
Czerny op 599: haven't started studying it yet
Czerny- Germer Piano Studies Book one: just started practising it, very fast exercises
Bach's Anna Magdalena: Numbers 2-3-4-14 and 19. Haven't started it yet but I have to study one for the final exam.

Ah, c'mon! Bartok isn't as bad as all that. I actually bought those books for myself as a young person and enjoyed playing them. I knew a lot of the melodies because we had played his folk songs in orchestra in high school.

I play piano sometimes, but I never got actual lessons and I can't really read music sheet. What I do is use a reference sheet for the position of each note in a sheet and write the notes down so I can read them faster while playing. I like playing music from several Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts games, and right now I'm learning to play Hitchhiker's Guide series' Journey of the Sorcerer as well as several Disney songs without making mistakes :p

After you get the notes for a song you just have to hit the keys, so I never bothered buying learning books (even though I'm sure I'm probably doing a lot of things wrong... I get confused with certain notes and just go with whichever sounds best at times)

Once in Japan I went to this piano teacher's house, most of her students were playing. They were all children ranging from 5 to 13 years old, and they were amazing! Her son played this song which went so fast I could barely see his fingers moving!
Apparently, in Japan they have piano classes in school up until high-school, so everyone can play the piano quite skillfully. :/ so jealous.

UGH!!! I wish i could play that wonderful instrument, the piano!!! :love:

:lol:

I'm sorry for you, Lorena; Mikrokosmos was a real torture for me. I never could understand that it sounded worse when I played the right keys than when I played the wrong ones. I never liked Czerny, either.

Cathairetic, you're right, Bartok isn't that bad; I played some of his studies and I liked them, but it was later, when I had been playing for some years and could appreciate modern things. But for a beginner, it's horrible.

I wish I could play the piano, it's a skill I'd like to pick up. But I'm terrible at music. I totally can't read notes, I'm sure a three year old could play better than me.

I wish I could play the piano, it's a skill I'd like to pick up. But I'm terrible at music. I totally can't read notes, I'm sure a three year old could play better than me.

Don't worry. I'm awesome at writing songs and play instruments-it just takes some practise. The only thing that has to do with music and doesn't take any practise, is singing. And believe me, when I sing I sound like a cat that someone stepped on its tail...:p I feel so sad about it, but it does not take practise, the only it needs is talent, something I have only on reading notes and writing songs.

I disagree, singing needs a lot of practise, too.

MC2456, take it easy. I won't say you can manage it in a few weeks because that's not true; it actually takes lots of time and practice, but if you're patient and keep working, I'm sure you'll get it.

i have been playing for over 5 years now and i love it!

I'm sorry for you, Lorena; Mikrokosmos was a real torture for me. I never could understand that it sounded worse when I played the right keys than when I played the wrong ones. I never liked Czerny, either.

Cathairetic, you're right, Bartok isn't that bad; I played some of his studies and I liked them, but it was later, when I had been playing for some years and could appreciate modern things. But for a beginner, it's horrible.

I already finished mikrokosmos, and I still dont know what I am supposed to learn.... at least when at look at czerny I understand what I am learning, what hand movement for example :S
Czerny is much better, at least the melodies make sense, they are easier to play and learn.... same thing goes for beyer
and I think piano 2 programme includes the other part of mikrokosmos :S

I disagree, singing needs a lot of practise, too.

MC2456, take it easy. I won't say you can manage it in a few weeks because that's not true; it actually takes lots of time and practice, but if you're patient and keep working, I'm sure you'll get it.

I agree, singing takes a lot of practise....
I started individual singing lessons in 2007 and used to practise one hour everyday except for sundays and holidays.... Now I dont practise that much because I have conservatory classes and I also have to practise piano, but I think a minimum of one hour per day is required, IMO
actually all instruments take a lot of practise.... and since the body is our instrument, it's extremely hard to learn, because if you are tired, ill or not feeling well emotionally it will reflect on your voice....

someone asked me the other day: can anybody sing? and I replied: can anybody play the violin??? ;)

Something I've always believed: once you know how to play piano and read music, you can play any other instrument. Does anybody agree (or disagree :p)? I find that playing piano gives you the basics in terms of what music sounds like which makes other instruments easier to pick up. For example, I started piano when I was about 5 years old (I'm 19 now) and since being able to play piano I've picked up guitar, bass guitar, saxophone and violin all with relative ease. I really believe that, not only does being able to read music give you a leg up, but knowing piano as well gives you an idea in your head of what a piece of music should sound like on an instrument, then all you really need to do is learn the notes on the new instrument.

Well, being able to read music is important, but each instrument has its technique, and they are so different, physically speaking, that I think it has nothing to do. I tried to learn violin when I was 13 and had already been playing piano for about 5 years, and it was a torture, both beacuse of the position of the hands and arms (I never managed to place my left hand correctly) and the fact that it was impossible to get a note on tune, while in piano you may play the wrong key, but at least you always get the same note.

So, Hysteria, I think you have an enormous talent for music.

Playing piano does enable one to play other instruments with ease.... if you have a good ear. For instance, when I interviewed a child before accepting it as a piano student, I would ask him or her to sing notes that I played on the piano. I would have them clap rhythms of music that I played. If they could not hear the correct notes or rhythyms in their heads then I would not teach them because I would have been driven crazy by their lack of music. I am a professional musician but my husband is tone deaf so I know personally whereof I speak. He could not learn social dancing either because he could not grasp the rhythms.

When I began violin at age 11 I became proficient in only one year. After all I could already read music and so I just had to learn where to put my fingers. I already knew about half steps and whole steps so it was easy for me.

Mme.Bergerac, you may have a tin ear because you cannot play a string instrument if you cannot keep it in tune and cannot tell when it is out. If the instrument is out of tune, even if you place your fingers in the right places, you will be out of tune also. You have to compensate for your instrument if it goes out of tune while you are playing in order to keep playing in tune.

The first thing I learned in violin class was to tune my instrument. The fifths 'ring' when they are right. You can also use harmonics on two strings to check if they are correct. I don't know if you got that far.

I was a church musician and choir director for 33 years before I retired. I now play in a symphony orchestra and am having a wonderful time. Of course I am playing a heavier, larger viola and I had to learn to read alto clef.

Keep working on your piano. It has been proved that people who play music use parts of their brains that others do not so it makes us smarter in some ways. Music students do better in school anyway.

I'm not sure what 'tin ear' means, but I think my main problem was my complete inability to put the finger in its place, and that, when by chance I got it, it still sounded like a moaning cat :lol:

ok, the final exam is like one month away! :S
so, I have to play:
3 lessons from the mikrokosmos, nª24 being mandatory. I have a hard time choosing, since I hate all of them.
3 lessons from Czerny. I haven't finished that book yet. There are 50 studies, I have only played until nº 21-22. But the melodies are nice.
1 work by Bach´s Anna Magdalena. I have the 2 minuets in G major. I have to choose one.
1 romantic piece: I have Schumman's Album for the youth Nª1
1 piece by an argentine composer: a "malambo", awful, a natural b on the left hand and a b flat on the right hand all the time :S
1 "sonatina": Czerny Op 36 Nº1. I like this one, I already know it by heart.
1 scale and its arpegio. I have to choose between C, D, E, A and G. I haven't learned the fingering yet.
I'm really nervous. I think I'm going to pass the exam, but everything has to be played by heart and I have trouble learning stuff by heart. Specially if I don't like it :S

:wow: Golly, Lorena! I don't ever remember having to do as much as you have to do and I took piano lessons for 10 years, and again as an adult. Good luck! Just get with the rhythms of the pieces and go! :huggles:

Something I've always believed: once you know how to play piano and read music, you can play any other instrument. Does anybody agree (or disagree :p)?

I teach piano and violin, and wouldn't say the piano will help lots with basic technique on a string instrument; however, it does wonders to teach theory and pitch recognition to a beginner. I always hope my beginning fiddle students will take a year of piano. It really helps them hear those half and whole steps, and understand reading directionally.

Back to Bartok's Microcosmos; his aim was to use native Hungarian folk melodies in the curriculum. He was writting in the midst of a Nationalism trend in western classical music, so wanted to make his music uniquely Hungarian. If the melodies sound strange to those of us not immersed in eastern European musical culture, that's not surprising.

Haplo- , For a beginner method, I highly recommend the Faber Piano Adventure series with the accompanying MIDI disks.(FJH pubishing) But please get some lessons with a qualified teacher! You'll be a pile of bad habits and miss most of the "music" if you do it all on your own.

I've started getting really good at reading music, all of a sudden, I understand the way you're supposed to look at the notes on the paper, and I have a way I know how to each note is supposed to be played....I am a weirdo and worked backwards from the guitar, my sister took the guitar away to study it her way so I resorted back to piano to create music from...I Can play by ear, well I think I can, I always check though to see my hands are in the write places and stuff.. and also being able to read and think musical theory the better I'll feel about myself!

I can play about two sogns on the piano, just little bits of them, but it makes me feel good about myself and my composing future!

The symphony I play with (viola) is doing The Adoration of the Magi by Ottorino Respighi as part of our Christmas performance. And I get to play the lovely piano part for it!

:wow: Golly, Lorena! I don't ever remember having to do as much as you have to do and I took piano lessons for 10 years, and again as an adult. Good luck! Just get with the rhythms of the pieces and go! :huggles:

thanks! The exam is Dec 22nd, so I have one other month of suffering :S
I'll play
Bach's Minuet in G major, the most famous one
Clementi Op 36 Nª1
Schumman: Album for the youth: Nº1
Argentina composer: Malambo
3 studies from Bartok: 24-30-31
3 from Czerny-gerber: 32 and two more that I have not picked yet.
teacher told me the scale and arpeggio is not required.

I was thinking I might go to the library and get the programme for piano 2, so I can study during the summer, I have a feeling piano 2 will be very very difficult :S


BTW, I tried playing Hedwig's theme and Buckbeak's flight on the piano
:no::grumble:
Hedwig's theme made my hand ache so much
Buckbeak's flight is impossible to play. I can't open my hand that wide

Buckbeak's flight is impossible to play. I can't open my hand that wide
That's too bad. I can span ten white keys with each hand. It sometimes comes in handy when I must play organ. I can play two manuals with one hand if I need to. My oldest daughter is a cellist. She has rather small hands but is she ever good. Interestingly a cello teacher she was with for a short time when her regular teacher had gone out of state told her that he would never have taught her cello because he would have considered her hands too small.

Aren' you glad Buckbeak's Flight is not one of the pieces you must perform?

I understand Lorena, most of soundtrack scores you find for piano are reductions from the orchestra, and require either a veeeeeery large hand or exceptional skills. I never had any of them, so I had to play 'hiper-reduced' versions (meaning that I left half the notes unplayed; quite shameful)

i can barely play a 9th, but I'm a first year student.....
and yes, I know they are reductions, but you have to keep a low F, left hand below staff, while playing high As flat at the top of the staff, I can't.....
Thank god I don't have to play anything like that for my exam!!!

anyway, I got frustrated, because playing an instrument is not the same as studying it. I was trying to study some exercises the other day and got so bored and frustrated that I even considered dropping piano and switching to singing, but I rather play piano in a final exam than sing :S

well, I got a 10 in the final exam! I already got the syllabus for Piano 2 and I saw that there is a sonata by Mozart, Sonata 16 KV 545

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcUh-ggBfzI

Has anyone played it? is it difficult? I know that Mozart seems easy when you listen to it, then when you look at the sheet music you realize it's not easy, and then when you try to play it it's so difficult! That happened to me with a couple of Mozart arias I wanted to sing :S

I didn't play it myself, but a couple of classmates of mine did. It's beautiful and perhaps a bit difficult in Mozart's style: it needs subtlety and precision. However, your system must be different form ours, for but I can't understand that you play this sonata in your second year unless you're a genius (here, works of that type and magnitude aren't usually played before five or six years of studying).

I didn't play it myself, but a couple of classmates of mine did. It's beautiful and perhaps a bit difficult in Mozart's style: it needs subtlety and precision. However, your system must be different form ours, for but I can't understand that you play this sonata in your second year unless you're a genius (here, works of that type and magnitude aren't usually played before five or six years of studying).

REally? OMG! I knew piano wasn't easy at the conservatory but not that much!! I'll see if I can post the names of other pieces here, maybe someone else knows them. Basically the syllabus is divided in
*bartok mikrokosmos book 3
*czerny germer studies: 2º 3º and 4º part
*bach: little preludes and fugues, or something like that
*classical author, I wanted to pick that mozart sonata, or some haydn or diabelli or clementi or kuhlau
*romantic author: grieg lyric pieces or schumman album for the youth or mendelsson kinderstruck or some schubert, chopin or tchaikovski. I'll probably go with grieg
*argentin autor
*scale and arpeggio

Though nearly everyone who knows me knows me as a guitarist, I've played piano even longer by a few years - over 30 in all, actually.
I love both instruments, and they both fit different styles or moods very well. When I'm pumped up, guitar seems more apropos, but when I'm angry or somber, piano just can't be beat for the emotional release. (I also adore massive pipe organs and their powerful sound)

Occasionally, I've heard other musicians disparage the piano because your fingers don't have contact directly with the strings, they said they felt that diminished it's expressiveness to some degree. (Lack of vibrato, to be exact).
I don't think it does though. The sheer beauty and unique complexity of the instrument more than makes up for the lack of vibrato, which is, oftentimes, done gratuitously or excessively anyway. Piano is also one of the most dynamic instruments of them all.

I've played since I was ten. I've always written my own music for piano, playing by ear. I really don't do other people's music, at least, not on the piano (guitar is 50/50, but getting more and more original). I just developed my own rough technique, where usually I bang out a bass line using octaves with the left hand, but over the years, I've come up with some cool stuff anyway and variations on that.

Occasionally, I've heard other musicians disparage the piano because your fingers don't have contact directly with the strings, they said they felt that diminished it's expressiveness to some degree. (Lack of vibrato, to be exact).

WHAT? that's ridiculous. For me, piano is a great instrument and the best instrument in terms of accompaniment. It adapts to many types of music, it's versatile, its extension is quite big, 7 octaves. It also gives you the abitliy to play several notes simultaneously. I also suppose it's the preferred instrument for composers to work with. If I wanted to have my fingers in direct contact with strings, I would learn to play the harp, because even string instruments use bows, so.....

REgarding the Mozart Sonata K545, Nº16. I already started studying it. I am halfway throught the first movement. My biggest problems: the embelishments, trinos and apoggiaturas, I have no idea how to play them. My left hand, it's not has fast as my right hand.
I got some mp3 with Grieg's Lyrics pieces and Mendelssohn's Kinderstrucke and I found them pretty boring. I don't think I'll try them.

My biggest problems: the embelishments, trinos and apoggiaturas, I have no idea how to play them.

Well, there's not a unique way to play embelishments and apoggiaturas, so I'd suggest you ask your teacher. Anyway, don't get obsessed with them.

My left hand, it's not has fast as my right hand.

It's hard for me to say something positive about Mikrokosmos, but I have to admit that it's useful to gain independency in your hands, so... up with it! But you know, I played Mik 3 at least a couple of years before been given to play half a difficult sonata as yours.

If you're still looking for the romantic piece, Schumann's album for the youth has some very interesting pieces. Of Schubert I'd recommend his Moments Musicaux; the impromptus are wonderful, but they were also difficult and perhaps you should wait for them. Never get over-confident with Chopin: he looks soft and languid, but just ill he shows his wild vein.

Posted by Grymmditch

Occasionally, I've heard other musicians disparage the piano because your fingers don't have contact directly with the strings, they said they felt that diminished it's expressiveness to some degree.

Nay, that's pure envy because we pianists don't have to worry about tuning. :lol:

It's hard for me to say something positive about Mikrokosmos, but I have to admit that it's useful to gain independency in your hands, so... up with it! But you know, I played Mik 3 at least a couple of years before been given to play half a difficult sonata as yours.


ok, I have mikrokosmos book 3 this year, I'll start practising it as well then.
I can choose from Schumman's album of the youth as well. It's just that I thought Grieg would be much more interesting considering some of his works.

Nay, that's pure envy because we pianists don't have to worry about tuning. :lol:

Sure we do - we just don't usually do it ourselves. ;)

You can learn to tune a piano yourself. I do it every six months. I watched a piano turner work on my piano keys and learned to keep them working smoothly also. I guess I am a tightwad but one tuner really messed up my piano so I would rather do it myself.

You can learn to tune a piano yourself. I do it every six months. I watched a piano turner work on my piano keys and learned to keep them working smoothly also. I guess I am a tightwad but one tuner really messed up my piano so I would rather do it myself.

wow, you probably have great ear then.... I don't have a piano yet, just a digital piano, and I am buying one next month. problem is, I have nowhere to put it. I can put it in the living room, but it's too noisy or I can put it in a room at the back of my house, the quincho. Problem is the quincho is hot in summer and very cold in winter, so I am not so sure if putting the piano there would be a problem. That would be the best place to study because it's away from the house, and nobody will interrupt me. But I'm afraid the drastic change of temperature will damage the piano tuning and the wood.

A piano should always, if possible, be kept in a temperature controlled room. If it is very humid where you live you should also install a damp chaser inside it. This radiates a very low heat at all times and keeps your keys from sticking and other wooden parts moving smoothly.

As to my ear for notes: I play string instruments and when I play piano for the school orchestras I am tuning up to 100 instruments at a time. For some reason these kids cannot tune their own instruments!!! Personally I cannot imagine not being able to tune my own instrument. I play in a symphony orchestra and it would be hilarious and disastrous if we all could not tune ourselves in a couple of minutes.

Anyway, if you have an electronic tuner to give you A-440 you have the main note and can go from there.

A piano should always, if possible, be kept in a temperature controlled room. If it is very humid where you live you should also install a damp chaser inside it. This radiates a very low heat at all times and keeps your keys from sticking and other wooden parts moving smoothly.

I know, thanks. It's kind of humid here, but not that much.
I really dont know where I'll put it. It's either living room (noisy, people there all the time, tv) or quincho (hot as hell in summer, cold in winter but quiet). I have a bit of a dilemma. I tried talking my brother into moving out of his room so I can use his as a study, since his rooms is much bigger than the sutdy we have now, but he won't do it. So I really don't know what to do, because I really want the piano. I need a real piano, I can't use the digital piano anymore, one doesn't need the same amount of force to strike a piano key than a digital piano key. I had problems with that last year. It was very difficult for me to play at the pianos in the conservatory.

I need a real piano, I can't use the digital piano anymore, one doesn't need the same amount of force to strike a piano key than a digital piano key. I had problems with that last year. It was very difficult for me to play at the pianos in the conservatory.
I know what you mean. I played a pre-concert showcase with the principal violin and viola from our symphony orchestra and I had to use a digital piano out in the lobby. It was awful. I thought I would have to use it for the concert at this venue but as it turned out they had a magnificent grand piano for me. I am principal pianist as well as playing in the viola section and the program had a lot of piano for me to play this concert as we were working with a choir also. It would have been hideous to have to play a digital piano and try to be heard over an entire orchestra.

The good thing about the digital piano is that it has a volume switch and it can be used with earphones, it's not heavy and can be moved relatively easy and you can put it anywhere. There are probably much better digital pianos than the one I have, but this one doesn't have a very good sound, although that doesnt really bother me; and the keys are not heavy as a regular piano key.

REgarding the Mozart Sonata K545, Nº16. I already started studying it. I am halfway throught the first movement. My biggest problems: the embelishments, trinos and apoggiaturas, I have no idea how to play them. My left hand, it's not has fast as my right hand.

Well, I'm almost finished with the first movement. I am going to play the trinos and embellishments the same way they are explained in the score for "less skillful players". Now my problem is the scales with the sixteenth notes on the left hand.
Anyway, I'm not so sure about really studying this sonata for the final exam. I don't like the 2nd and 3rd movements. Specially the 2nd, I find it quite boring and long.

Been playing the piano since I was four, stopped taking lessons around eight, and now I just teach myself!

There's something so sensual and inviting about the piano... the way it sounds, the way it looks. The way my fingers dance across the slick keys creating a work of art entices me, it excites me.

My piano teachers put me in the line with the piano, they take me and tell me how to play and how fast to play it, so I don't want any more piano teachers. I get the sheet music and I learn how to play it by myself. That's all I need is a piano, sheet music and my ears. :)

Funny story...

I was out Friday morning having breakfast with two of my daughters and I had been asked by a fellow musician to play for a funeral as he was going to be out of town that day. So after I finished breakfast I decided to go over to the church with my music and organ shoes to set up the organ for the funeral.

I arrived at the church to find the car park full of cars and people in black. I asked if it was a funeral and whose it was and, good grief!, it was the one I was scheduled to play! I thought was the next day! So I rush in, dressed VERY casually, to get in the organ pit and put on my shoes. I could not get this fussy old instrument to sound a note! :huh: :err: I know now that some ranks of pipes just don't work, but no one had told me this before! So I finally had to give up and take my music over to the piano which was out in plain sight.

So here I am, dressed very inappropriately, apologizing to the congregation about the organ and then having to sit down and play all this Bach on the piano.

It actually went very well. The only hitch came when I was playing the organ postludes that had lots of pedal in them. I managed to stretch my hands and got most of it covered. I don't think anyone noticed and of course... I got paid! which wouldn't have happened if I had been just a little later in arriving.

Phew!

catheiretic,
When a fellow professional gives me the wrong date or time for a gig they want me to sub on, I always make a mental note never to hire that person for anything I'm contracting.

How awful for you! Good for you pulling it off anyway. I hope he paid you well.

I've never taken a formal lesson, but I taught myself which keys were which, so I can play very basic piano or keyboard. I don't know the major chords or anything. The only full song I can play with both melody and harmony is Canon in D by Pachelbel, which has a very repetitive harmony anyway so it's just easy. I learned that one entirely by ear, having seen only cello sheet music. I can technically play a few national anthems (United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, and the Ukraine SSR's from before 1991) since they're very easy to learn, but don't sound as good on piano as they do with an orchestra.

Right now, I'm trying to learn the theme for when Aeris dies in Final Fantasy VII, since I found sheet music for it online. After that I want to try out "My Father's Favorite" from Sense and Sensibility or the Sky Theme from FFX. Taken together, I consider those the three most beautiful songs ever composed for piano, with Liszt's Liebestraume no. 3 a distant 4th (and obviously far beyond my ability to ever learn).

Here's a question for long-time players: what does it feel like to be able to play something along the lines of, say, Liszt's Transcendental Etudes or Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu? Being capable of that sounds almost like an existential crisis to me.

When I was young, I think around age 9, I played Grieg's piano concerto in Am and I also played Tchaikovsky's piano concerto in B-flat. I was kind of a prodigy. I hated practicing but for these two concertos I didn't mind because the music was so fantastic. However, playing Liszt or Chopin was just a grind for me. The music was good but I loathed practicing it. I think I am kind of like Artur Rubenstein. He used to just pick up and play and hardly practiced at all. That's me today also.

The symphony that I play in has been holding some really fun play-ins where we invite anyone to come and sight read music we are considering for future concerts. I have been the only viola to show up and have had to play some wild solos. Whenever I got stuck with a lot of oom-pah-pah stuff I would get the piano part if there was one and play piano and I was really getting along fine. It was certainly better than 23 measures at a time of repeat signs for the oom-pah-pah buisiness. I hate Waldteufel.

Anyway, if you have practiced something to perfection, and have an appreciative audience that realizes the level of difficulty of the piece, then it feels wonderful to have accomplished the feat. I get that high playing a big pipe organ when my hands and feet are flying and everything comes together in a huge finale. WOW! But then I much prefer to play the organ than piano. It's more fun because you have all those different sounds to play with. With piano you have to be more delicate and intuitive to bring out the right sound for every note. Sometimes that takes a lot of repetition until it sounds the way you want it to.

Here's a question for long-time players: what does it feel like to be able to play something along the lines of, say, Liszt's Transcendental Etudes or Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu? Being capable of that sounds almost like an existential crisis to me.

I never reached that level, but whenever I played in public I felt... panic :lol: I have a problem with performing in public.

Jokes apart, I guess it depends on the work you're playing. After all, you can't convince anyone if you don't feel what you want (or what you're suposed) to express. Chopin is very moving, though quite less languid than people think; Scarlatti is merry and full of movement, very vital. I remember a very funny study by Bartok that sounded almost like rock & roll and that I liked to play when I was stressed.

My piano-related existencial crisis was the first time I felt I understood a fugue by Bach. It was like if anyone had turned a switch in my head and everything was suddenly in its place. What a burst of adrenaline.

Here's a question for long-time players: what does it feel like to be able to play something along the lines of, say, Liszt's Transcendental Etudes or Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu? Being capable of that sounds almost like an existential crisis to me.

Playing Fantasie Impromptu has been such a dream for me since I was seven, so I really kept practicing all I could. However, when I was getting quite good at note-reading and dared to ask my teacher if she would teach me, she said I couldn't do it, in an offhand way. I think it's because she can't play it herself, or maybe I'm just being bitter, but I switched teachers and my new one is BRILLIANT. She taught me how to play this piece and I played it at the next recital. I never thought I could play it, since the timing is different for each hand, but I would stand by the old adage: PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT. It would be better to take it slow. I swear, in the end, it will be sooo worth it. ;)

Hello... I'm nervous...:scared: I'm really not great at piano, except i compose my own songs, and everyone likes them (not just my parents!:lol:) But I'm not very good at playing other people's pieces. :blush:

Hello... I'm nervous...:scared: I'm really not great at piano, except i compose my own songs, and everyone likes them (not just my parents!:lol:) But I'm not very good at playing other people's pieces. :blush:

I know what you mean. I try to come up with items once in a while when messing around with my keyboard, but I end up not being very good at it since I have no formal training. Just the other day, I messed around with just melodies and thought I was coming up with something, only to realize I was accidentally playing the guitar solo from "One" by Metallica.

:lol: My compositions are actually really good, but I always end up forgetting them because I never write them down!

I know what you mean. I try to come up with items once in a while when messing around with my keyboard, but I end up not being very good at it since I have no formal training. Just the other day, I messed around with just melodies and thought I was coming up with something, only to realize I was accidentally playing the guitar solo from "One" by Metallica.

APolaris, perhaps that solo is a good starting point for your own improvisation. There is nothing wrong with starting out with borrowed material. Many famous popular songs are shameless borrowings of classical pieces. (Elvis Presley's "I can't help falling in love" uses the first section of the tune from Martini's "the joy's of love".)
But do find a teacher that will teach you basic theory, including chord progressions and form. If you want to have the tools to "do your own thing" that will help lots.
Too bad you are far away. Mom loves to teach that stuff -- has an adult student right now who is doing mostly that sort of thing and loves it.

I love listening to the piano. I think it can be so beautiful and calming as well as emotional. My boyfriend plays it extremely well and I love to hear him play it. :)

i play piano since i am 5 because my mother was at a music scool when she was young abd learned me her favorite instrument:the piano

The good thing about the digital piano is that it has a volume switch and it can be used with earphones, it's not heavy and can be moved relatively easy and you can put it anywhere. There are probably much better digital pianos than the one I have, but this one doesn't have a very good sound, although that doesnt really bother me; and the keys are not heavy as a regular piano key.

i love digital pianos too.they are much easier to use then normal ones.

If you're in the market for a digital piano, I recommend a Roland brand. (ONe with full size, weighted keys.) They really stand behind their products, and a good one should be available for well under $2,000 US.

I've been playing piano my whole life. My family was actually considering buying a digital and getting rid of our old one because it keeps going out of tune...

Besides playing viola in our symphony I am also principal pianist and I am here to tell you that a grand piano just does not have the volume to go up against an entire orchestra. If I want to be heard playing the piano part I must use a digital piano with the volume turned up.

By the way, we are invited to go and play in Russia. I told my grandson who plays viola with me in the orchestra and this hulking big young man said to me in a very little voice, "But Grammie, we would have to go in a plane... and I have never been in a plane before."

My husband would go to Europe if only a bus went there.

So I said to my grandson, "What do you want us to do? Drive to Alaska and then take a boat across the narrowest part of the Bering Strait? Then we would have to take the Trans-Siberian Railroad all the way to Moscow!" :err:

And he said, "That sounds great! Let's bring it up at rehearsal!"

Honestly!

Just in case it helps your grandson, you can tell him from my part that unless my Avionics book is wrong, the probability of a fatal failure in a commercial plane is less than 1/1,000,000,000 :)

Thank you, Mme Bergerac. I just opened this thread and he is sitting here with me so I read him your statistic. I think he actually feels better about it.:tu:

My pleasure. What are you going to play in Moscow?

I have no idea what the program would be. :hmm: I think the President of the Symphony is back this week. One thing that would be fun to play is Gliere's Russian Sailor's Dance. I can play that in my sleep and the violas have a good part.

The program committee will probably pick out a symphony for one half of the program and shorter pieces for the other half. American composers would be a good choice.

This next concert we are doing The Moldau from Ma Vlast by Smentana, Victory at Sea, and The music from the film Titanic (this is the only one with a piano part). We're also doing Fingal's Cave.... plus some others. I bet you can guess the wet theme of this program.

I think we would go to Russia in the summer since a lot of our players are university professors or teachers. My grandson is in all these advanced placement classes and he thinks that he couldn't miss school because he'd get way behind.

We also have an invite from Japan. It doesn't rain but it pours.

I just hope I don't have a panic attack about travelling. The last time I had to go to Florida with a high school orchestra I had to lie down on the grass because I was going to pass out. Then I got the dry heaves. This was before I got on the bus. :lol:

I should have been warned. In Florida:
1. The bus caught on fire.
2. After we got off the bus we were drenched in a thunderstorm.
3. The hotel caught fire the next day.
4. I fell out from heat stroke.
5. At an outdoor concert I couldn't control the volume on my piano, the sound engineers did and you could hear me in Georgia. I had a really good part and I guess they liked it.

Wow, what an adventure! I think I'd use whatever opt out you have the next time that orchestra does a tour. Glad you got back in one piece.

I've been playing piano for 7 years, guitar for 2 and clarinet for 4. I only play the clarinet in school and I mostly only play rock/pop songs on the piano and guitar. Check out my youtube channel... I have videos of me playing the piano and I sometimes upload movies I made with sims 3. Anyways, please check it out and I hope you like it :)

http://www.youtube.com/user/FourLeafClover270?feature=mhum

A piano thread! How fun! I've been playing the piano since I was little and love to play every day. Right now I'm working on Debussy's Clair de Lune.

I wonder if anyone might know... I have access to a book-binder (comb binding), and would like to spiral-bind some of my piano books, but I really don't know how. The binder says it can punch up to 20 pgs at a time so that means I would need to cut the binding on the music book and punch it in sections. How do I safely cut the binding on a softcover piano book?

Also, recently I've been looking for sheet music for Music Box Dancer, and 'Comptine D'un Autre Été: L'après Midi' from Amelie. Does anyone know if they are included in any piano books? Or might you have a recommendation for online sheet music?

Thanks! :D
~Ignolopi

I also play the piano! I love almost all kinds of movie music, including HP. I also upload them on youtube (Themusiclover1705) if someone are interested :)
At the moment I'm in love with the piano duet in Corpse Bride, but I am playing some of the tracks from the new HP soundtrack (AMAZING) and those are really nice!
I also play the trombone, which I've played for 5 years :-)

I started playing the piano when I was 13... a little bit too late so I'm not that good. But I love playing soundtracks from korean dramas.

I've played the piano for six years now, but it's my second instrument (my first is violin) so it's not a priority and I don't play it that well.

I also don't have much time to exercise since go to university.

How do I safely cut the binding on a softcover piano book?


Is it the kind with staples? You can just pull those out and then you would have to cut down the center line of the double pages, making sure the single pages then stayed in numerical order.

Some of my music is so old that it has fallen to pieces so I have had to figure out how to repair it.

Wow...I'm so glad I found this thread...

Anyways, I have been playing for roughly 11 years...and I'm very happy to meet other piano players on CoS! :D What pieces do you guys play? ;) I have a competition in November and I'm probably going to play these:

"Moonlight" Sonata Movement III Ludwig van Beethoven
Barcarolle No.2 Gabriel Faure
Polichinelle In F-Sharp Minor Sergei Rachmaninov

Too bad this thread isn't more active.

I started piano lessons when I was six, and continued them through high school. I was a reasonably talented student, but certainly not outstandingly so: I was up to the Bach WTC, Chopin Etudes, and the like by the time I graduated, but I knew I didn't play them as well as they could be played (by student standards, even).

'Round about the time I turned fifteen, I started singing in the school choir. I actually signed up to play accompaniment for them, but by the time I showed up for class, the director had found another pianist, a year ahead of me, who was simply a streak of brilliance for that kind of stuff. He could sight-read accompaniment with no trouble, he could play by ear, he could improvise, etc. I couldn't match that, so I sang (tenor).

But, his playing piqued my interest--especially his ability to play by ear. I tried it myself, and soon found that I had some modest facility at it. I entertained myself by playing songs from the radio by ear, and by composing some rather desultory pop songs. I still remember the first one I wrote, rather influenced by the Who (a bit earlier than my time, but they still were a significant force on the radio stations).

Owing to my infatuation with a girl in one of my classes, I started listening to the Police, and then Sting's solo foray, which involved drummer Omar Hakim and percussionist Mino Cinelu. They had both played with Weather Report, I think (Hakim for sure, Cinelu I'm fairly sure), so I started listening to them, too, especially after a guy in the dorms my first year in college lent me one of their albums. The lead players in Weather Report were keyboardist Joe Zawinul and saxophonist Wayne Shorter, both of whom played with Miles Davis, so I started listening to him. I tried out for the jazz combos, but failed to make it--the first year because I was still playing in a jazz fusion idiom, and the second year I think because I was older (senior year) and couldn't really afford, time-wise, to travel with the groups. But I played in an R&B group with some friends I met while auditioning, and picked up arranging tips from the trombonist.

Once I started grad school, I found some other people to form a small combo with--we had a regular drummer and guitarist, and a steady stream of horns, but no bassist, so I learned, over time, to play bass under my own comping and soloing (I had had some experience with that when playing pop/rock, anyway). We mostly played standards, but I wrote a fair number of our pieces, and so did our drummer (all drummer musician jokes aside). We had to disband after the kids were born, but I still play a lot for fun, and a couple of years ago decided I wanted to improve my solo jazz piano chops. I had started figuring out jazz piano by writing out solos I heard on albums, so I thought I'd do solo piano the same way--by writing out music (my own arrangements this time). I think I've done ten or so, mostly slow pieces--more time to think that way!--but a couple of uptempo pieces, too (Singing in the Rain and Stompin' at the Savoy). I get a small number of requests for my Over the Rainbow, which is rather gratifying.

Anyway, I'd be happy to swap piano stories with anyone, especially other jazz pianists but any kind for sure!

I've been playing piano (or keyboard I should say) for over 10 years. Never had any professional lessons or anything, just did it for fun when I felt like it.

I recently went back to playing a little while ago after not having in like a year, thanks to the great soundtrack from DH2. I uploaded my first video playing if you want to take a look. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNdMWwXIfqI

**EDIT: i uploaded a better recording**

I've been playing piano (or keyboard I should say) for over 10 years. Never had any professional lessons or anything, just did it for fun when I felt like it.

I recently went back to playing a little while ago after not having in like a year, thanks to the great soundtrack from DH2. I uploaded my first video playing if you want to take a look. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8Tq9W_9h5w

Cool! What kind of keyboard is that?

I really want to play the piano! I love music in general, and last summer I taught myself to play the guitar and I'm doing quite well :D Is it possible to teach yourself piano? I'm thinking about buying a keyboard for Xmas

http://youtu.be/68MWMW9UkxQ

Cool! What kind of keyboard is that?

a YAMAHA E303

I really want to play the piano! I love music in general, and last summer I taught myself to play the guitar and I'm doing quite well :D Is it possible to teach yourself piano? I'm thinking about buying a keyboard for Xmas

Yes, definitely. I taught myself, never had a professional lesson in my life. You'd be surprised how many videos you see of people playing and they've completely taught themselves.

I got a Harry Potter piano book for Christmas, and I'm pretty disappointed in it. :/ It's very simple. It seems like it's more for kids who are in the 5th grade learning piano or something. I would love to play something like this (http://youtu.be/u-rLrMGBUv4), but I'm afraid that's a bit out of my league. ;) I'm seriously tempted to buy the sheet music, though.

I know it's after Christmas but I would like to recommend a piano collection: The International Carol Library - British Isles. Arranged by Larry Shackley and published by Lorenz. I see that there are also books for Germany & Austria and for France. I intend to buy them both. The arrangements are wonderful. If I could get these ready I would record a CD because these would sell.

The books are described as Level 3: Advanced musically and in technical demands; use of full keyboard, scale and arpeggio passages, and stylistically demanding.

I don't find them that difficult at all but then I have been playing for 60 years. The harmonies are haunting and they are all just lovely to listen to.

Go to www.sheetmusicplus.com to take a look. $15.00 each.

Well, I started playing piano at around 7, but quit around age 9 because I became lazy and didn't want to practice. :rolleyes: I started again at age 11 under a different teacher, and have been playing ever since! :) I enjoy it so much.

I am playing for a concert (of middle school and high school choruses) on Thursday and one of the pieces we are doing is a combination of We Shall Overcome and Lean on Me. I would see if you could find this just for fun playing. It is titled Lean on Me and it is for SAB chorus. Wow! It is so much fun and you need 10 fingers on each hand but when you play it, it is really impressive. All the kids think I am super pianist now... as if they didn't know that before. heh