Many classical teachers will stress the importance of musical theory and being able to read sheet music. While this is indeed important if you are playing classical music, the casual rock and pop player will be able to get by without these skills. I want to get you up and playing tunes from bands such as the Beatles, Animals, Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Red Hot Chillie Peppers and any other band you fancy, with as little effort as possible. Most guitar players have little formal training, they tend to pick things up by ear and play songs by chords, this is how I am aiming to teach you piano on this page.
Pianos can be very expensive, so if you can't afford to buy one, keyboards are an excellent, cheaper alternative. There are also some great crossovers such as digital grands from brands like Roland and Yamaha. If you can afford a piano, there are several criteria you should consider beforebuying yourself a piano. Before buying a piano, make certain you are willing to practice for thirty or more minutes each day. If you're not, then save yourself the expense of buying the piano and books or lessons. If you have the passion to learn, you can often borrow a piano from someone or get an old piano that someone is getting rid of.
Specific computer games can also help if you want to have a bit of fun while you learn. There are some free games on the Internet that can help you with both reading music and playing piano, such as 'Jayde Musica', or 'Grand Staff Defender'. There are also electronic devices that can aide in your piano practicing. For example, the PianoMaestro is a strip of lights that rests on top of the black keys of your piano. The lights guide you on which notes to play, enabling you to progress faster and stay motivated.
Practice daily for at least thirty minutes or more. Your fingers will "rust" if you do not play for even a week. However, you may find that a short break or holiday is alright, provided you practice diligently. At first, practicing might be a pain and you might get very frustrated. As your skills grow, you will become better and playing piano will become pure enjoyment. It's best to warm up at the beginning of every practice session with a relaxing finger exercise. This will stretch your fingers and hands and help you play with your hands relaxed. When you play, you should be able to see your finger bones move. Let your hand just hang and move only your fingers.
As we progress in musical knowledge I will be getting you to apply your new found skills not by practising boring technical excercises, but by applying your knowledge to play popular tunes. Every time I show you something new, I will try to give you a tune which exploits that new skill so that you automatically get practise with it!
While we will be keeping the musical theory to a minimum there will be some items that you will be required to memorize. This is unavoidable however I aim to show you the building blocks of the various chords and scales that will allow YOU to work out any chord you need on the spot. If you dont know what a chord or a scale is, dont worry, everything will be explained. It is not as daunting as it sounds.
I have been searching the internet for a page such as the one you are reading now. Many pages claim to have courses that you can purchase that will teach you how to "play piano by ear" or "learn the chord method", this website contains the same information as those courses and whats best of all, its all free.
You do not neccecarily need to have a piano at home, but some sort of keyboard instrument will be required.This can be something as simple as a $100 keyboard bought from your local music store. I would suggest a keyboard with at least 49 keys preferably full sized, anything smaller and you will be struggling to use it as your piano skills get more advanced.
In general, it's is chosen to follow and discover on a real acoustic piano. That living living being said, if you do choose to purchase just a piano initially in attendance are some clothes you must take into consideration. It's best to forever buy a piano that has slanted keys and an first-rate reproduction of a piano sound. If you choose to play on a piano with unslanted keys in attendance is a tangy possibility that you may well injure your hands. Additionally, it will be very arduous to transition from a unslanted piano to an acoustic piano. You may end up thumping many off beam notes. So, slanted piano is the way to go!
Once you purchase your piano you'll need music to start playing. A beginner's piano instructional book is a perfect solution. Not only does a book like this give you the opportunity to start playing music but it will also function as a guide for improving your overall skill level and knowledge of playing the piano.
In order to improve your rhythmic coordination you'll want to follow with a time keeping device called a metronome. In order to sound authentic and clean when playing music you'll need to make sure your timing is very tight. A metronome is a fantastic follow tool to help you achieve It's best to follow with a metronome almost all the time when practicing piano. You can make the tempo slower and faster on modern metronomes with just the turn of a dial. This is a nice strategy to implement to help you work through arduous passages of music. You can also use a metronome to help you gradually build your endurance and technical ability when playing a piece of music.
