Learning on keyboard, switching to piano

[abaco]

First of all, thanks to all of you who have put time into these forums. It's been very helpful. I have a question that I haven't been able to answer in searching the forums. I am teaching myself (or, as one prolific poster has said "self-learning") and have been playing for probably five months or so, practicing nearly every day with 6-8 hours of practice put in per week. I recently ditched the method books because I'm enjoying the work on Bach Anna Magdalena pieces, Burgmuller, etc far more and prefer a repetoire-based approach.

Here's the catch: I'm learning on a keyboard. This is a very good keyboard given to me years ago, but we're talking no weighted keys here. I've gradually discovered just how limiting this can be dynamically, but at the moment I can't afford a proper digital piano, although I hope to purchase one eventually.

Without getting into a discussion about being self-taught, or getting into a discussion about the relative merits of learning on a keyboard vs. learning on piano, I was curious about other's experience making the switch, how difficult it is, how it alters muscle-memory, how it affects fatigue on your tendons, etc. Keep in mind that I'm stuck with this keyboard for a while, so I don't need any lectures on how I MUST get a piano right now. It's learn on a keyboard I have or learn nothing.

[gonzalo]

First of all, thanks to all of you who have put time into these forums. It's been very helpful. I have a question that I haven't been able to answer in searching the forums. I am teaching myself (or, as one prolific poster has said "self-learning") and have been playing for probably five months or so, practicing nearly every day with 6-8 hours of practice put in per week. I recently ditched the method books because I'm enjoying the work on Bach Anna Magdalena pieces, Burgmuller, etc far more and prefer a repetoire-based approach.

Here's the catch: I'm learning on a keyboard. This is a very good keyboard given to me years ago, but we're talking no weighted keys here. I've gradually discovered just how limiting this can be dynamically, but at the moment I can't afford a proper digital piano, although I hope to purchase one eventually.

Without getting into a discussion about being self-taught, or getting into a discussion about the relative merits of learning on a keyboard vs. learning on piano, I was curious about other's experience making the switch, how difficult it is, how it alters muscle-memory, how it affects fatigue on your tendons, etc. Keep in mind that I'm stuck with this keyboard for a while, so I don't need any lectures on how I MUST get a piano right now. It's learn on a keyboard I have or learn nothing.

I bought my digital piano with weighted keys a friday, and by the next friday I was accustomed to weighted keys.
There's nothing to worry about except that at first you shouldn't practive 6-8 a day, probably because you might hurt yourself.

Take care,
Gonzalo.

[leucippus]

I started on a keyboard with "springy" keys and later moved to a real piano.  I had no probably at all moving from the keyboard to the piano.  However, now that I've been playing on a real piano I can't stand the feel of the springy keyboard anymore.  I think it's a one-way thing.  Going from a springy keyboard to a real piano is pretty easy, but going from a real piano back to a springy keyboard is quite difficult.  So I don't see any real concern.

By the way, I got four of my real pianos for FREE!  So they're out there.  I tune my own pianos so that's not a problem for me.  But I'm willing to bet that you could get a good used piano for "free" or really cheap if you just keep an eye open in your area.  Look at things like Yahoo Freecycle in your area.  You might be surprised at how nice some of those pianos are that people are giving away!!!  Go look at them and if you don't want them don't take them.  Moving it might pose a problem for you though.  I picked up mine myself with no help from anyone.  But then I'm used to moving heavy things like lathes and milling machines so moving a piano is like moving a feather to me.

[pianojam]

There's nothing to worry about except that at first you shouldn't practive 6-8 a day, probably because you might hurt yourself.

i thought he meant he practised 6-8 hours a week...

[gonzalo]

i thought he meant he practised 6-8 hours a week...

I mean , the first day he gets his piano, he shouldn't practice that much.

[abaco]

So good to hear it works out, and so quickly. Thanks for the feedback.

Also, what does one do with four pianos? Reconstruct them together into some sort of super-piano? Or you could put just two together for stereo...

[leucippus]

So good to hear it works out, and so quickly. Thanks for the feedback.

Also, what does one do with four pianos? Reconstruct them together into some sort of super-piano? Or you could put just two together for stereo...

I surround myself with pianos and play one with the right hand, one with the left hand, and the other two with my toes. 

No, actually I do restore pianos as a hobby only.  I love wooden instruments.  I work on violins too and I'm hoping to build some violins from scratch.  I actually started building the forms for them a while back, but this summer hasn't been good for hobby time.  Hopefully I can get back into it next winter.

Here's a link to my web site.  It's just a hobby web site and I haven't updated it in ages so most of the information is old.  For example, on the web page I say that I haven't yet tuned a piano but since that time I have and I just haven't updated the site.

My Hobby Page <--- needs updated really bad!

Keeping a web page current becomes a hobby in and of itself.