Advice for a stubborn beginner?

[Paul_S]

Hi,

I'm a beginner to the piano, though I've been a musician for many years playing guitar. From this I developed a good ear and even managed to work out a few very basic piano pieces without knowing any chords or scales. Essentially, I want to use the piano as a writing tool because sometimes the guitar doesn't work for me.

The question I really wanted to ask was is it absolutely necessary to learn how to read score to play the piano? I know there are probably a few traditionalists out there that would say yes, but I'm really not too interested in learning how to play other peoples songs, just writing my own. I know it's laziness on my part, but learning score seems tough and something that may take a lot of time. If eventually I realize it IS important for me to learn score, can anyone recommend a good book to use as a source? I can't afford a piano tutor, plus (if a may be a little ignorant) I kind of fail to see what a tutor can show you in 30 minutes that you can't pick up from a book, AND have to practice for days on end to get right anyway. I should probably state that I don't necessarily plan on playing or writing any classical music, but more in the indie/alternative/rock genre.

Thanks in advance for any response.

Paul S.

[ilovemusic]

Hi,

I kind of fail to see what a tutor can show you in 30 minutes that you can't pick up from a book

I kind of fail to see how you can write how to play the piano in a book. To play the piano well you NEED a tutor. The movements/technical abilities are so complex it is simply impossible to describe these in a book. Millions of possible ways to play with a "wrong" technique. Furthermore you need a tutor to teach you how to play a 'phrase' nicely, and to comment on your playing. After playing a while You may soon not objectively hear yourself anymore.

If you can read scores, a world of musical ideas will be accesible to you, which may inspire you to write you're own material.

I once asked a jazz pianist who played very nice in a gig in Manchester what the right way was to learn to play.
I told him the the way I approached the instrument (hard work), and he told me I did the right thing. Playing the piano is not something you learn overnight. I think composing is 1000 times harder then playing. If you don't have any vocabulary (technique), you won't be able to speak (compose music).


But if you just want try some chord progressions to write songs, I recommend "How to write songs on guitar".  You can apply  this to the piano. But when you just bang chords you are not even getting close to the possibilities of the instrument (<sigh>).

Joost.

[eddie92099]

Au contraire, if you do not care how you sound at the piano, just how well you write music, there is no use in having a piano teacher as such, just a composition teacher may be useful! Although it is not a prerequisite of playing the piano to read music, it is essential if you want to notate any of your compositions. However, if they are just for you to play then this would not be necessary, as long as you know what you mean!
Ed

[bernhard]

Try this book:

The Musician's guide to reading and writing music - by Dave Stewart - GPI Books

I believe it is just what you want.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.