been playing keyboard for 3 weeks...

[konghee]

and so far i would say it's... not very interesting, but not boring either. i like it because it can play a lot of my favorite songs and want to know more about it, so i found this place. so far i've gotten as far as getting a complete idiot's guide to playing piano book. at the moment, i'm reading it still and trying to master its songs. however, i'm starting to get bored and want to learn in another way besides this book. Should i keep reading the book and finish it? or just print out music sheets and play them? so far i've learned all the basics pretty much. left and right hand notes, accidentals, scales, etc. i'm not sure what to do at this point though. of course to master all the basics first or course, but i want to do it in a fun way.. learn some songs that's not from this book because it is very limited in songs to play. i read very slow and stuff as i've only started playing for 3 weeks now and started making flashcards to try and memorize my left and right hand notes. umn.. any recommendations as to where i should go next on my journey to learn how to play piano?

-Kong

[db05]

I suggest you keep on reading your book for tips here and there, and ignore the songs you don't like. Sometimes the keyboard would come with a song book, do you have one? If not, sure, print music sheets.

Some basics:

Chromatic Scale - simply put, all the notes on your keyboard. Learn where they are, what they're called, how they're written. From there, on to basic theory - the staff, intervals, then scales, etc.

Scales - a bit more complicated. (Ack, I am still just a student; I don't know how to explain things though I know them.) For example, C Major scale is just all the white keys from C to C. When you know your theory, you can contruct all the other scales.

Chords - You can use a chord chart at first (I know I did), and before long, you'll get the hang of it and not look at the chart anymore. It's nice if you want to play pop songs and you have a fakebook.

[konghee]

alright i guess i just have to just practice practice practice then. i pretty much know all of those things you mentioned, but then again i just know them. i don't know them well enough yet i'm guessing and have to master it.

what should i learn first though (orderwise). should i learn how to read really fast first? or all my scales first or those chords? i mean, i know what scales are and chords are, but i've never really studied them because they haven't even been used in any songs i've played before. so far i've just had trouble trying to play songs... pretty much memorizing the song is the only way to learn it instead of skimming over the song and play it really fast.

and another question... if i'm going to print out some songs, which ones should i print out.. and where should i get them? i know here has some music sheets. but where should i start off?

[db05]

what should i learn first though (orderwise). should i learn how to read really fast first? or all my scales first or those chords? i mean, i know what scales are and chords are, but i've never really studied them because they haven't even been used in any songs i've played before. so far i've just had trouble trying to play songs... pretty much memorizing the song is the only way to learn it instead of skimming over the song and play it really fast.

and another question... if i'm going to print out some songs, which ones should i print out.. and where should i get them? i know here has some music sheets. but where should i start off?

Sorry for the delay! I have my own problems, too... 

I don't really know. I'm just a fellow student. Better if a teacher can reply. If memorizing is the way you learn, then that's pretty much what you do. That's what I've done too. Some are good readers, and some are good memorizers. The important thing here is to be able to recognize note patters, and these are usually chords and scale fragments. I don't think it's very useful to practice scales and chords without knowledge of theory, or for those with good ears, knowing which notes/ chords sound good together. Better learn them in connection to a song/ piece or within one key signature. Classical pieces usually tell you the key e.g. Minuet in G, Sonatina in C, etc. Pop songs are usually in the easy major keys: C, G, F, D, A.

You can download the scales and arpeggios here if you don't yet have a copy. I don't know what songs you like, just pick one that you think is within your reach. Er, I know anything is possible with some practice, but a pop song with tricky rhythm might present problems. Look at the score.

This is how I determine if a piece looks easy for me.
1) It is short - 1-2 pages
2) easy rhythm - not much 16th notes, dots, and ornaments
3) LH/ accompaniment - plain chords, arpeggios, or simple pattern
4) RH/ melody - arpeggios, simple pattern, not much jumping around and reaching (hard for me because I can barely reach an octave)
5) The pieces on here have level numbers.
6) Articulation (staccato/ legato) could be a problem, too, but I enjoy expressive stuff like these and dynamics (p, mf, f, etc.). 

If you want to try the pieces here, I think you should go with Level 1-3. That's where I'm at, but I've seen/ heard of a lot people that attempt more ambitious pieces.

[mad_max2024]

The right way to go would be to get a teacher.
That would save you a lot of trouble and headaches. It is hard to unlearn something that was learnt the wrong way, its like asking someone to walk differently.
A teacher points out your mistakes and prevents them from getting worse.

Are you talking about classical or modern?

[xpjamiexd]

Well again i'm also just a student but I'd say that scales are probably pretty important but remember not to be tricked into thinking that C Major is the easiest scale, If I were you I'd start with the scale of Db Major (it looks hard but your fingers will fall naturally on the notes) the scale being:

Db, Eb, F, Gb, Ab , Bb, C, Db

Also I think trying some five finger exercises would be beneficial (Czerny's can be found on this site for free) and they should give a great legato. as for songs, well i'm not really to sure but I think it's always to better to play something you enjoy.

Hope that helps a little.

[morningstar]

I would also suggest you get a teacher or at least speak to one for advice. If you teach yourself bad habits as a foundation and then decide to see a teacher when you can't play properly, it will be difficult or impossible for them to fix and will cost you a LOT of money.