Beginner Pieces

[Tsegamla]

[introduction - skip if not interested]
Hello!  I just turned 17 and I just started playing piano like a week ago (actually longer, but I've been gone for a week or two so I've actually had the opportunity to play only for a week).  I've been playing electric guitar for 2 1/2 years (with a 6 month break, so more like 2 years) and I've been very dedicated to it.  For about a year I played 6 hours a day and I basically got into shred (fast, lead guitar) and playing classical melody lines on the electric guitar (not fingerpicked, just the main melodies with a pick) (ex. Paganini Caprice No. 5, Fantasie Impromptu, Rondo Alla Turca, etc.).  After really falling in love with Chopin, though, I can't just play the melodies anymore, I want the whole deal, so I figured I'd play piano.

Anyway, I said that to kinda show how frustrating it is starting on piano.  I'm used to just finding a cool piece and playing it (especially violin stuff, like Paganini, because it doesn't need to be fingerpicked).  I'm sure when I started guitar I was frustrated, too, but with piano it's worse because I've already reached a level of virtuosity with another instrument, so my piano skill has something to be overshadowed by.

The hardest thing for me right now about piano isn't so much playing, but rather recognizing where sheet music corresponds on the piano.  I have a hard time just looking down at the piano and seeing G's and A's and B's, I just see a bunch of keys.  This will likely just come with experience though, because I remember feeling the same way about guitar.  I'm not very experienced with sheet music either, but I've noticed that away from an instrument I can sight read pretty steadily, so it's mostly a matter of knowing how to take what I'm reading and expressing it on an instrument.

I don't really plan on taking piano lessons though.  I'll just get some pointers from my mom on scale fingerings, posture, etc.  I'd just like to be able to play intricate stuff, like La Campanella and Moonlight Sonata 3rd movement, and I figure I can just kinda teach myself.  I don't plan on pursuing music professionally (personally, I don't find music very stimulating intellectually, I'm thinking history of the Near East, maybe archaeology).
[/introduction - skip if not interested]

To cut to the chase, what are some easy piano songs that are actually very musically satisfying?  My mom is a music teacher and former piano teacher, so she's got all kinds of sheet music.  Basically, I've come to realize that if I'm not working on a piece that I would personally listen to as *.mp3 or *.midi for simply my listening enjoyment, I work incredibly slow.  I'm working on a Bach Bouree out of a little beginner's book now that is so ridiculously easy, but it's taking me forever to get it going, but within 3-5 days of playing piano for about 2 hours each day I pretty much had that one Bach Minuet down (you know, D-GABCD-G-G) (which is twice as long and more complicated), simply because I recognized it, liked the way it sounded a lot, and was motivated to work it all out.  And I only spent like 30 min each day working on that piece.  The Bach Bouree I'm working on is so much easier technically, but I spent like 2 hours tonight coordinating the first six measures; it's pathetic.  Bizet's Habanera, too, I got down pretty quick (or what I learned of it, up until it breaks the whole chromatic descension thing it has going from the beginning).  I think I have a hard time focusing on pieces that I don't really enjoy a whole lot.

My main deal is guitar kinda spoiled me because I took for granted the fact that I could play lots of what I found musically interesting and now it's like I'm restricted all of a sudden, forced to play the cheesy easy.  I know we all have to start somewhere, but I need something interesting and good to listen to.

So far I've got that Bach Minuet and Habanera.  Moonlight Sonata 1st (and 2nd, kinda) movements sound easy, so does Canon in D?  Yes?  No?  If worst comes to worst, I can always just mess around with video game themes.  I love video game music.

To give you an idea of what I think I can handle...I briefly gave Chopin's Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2 a shot and I could basically handle all the right hand stuff without too much difficulty (but the scale runs were about as fast as I could handle cleanly).  I stopped because I found the music for the Bach Minuet and it was easier, plus I hadn't quite warmed up to bass clef yet and the left hand on the Nocturne was scaring me (but I think it wouldn't be bad if I gave it some work).

EDIT:  Actually, come to think of it, I tried that a few days ago and I've gotten faster and cleaner, so I think I could handle maybe a little faster than that, but still...around that level.

Thanks!  Sorry for the long message, I talk a lot on forums.

PS:  I'm not that interested in dumbed down pieces that are actually harder.  I feel like I'd just be wasting my time because I would just learn the original later when I got more advanced.  I'm not a pianist though, so share any wisdom you have about anything I've said up to this point.

EDIT:  Oh yeah, my bad if this is the wrong forum.  I was torn between this and Student's Corner, I found this more fitting though, since I was more just looking for good pieces.

[dlu]

Can't your mom teach you? Ask her. From what you are telling me after playing for so little time on the piano you are very far away from playing the Presto from the Moonlight (why does everyone want to play that? because it's fast? there are faster ones) and even farther away from that overplayed Liszt Etude (La Campanella, is that how you spell it). I think you would very much benefit from a teacher. And don't think that your viruosity on the guitar will help alot with the piano. Why don't you look at the sites:
https://www.pianonanny.com (yes the http and www stuff are necessary)
and
musictheory.net

These sites are very helpful for beginners and have tons of lessons and other stuff. Some of the lessons would help you recognize and corolate between written notation and the keys on the piano. And, please, ask your mom if you have any questions (self-teachers are very prone to mistakes and with nobody to ask usually end up with bad technique(s)).
Good Luck,
DLu

[dlu]

here is a link to the music theory site:
https://musictheory.net

[.COM]

I seriously doubt only weeks of playing the piano can prepare you for the Moonlight Sonata 3rd mvt or La Campanella. You can learn them, but your knowledge of the piano isn't enough to play the pieces musically.

Just like, um... I forgot to look at the person who replied first... anyway, you should ask your mom to help you learn the piano. Also what he/she said about going to the piano websites.

My advice to you is to go to a classical midi site and listen to some piano songs that you find easy and enjoy. For example you can try one of Beethoven's easy sonatas which are Op. 49 No. 1 and 2.

Then you can go to this website to look for the sheet music. https://www.sheetmusicarchive.net.

-Dot out  

[willcowskitz]

I seriously doubt only weeks of playing the piano can prepare you for the Moonlight Sonata 3rd mvt or La Campanella. You can learn them, but your knowledge of the piano isn't enough to play the pieces musically.

I don't understand why would you need knowledge of piano to be able to express yourself musically, unless you want to imitate someone else. I'd say the opposite; the mentioned pieces can be demanding technically but require no special interpretative effort. There exist easier pieces with more musical content, and vice versa. The Paganini etudes (Liszt's and Brahms' especially) are pumped with virtuosic details that are not crucial for the musical message itself, they're there to give already profound pianists challenge and possibility to polish their tecnique.

Contrary to the common belief that playing pieces above your level will not benefit your technique much, I'll say that it depends on talent - not musical talent but kinesthetical. Some people on this forum seem to think that those two talents are mutually exclusive.

[.COM]

I don't understand why would you need knowledge of piano to be able to express yourself musically,

By this I meants that he should become more familiar with the piano and the piece. What you said is absolutely correct, but you and I know that he should at least have heard a recording of the piece several times to get the feeling of it.

-Dot out :-/