Needing help in direction, theory books, and playing rules.

[annabubbles]

Issue 1 - Direction:

Hello. I have been learning how to play keyboard for the past few months. (Self taught. Cannot afford a piano teacher.)

I began with learning how to read notes, playing exercises from "A Dozen a Day" books, learning songs from a Casio Songbook and learning songs from online composers. (Such as https://sebastianwolff.info/download/kh/traverse.pdf and https://www.squaresound.com/arrangements/file.php?id=1265)

I'm becoming somewhat good at hand coordination, so I'd like to know what I should do next. (Should I continue working on exercises? Should I continue working on songs? Should I begin work on music theory? Given the two above pieces, what piano grade books should I look at? etc.)

Issue 2 - Theory:

I have trouble reading notes -way- above (or below) the visible staff lines. I also have trouble determining note duration. (I always have to look at something online first.) Could someone recommend me an exercise theory book. (Preferably with questions to answer.)

Issue 3 - Playing Rules:

Are there any rules when it comes to hand placement? I've learnt that you are meant to create "hills" with your wrists as opposed to "valleys". Also, your arm should be as relaxed as possible. Can anyone give me a few pointers?

Thanks for your time.

[Bob]

For reading above and below the staves, the good old flash cards still work.  And playing music that uses those notes.  For the treble clef, an easy trick I found was noticing that there's also a FACE above and below that staff.  It sort of works below bass clef too. 

[keyboardclass]

For counting tap your foot.  

This is the technique I teach.   Initially you draw your fingertips in towards you to depress the key (as your finger bends the tip lowers, as the tip lowers the key must go down).  It is the most tension free position possible – it’s up to you if you want to add tension here or there later.  Adding tension is easy, resolving it not so.

1) Place your hands on the keys looking as they do when hanging at your side.  The only tension is in the biceps to hold your forearm up to stop your wrist sinking.  Do not turn your wrist either clockwise or counter-clockwise.  Allow your fingers the natural oblique angle that results from this.  At a later date you can turn your wrist (put your knuckles in a line horizontally) when you play but I don’t recommend it as it adds tension.

2) Using a finger ‘wipe’ the key as if you were brushing off a piece of fluff from a baby’s nose (without waking her).  DO NOT MOVE YOUR HAND.  Mostly I use the word ‘scratch’ instead of ‘wipe’ for a louder sound.  You see, just bending the nail joint will cause the key to go down the 3/8 inch needed.  The other joints will follow (though physiologically speaking it's the mid-joint that tenses first - you don't see that though).

Here are my three ways of bringing about key depression:

1) scratching as discussed above (after some weeks the finger doesn't slide so it becomes gripping)

2) flicking (wrist starts from as low as it will go, flicks the key and ends up as high as it can go (hand hanging from the wrist))

3) drop and flop (hand hangs from the wrist (which it is already doing if you've just flicked), drop the arm weight and bite into key - flopping before reaching the keybed (add muscle when that's learnt))

On tension:
There are plenty of techniques out there that purport to relax you.  I'm a bit dubious of all of them all.  The problem is, being relaxed is about not tensing unneeded muscles - and how do you NOT do something?

It takes some people years to retract their erroneous body control.  All I can recommend is:

1) Allow your elbows to hang loosely at your sides.

2) Sit at the piano with your breastbone pointed up.  A good way to achieve this is to roll each shoulder separately forward, up and back - placing and leaving the shoulder hanging down the back - then do the other one.

3) Place your hands with NO shape whatsoever on the keyboard.  Allow your wrists to fall away from you - right clockwise, left anticlockwise (you can pronate later if you need to - it adds extra tension though).

4) If your hands look beautiful, they are relaxed.  Between each note ALLOW them to return to their naturally beautiful state.

I think my favorite word of all time is allow.  

Here's a silent video illustrating some of the above:
For playing use a combination of touches illustrated in this silent video:

Here's a couple of grade one students using the three techniques.  Notice their articulations are identical: