What's harder to learn...Classical or Pop?

[ranniks]

Sheet wise I mean? I actually have no interest in learning to play by ear; it would be nice however. I want to learn the sheet and then memorize it, lol.

So what's harder to learn? I mean, fur elize or say.......What makes you beautiful by one direction?

Edit:

Obviously classical would be harder to learn sheet wise, but let's say a beginner like myself? Would I by able to play one direction much more easy than learning fur elize?

[asuhayda]

I'm gonna say pop... reason being that the rhythm will challenge you.  Beginning classical is not usually rhythmically difficult.  However, I only mean this in the sense that you're a complete novice.  Once you get rolling, there is very little that is as demanding as classical piano music. 

[hfmadopter]

What Makes You Beautiful has a syncopated rhythm thing going on in it between the treble and bass. It might not be the best starting point in pop music. But so much depends on the actual arrangement  as to difficulty level ( besides that basic beat) with pop. Classical is pretty much classical, where pop has many many different arrangements you can buy. Classical can too but if you buy into the original writing as you usually should, then there are less versions to choose from.

If you buy pop watch out for if it's piano solo or accompaniment first off. Then there are levels of pop, from easy piano to intermediate to advanced. You want piano solo ( try not to buy sheet music that says Voice, Piano and what ever other instrument for instance). I often like to buy the easy or intermediate level and arrange from there how I like it ( don't try that yet). As a total beginner an easy reading piano solo sheet would be the best bet and just learn to play that as is for now. You can work it up later on.. Is your teacher willing to help you with pop ? Not all teachers are. Often teachers know where to get nice pop arrangements too though, if they are into that.

An easier place to start with pop is not so much with the peppy synced pop stuff , maybe try some old traditional music/ classic pop that you kind of like or even really like. I like to work up movie theme songs, some Broadway music etc., for instance. Maybe try something more melodic for now. Way back when, I broke into pop with Music Box Dancer. That zings right along without too much rhythm trouble. And the Theme to Star Wars. Later I totally worked over the theme song Chariots Of Fire, which actually coupled with Fur Elise became 2 favorites to a lot of people I played for..

Theme songs make for good piano solo pieces, can be worked up in almost classical fashion yet everyone likes them, not just classical nuts.

Just my take, you can certainly do what ever you like or what someone else suggests !
David

[ranniks]

I'm gonna say pop... reason being that the rhythm will challenge you.  Beginning classical is not usually rhythmically difficult.  However, I only mean this in the sense that you're a complete novice.  Once you get rolling, there is very little that is as demanding as classical piano music. 

Thanks for the answer. So basically when I get sheet reading down and get more experience, pop piano will be easier? I certainly hope so.

What Makes You Beautiful has a syncopated rhythm thing going on in it between the treble and bass. It might not be the best starting point in pop music. But so much depends on the actual arrangement  as to difficulty level ( besides that basic beat) with pop. Classical is pretty much classical, where pop has many many different arrangements you can buy. Classical can too but if you buy into the original writing as you usually should, then there are less versions to choose from.

If you buy pop watch out for if it's piano solo or accompaniment first off. Then there are levels of pop, from easy piano to intermediate to advanced. You want piano solo ( try not to buy sheet music that says Voice, Piano and what ever other instrument for instance). I often like to buy the easy or intermediate level and arrange from there how I like it ( don't try that yet). As a total beginner an easy reading piano solo sheet would be the best bet and just learn to play that as is for now. You can work it up later on.. Is your teacher willing to help you with pop ? Not all teachers are. Often teachers know where to get nice pop arrangements too though, if they are into that.

An easier place to start with pop is not so much with the peppy synced pop stuff , maybe try some old traditional music/ classic pop that you kind of like or even really like. I like to work up movie theme songs, some Broadway music etc., for instance. Maybe try something more melodic for now. Way back when, I broke into pop with Music Box Dancer. That zings right along without too much rhythm trouble. And the Theme to Star Wars. Later I totally worked over the theme song Chariots Of Fire, which actually coupled with Fur Elise became 2 favorites to a lot of people I played for..

Theme songs make for good piano solo pieces, can be worked up in almost classical fashion yet everyone likes them, not just classical nuts.

Just my take, you can certainly do what ever you like or what someone else suggests !
David

Thanks a lot David! I feel like you and Outin are my teachers here at pianostreet, hehe.

I think you're right about starting somewhere else first. I do absolutely adore theme songs. If there is one piece that comes to mind, it is most definitely the Titanic theme song by celine dion.

I wanted to learn the Game of Thrones theme song.....So I watched tutorials only, namely this one:

But there is no sheet and I have to concentrate to see which notes he is playing......And midway (yesterday actually) I found out that I don't like this way of learning. It's basically brainlessly following the notes which are being pressed into. I''d much rather play from a sheet and get the technical 'know how'. So I stopped learning that theme be cause reading sheets should be my priority now. Afterwards just buying the sheet and playing it should be okay.

I basically now know where to find what note (ABCDEFG), but not the black keys. I think my teacher is going to introduce me to that today.

My teacher said 'If I ever wanted us to look at a pop piece together, he would not mind'. He's a jazz pianist, but also teaches piano at a school and has his own band apparently. He's from Germanny but followed the conservatory here in Holland.

When I made a remark about the yamaha u3s he said they were really good but the best were from Steinway. I kind of get why he means that, lol.

I made yesterday's practise fun btw; memorized the 3 practise pieces. They helped me find the notes and when to go up and down. Also LOVE stucato playing! It's like that style was made for me; fast playing, lol.

I'm kind of worried I'll end up like some of those piano players from youtube who play without a shred of emotion. I don't know if that makes sense, but I can sense when there is no emotion in a piece. I try to play with emotion.

>.<

[nocturnetr]

 If you compare Für Elise with the weird song you mention, pop is harder, but if you compare pieces like Prokofiev Toccata, Rach concertos, Chopin etudes or ballades, classical is thousands of times harder I think...

[outin]

Thanks a lot David! I feel like you and Outin are my teachers here at pianostreet, hehe.

Oh dear, now I really feel embarrassed 
I'm hardly qualified to teach anyone 

But as long as you listen to your teacher you'll be safe I guess 

I don't know any pop songs on the piano...

[ranniks]

If you compare Für Elise with the weird song you mention, pop is harder, but if you compare pieces like Prokofiev Toccata, Rach concertos, Chopin etudes or ballades, classical is thousands of times harder I think...

I thought so. But you need to realise Fur Elise seems impossible even now for me. Me thinks if I went to this music store (only sells digital pianos, no real pianos, rest is real guitars, drums etc etc) and played fur elise there people would be like 'Good Gosh, look at him go!'. Haha. But Fur Elise is piece of cake for you all I guess.

I want to play Choping badly btw, hehe.

Oh dear, now I really feel embarrassed 
I'm hardly qualified to teach anyone 

But as long as you listen to your teacher you'll be safe I guess 

I don't know any pop songs on the piano...

Neither do I, lol! But still, you and David are my 2 piano street senseis, no question!

On a side note: Finally doing exercises on the black notes! Also chords (this exercise in which I follow the movements of my left hand with my right with chors (my right thumb follows my left hand movement for chords, not sure how to describe it).

Getting exited!

I LOVEEEEEE LOVEEEE THE PIANO!#!!@#!!@!@!

[hfmadopter]

]


I'm kind of worried I'll end up like some of those piano players from youtube who play without a shred of emotion. I don't know if that makes sense, but I can sense when there is no emotion in a piece. I try to play with emotion.

>.<

If you are worried about ending up that way then you are aware of the difference. I'd say it's unlikely you will let yourself end up that way then ! I wouldn't be worried just yet !

I am not a piano teacher but it's good that you do have one of those. Just an interested forum member who tends to say too much at times, I'm afraid. I have considered through the years teaching either early piano or a course similar to the one I took myself about freeing yourself with pop style music ( adults only). Never have taught as yet though, other than my son for a short time when he was about 5 bewfore we sent him to a teacher ( now 38).

[ajspiano]

I've run into quite a few people who, after classical study, can learn and transition to popular music without huge difficulty.. where as there seems to be a kind of difficulty going the other way around. As in, semi experienced pop/modern players attempting classical have to take a pretty big step back and cover all the bits and pieces they missed out on because they didn't follow a perhaps "traditional" method.

Not that I necessarily would consider myself a "traditional" teacher, - I mean that if you allow yourself to be open to classical music you have a mountain of repertoire to cover a good progression of pedagogical considerations in an appropriate order of learning, which may not be the case if you just pick lots of popular songs.

..but then, there's also those who studied classical but somehow got no rhymic feel/ear/compositional knowledge along the way and so find it very difficult to fit into jazz/modern music where there may be a demand to play with only a lead sheet, or without a score at all.

[nystul]

..but then, there's also those who studied classical but somehow got no rhymic feel/ear/compositional knowledge along the way and so find it very difficult to fit into jazz/modern music where there may be a demand to play with only a lead sheet, or without a score at all.

Yeah, there's something to that.  I think choosing to include some Hal Leonard pop piano arrangement sheet music with classical instruction is no different from throwing in a Joplin rag or something.  The chords and syncopation are a different style from Beethoven but at the end of the day you are reading a sheet and playing the piano.  Those arrangements tend to be easy to intermediate because that's what sells sheet music, but certainly they could be made fairly difficult given that you are condensing a band production into a solo score. 

But if someone were trying to be an actual gigging pop/rock/jazz musician, that's like a whole different world.  Now you're playing with other people, making up your own parts based on the harmony, improvising solos, maybe even playing and singing.  The actual technique of playing the notes is like way down the list.

[hfmadopter]

Yeah, there's something to that.  I think choosing to include some Hal Leonard pop piano arrangement sheet music with classical instruction is no different from throwing in a Joplin rag or something.  The chords and syncopation are a different style from Beethoven but at the end of the day you are reading a sheet and playing the piano.  Those arrangements tend to be easy to intermediate because that's what sells sheet music, but certainly they could be made fairly difficult given that you are condensing a band production into a solo score. 

But if someone were trying to be an actual gigging pop/rock/jazz musician, that's like a whole different world.  Now you're playing with other people, making up your own parts based on the harmony, improvising solos, maybe even playing and singing.  The actual technique of playing the notes is like way down the list.

I almost joined a pop-rock band once, then I found out the electric piano of that time and the player their of just banged out chords after chords, maybe a run of melody here and there. I thought, screw that, not interested ! I play piano to make someplace between nice to beautiful music with a melody not just a beat. Of course you have to look at as your instrument is part of the whole process in a band, again not interested from that angle either.

[hfmadopter]

I've run into quite a few people who, after classical study, can learn and transition to popular music without huge difficulty.. where as there seems to be a kind of difficulty going the other way around. As in, semi experienced pop/modern players attempting classical have to take a pretty big step back and cover all the bits and pieces they missed out on because they didn't follow a perhaps "traditional" method.

Not that I necessarily would consider myself a "traditional" teacher, - I mean that if you allow yourself to be open to classical music you have a mountain of repertoire to cover a good progression of pedagogical considerations in an appropriate order of learning, which may not be the case if you just pick lots of popular songs.

..but then, there's also those who studied classical but somehow got no rhymic feel/ear/compositional knowledge along the way and so find it very difficult to fit into jazz/modern music where there may be a demand to play with only a lead sheet, or without a score at all.

Generally you can find something classical to relate to in pop music if you have classical training. I think if you are pop only  then perhaps you may just see classical as a different world. I don't know, I like melodic pieces anyway not bang bang rock stuff and in so playing ( mostly classical background but some pop training mixed in) of pop arrangements I find myself adding in trills and turns, maybe changing around chord structure etc.  Not sure a non classical player would do that on their own, not for the same effect anyway..

Some pop music can be worked up way high though. And some pop actually got it's roots from classical if not a direct spin off.

[cosmicity]

Having tried both, I can say with quite some level of certainty that classical piano is more difficult. I might feel as such, however, as I believe classical piano has given me good grounding as a pop pianist.

Classical piano requires far more technique and discipline than pop music does, and having good grounding in essentially means that your playing is only limited by your imagination or creativity. It might take some time before you are able to read chord notations/fake books with sufficient ease, but once you've gotten some practice you'll find that most of them are rather predictable.

In terms of song structure, pop songs are also far more simple and straightforward than classical pieces. If you have spent time analysing a classical piece before, you will see that a classical pieces contain a myriad of chord changes - with this knowledge of the relationship between chord and melody, the emphasis on chord accompaniment in pop piano is not entirely foreign to you either. Whilst playing pop piano I found myself being heavily reliant on scales for fill-ins and improv, so that's another advantage classical piano will give you.

That said, I'm certain there're a host of other subtleties which makes pop piano a style with immense depth as well, and that's even without traversing into the realm of jazz. I guess it goes without saying that the best way to find out will be to experience both and come up with your own conclusion.

Hope this helps!

[pianoplunker]

Sheet wise I mean? I actually have no interest in learning to play by ear; it would be nice however. I want to learn the sheet and then memorize it, lol.

So what's harder to learn? I mean, fur elize or say.......What makes you beautiful by one direction?

Edit:

Obviously classical would be harder to learn sheet wise, but let's say a beginner like myself? Would I by able to play one direction much more easy than learning fur elize?

Consider this anecdote - perhaps most of the successful pop musicians have some classical background .   What makes a piece of music "hard" to learn depends on you and your hands and your practice habits. You mention you want to use sheet music but not play by ear. They are not mutually exclusive. In fact knowing how a piece of music sounds can help you read the sheet music easier. With pop music, the sheet music most often does not cover some of the "riffs" in a song so you will have to figure it out by ear.  With classical it is all written down for you to interpret.  From what I gather from your post you are at a level where anything will benefit you whether it be pop songs or classical pieces. Learning to read is always a good place to start

[pianoplunker]

I thought so. But you need to realise Fur Elise seems impossible even now for me. Me thinks if I went to this music store (only sells digital pianos, no real pianos, rest is real guitars, drums etc etc) and played fur elise there people would be like 'Good Gosh, look at him go!'. Haha. But Fur Elise is piece of cake for you all I guess.

LOL,  or they might say, "I remember spending months trying to get that one down ". 

I want to play Choping badly btw, hehe.

Why would you want to play anything badly ? even Choping. wouldnt you want to play it well ?

 

Getting exited!

I LOVEEEEEE LOVEEEE THE PIANO!#!!@#!!@!@!

Now that is a much better attitude than wanting to play Choping badly :-)

[outin]

With pop music, the sheet music most often does not cover some of the "riffs" in a song so you will have to figure it out by ear.  With classical it is all written down for you to interpret. 

I think you made a good point here. I find classical easier because (most) of the music is written down. Whenever I have tried anything non-classical from sheet it doesn't sound anything like I think it should, much of what makes it interesting is missing...

But of course if we dig deeper you should also add a lot to the baroque scores. The reason why there's so much repetition is not to make it easier to play, but to give the player the opportunity to first play it like the sheet and then ornament it by improvisation.

[pianoplunker]

I think you made a good point here. I find classical easier because (most) of the music is written down. Whenever I have tried anything non-classical from sheet it doesn't sound anything like I think it should, much of what makes it interesting is missing...

But of course if we dig deeper you should also add a lot to the baroque scores. The reason why there's so much repetition is not to make it easier to play, but to give the player the opportunity to first play it like the sheet and then ornament it by improvisation.

Yes, improvisation. The magical thing that happens when you completely forget what you are "supposed" to play. To make music without hearing or seeing it first is not only fun, but the potential to create something far more fantastic than you even imagined. I believe that all of the great composers probably improvised during their performances, not because of forgetting , but to be creative.

[outin]

I am all for improvisation in any music.

But I am also old fashioned and believe that I must learn to play correctly and fluently according to the scores first before I can judge what is appropriate and what is not.