Where to start?

[mayweather13]

Hi everyone,

Hopefully I stay here for a long time, I am intending on starting to learn an instrument, and I have chosen the Piano, I am just wondering however where to start. I would like to possibly teach myself, just wondered what resources are ideal for beginners, book of some sort?

I intend on buying the Casio CDP 120 digital piano, is this a good start?

Thanks for your help in advance.

[evitaevita]

Welcome mayweather13,

First of all, would you like to play classical or contemporary music?
I'm not really familiar with modern piano courses, but I suppose that classical piano methods are useful for all kinds of music.

Well, on imslp.org (a site which contains a really large amount of classical music scores!) you can find interesting and valuable piano methods, such as these ones which, in my experience, are very good:
https://erato.uvt.nl/files/imglnks/usimg/2/21/IMSLP164414-PMLP293892-beyerimslp.pdf
https://petrucci.mus.auth.gr/imglnks/usimg/2/29/IMSLP105777-PMLP215808-Part_I-Kohler_opus_300.pdf
https://petrucci.mus.auth.gr/imglnks/usimg/6/6e/IMSLP105778-PMLP215808-Part_II-Kohler_opus_300.pdf
https://erato.uvt.nl/files/imglnks/usimg/7/77/IMSLP106221-PMLP216604-Practical_Method_for_the_Pianoforte_Op249-Kohler.pdf
https://petrucci.mus.auth.gr/imglnks/usimg/d/d1/IMSLP192957-PMLP331863-musicalcurriculu00root.pdf

There are also etude/studies (pieces which focus on technique's development) and other exercises that are appropriate for beginners. For example:
https://erato.uvt.nl/files/imglnks/usimg/2/24/IMSLP120580-PMLP08821-czerny_599.pdf
https://erato.uvt.nl/files/imglnks/usimg/1/16/IMSLP04060-110ProgressiveExcercisesOp453Czerny.pdf
https://javanese.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/7/7a/IMSLP12185-Czerny_-_100_Progressive_Recreations__Book_1__Piano_.pdf


There also new method books such as Alfred's Piano Courses (which I don't really like) for both children and adults. Recently, I found these books: https://www.artistryalliance.net/products.html.
The series is called Artistry and it's very comprehensive. Maybe, you should consider bying one of them.

Also, it would be helpful for you to start learning the music theory (notes and other basic things). On the internet, there is plenty of useful resources:
What about this one?
https://www.musictheory.net/

I'm sorry but I can't tell you about the piano, because I have no experience playing on digital pianos...

I hope I've been of some help to you!

Best regards,
Evitaevita

[keypeg]

When learning to play an instrument, you need to learn how to use your body properly with the instrument which is elementary technique, and you need to get some elementary understanding of music - how to read music, what chords are about, good effective practice habits, how to approach new pieces.  Whether you like classical or pop music, whether you have certain favorite pieces is a different side to that.  It is good if you can work with a *good* teacher in the beginning to set you up.

For piano, you should have something that has weighted keys and responds decently.  I don't know Casios.  The people I talked to didn't like them, but that is no kind of advice.