Hi sdadept,
I was a classically trained clarinetist. I studied privately with a teacher for over 10 years. I learned saxophone and the flute. I was, at first, a music major in college.
I highly recommend the Bastien piano basics but any good method book would suffice.
I knew all the major and minor scales before even touching the piano. Also, the circle of fifths and way more theory than I'd like to admit. I read the treble clef insanely well even better than pianists or so I thought.
I was wrong, wrong, wrong.
It's not just learning the bass clef. It's actually learning both clefs all over again since I can only play one note at a time on the clarinet that is what I learned to read exceedingly well, one note at a time. And just because I am a fluent sight reader on clarinet doesn't mean all that much really.
Let me explain why to you. There are extremely capable piano sight readers. Okay, now hand them your trumpet and ask them to play something. I can actually hear you laughing as you read this. I'm sure you got my point.
So, my self proclaimed expert reading was a figment of my imagination and ego.
The next thing I am about to say might sound really, really weird but it is all so true.
I know "how" to play the piano. I just "can't".
There were no shortcuts for me. I started at the very beginning on piano just like someone who knows nothing about music.
My fingers had to more or less learn to keep up with my brain. I was playing all the scales on piano in no time at all.
The main advantage for existing "note reading" musicians from other instruments is one of learning curve. You can devour method books in a fraction of the time. Another big advantage is how much you can do on your own with or without a teacher! Also, a decade of playing in band, dance band and marching in parades helps with timing and memorization. Most piano students play alone in their living rooms and not with 100 other musicians!
Finally, I was never able to play 2 clarinets simultaneously. To this day, I feel that my right hand is one musician and my left hand is someone else. Some pianist's here state something like they only have 1 hand with 10 fingers. Reading 2 clefs simultaneously is "normal" for them. Well it isn't for me and probably never will be.
Reading 2 clefs. How the heck do you do this? Where do you look? One then the other? Down the middle?
And then there is this "coordination thing" of each hand deciphering the notes with varying fingering for each piece and playing in sync.
Well it's late and I'm getting tired so that's all for now, Joe.
And Welcome to Pianostreet!