Just started learning the piano yesterday, having difficulty

[queequeg]

Hi all, I have a lot of free time at my college this summer when I'm doing research, so I've decided to take advantage of the free practice rooms and learn the piano. I purchased a beginners book and learned the basic notes, fingerings, how to read music, etc yesterday and today I've started on scales. I'm having difficulty though playing the scales with both hands, is there any good method of learning or just practice, or am I just getting way ahead of myself? I can play the scales with one hand fine but when I use both, it's a bit of a mess.

Also I have a bit of a tendency to hit two notes with my finger when playing although it is occurring less frequently today. Is that a problem typical for beginners that disappears over time?

[faulty_damper]

Everything you've described is absolutely normal.  The most important thing to keep in mind is to use efficient and effective motions of your entire playing apparatus.  It's not just what finger you use, it's how the entire body must move to align it so that it's easy and effortless.  If you find two ways to depress the keys and one is easier, pick the easier one.  Later, if you find an even better way to depress the keys, learn it and forget the old way.  If you do this, you'll find that you'll be learning and forgetting a lot as you progress.  Never rely on inefficient movements even if you're used to them.  They will be a hindrance in the long run.

Playing both hands together, assuming that you can do separate flawlessly (ease, comfort, musical effectiveness, etc.) requires the coordination of both sides of the brain.  This can take quite some time to learn to do but it's faster if you practice diligently.

What are you researching?

[chopinlover01]

As faulty said, what you described is normal, and the coordination of both hands will take lots of practice. As a friend of mine said, "What cannot be fixed by practice, can be fixed by... practice. Anything else is beyond human ability."

[queequeg]

Thanks, that's a relief. I started to get the scale (spent most of the time on C) down with both hands but I still have a long way to go.

Everything you've described is absolutely normal.  The most important thing to keep in mind is to use efficient and effective motions of your entire playing apparatus.  It's not just what finger you use, it's how the entire body must move to align it so that it's easy and effortless.  If you find two ways to depress the keys and one is easier, pick the easier one.  Later, if you find an even better way to depress the keys, learn it and forget the old way.  If you do this, you'll find that you'll be learning and forgetting a lot as you progress.  Never rely on inefficient movements even if you're used to them.  They will be a hindrance in the long run.

Playing both hands together, assuming that you can do separate flawlessly (ease, comfort, musical effectiveness, etc.) requires the coordination of both sides of the brain.  This can take quite some time to learn to do but it's faster if you practice diligently.

What are you researching?

Interesting, I wasn't looking into different ways of hitting the keys, but I'll remember that. I watched some videos to observe playing a scale with the left and right hand to get started, but basically for the piano, there is no accepted method for playing? Whatever works best for the pianist?

As for research, I'm continuing a research project I've been a part of since freshman year of college (will be a junior in the fall) and we are studying Circadian Rhythm using drosophila fruit flies  and how light exposure affects their sleep cycles. My role is mostly to breed and take care of the flies and also prepare the experiments, where we use about 320 flies and each has to be put to sleep and placed in tubes for light exposure. The experiments last 2-3 weeks, so I have a lot of free time otherwise and I'm also studying for the MCAT to take in August.

[theholygideons]

make sure your wrists are as low as possible without feeling awkward.

[faulty_damper]

Thanks, that's a relief. I started to get the scale (spent most of the time on C) down with both hands but I still have a long way to go.

Interesting, I wasn't looking into different ways of hitting the keys, but I'll remember that. I watched some videos to observe playing a scale with the left and right hand to get started, but basically for the piano, there is no accepted method for playing? Whatever works best for the pianist?

You should start learning scales with B major, C-sharp/D-flat major, and F-sharp/G-flat major.  C major requires numerous changes of hand/apparatus positions and is the hardest scale to learn because of these changes.  Many of the movements are not intuitive at all.  It's important to get a feel for ease and comfort as you learn this scale.  Most pianists never fully learn all the necessary movements so it's always difficult.

There are some generally accepted practices of playing.  I wouldn't imitate certain famous pianists of the past (or present) because they relied on limited movements to do everything so it was even hard for them to play.  You don't ever want to limit your musicianship due to technical issues.

As for research, I'm continuing a research project I've been a part of since freshman year of college (will be a junior in the fall) and we are studying Circadian Rhythm using drosophila fruit flies  and how light exposure affects their sleep cycles. My role is mostly to breed and take care of the flies and also prepare the experiments, where we use about 320 flies and each has to be put to sleep and placed in tubes for light exposure. The experiments last 2-3 weeks, so I have a lot of free time otherwise and I'm also studying for the MCAT to take in August.

What kind of photoreceptors do Drosophila have?  Same number and color as humans, 3-4, or more?