Master teach me Kung...ohhh piano!

[hmingtea]

Hi there, I'm passionate about piano, never had an opportunity to learn but now I have bought myself one electrical keyboard with 61 keys. My problem here is i dont know where to start. I play guitar and i would rate my guitar skills as intermediate.  With the help of my guitar knowledge i can find out the chords and catch up those theoretical things. Should i follow a particular instructional book or any other sort of lessons that you guys can recommend me.  There's no good teacher around me so getting a tutor is not possible for me. Please help me out guys, im 29 now and am starting to get old   . My preferred music styles are jazz n blues kinda thing. I love listening to classical too but never tried playing em on my guitar.

[mjames]

Why 61 keys?   Return the keyboard and get one with 88 keys AND a pedal!

If you want to get started by playing some classical stuff then check out this channel:

https://www.youtube.com/user/YohondoYT/playlists

It's got tons of fun grade 1, 2 , and 3 pieces. Just search and listen for any thing you like on the channel. If you find something you like, search it on IMSLP, and I'm sure you'll be able to find a bunch of free pdf links. Have fun!

[hmingtea]

88keys will burn a hole in my pocket!!! anyway thanks for the links.

[outin]

Hi there, I'm passionate about piano, never had an opportunity to learn but now I have bought myself one electrical keyboard with 61 keys.

If you want to learn to play the piano,  you do need to get one. But if that's not possible, then you can of course learn to play a keyboard instead. I think then I would not bother with classical, you can do all kinds of interesting stuff anyway.

Please help me out guys, im 29 now and am starting to get old   .

 

You are still very young, I assure you!

[hmingtea]

thanks outin... lemme start by learning how to play all the songs in the song book that comes along with the keyboard... 1...2...3  ... twinkle twinkle little star  see you guys.

[nobu]

For someone that has no other access to a piano aside from a 61-key keyboard like mentioned above, but plans on upgrading to an 88-key with pedal in a couple/few months, what would be the best way to manage such a transition or prepare for the 'full-featured' piano?

[hardy_practice]

If you want to learn to play the piano,  you do need to get one. But if that's not possible, then you can of course learn to play a keyboard instead. I think then I would not bother with classical, you can do all kinds of interesting stuff anyway.

'not bother with classical' !? - your bad.  I have a student who got a merit on his Grade 4 Trinity last year on a 61 key - and that without being touch sensitive.  He now has a touch sensitive 61 key and I expect him to get a distinction on his grade 5 this year.   

@Nobu and hmingtea - get yourself pedals.

[outin]

'not bother with classical' !? - your bad.  I have a student who got a merit on his Grade 4 Trinity last year on a 61 key - and that without being touch sensitive.  He now has a touch sensitive 61 key and I expect him to get a distinction on his grade 5 this year.  

Well, I happen to think that much of the skill of playing classical repertoire comes not from learning to press the keys in right order but from learning to listen to oneself. How to learn that on such a keyboard is beyond me...

Besides the OP already mentioned he's interested in other music that is IMO much more suitable to be played on a keyboard, so why not go with that at the time being?

[hardy_practice]

Can't beat a sound classical training - ask Herbie Hancock or Bill Evans or even Scott Joplin for that matter!

[outin]

Can't beat a sound classical training -

It seems we do not quite agree on what constitudes a SOUND classical training...

[hardy_practice]

HIYW

[visitor]

You should spend time on the university of Iowa piano pedagogy project
Their aim is to record the entire standard beginner thru intermediate teaching repertoire.  It's big and a log term project but they  are making great progress
https://m.youtube.com/user/UIPianoPed

[hmingtea]

ive started practicing some songs from a book with 90 pieces that comes along with the keyboard... im on song no 3 now, so should i start going along with this book or should i try ABRSM or TRINITY grade 1 syllabus?

[hardy_practice]

The 2012-2014 Grade 1 Trinity book which is good till Xmas 2015 has some cracking pieces.  My pupils like The Leopold Mozart (anon), Saturday Stomp and Walking Together.  Not so keen on 2015-2016.

[hmingtea]

Im using John Thompson's Modern Piano Course Grade 1 which makes me go back to John Thompson's Easiest Piano Course series.  Now i have to do some Hanon's exercises too... my time on keyboard is more interesting and challenging