Yamaha Education Suite (Y.E.S.) - Experiences?

[Dan914]

I'm getting into the game kinda late at the age of 25.  But I'm considering learning to keyboard since the keyboard is probably the most versatile of instruments.  And for me, I wouldn't want to learn on anything less than a full set of 88 keys.

I would much prefer to be able to learn by myself, with the computer as my teacher.  (I'm sure there are some instructors reading this shouting "HERETIC!")  So, my question is this.  One of the keyboards I'm considering purchasing is the Yamaha DGX505.  It comes with the "Yamaha Education Suite" which they adevertise will help beginners to learn piano.

Has anybody here used this software as a tool to learn to play?  I ask because I'm also interested in the Casio PX-100, which is almost $100 cheaper, and actually has a hammer action keyoard, which I would think would be important so that I can also sound good if I happen to sit down at a "proper" piano and want to play something.  How difficult is the transition from a regular keyboard to an actual piano?  Anyhow, if I did get the Casio, is there some other good piano teaching programs out there that you would recommend?

And to satisfy the piano instructers out there who haven't yet smashed their monitors to spite my post, what is the average cost and duration of piano lessons?

Dan W

[Dan914]

I read a litle more around the forum, and should probably clear something up because it looks like the topic will come up.

For me, at this time, an acoustic piano is absolutely out of the question.  I'm in a dorm room, and I'm already pushing for space.  It will not be possible for me to posess an acoustic piano for at least another year and a half when I can finally move into a regular house/apartment.

[Daniel_piano]

the Yamaha DGX505 is not the piano you need to learn playing the keayboard as it has very light touch keys with a bad response
Learning from such instrument would result in bad habits of fingers articulation and too much strength while playing if not the unavailability of playing specific techniques such as trills or speed patterns

If you want to use a digital piano to learn playing the keyboard definitely choose a Yamaha P120 or P250

If you learn something on a ligh touch keyboard the transition to the piano will be almost impossible, actually you will have to relearn the whole thing on the piano with different hand movements, different touch and different articulation

If you learn something on a P120 or P250 the transiction will be almost immadiate, that's is if you can tell the difference in the touch

If you want to learn play the piano you need an alectronic piano not an alectronic keayboard

Imho
Daniel

[Daniel_piano]

The Yamaha Education Suite teach you chords and 100 songs with finger position
So, this is not what you call a piano teaching tool but a pieces teaching tools

The difference is kind of big
By learning piano you learn the basis, the theory and the movements so that when you're left on your own you're able to play anything you want from advanced pop to ambient, techo, baroque, rock, jazz, rag, stride whatever
On the other other when you learn 100 songs/pieces by finger position on the diplay, you're not learning to be able to play whatever song you want in the future, but just to play these pieces because you follow the fingers
And when the 100 songs are over?
When you're left on your own?

In such situation you will be a beginner again because you haven't learned how to play the piano but you have learned how to follow fingers instructions on how to play a piece

This is what my teacher always tell me "we have to teach you all we can teach you so that when you'll be on your own you'll be able to do anything with the piano"

So, okay, you'll have learend those 100 songs, and then?

I would think a better piano tutorial would be something that teach you lesson by lesson the basis of piano playing: starting from relaxation, fingers movements, scales, analysis of a piece, sightreading, rhythm and how to follow the rhythm, dynamics, phrasing, endurance, ornamentation, tuplets, intervals, how to deal with more voices/parts, three against to, time signature, 3rds and 6ths, jumps, patterns, hand crossings

Not saying that the Y.E.S. method doesn't work just saying that is is based on wrong premises, i.e. that you play piano by imitating movements instead of knowledge of musical theory

It depends on your goal
if you want 100 songs to play to your friends this may be a good method, if you want to be able in the future to play what you want, this can't probably teach you anything in that regard

Daniel

[doofus]

I find some of the comments here very interesting.  It's true that I found that when I tried a Yamaha keyboard for a while I almost freaked when I tried a real piano.  You need to apply more pressure to press down on the keys of a real piano so my "touch" seemed to be way off!

However, I made the choice to still buy the cheapest Casio (touch sensitive) I could get for now.  Why?  Because I don't even know if I'm going to keep my interest in piano playing or not.  If I do continue, then I might go for a Casio PX-100.  They have some at Bestbuy.com for $450 with the online coupon (last time I saw).

I know I'll have to "re-learn" the touch once I get a weighted keyboard.  But it's money down the drain if I lose interest and quit.  And I'd rather cut my losses.

I did however find eMedia piano & keyboard method at Kelly's Music & Computers (CD-ROM).  You also need something like the "Connections MIDI to sound card" cable which hooks up to your joystick port.  pianoeducation.org had some criticisms for the software but gave it an OK rating overall.  There's an interactive feature that grades the way you play.  I also found Alfred Publishing books on sheetmusicplus the Basic Adult all-in-one series which a local teacher uses.  I figure using both will give me enough of an idea before moving on...

[xvimbi]

However, I made the choice to still buy the cheapest Casio (touch sensitive) I could get for now.  Why?  Because I don't even know if I'm going to keep my interest in piano playing or not.

This a very valid approach. Many parents find themselves in the same situation. However, one has to strike the right balance: the equipment should not be too expensive, but it must be truly representative. You would not want to make the decision that you hated pinao, because you were tinkering with a toy. Had you had a real piano instead, you might have fallen in love with it.

That said, my biggest peef with the Yamaha keyboards is not that their weight is not what you find on a real piano, but that their keys don't have the right size! This is true for many of the cheap keyboards, so make sure that at least the geometry is correct.

[doofus]

Learning to play is a bigger worry.  At first, I had a hard time doing both hands at the same time.
Second, I like the sound of the music, I don't think where it comes from worries me.

Lastly, whatever decision I make, I know it's going to be a bad one.  I know this since I've made terrible mistakes all my life.  One with the way I've quit a lot of jobs in disgust and the kinds of decisions I made when I was trading stocks.  I seem to have the ability to think rationaly but I don't act that way.

I'll probably learn the piano faster and better than I think.  Then I'll have the urge to get a better keyboard.  I'll find out I wasted money by buying the first one. Then after buying a more expensive one, I might lose interest.  Then I'll probably sell the "toy" keyboard to my mother and I'll want to buy it back later because I'll miss it.  Or some stupid variation of that.

Whatever I do, I'm sure it'll the be the worst decision.  I slept on a bed that sinks a lot for years and in November I started waking up with a lot of pain in my back.  I was about to apply for a job but I decided to forget about it because I'm not sleeping enough.  I got so stressed out, I put a lot of stuff on a credit card with no real means of paying it back.

Ha, what fun it is to be me...