Best online resources for learning the piano?

[kisangoli57]

Hi all,

I looked over the side bar items and searched but didn't really find what I'm looking for (plus, the threads in the side bar are quite a few year old now, practically ancient in Internet terms).

I'm in my mid-30's and about a year ago I picked up the guitar having never really played a musical instrument before. It's become a bit of an obsession for me and I have now acquired a digital piano (Yamaha P-105), mainly for my spouse but I have interest in learning to play it as well.

But I'm not really interested in learning to play it "seriously" if that makes sense. I'm never going to play Bach to a packed auditorium. I just like to play and make music in my free time. No kids means I have a fair bit of that so..

Is there an online resource similar to justinguitar.com for learning piano? It doesn't need to be completely free mind you, but that is a well structure series of video online lessons that took me from no knowledge whatsoever to an okay player (I ended up taking a series of in person lessons and found them to be pretty much a waste). I know the guitar is a more popular instrument (and honestly, easier to play well) but I'm surprised that I haven't found much for good resources.

Thoughts? Besides find an instructor...

[j_tour]

I know the guitar is a more popular instrument (and honestly, easier to play well) but I'm surprised that I haven't found much for good resources.

Thoughts? Besides find an instructor...

No, and I agree that the old saw of "find a teacher" is bit...I don't agree with that idea, but even though I've given people in my age cohort lessons in exchange for goods and services, or, you know, good old cash, it's not what I would really recommend.

However, some people do and have thrived in a more structured environment such that a teacher might provide.

I think one of the best options for you is to check out the improvisations and the student uploads over here:  there's a cat who did a beginning video of his first attempt at the Chopin Fantasie-Impromptu, you know, it's just a way to start.

No, as far as I know, there aren't any equivalents to a sort of Mel Bay "100 Easy Ways to Play Piano":  yeah, there are a few books or ideas that can be useful, but IMHO it all comes back to (i) learn to read (music) (ii) know harmony (iii) know the literature.  Of course there are a million method books, and graded primers and all that:  I don't think those need a teacher, really.  In those cases it's just an external stimulus to provide the discipline to learn to read and basic harmony, as well as some simple examples of music.  I don't have a recommendation about those, other than to suggest as alternative to put on an Angela Hewitt recording or a Bud Powell or Chick Corea record and go from there for ideas about repertoire.

And when you've got those covered, then's something like getting a few tips from a player or teacher, you know, like how to execute such-and-such a passage without injuring yourself, and techniques that might make a months-long process of learning a given passage more condensed, so efficiency is a big deal IMHO at the keyboard:  there's too much information and too many tasks to do all at once, so once the basics are covered, then it's time to use the advice and counsel of a teacher, or many of the texts and recordings which are, really, only useful at that point.

Until that point, you're likely to get a bunch of jumbled hoodoo information about "Should I play Hanon or scales?" and all of that, which is not useful until you know the basics and can take a step back and think about keyboard technique.  And, one would hope, have a few pieces or passages learned by which one can figure out which technique or approach is more suited for the pianist's hands.

You do need the right fingerings for scales, all keys, at the unison, the third, and the sixth.  But you can find those here or many places. 

After that, and learning to read fluently, namely, by playing whatever simpler pieces you decide, then you're already into the music and can approach specific technical and musical challenges.