# Piano



## RedBat (Jul 22, 2012)

First off: I think it is so awesome that this board is on here. Music means a lot to me and has always been a part of my life.

Having said that, I think it is high time I learned to play something. i was a drummer in highschool, and while that made me feel cool, it left me with a mere rudimentary knowledge of music. I can read music but very slowly...practice practice practice right. I like to pretend I can beatbox, and I catch myself doing so subconsciously in the car and at work. haha

Now on to the point, I have decided to learn to play the piano, as you have probably deduced from the title of the thread. For now i just have a few questions for any of you who can play.

What would be a decent keyboard to start with??

is there and lesson book or learning program you would recommend??

I am a lover of classical to trip hop, is there a good genre to start with??

Other than these i eagerly accept any tips/ in depth advice


thanks so much


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## Kellan Meig'h (Jul 24, 2012)

Well, proper answers need more input. How much room do you have for a keyboard? Hammer weighted or organ weighted? 61, 76 or 88 keys? Stationary or portable? More piano oriented or more synth/arranger oriented? More keys are better, since they will give you a wider dynamic range to work with. Units with stands usually sound better than those that are pure portables. Just to point out, some portables are so heavy, they aren't very portable. A few Korg arranger boards come to mind.

As far as books go, ask at your local music shop. They generally know what the instructors are using vs. taking a wild guess. I can't comment on learning programs, since I never used one.

Start with classical which will give you a firm grounding in piano theory.

I have a 20+ year old Yamaha PSR500M that I use to annoy my family with. It's 61 keys, organ-weighted and portable. Just remember, what works for me may not work for you. I've been playing music for over 40 years so I can make some very crappy guitars sound real good. Same for the keyboard - set up right, it's not bad sounding.

I would suggest you hear the instrument in person before you buy, just so you know that's what you want.

Hope this helps.

Kellan


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## RedBat (Jul 26, 2012)

This was very helpful, and thanks so much. with all the extra info you gave i can tighten my scope and get am much better idea of what i might need. Thanks again


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## Leyland (Aug 10, 2012)

Depending on how serious you are, (actually, regardless of that), I highly recommend taking a few lessons, just to get your foot in the door. There are usually school teachers or church pianists/organists who double as a piano teacher in their spare time. The lessons will help you with things like learning proper fingerings, exercises, just basic stuff that you can practice under the guidance of someone experienced. That way you can get your foot in the door and set a foundation for wherever you wanna go from there.


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## RedBat (Aug 20, 2012)

I will check around thank you


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