Help me learn Piano!

HarryHoudini

Hi guys and gals.
I play a bit of guitar and have recently become interested in learing piano.
I'm self taught on guitar so I'll probably be looking to do the same with the piano.

Does anyone know of any good on-line resources for learning piano?

If so then please post.

Thanks.

Kenny_D

Hey I'm in the exact same position. I played piano for a year when I was younger. I think the years lessons deffinitely were needed to get into it. I learned to play guitar myself but in order to develop good technique I think you will need to learn from a good piano teaching. Fingering is important when you start advancing through the grade levels and learn harder and faster pieces. If you develop bad techniques you will never advance past a certain level. Again theory plays a part (as in guitar), you should learn basic piano scales. Develop your ear so eventually your ears will tell you naturally where to place your fingers. Also if you cant read music you'll probably have to learn asap. Piano music is mostly in sheet music form. It's not too hard and I find it easier to read music while playing piano rather than playing guitar(tabs are a godsend but they are too distracting when learning to read music with tabs printed underneath)

www.pianostreet.com is a great site for free sheet music and good forums. Also the forums at www.pianoforum.net are good

Do a google search on learning piano and try and learn how to read sheet music, get some lessons and practice,practice,practice (Saw somewhere that it takes the average person 2 years to settle into playing piano before playing numbers of pieces) Longer I think than a guitar so stick with it even if you think you should be learning it as fast as you learned guitar

Good luck

Royale with Cheese

Teaching yourself guitar is one thing, piano is completely different. It's probably possible but you'll have to be very musically talented and dedicated to succeed. I took lessons for 10 years. I picked up a guitar and was able to play competently within a couple of months. Don't want to sound condescending but there are no comparisons between learning piano and guitar. Piano is infinitely more difficult.

HarryHoudini

Cheers for the input lads. I started learning to read sheet music today and so far its going grand.
By the sounds of it one on one lessons are the way to go. Can anyone recommend a good teacher. I'm in the Dublin 24 area but work in the city centre so anywhere close to either of them places would be best.
Also, how much can you expect to pay for lessons from a good techer.

Once again, thanks for all your help.

ciaran75

http://learnpianoonline.com/login.html

It starts at the very beginning (where to put your fingers, the keys etc.) and works up to the complicated stuff. Its not like other lessons, teaching you scales after scales etc. It introduces you very basically how to read music and brings in anything new very slowly are explained very well.

You won't believe how good these lessons are, you'll be using 2 hands in no time. I signed up last year and am playing quite serious stuff now.

You can download 4 free lessons and then you can buy another 8 or 9.
Try out the free ones first to see if you like it .

Definitely worth it!
Best of luck..

jimi_t

I'd highly advise going to Waltons School Of Music and doing your Academy or Associated Board exams up to about Grade 4 or 5 before going off yourself. If you're dedicated and have a sound musical background it shouldn't take you more than 8 odd months before you can play basic Beatles etc... hands together.

Gordon

Dr J wrote:

Teaching yourself guitar is one thing, piano is completely different. It's probably possible but you'll have to be very musically talented and dedicated to succeed. I took lessons for 10 years. I picked up a guitar and was able to play competently within a couple of months. Don't want to sound condescending but there are no comparisons between learning piano and guitar. Piano is infinitely more difficult.

I completely disagree, if you have a desire to learn such an instrument it is no more difficult than the guitar. In fact, it's much more logical than a guitar - the way the keys are laid out is much more logical than the way the strings/frets are laid out on a guitar.

Or maybe I'm just one of those naturally multi-talented people you're talking about

EvilPixieOne

If you want to get anywhere far on piano then one on one lessons are the way to go. Then again I'd say piano is probably the easiest instrument to learn as it is the most straightforward and easily laid out, so if you just want to learn a few easy pieces you will probably be grand on your own