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Can you really learn the piano with this?


mamcy11
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It reminds me of a very old (but still relevant ) joke).

A man was in NYC to attend a concert. He lost his way and stopped a beatnik to ask directions.

Man: "Excuse me, Sir, how can I get to Carnegie Hall?"

Beatnik: "Practice, man, practice."

 

I don't play piano but I do play a couple of other instruments. Practice is the key to success. Developing muscle memory is a crucial part of the process. Practice can easily become tedious and demotivating. A lot of apps I've seen are meant to reduce the tedium and inject a dose of fun. They can be very valuable in that respect. I see them more as a way to augment more formalized instruction. Well, that's just my opinion. Take it with a grain of salt.

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Hi mamcy11, welcome to Grease Spot !

I don’t play the piano and have never used any apps for lessons. But might be some good stuff there. I’m self-taught on bass, guitar, and drums. Back in the early 60s I did what a lot of my friends did – we’d decide on an instrument and start playing along with our favorite records. I have to agree with Waysider on things like those apps – being a way to augment or supplement formal instructions.

Over the years I have taken lessons from time to time but also playing in a lot of bands doesn’t hurt either - you get to glean so much from your band mates. There's something to be said for teachers and fellow musicians - constructive criticism, feedback (not from the amp though :rolleyes: ) and praise when you're on to something; people can point out your weaknesses AND strengths and provide options and direction too.

Now music is just a hobby for me – but I still like to learn new things and review the basics. the other day I was checking out some You Tubes and found 5 tips to make you a better bass player by Yonit Spiegelman. Some good stuff there!

I’m sure there’s lots of stuff on there for any instrument. What kind of music do you like? Do you have any favorite piano players or bands you like to listen to? Are you interested in learning the piano as a career or just a hobby or what?

oh, and let me buy you a cup of cappuccino - once again, welcome to Grease Spot !

Edited by T-Bone
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On 8/30/2018 at 8:47 AM, mamcy11 said:

Is there a possibility you can learn on your own?

I was learning the piano from 17 yrs old.  While I can see a naturally talented person being able to learn on their own, for most of us that can be very challenging.

A friend of mine was able to play songs simply by listening to them first, but he couldn't read sheet music, and never learned.  To listen to him play, one would never guess that he is self-taught nor would they realize he can't read music.  So, while he did learn how to play, he didn't actually learn the entire art.

I had lessons for one full year.  I was taught how to read the music, I was taught how to hold my hands, I was taught proper fingering of the keys, and I was taught proper posture.  All four of these are vital to learn how to properly play piano.  Once I had those, I purchased a book of sheet music of songs I knew very well so I could hear if I made a mistake, and a book of music theory, and continued learning on my own.  But had I not had that year to learn the basics I seriously doubt I could have done it on my own.

I hope that helps.

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You'll have to rerun all lessons of proper fingering (and each and every lesson really) on a regular piano or weighted key electric piano (synthesizer) after each lesson. What can be whipped out on touch flat screen can be stumblesome on a real keyboard..............didn't know what i was talking about, finally the link loaded.

Synthesia looks great.

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