Piano Help

[CoolKid97]

I've been practicing the piano since August. I use my sisters old toddler one which is old and doesn't allow much room nor functions. I also use a app but hard to do on a small iPod! So I've learned a few songs but I'm having trouble with the following things. Reading sheet music, chords and using both hands. To play songs I find the letters for the song and usually use one had since two is hard. My parents can't afford lessons and I'm in the process of getting a free keyboard. Thanks for anyone who can help! :)

[ReginaGeorge]

All I have to say is thank god you are getting an actual keyboard. You can't learn piano without one (or an actual piano, obviously).

You need to teach yourself to read sheet music, it's like learning to read again, it's a whole new language, but it isn't hard. First thing you should do is understand the structure, what it the squiggles at the front and what do the mean, what do the line mean, and do the different shapes of notes mean, what are rests, what are slurs and ties, dots etc. You can try to teach yourself online, but I recommend saving up for a beginners piano book, because good one will teach you to read sheet music and professional play as you go, like mine does.

As for learning to play with both hands, go verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry slowly, and takes lots of time. It took me forever to learn how to play with both hands at different tempos. If you can't play with both hands with the same tempo, start practicing that first. Youtube up some simple popular songs right now or "easy piano songs tutorial".

All I have to say, is practice practice practice and give it time, it takes a while, but once you finally get the hand of it, I don't think you unlearn it very easily.

[JoeHillsTSD]

I'll tell you what I did:

I started playing about 5 years ago playing songs with this toy piano my aunt got me for my birthday. I learned songs from YouTube (simple things like no one, don't forget, etc). I got serious after awhile though and learned how to read sheet music online and after some practice, could read basic stuff and play it. After 2 years of lessons and an AP Music Theory Class, I'm a lot better from where I used to be.

It's a good thing you are getting a keyboard, it is nearly imPossible to learn correctly without one. If you want to learn more without getting lessons, you will have to find online lessons (that's what I did). Go to musictheory.net they have lessons on sheet music and all that good stuff. They have small games where you can practice what you learn as well. They also do chords and stuff! They pretty much have it all.

I'm sure if you google "online piano lessons" or "how to play piano" or something along those lines, you'll find hours worth of adequate work that you can study to becOme a better player.

As far as two hands, slow everything down. Learn to read sheet music first so that you can play simple songs that include two hands.

I strongly suggest getting a piano teacher. It helps alot! If there is a music program at your school, ask the director of it if he can give you free lessons. Best of luck!

[AbbaZabba]

All I have to say is thank god you are getting an actual keyboard. You can't learn piano without one (or an actual piano, obviously).

You need to teach yourself to read sheet music, it's like learning to read again, it's a whole new language, but it isn't hard. First thing you should do is understand the structure, what it the squiggles at the front and what do the mean, what do the line mean, and do the different shapes of notes mean, what are rests, what are slurs and ties, dots etc. You can try to teach yourself online, but I recommend saving up for a beginners piano book, because good one will teach you to read sheet music and professional play as you go, like mine does.

As for learning to play with both hands, go verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry slowly, and takes lots of time. It took me forever to learn how to play with both hands at different tempos. If you can't play with both hands with the same tempo, start practicing that first. Youtube up some simple popular songs right now or "easy piano songs tutorial".

All I have to say, is practice practice practice and give it time, it takes a while, but once you finally get the hand of it, I don't think you unlearn it very easily.

This all you need to know, great advice. In any musical instrument, muscle memory is going to play a very big role in your development, so very slow is the key. Without instruction, READ ALL YOU CAN on basic lessons, you don't want to train your muscles to develop the wrong way.

[Cygnus]

There is a program called synthesia available for both windows and mac which is a king of "piano hero" where you can look at songs and learn them pretty easily, I have learned countless songs through there. All you have to do is find the .mid files (if you find a youtube video of the song you like ask for the mid if it is not already in the description) and you will be able to see any song in there, even create your own. After you get your keyboard you will be locked and loaded.