For piano players:

[Kaya]

Fur Elise-

http://vocaroo.com/?media=vVkC5hVAnOewZn8Bi


I just learned the beginning on my piano. I got help with the starting notes and learned some by ear. Since I don't have a teacher I'm not sure if I'm getting it right or not...


Am I?

[Syvelocin]

The timing is a bit off... but it is recognizable. The sheet music for that is really easy to find on the Internet, you might want to look into getting that piece so you have something to work off of.

[Kaya]

Thanks. Do you any websites?

[Syvelocin]

This one (http://www.all-about-beethoven.com/beethovenmusicsheet.html) seems good, has other Beethoven as well.

[Kaya]

Thanks

[Dimitri]

I agree, timing but also watch the dinamics

[Donkey]

If you're playing a piano like that, don't even bother with Fur Elise sheet music.

So you got the old E D# E D# E B D C A

There's more to it. But before you do anything, get a proper fucking piano. It sounds like you're playing a bloody honky tonk. I suggest a Yamaha range digital piano, don't get a keyboard if you're actually serious about learning. And get lessons; you'll learn shit about proper fingering/sight reading if you try to learn yourself. Of course the timing is absolutely haywire, and it doesn't even sound as if you're playing the right notes on the left hand. Fur Elise gets far more complicated, so stay basic. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and shit like that.

Try running up your keyboard with these right hand scales to get your fingers working a little:

C Major: C D E F G A B C B A G F E D C (1,2,3,[thumb under],1,2,3,4,5,4,3,2,1,[middle finger over],3,2,1)
G Major: G A B C D E F# G F# E D C B A G (1,2,3,[thumb under],1,2,3,4,5,4,3,2,1,[middle finger over],3,2,1)
F Major: F G A Bb C D E F E D C Bb A G F (1,2,3,4,[thumb under],1,2,3,4,3,2,1,[4th finger over],4,3,2,1

Can't really be bothered to write out D Major, but it has a F# and a C# and follows the same fingering as G Major if you can work that out. If you want the left hand fingering for these, it'll all be online somewhere. Mostly though it's just the same backwards, e.g. for C Major it's 5,4,3,2,1,3,2,1,2,3,1,2,3,4,5 - that will make sense when you actually attempt to play it hopefully.

Here are what the finger numbers mean, if you didn't get all the numbers:

http://www.epianostudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/fingering.jpg

Broken chords, arpeggios, scales etc. are all really useful in getting your fingers used to exploring the piano and getting used to being able to play together. It's the kind of stuff you learn at lessons.

[Kaya]

I can't afford a "proper piano." I'm fine with my keyboard. I'm fine if it doesn't sound right...I just wanted to know if I was playing well. and I'm not going to let anyone underestimate me. I can play difficult songs if I want.

[Donkey]

Yeah I took that view on my little Yamaha PSR-3. "I can play all of the symphonies I damn well please, even WITH no touch sensitivity!" If you can't afford one, look on Gumtree and newspaper ads. Often people try to get rid of their pianos that take up space and you only have to pay a bit to get the piano moved.

Anyway, I hope you're not pissy because I'm trying to help you. If I wasn't, I wouldn't have written out all of those bloody scales. Which you should practice, if you really want to play difficult music. Just so you know how Fur Elise should sound, or how I think it should sound, I recorded me playing it for you (yay).

Just to explain what's happening. The first time I play it, I'm playing it without dynamics, so I'm just showing you how all the dynamics work. The second time, I kind of play it with half dynamics and pedal and then the third time I do it properly. I don't think I majorly fucked up anywhere, but since I don't practice that much there will be a few shitty bits. Recorded on an iPod mic too, so not the best quality. Also excuse my somewhat tired face, have been working in a primary school all week. Here you are anyway:

fEdu3y7Dae8

Try to base yours around this. If you can only afford a crappy keyboard, you can pick a Casio/Yamaha home keyboard thingy with 3 level touch sensitivity up for about £100. Brilliant thing about them is that often they have a little feature where they either light up the keys to show you which to play, or there'll be a display on the keyboard. The Yamaha PSR-175 is a good example of a shitty keyboard that does a good job of teaching you how to play a song in the right time, just with no dynamics. Whenever you can though, play on a real piano. It is so much better.

Once you can confidently paddle along Fur Elise, and you're continuing with all of the scales and arpeggios (the guides to which will be available online, and there are literally thousands of books that have this kind of teach-yourself stuff in) you will slowly just become more comfortable around the keyboard and you will reach a point where 61 keys isn't enough, and you need a full sized instrument. Not only because some songs explore further than the main keys, but because you'll want to improvise and want a big thing to play with (no innuendo intended).

Of course there is the issue of cost, but if you can find part time work and save up or just grab a free upright acoustic piano that someone doesn't want anymore then you're there. And it is totally worth it if you have an interest in playing the piano. I am lucky enough to have a grandmother who taught at the Royal College of Music, so she was very happy to buy me the digital piano I wanted. I got a more entry level one as I didn't want to trouble her, but honestly any Yamaha digital piano works brilliantly.

You might be wondering what a digital piano is. There are some subtle differences when we're talking about pianos. Keyboards are the little plastic things that can be used for DJ work and often aren't made to replicate the real piano sound. A digital piano is made to replicate the sound of a real piano, and often comes in larger wooden finishes to resemble one. They play back sounds and have no real strings in them, but the keys are weighted and made to be very sensitive. The great thing about them is that they never have to be tuned. Electric pianos are fairly irrelevant nowadays, but they're different to digital pianos because they produce sounds mechanically, and still have strings etc. inside the piano. Of course there are then acoustic pianos - uprights and grands, which have strings assembled differently inside them.

I'm personally a huge Yamaha fan when it comes to both digital and acoustic pianos, but Roland digital pianos also have brilliant sounds. That's for home use of course, if you ever get the opportunity to play a Steinway you'll feel the difference. Though I don't expect you'll be able to afford a Steinway & Sons piano - you should be able to play one at some point though!

To be honest, you didn't ask any of this. I kind of went off on one again, didn't I? Point is that you want a nice piano to play those big songs otherwise you just won't get a feel for the music, and you won't be able to express those beautiful dynamics and let out the passion in each song if you're playing on some plastic junk. I don't know what your situation is, but if there is any way you can get piano lessons or a proper piano I recommended it more than anything! Remember to check classified ads too, they almost always pop up.

[Kaya]

I'm sorry....I literally have no money XD

[SimSailorNick]

I think you need a lot more practicing and don't go too advance unless you can really do it. And please try not to play classical music by ear cause you can always find sheet music online.

You can go to http://imslp.org/wiki/Main_Page for a lot more sheet music.

[Donkey]

I'm sorry....I literally have no money XD
I think writing that post for you was probably the most pointless thing I've ever done.

[Kaya]

I practice the scales and stuff...I just cannot buy a better keyboard. But, my cousin is going to school in Canada sometime this year and she's giving me her keyboard..which is a really good one. I just have to wait a few months.

[Azunite]

The notes are correct but you stall a lot

[Syvelocin]

I'm in the same position. I'm fucking poor. I have the same £90 keyboard I got forever ago. Though alongside everything else I'm saving up for, I really want to get a digital piano. I've seen a few acoustic ones dirt cheap at thrift stores. But I have no room for one of those in my flat. My grandfather is on his deathbed really. He has this lovely grand that I actually learned to play on. I really want it. Not enough space though, and there's an issue with the dampers that would probably drive me crazy anyway.

You just have to make do. But do look around, in the paper, thrift stores, etc. See if anyone's trying to get rid of one. There are some ways to find some really cheap decent pianos. You just have to look around for them, but they're bound to pop up.

[Kaya]

I'm only slow at it because I wanted to make sure I got the right notes in.

[Syvelocin]

I'm only slow at it because I wanted to make sure I got the right notes in.

That's definitely a good strategy, to practice harder songs slower and when you're comfortable enough, play it faster. You'll want to use the correct timing however, and if that means go slower than that, by all means, do so. It is important to just change the tempo and not the timing.

[Kaya]

Thank you guys. I'm sure it'll help a lot

[Dimitri]

That's definitely a good strategy, to practice harder songs slower and when you're comfortable enough, play it faster. You'll want to use the correct timing however, and if that means go slower than that, by all means, do so. It is important to just change the tempo and not the timing.

Great strategy, that is one of the first thing I teach to my beginning students and some of them hate me for it but they do not see the great long term effects of it in the end. Keep up the hard work