Dr. Doggo Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 HelloI've been thinking about learning to play piano. I hope to get lessons but I believe I'm going to have to learn from the internet. I'm also musically illiterate. I hope to learn some public domain songs and record them for my personal use.Problem is, where do I begin? I don't exactly envision myself spending thousands on a classical Grand Piano or anything like that or going to some musical school or whatever.How would I go about learning/teaching myself?What should I actually buy?Where should I shop for such a thing?What kind of price can I expect to pay?thank you please Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Doggo Posted October 25, 2015 Author Share Posted October 25, 2015 http://www.pianonanny.com/ - Learning - START WORKING ON LEFT-RIGHT HAND SEPARATION NOW.Just buy yourself a cheap USB MIDI Trigger keyboard. You don't need anything dedicated when most instruments are software synths and VSTs and such. Hell, even a cheap ass Casio non-MIDI piano keyboard and microphone will do the trick.eBay or Google Shopping or Craigslist or Pricewatch.com or something.100-quiddish or so max.Well thanks bro, that's looking like a good resource!What else do I need to know? Do I really need any software (and what?) if I get a USB keyboard? I don't plan on doing anything interesting, I just first want to learn a bit and make some nice noises as soon as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zytan Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 If you find yourself enjoying it after a while you can look into a keyboard with weighted keys too, so it feels more like a piano and less like plastic. They cost a little more but still less than an actual piano and they're smaller. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Doggo Posted October 25, 2015 Author Share Posted October 25, 2015 (edited) Demo versions of software like Fruity Loops will work if you're going the MIDI trigger route. I can give you a quick tutorial live on getting that set up. Well... I'm not really interested in getting involved with software that costs hundreds. I've got tons of things software things to mess around with now as it is, unless that demo doesn't have an expiry date and allows me to hammer away without worrying too much!If you find yourself enjoying it after a while you can look into a keyboard with weighted keys too, so it feels more like a piano and less like plastic. They cost a little more but still less than an actual piano and they're smaller.I might! But I'm not made of money, so I want to go with a cheap one that isn't crap, or too big. I'm really screwed for space with my desk. It's a small space cramped up by shit, with my PC case by my feet, and no space underneath to even place the keyboard when I'm not using it. Gonna be fun!So I guess I'm taking suggestions for compact keyboards. I hope using a compact keyboard isn't a worry. I THINK there's an old full-size keyboard laying around somewhere but thats no good for computers. Edited October 25, 2015 by Sir Gibby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yell0wf0x Posted October 26, 2015 Share Posted October 26, 2015 I suggest to learn the basics first. Learning to read notes and such is something you try investing yer time in. Most public domain songs have song sheets and it would extremely help to learn how to read those. Ye don't need to be able to do it fast. Just being able to read notes would help in a lot of ways. Personally, I go for the chord route.but that's stuff ye should learn when ye got the hang of the basics. Like playing separately with yer left and right hands. I'm not that good with the left hand myself but it would be nice if ye at least get the hang of it. That and practice and practice until yer fingers bleed! As for equipment. Like @6tails said, there are a lot of cheap midi controllers ye can get. Mine was actually quite cheap. And ye can use some free software to make sounds. Itd be a good investment too since ye plan on recording stuff. If ye got an iPad or something, I believe GarageBand is free. That's also a good software to use. Either that or ye can get a cheap electronic keyboard with a record function. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evan Posted October 26, 2015 Share Posted October 26, 2015 when it comes to learning piano, there's a certain technique to it that isn't really necessary to inherently play piano well, but learning it can help kind of set a definitive mindset to how to approach the board and at least give your hands direction instead of defaulting to say a certain number of fingersthe last time i took piano lessons was when i was like...8 so i don't have any materials for piano anymore, but i think what's been suggested here is pretty good. there's a number system that associates each finger to a number, i would learn that too (again been so long i don't know what it's called) so that you can identify that sort of thing when it pops up in music. some easier piano music, as well as music that doesn't fall on the hands intuitively, tends to use thisi think no matter what training you use, be it a strict classical approach, learning how to comp, rock, or even just learning enough to feel cozy on the board, you should at least try to do it everyday. there's no really great secret to getting better other than just being interested in your instrument and letting your curiosity (and sometimes an outside resource or two) offer you information to apply. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikazuki Marazhu Posted October 26, 2015 Share Posted October 26, 2015 I suggest to learn the basics first. Learning to read notes and such is something you try investing yer time in. Most public domain songs have song sheets and it would extremely help to learn how to read those. Ye don't need to be able to do it fast. Just being able to read notes would help in a lot of ways. Personally, I go for the chord route.but that's stuff ye should learn when ye got the hang of the basics. Like playing separately with yer left and right hands. I'm not that good with the left hand myself but it would be nice if ye at least get the hang of it. That and practice and practice until yer fingers bleed! As for equipment. Like @6tails said, there are a lot of cheap midi controllers ye can get. Mine was actually quite cheap. And ye can use some free software to make sounds. Itd be a good investment too since ye plan on recording stuff. If ye got an iPad or something, I believe GarageBand is free. That's also a good software to use. Either that or ye can get a cheap electronic keyboard with a record function. Very insightful but there is one tip you forgot to add. -Don't procrastinate 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grassfed Posted October 26, 2015 Share Posted October 26, 2015 I agree with @6tails about the USB MIDI controller and a cracked version of fruity loops, it's pretty user friendly and easy to learn. I've had my m-audio keyboard for almost 5 years now 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vallium Posted October 26, 2015 Share Posted October 26, 2015 Step 1: Extend armStep 2: Press keysStep 3: ???Step 4: Profit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yell0wf0x Posted October 26, 2015 Share Posted October 26, 2015 Very insightful but there is one tip you forgot to add. -Don't procrastinateI don't procrasitinate. I wait for inspiration. =3Ok. That's just an excuse. I shouldn't do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Doggo Posted October 27, 2015 Author Share Posted October 27, 2015 Okay, just an update. I got my keyboard! It's a dainty little thing with only enough space for two octaves, but it has a pair of buttons to move up and down them. It only cost just over £30. I'm running the demo of FL Studio 12 and I've managed to get it working with it, as well as make a tiny little melodything by hand, and then by clicking.Really cool stuff! Though I have a lot to learn yet, with both playing the instrument, reading music, and learning the software, let alone actually making music, but as I said in the OP I mainly want to just play public domain stuff like army marches, national anthems, hymns, and so on.Thanks for all your advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grassfed Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 I would download a crack for your copy of FL so you can save projects, I hated having the demo version lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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