So like 10 years or so ago I tried to play the trumpet in grade school band. I sucked, didnt want to practice, and quit. That was the extent of my musical career. I've had an odd urge to try music again though lately. Piano is the first thing that came to my mind. I don't want to spend a whole ton of money though since I'm not sure how it will go, and I'd ike to teach myself just for the satisfaction of it. Anyway what should I be looking at to get started? I saw some midi keyboards at the apple store for $100-200. My dad saw a baldwin electric organ from 1990 in the paper for sale at an auction this weekend and thinks he could get it cheap(has midi out lol). Would either of these be worth it? I really have absolutely no idea what I'm looking at
I want to learn piano
- Thread starter Soybomb
- Start date
NuclearNed
Raconteur
- May 18, 2001
- 7,882
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If you are trying to learn piano, I would not get one of those cheap keyboards. If you are going to get a keyboard, make sure you get a good one with weighted keys, but these can be expensive. The ones that I was looking at were around 1500-2000 bucks, and these were not even the higher end stuff.
My piano cost me $5,000 but for some reason it doesn't depreciate, (Never knew entry-level Yamahas dont depreciate.)
Yamaha's now cost 6-7K.
Yamaha's now cost 6-7K.
well you can learn to play by yourself but i think you'll end up practicing with bad habits. i learned on a keyboard/organ first and then piano... weight of the keys was a change but got bored of it all eventuallyto the dismay of my parents.
I've been playing the piano since I was about 4, and I started playing by ear after hearing my mother play a few Beethoven Sonatas. I played like that for several years until I finally got more formal lessons, but they honestly didn't help much. I really started to advance when I started playing the violin, because with that came a lot of music theory. I then had a more fundamental understanding not just of piano playing, but music itself.
Anyway, the point of that is the following: I personally feel you should start by learning some music theory fundamentals. You could easily do this by reading even a few books at the library, or buying them at the bookstore. You would then really benefit from having a fundamental understanding of music when accompanied by trained instruction.
As others have said, seriously avoid the keyboards; the hammer action is nonexistent, and you'll find it very hard to adapt to a true piano later. You can get digital pianos that have pretty comparable action compared to uprights, and the better ones even grand pianos. I would either buy a quality digital piano, or get a reasonable upright from an auction.
Good luck! Although I'm no Alfred Brendel (although I do believe I could have been had I not focused on so many other things), I can play quite well, and the satisfaction derived from playing a complex piece is profound.
Anyway, the point of that is the following: I personally feel you should start by learning some music theory fundamentals. You could easily do this by reading even a few books at the library, or buying them at the bookstore. You would then really benefit from having a fundamental understanding of music when accompanied by trained instruction.
As others have said, seriously avoid the keyboards; the hammer action is nonexistent, and you'll find it very hard to adapt to a true piano later. You can get digital pianos that have pretty comparable action compared to uprights, and the better ones even grand pianos. I would either buy a quality digital piano, or get a reasonable upright from an auction.
Good luck! Although I'm no Alfred Brendel (although I do believe I could have been had I not focused on so many other things), I can play quite well, and the satisfaction derived from playing a complex piece is profound.
Thanks for all the replies, and I understand a keyboard isn't ideal, but does everyone thats starting out spend 1-2k for really good stuff?
Watch your newspaper and Craiglist.org for pianos. I got a Baldwin upright for my wife for $250, and its worth around $3500. The family got it for their kids, and their kids decided they didn't want to play. So, they sold it cheap, and we got a nice piano.
I would suggest to start by learning how to play the Triangle. If you get some satisfaction out of that, teach yourself how to play the tamberine. Then if you're feeling wild, try bongos. All kinds of satisfaction.
As a pianist, I tend to hate electric pianos...but there ar some nice ones (ie Clavinova). Anyhow, I teach piano as well...again, where do you live?
Honestly, the best thing is to find a good teacher, even if you want to do it just for fun. You will get the most enjoyment out of piano if you play well (I think that is the key to everything...do it well and you will enjoy it more). Anyhow, there are a few method books as well...Hal Leonard, Music Tree (I don't like them too much)....the book I use to teach my class (I teach class piano at the Univ. of Maryland) is called Keyboard Musicianship (8th Ed.) and it is Edited by james Lyke. I also know 2 of the editors and respect them, so i think this can work out...and it is fairly cheap.
I would also put the money into getting a real piano....even an upright. Yamaha makes good uprights...I would stay away from Steinway if money is an issue. Kawai is alright.....Stay away from Young Chang because they suck. Petroff is decent, but more expensive as well. But if a real piano is out of your price range, I understand...plus, I would say it is a better value to spend money on a good teacher rather than a great instrument...if you like the teacher and your progress, then you can buy a better piano when you save up some resources.
Good luck,
Elias
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