Thoughts on easy piano lessons?

[New_to_casio_girl]

Hi all, 

 

I am a longtime singer, know what all the notes on the keyboard are and have basics of chord progressions and intervals but I don't have all the intervals at the top of my head. I'd like to take a simplified piano class online, where you learn some chords and styles. I don't think I want to learn all the basics and all the scales at this point. I'd like to learn to play some styles in the keys I often sing in. Most of the pianists I know really don't like the idea of "easy piano" or "piano in 10 days" type of lessons. To me it makes sense that you could learn a few things without going through full training. When I see the topic come up on Facebook, it seems like it gets promotional, that is not honest opinions but promotional for certain courses. Any ideas here for getting some basics online? Would like to get some unbiased opinions if that's possible.

Edited December 18, 2021 by New_to_casio_girl

[Joe Muscara]

You are right about how many pianists are about how to learn the instrument. It's a complete contrast to guitar, where some people only know a few chords and never bother to learn much more. Most pianists act like you must go through full classical training.

 

I can't speak to the specifics of what you're looking for, but you could check out Irocku.com from Chuck Leavell (long time piano player for The Rolling Stones as well as Eric Clapton and the Allman Brothers among others) and https://www.playgroundsessions.com from Quincy Jones and featuring Harry Connick Jr. among others. You could also look up Scott "The Piano Guy" Houston. He has a presence on social media as well as a web site https://www.scotthouston.com. Note that I can't say I endorse any of these, as I only have glanced at most of them. I've done one song from Irocku.com.

 

I also have info about great online lessons for jazz, but I don't think that's what you're looking for.

[mike71]

There are a lot of courses online on even books with DVD lessons.

As a learner there are some really hard things to learn that require effort at ha physical and coordination level. So you have to practice.

The first problem is that a lot of pianists and teachers are following an old style of teaching, using Hanon, Czerny, Pozzoli and so on. These methods have in common with more modern ones, like Suzuki, the fact they're aimed at children.

 

I'm a learner too, actually restarting to use the keyboard after a stop. Now I'm following the site pianote.com and find online lesson quite clear. But of course you need to practice and this require time.

[New_to_casio_girl]

Oh yes, I am down with practicing. I don't really want to learn all the keys and all the intervals first though. I'd like to learn how to play certain styles using chords. I've bought DVDs before and didn't find the method worked for me. There is such a huge selection online. Hard to know where to begin so it's good to have some names. Thanks!

Edited December 19, 2021 by New_to_casio_girl

[Tsquare]

My 2 cents............. I would avoid any tutorials using Synthesia which all look like this: 

Instead, find a lesson with a real piano and a real human where the chord progressions are slowly and clearly shown/fingered on an overhead piano shot such as this: 

 

Learning scales, although important, are not conducive to enjoying the instrument as a beginner.  Focus instead on learning chord shapes (similar to how guitarist learn).   This will be the fastest way to learn a song and will greatly help you when advancing to sheet music notation.  I would also initially avoid using a keyboard's built-in "learning assistants" (e.g. auto accompaniment).   Typically, those modes can't teach the concepts behind what's making you "sound good" and can become a crutch to learning. 

 

 

Edited December 21, 2021 by Tsquare

[Jokeyman123]

I just met and talked for quite awhile to "Uncle Floyd" at a recent recent book-signing, a wonderful, personable man who has the unique distinction of being one of the few remaining "stride" piano players-and is a walking encyclopedia of thousands of songs he can play and sing. And guess what-he can't read or write music at all. Wouldn't let him in the musician's union-a man who has subsequently entertained thousands of people, done thousands of TV shows and raised huge amounts of money for many charities. His 2 brothers aren't shabby musicians either.....

Doesn't seem to slow him down at all. And a remarkable story-teller-comes from the old burlesque and vaudeville school of musicians. I asked him how he learned to play this very difficult style so well-he just picked it up as he went along-listening to others, watching how they played-he quoted Eubie Blake as one influence.

 

My point being-if you really want to learn to play-you'll find the way that works for you. I still teach-and primarily focus on "feeling" your way around the keys-learning to play simple tunes, simple left hand accompaniments-like TSquare said-its a mechanical device-a machine in a sense-if you master the mechanical aspects of it, it will come to you. and make sure you listen to what you play! I was shocked in music school to learn-many of the most advanced classical players had no sense of melody-they could not even hum back what they just played! If you can hear it in your head- you'll figure out how to play it.

 

Just my 2 cents. You know who else is a good player to watch-Chico Marx-notice how he plays melodies-he literally pointed himself to notes-looks childish, but it isn't. He was conservatory trained, and yet still could play like this. Classical teachers talk a bout "anchor tones"-if you can find a few notes without looking-and use these to find the others.

 

My classical instructors had me learn how to shift my hands around from octave to octave-very easy once you get the hang of it. Watch Liberace too-looks so advanced, but it isn't! He was just playing one-two chords arpeggiated across many octaves hand over hand. And it doesn't hurt to know some theory-but remember scores are only guides to how to play something. The sooner you can get away from playing the written scores, playing from memory, the easier it gets.

Edited December 22, 2021 by Jokeyman123

[FnkyGrov]

On 12/21/2021 at 11:18 AM, Tsquare said:

My 2 cents............. I would avoid any tutorials using Synthesia which all look like this: 

 

Oof, that looks like Chordana. And having had a brush with it, I can agree it's not the best way to learn. 

[Brockesound]

On 12/22/2021 at 2:08 AM, Jokeyman123 said:

You know who else is a good player to watch-Chico Marx-notice how he plays melodies-he literally pointed himself to notes

Good suggestion! Really impressive play style of Mr. Marx, funny but so skilled, wow! It seems he have infinite time to point at this notes before striking the key. I find myself starring at his index finger for the now...now...now...to late 🤣 Thank you for that!

[New_to_casio_girl]

Thanks for your replies all! I don't see a button to like the posts. Yes, Joe that's exactly what I mean. I hear from people learning guitar or ukulele and they just start playing chords without first mastering theory. I have taken piano lessons where the teacher starts out by saying I need to learn all the scales in every key and all the major and minor chords and inversions.  Seeing as I don't want to be a performing pianist, but rather just accompany myself, it's too much. I looked at Scott Houston but the course is pretty expensive. I decided to try a Udemy.com class called Piano for all. So far so good. Starts with key of C and teaches you some styles in that key. If I can play in C, G, BFlat I will be able to do a lot.

[Jokeyman123]

One other piece and I'll shut up-well maybe more than-my jazz instructors taught me the circle of 4ths and 5ths and I didn't understand why all the fuss-until I saw how this completely explains-almost everything you would ever need to know about theory. Flats, sharps, key signatures, improvising-Bach used the circle of fifths to go through his Inventions, to cover all the key signatures that were impossible to play until the even-tempered (and still not so good) piano existed. 

 

I teach my students this way-because once you understand these, all my technique practice, and memorizing key signatures-I go through all 12 keys like this-with scales, chords, arpeggios, progressions-it all makes complete sense.  C-G-D-A-E-B-F#-C#-G#-D#-A# circle of 5ths. Circle of 4ths for flats. F-Bb-Eb-Ab-Db-Gb-Cb-Fb which is of course E. When a jazz or other improvisor wants to be play "outside" as is the term-they will play in F# over a C chord, a C# over a G chord-this is the diminished 5th or sharp 4, which-if you examine the circle of 4ths and 5ths-you will see these 2 root tones are exactly opposite each other.

 

My brother told me a funny story-he was in a jazz class with I think it was Rufus Reid-one of the students was demonstrating an improvisation and tried this "trick" and the teacher yelled at him-saying-you don't have enough experience to play "outside"! Yeah some of these seasoned players could be pretty tough!