I really want to learn piano, but I don't really have the money to pay for lessons. Is there an easy enough way to learn, without having to hire someone to teach me? I almost went into a piano class at school for next year, but my current schedule won't allow it, so that fell through.. But I really want to learn another instrument. Since I already play flute, I already know how to read notes, so that should make it a little easier..

Thanks!

^_^

I really want to learn piano, but I don't really have the money to pay for lessons. Is there an easy enough way to learn, without having to hire someone to teach me? I almost went into a piano class at school for next year, but my current schedule won't allow it, so that fell through.. But I really want to learn another instrument. Since I already play flute, I already know how to read notes, so that should make it a little easier..

Thanks!

^_^

If you can already read the notes then just pic a piece and try to play. self teaching is far more common now days. There is plenty of online help that can be accessed via Google but first just sit at your piano and try it for an hour or more.

If you can already read the notes then just pic a piece and try to play. self teaching is far more common now days. There is plenty of online help that can be accessed via Google but first just sit at your piano and try it for an hour or more.

I'll try that, but I'm not sure what keys are which notes.. and that sort of thing. :\

you just sit and study like two hours every day, you can find some pages in google to learn some easey piano, it will help a lot.

you just sit and study like two hours every day, you can find some pages in google to learn some easey piano, it will help a lot.

Okay, since school's over for the summer I should have more time to do that. :heh: Thanks for the tip, guys!

i had trouble reading notes but i picked up piano by myself after listening to lost my music piano's version. Theres a public piano in my school so i'll be there when im free. of course w/o proper teaching i gotta say it will take time to get used to playing the piano. Its definitely different from flute where u play only melody. just keep up with a passion in music and u'll get past the early difficult stages

Self Teaching is much better than getting a Tutor.

You should start, if not already, by learning to play the main parts of pieces (Right hand), then when you think you are ready, try learn both hands on an easy piece, something like Treasured Memories from Kingdom Hearts, and gradually increase the difficulty of the pieces.

It's how i did it.

Self Teaching is much better than getting a Tutor.

In the event that you're just starting out--teach yourself as much as you can (which depends on how talented/very hardworking you are) but you can't become some great pianist or musician with solely teaching yourself. Only rock musicians and some jazz go on teaching themselves--and that's because it involves a lot of improvisation.

What i mean is if music is on your timetable don't take private sessions, you'll cover what you need to know in the normal lessons and you can build on that.

What i mean is if music is on your timetable don't take private sessions, you'll cover what you need to know in the normal lessons and you can build on that.


Yes, "normal" lessons you take at music stores, not even private lessons or lesson clinics rented at piano (ex. in my signature; the Steinway Gallery) stores.

I picked up piano by myself too, though it wasn't without a lot of determination and patience. I started by observing my brother while he was banging away on our old keyboard (which is older than me, lol), and then imitating him. Now I can play pieces like "To Zarnakand" (though it took me a month to learn that, with 2-4 hours of practice a day). The fingering and stuff does take some getting used to, but after awhile it'll be engrained in your subconscious mind and your fingers will move more naturally.

If you really love the piano and love making music, you'll be able to pull through the initial step.

All the best!

I play the Clarinet and i just got my piano a few days ago, and my friend is going to help me learn since she's been playing for 8 years. But you can read the RIGHT hand parts, Bass cleff notes are different, though im not sure how to read flute music. For the clarinet and the right hand, the notes are the same, but for the Bass clef what looks like a D becomes an F.

Sorry if i sound stupid >_>

Learning piano is pretty simple all you need to know is the notes basically and you need alot of pratice and patience lol i learn piano by myself and ive been playing for a year and something months and im really happy that i can play the piano the way i do... i want to get better but i just need to pratice lol... but yeah just learn the notes and pratice!?

learning piano may seem really hard but after playing a song perfectly after a lot of days and hours of practice makes the effort (and sometimes fustration) all worth it !! :)

learning piano is not as simple as wat most ppl tink. Curve your fingers, fingering mux be correct and so on =.='' but if you play piano for long you will almost 4get about curving your fingers.

learning piano is not as simple as wat most ppl tink. Curve your fingers, fingering mux be correct and so on =.='' but if you play piano for long you will almost 4get about curving your fingers.

yeah, my tutor said that my fingers look like a spider when I play xD

pedal timing is hard too

haha ^_^ learning piano was pretty simple for me...i taught myself how to do it so if somebody tells you that you need to take lessons to play amazingly! you really dont need it (of course if you want to, whatever)

^_^ i started when i heard this song from Chrono Cross and i REALLY wanted to play it so i just went on the internet and looked it up and found it and then i went and tried it on this really old looking keyboard (not really old age, it just hasnt been use in a while, lol) and i wrote the notes on it so i know which ones is which and i knew the notes from Junior High music class and i thought that it wouldnt come in handy! haha but it did! ^_^ but i didnt finish the song though, haha! but i knew how to play from that point and i just kept practicing...the first song i played was LOST from Xenogear...and after i finished that, i tried learning MEMORIES OF LIGHTWAVES from the FFX-2 game but i just couldnt get the left hand part...so i skipped that and went on to WINTER SLEEP by Olivia Lufkin and i figured out how to play that, haha! but the left hand part was EASIER for me, haha! i mean, it was fast but still, i could do it but it took me a while to get use to it...and after that song, i went back to the MEMORIES OF LIGHTWAVES one and the left hand just came to me like i did it for years! haha ^_^ it was so freaky ^_^

but yeap! ^_^ i been playing ever since ^_^

learning piano is not as simple as wat most ppl tink. Curve your fingers, fingering mux be correct and so on =.='' but if you play piano for long you will almost 4get about curving your fingers.

umm...not really, i mean...when i started playing, i didnt use the right fingers...i just use the fingers that makes it much easier for me to play and i still play the same way i did then which kinda confuses people at my church though 'cause they take/took lessons and they wonder how i play the way i do and some of my fingerings arent even on the rigth keys and i just tell them that it just...happens, lol but i guess i get what your saying =/

learning piano is not as simple as wat most ppl tink. Curve your fingers, fingering mux be correct and so on =.='' but if you play piano for long you will almost 4get about curving your fingers.
Thats why you should teach yourself. If you can play a song, you can play it (I know it sounds stupid but I hope you understand what I mean). It doesn't matter which finger you use for which key as long as it sounds good.

Maybe that's something for health of the fingers or attaining speed or something? Perhaps the advice can be mixed: self-teach, however now and then, perform a piece under professional supervision, who can write down a bunch of tips for you and do some corrections, and maybe touch you up every month or two or to help with tough pieces advice-wise?

I like anime music way more than normal music, I wish I could learn piano using just anime music. The only thing is, while they arrange books for beginners via progressive difficulty, I don't know any books like this for anime.

If we could watch an anime episode with the song, it'd have a more emotional impact and you'd want to play it more strongly, and then you could go and do it. However, some anime music is really hard and really easy, but it's hard to think which and in what order off the top of your head.

Ahem.
I'm the picky one, so sorry if I sound mean. :P

Well, you can read treble clef, and thank goodness you play flute rather than calrinet or trumpet (or some other instrument that isn't in C), because you'll be playing pitches you're used to.
However, teach yourself to read bass clef, it isn't that hard, so just get a little practice.

Now, here comes me being me.

I'm a clasically trained pianist, so I promsie, I know what I'm talking about.

I taught myself when I was younger, for about a year before my mom cracked and gave me lessons. If you're actually serious about piano, that's aweomse! =]
However, chances are, when it comes to technique...you'll teach yourself incorrectly. And, if you ever play infront of someone who's a pianist, you'll be told this.

There is a way to teach yourself proper technique, but it's annoying.
Play notes correctly is good and all, but I'd look up some technique practices, having good technique doesn't come naturally.

As a flautist, though, I think you should be quite picky with technique (all of my flute-playing friends are freaks about their flute technique, =P)

Sorry if I'm making little sense, I'm coasting on very little sleep, haha.

BUT!
I wish you the best of luck with piano, but try to get some lessons after a while (if you find that you're actually getting the hang of it).

learning piano is not as simple as wat most ppl tink. Curve your fingers, fingering mux be correct and so on =.='' but if you play piano for long you will almost 4get about curving your fingers.

Sorry for the double post, what a newb move. =P

By the by,
don't really listen to this guy.
If you find a better fingering that produces the same results, USE it.


And, curve your fingers (they'll go naturally flat on black keys, so don't worry) but keep a relaxed wrist. Like, how they are you put them at your sides.

(gripping tennis balls should give you an idea of a "piano hand", and it builds the muscles in your hand)

looks like we're doing the same thing(or will be from september)
i have flute clases,
but i'm going to self teach piano, i have a couple of books for the basics but other than that i'll just practise for at least an hour a day on sheet music(lilium, to zanarkand...)

Way I learnt piano was;

2 Christmases ago, my parents bought me a Hemingway Piano after they asked me what I wanted a month before, and I jokingly said "a piano", I was shocked when they actually had bought me it.

So I decided since it was so fun to play at school, I googled some things I knew, found Ichigos with KH sheet music, and sat down and tried to learn them.

Now it's really fun because I can play, and I've learnt a knew skill all because of a joke :sweat:.

I only just began taking lessons at school, and we've started with what I was doing 2 years ago -_-, so hopefully it will pick up into the more difficult stuff soon.

Ahem.
I'm the picky one, so sorry if I sound mean. :P

Well, you can read treble clef, and thank goodness you play flute rather than calrinet or trumpet (or some other instrument that isn't in C), because you'll be playing pitches you're used to.
However, teach yourself to read bass clef, it isn't that hard, so just get a little practice.

Now, here comes me being me.

I'm a clasically trained pianist, so I promsie, I know what I'm talking about.

I taught myself when I was younger, for about a year before my mom cracked and gave me lessons. If you're actually serious about piano, that's aweomse! =]
However, chances are, when it comes to technique...you'll teach yourself incorrectly. And, if you ever play infront of someone who's a pianist, you'll be told this.

There is a way to teach yourself proper technique, but it's annoying.
Play notes correctly is good and all, but I'd look up some technique practices, having good technique doesn't come naturally.

As a flautist, though, I think you should be quite picky with technique (all of my flute-playing friends are freaks about their flute technique, =P)

Sorry if I'm making little sense, I'm coasting on very little sleep, haha.

BUT!
I wish you the best of luck with piano, but try to get some lessons after a while (if you find that you're actually getting the hang of it).

I totally understand what you mean. I'm a classically trained pianist too.
My teacher always tells me that technique helps to add zest to a song, because it flows smoother with better transitions.

Not to say that people that learn piano themselves can't play as well, it's just that they might not know how to do it. With a teacher they can show you.

P.S Remember that the most important thing about music is playing with emotion. Don't just read the score.

Agreed. I am also a classically trained pianist and have friends who self teach. Although it is possible to self teach, it's best too get a teacher as soon as possible since learning proper technique isn't always easy. Also a teacher can suggest better fingerings and can help with difficult passages.

I know there was a discussion on using curved fingers, or correct fingerings, etc. This is for a few reasons (and reasons will differ from whichever piece you're playing). The common reasons are :

1) It's the most comfortable you will play*
2) Healthier for fingers**
3) Able to play faster and cleaner
4) Quality of sound and notes***
5) Feel more confident in playing; easier to remember, either if you're a genius or not

*(this is after you get it down, ofc)
**(If they bend and are flat, they can begin to hurt, and can cause some problems if you continue on)
***(connecting increases/articulation and the sound isn't harsh-- with or w/o pedal)

I taught myself a few years ago, and then started lessons. I never worked on technique all until now... or at least didn't pay much attention to it; my teachers just went on as I did, except now my current teacher knows it's time to get as masterful as I possibly can. And from a pianist, like myself, who started very late, didn't go through all the method books and Scarlatti sonatas for technique, I have gotten very considering of writing better method books for all ages and stages using original works and philosophies that I am started to develop about young children, tweens, teens, young adults, adults and elders. I am especially interested on children and tweens for the way they develop; it's important to the student, or the player, that they actually want to play the piano, but also have the least bit of dedication to work on some scales or simplistic exercises (which is a lot harder to re-invent than you think, hehe) for at least 10 minutes a day, or whenever you play.

Sorry for the long conclusion, it's just that I am really getting interested in all of this, and have been for the last year and a half. Good luck! (? XD)

umm...not really, i mean...when i started playing, i didnt use the right fingers...i just use the fingers that makes it much easier for me to play and i still play the same way i did then which kinda confuses people at my church though 'cause they take/took lessons and they wonder how i play the way i do and some of my fingerings arent even on the rigth keys and i just tell them that it just...happens, lol but i guess i get what your saying =/

Yeah, I've played for 10 years,
& I still sometimes use some weird fingerings when I play :heh:

It can make it easier or harder, depending on what your playing.

learning piano is not as simple as wat most ppl tink. Curve your fingers, fingering mux be correct and so on =.='' but if you play piano for long you will almost 4get about curving your fingers.

True but i guess playing for leisure is different since they do not need to sit for piano examinations..Therefore if you are aiming to get a certificate then get a tutor but if you just want to learn for fun then self tutor.

And, curve your fingers (they'll go naturally flat on black keys, so don't worry)


I would say this is incorrect. If you have correct fingering, then your fingers should never go flat. Even on black keys. Straightening fingers creates tension which disrupts the piece, and if you hit a key (black or white) with straight fingers, it'll be very hard to get the result you want.

Always aim to have curved fingers. If its impossible to do when you need to stretch a lot of keys on one hand (e.g a rachmaninoff piece) then you will need to have them straight. But you should only be playing pieces which require stretch after several years of playing.

Morale of the story, keep your fingers curved at all times for best results.

Always aim to have curved fingers. If its impossible to do when you need to stretch a lot of keys on one hand (e.g a rachmaninoff piece) then you will need to have them straight. But you should only be playing pieces which require stretch after several years of playing.


Stretch really doesn't require years of playing, since people can still have very small hands when they're 35. That's when rolling the chord comes in. It's basically just arpeggiating a chord in which you can't reach by playing all the notes at once.

Simple solution for anyone, even though I still encourage the use of careful stretching exercises, at and away from the piano.

I just started learning to play piano about 3 months now.
Though I don't have any owned-instruments, I struggle to pay about $2/hours to rent instruments..., and lend my friend's keyboard to practise myself.


Since I have passion in music, especially Electone, piano &
keyboard, I could pass the early stage of re-fingering & re-relaxing my fingers to touch all the black keys, since I played Electone about 10 years ago !

Also I didn't know that my fingering was wrong until I get proper teaching from Yamaha Course, especially with 3b/4b/5b/6b/and 7b. Strangely since the fingering of 1#,2#,3#,4#,5# is almost the same so I can cover it pretty quickly, and the difficulty is upped with 6# and 7#.

The basic+variation chords, and improvisation from my was-self-taught in Electone really helps, especially the feeling and chording left-fingers, but it IS really different when playing piano while you must have agile left fingers too.
[ I was focusing on my right hand ]


So here I am back to Music World !
Now I am going to have a test on Grade 1 and 2 on Piano course

I just started learning to play piano about 3 months now.
Though I don't have any owned-instruments, I struggle to pay about $2/hours to rent instruments..., and lend my friend's keyboard to practise myself.


Since I have passion in music, especially Electone, piano &
keyboard, I could pass the early stage of re-fingering & re-relaxing my fingers to touch all the black keys, since I played Electone about 10 years ago !

Also I didn't know that my fingering was wrong until I get proper teaching from Yamaha Course, especially with 3b/4b/5b/6b/and 7b. Strangely since the fingering of 1#,2#,3#,4#,5# is almost the same so I can cover it pretty quickly, and the difficulty is upped with 6# and 7#.

The basic+variation chords, and improvisation from my was-self-taught in Electone really helps, especially the feeling and chording left-fingers, but it IS really different when playing piano while you must have agile left fingers too.
[ I was focusing on my right hand ]


So here I am back to Music World !
Now I am going to have a test on Grade 1 and 2 on Piano course

Lol... fingerings.
I've never had a teacher, so my fingerings are all mostly bad xD
Upon researching a bit, I came to a conclusion that as long as your hands don't look mentally challenged, the fingerings are good!
I started to curve my fingers and avoid weird finger movements -_O

Anyway, congrats on coming back to the world of music ^_^

I've learned from a teacher for years now, it's really not as fun as it sounds. If you're going to learn, save yourself the money and learn yourself.

True, Its boring if you dont like classical music. Because thats what the majority of most all piano teacher's teach as a basis. And I think its a good base to learn as classical "of the highest class" type of music can give you good base piano skills. But after learning all your keys scales tricks and what not, If you do not enjoy classical music like me... You'll find it very boring to continue on to "PLAY songs you "DO NOT LIKE"". I didnt really find that out till recently if your forced to learn and play songs you do not like, you will not only not play it well, but piano will become very boring.

Thats when your supposed to go off on your own to start looking for songs you do like, find that sheet music or compose it yourself. Thats when you really start to "enjoy and love piano"