Best Way to Learn Piano/Theory?

S

ShadyWun

New member
Hey...

Im defintely interested in learning piano and music theory....thinking about taking classes but Ive done that already and it sure wasnt cheap....around $40/hour. I feel those sessions werent very productive and it just ended up with me practicing basic scales all night long. Do you guys recommend any software or DVDs that would help me out a ton? Ive tried learning from websites but honestly, I just cant stare at a computer screen after 9 hours of doing the same thing at work....I definitely need something visually stimulating (DVD, software w/ audio/video, etc..)....any suggestions? Thanks..

Aaron
 
Im trying this course called relative and perfect pitch , its an audio course.
Its a lot of work , its a really good ear trainer though.

http://www.perfectpitch.com/rpsuccess.htm

I dont think there's an easy way to learn music theory , I think depends on how bad you really want to learn it.
If theres a simple way to learn it , id luv to know. lol


peeeeeece
 
I think first of all you might want to decide what styles of music you like. The two main streams for studying theory lie within the classical and the jazz traditions and the way they are taught in each is usually quite different. I don't think you can go wrong by learning some classical harmony which is what I did. I think you will always benefit from some classical training because it can teach you how to listen and understand certain principles of motion and development in music. In saying this however, there are many ways to approach learning. I'm sure there are instructional DVD's and CD's out there but personally I think you still need traditional skills of writing harmony because they will take you inside the music. Skill in harmony writing is acquired through patient study so be prepared to take it slowly. Some good places to start are:
1) Get a music score and a copy of the music on CD and learn how to follow the music while listening. Initially it doesn't matter if you don't understand that much about what's going on, you will learn to recognise certain shapes.
2) Get some manuscript paper and practice writing out the notes.
3) Ear training: This is very important. You need to learn how to recognize the different intervals which make up chords and melodies.

If you can't afford a teacher look around and see if you can find a group lesson. There may be an easier way to be introduced to the concepts before you go into more detailed study. There seem to be some good online resources, here's one: http://www.tonalityguide.com/introoverview.php But I understand your point about staring at computer screens.
Remember that, as with production, improvement takes perseverence so stick at it, you will learn slowly and the skills you develop will find their way into your music before you even realise :)
 
Last edited:
Some good advice above. You gotta remember that most of the great jazz musicians of all time, started out listening to songs, and trying to transcribe them. This is probably the single most important thing you could do. It doesn't have to be jazz, but pick a song you like, then try to play it on the piano. Then try to study its structure, and find patterns, in an attempt to understand why things work. It'll be really hard at first, but the rewards are amazing.

Build a system of transcribing that works for you, maybe try figuring out the bass first, or the melody, then adding the harmony above that. Take it slow and don't worry if it takes a long, long time. Give it enough time and you'll be able to "hear" everything that happens in a song, and you'll be able to play everything you hear in your head.
 
Yeah i think patience is an enourmous part im teachin myself howw to play until i get to go to lessons but now im learnin alot cuz i get to take breaks and use what i learned but even the most simple song i give myself about 2 hours to practice
 
i appreciate it yall....yeah i think thats a good idea..recreating songs and just listening to peices over and over can definitely be a great assistance....
 
ShadyWun said:
Im defintely interested in learning piano and music theory....thinking about taking classes but Ive done that already and it sure wasnt cheap....around $40/hour. I feel those sessions werent very productive and it just ended up with me practicing basic scales all night long.
Click to expand...
If you weren't satisfied with the pace or quality of the lessons, you probably didn't have a good teacher. A good teacher will assess you skill level, inquire about your goals and teach you accordingly.

If you decide to look for another one, ask as many questions as possible before your first lesson. Ask if they're strong in a particular genre... before you tell them what genre you're interested in. Beware of teachers claiming to be good at everything. Ask about their lesson format. You want to hear something like "it depends on you". Basically, you want someone that knows there stuff, but is also going to individualize the lessons.

I found a guitar teacher for $25/hr once, and he was pretty good. Shop around. Treat it like you're looking for a house or car. Even ask if you can get a free first lesson.

ShadyWun said:
Do you guys recommend any software or DVDs that would help me out a ton? Ive tried learning from websites but honestly, I just cant stare at a computer screen after 9 hours of doing the same thing at work....I definitely need something visually stimulating (DVD, software w/ audio/video, etc..)....any suggestions? Thanks..
Click to expand...
I've had good success with Alfred Publishing books/CDs/DVDs. The have books/CDs/DVDs that are general as well as some that cover specific genres. They're good about giving you a topic, then providing examples, and then suggesting ways to expound on your own. I recommend their stuff highly.

But a good teacher is the best, quickest and most efficient way to go. You can't ask a book questions. A book won't point out bad form and help you avoid developing bad habits. And a book can't individualize lessons.
 
I went out and got that music theory for dummies book. Read it a few times and then got one of those Alfred publishing teach ya self the piano and both of those work out pretty good. I later cop a whole book of the beatles songs in music notation(hey im all hip hop but these guys are one of the best song writers ever) to see what is going on in there music plus try to play it. Some times i hit brick walls with all of this but i think to me its a must to learn all the placements of the notes on a musical staff(abcdefgabcdefg) so as long as the song is in cmajor or a minor youll always be able to read it( i had a hard time if the song was not in cmaj scale at first). Next pay a close on the rhythem (ya know whole notes half nots quater notes) . See alot of this is already in us and it shows when we play but once you really understand this youll understand why the placement of notes are so much a must to know plus itll help ya better get whats in ya head out down(even if your in front of your equipment or just some paper)once you learn them notes. Next comes chords and thats what adds body to your tracks.....thats a little tip from me hope it helps....im still learning and its helping me
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top