(Part 2) Best books about pianos according to redditors
We found 1,131 Reddit comments discussing the best books about pianos. We ranked the 360 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.
Let me guess. Your sightreading is a weakness. You sound like one of the panoply of stories I hear of students who can play amazing pieces of music, but basically have been taught like trained monkeys their whole life. Look at the page... decode where your fingers go... repeat until perfect and memorize very quickly. You likely are always working on difficult and impressive music. There's just something that seems almost unique to piano culture that students are often taught to sprint before they can crawl. Move from one ridiculous difficult piece to the next... maybe learn 3-6 pieces of incredibly dense music a year.
People seem to get pissed at me when I recommend avoiding this approach... avoid overly difficult music even if you love it... avoid constant rote memorization, even if you're just a hobbyist.
Sure, some people manage to pick up the other skills along the way by accident or osmosis, but all too often your situation is what results from this approach to music.
I've been playing roughly half as long as you and didn't start seriously until my late 20s and I'm making a career of it. I can prepare a lot of music somewhat quickly and I get better at it all the time. I don't do this to make you feel bad, but to give you some perspective. Don't feel bad... it's not a lost cause. You probably absolutely trounce me in many areas of technique. You have huge advantages so if I could do it, you certainly can do it.
If you want to fix all of this you first need to drop any ego you have. You need to not care what other people think about how bad you sound or how childish the stuff you practice is. The constant one-upmanship in the classical piano community is what has gotten you in this spot. Stop caring what people think and work on what you actually need to work on to make progress.
Start at the beginning and don't try to tell yourself that you're above anything. In my opinion, no piece of music is too easy. If you can't sightread it effortlessly with good musicality then there is something to be learned from it. That might mean you're playing the simplest songs out of the most childish books... so-fucking-be-it.
You obviously are willing to work at it, but like many people, you're putting all your effort in the wrong places. Some of that may be that you're just misguided, but some of it might be the human tendency to avoid things that are hard and toward things that are an easier path.
Like I always say, it's exactly why people seem either be good readers or good at playing by ear, but rarely both. Once someone finds one way of doing something that works for them, they start avoiding the other one. In so doing, they get even better at the one and even worse (relatively) at the other and eventually they are completely unwilling to try the other because they have their easier path.
"Why am I trying to play this by ear... I could just sightread it easier?"
"Why am I trying to decode these stupid dots... I could play it by ear easier and make a better arrangement?"
Both fall into the groove of the path of least resistance.
Additionally, people with some background are far more resistant to actually starting at the beginning and fixing their foundation. They gloss over the stuff they think they already know never bothering to actually put it under their fingers and find out. They read something sloppily and "close enough" they say before jumping to reading something way too hard. They think that by just throwing themselves at harder problem, they will somehow magically get there. I tend to use the analogy of someone going to the gym every day and attempting to bench press 300 lbs. They never work up to it, they just try and fail every day hoping that some day they will magically have figured out how to do it.
It doesn't work that way. You have to build yourself up to that point. Likewise, you have to build up the musical muscles that will allow you to actually accomplish the lofty goals you keep throwing yourself at. You can say you work really hard, but if you just spend 2 hours every day trying to move 300 lbs. fruitlessly, what are you actually accomplishing?
Reading
Get this book. It's offensively easy. Deal with it. Worst case scenario you read effortlessly and breezily through it's 500+ exercises in 5 finger position and you're out 10 bucks, but most likely you won't absolutely nail it. You'll find some tricky rhythm or some weird issue with accidentals.
Every tiny thing like that is a weakness... work it out and it becomes a strength. You just need to weed out the 100s of these you likely have in technique, decoding, theory, etc. and slowly work up to the point where they are like breathing.
When you're done with the book... read it again if you feel like you need to. Then go grab some beginner books. Surely in your position you have access to tons of them. Sightread those. Keep your eyes on the page and force yourself not to check your hands. Learn to know where they are. Learn to associate what you see on the page with what you're playing.
From there you can just work your way up. Go to a used book store and find shitty old songbook collections of stuff that looks about at you level and read. If something is a bit too hard, maybe learn it. Either way you should be finding easy-ish stuff that you can digest and polish in a few days to a week. Optimally you should be learning several small pieces like this in parallel. These are the pieces that are nearly sightreadable but contain small weakness. Maybe a rhythm that's difficult, or a chord you're not comfortable wrapping your fingers around, or maybe a brisk tempo that tests your technique. Work these out... weaknesses become strengths and eventually you'll just be sightreading this stuff... expose yourself to as much different stuff as you can. A variety of styles will also really help if possible.
Read. Every. Day!
Ear
Play simple songs by ear. Just force yourself to do it. Either turn on some simple pop on the radio, or find a bunch of children's song on Spotify or whatever. You should be able to bring in at least the most basic theory to this. Most songs will be diatonic, so out of the 12 note available, you've already eliminated 5 and only have 7 to choose from. You can probably hear when something is tonic. You should eventually be able to hear if something is stable and part of the I chord (do-mi-sol; 1-3-5). Ultimately everything else just wants to lean to those. Over time you'll start associating these things with chord and chord tones, but for now, just try to do it.
Find the key by locating the tonic, then pick out he melody. Stick to simple things. Hunt and peck to start as needed, but quickly transition to not taking blind stabs but instead listening and making educated guesses before hitting a key. You'll progress quickly from a lot of mistakes to pretty good accuracy so long as you stick to simple music.
Eventually move to picking out the bass line. You said you're good at theory. From the bass line of simple nursery rhymes or pop music, you should be able to figure out the chord progression. Most of the bass notes will be roots, though occasionally they will be inversions. You'll learn through a bit of trial and error to recognize common motions of this stuff. In simple music there aren't that many progressions and you'll learn to recognize them quickly enough.
At some point you might want to try transcribing them first with the aid of the piano, but eventually without... just being aware of the pitch relationships... sketch the melody... figure out the bass (solfege is helpful if you know it) and make either a lead sheet with chords or a simple arrangement by filling in the middle. This will work your ear and force you to make associations with music that will improve your reading as you puzzle out things like rhythm from the reverse end.
Once you're good at this, you'll likely naturally move to more and more complex stuff and much like with reading practice, you'll notice the parts that you identify quickly (Oh, that was V-I) and maybe find some things that catch you off guard (was that I-bIII?) You'll learn it... put in your back pocket and once again weaknesses become strengths. The more ideas you're aware of, the better you'll get at doing it unaided.
Chords and Improvisation
I've been meaning to make a video about chords for a couple of weeks now. I guess I need to buckle down and do it because I just don't think I can adequately explain to you what you need to do in text. I'll give you a spoiler. The first step is to play up and down your diatonic triads in every key. Say them out loud as chords... say them out loud as Roman numerals. Internalize them. At the very least you should be able to instantly tell me the V and IV of any key I call out... hopefully the vi too. Make flash cards if you want to practice this away from the piano. Then start playing progressions in every key. This will force you to think about them quickly.
Improvisation needs to start simpler... like everything you're trying to do. Don't give yourself no limits... make strict limits. I made a video that honestly needs some updating at this point but it will get you started.
I wouldn't even worry about jazz at this point, but if you really want to get started, start working through this book. Also use this video to help guide you though some things you need to start with. The book will lay all of this 3-7 stuff out to you on the page, but internalize them and make a leadsheet to play them from.
Best place to start is to find your local chapter of the Piano Technician's Guild and start attending meetings. As a whole, piano technicians are a pretty awesome bunch who are always willing to share their knowledge.
A good book to get you started is Piano Servicing, Tuning, and Rebuilding. Most public/university libraries will have a copy of this. This book isn't necessarily up to date with modern practices, but it'll give you some idea of overall concepts and techniques.
I would also find a copy of The Piano Book which will give you a nice overview of the piano and the piano market. This one is often in libraries as well.
I would strongly suggest Piano Parts and Their Functions which is full of diagrams that will get you speaking in the same language as other piano technicians.
The Wonders of the Piano: The Anatomy of the Instrument is a great overview of the whole piano design and construction process but it may be tricky to find.
For education beyond the PTG, you have a couple of options. Many technicians learn via home correspondence courses. The most popular course is Randy Potter's Course. It takes a certain kind of individual to really learn from these kind of courses. Many pair a course like this with an apprenticeship which helps to fill in gaps in education. Your other option is to attend a trade school. There are a number of piano technology schools in the US which are a great way to jump-start your career.
With regards to tools, there are a few things you have to have and then many more that you start to collect over time. To solve about 95% of problems, you need about $1500-$2000 in tools. Just to get started, expect $200 - $500. Your most important tool is your tuning lever. Avoid apprentice tuning levers. They are cheap but they will slow down your learning significantly.
Feel free to ask more questions. There are a handful of techs lurking in /r/piano :).
This one?
I like this one a whole lot: Complete Preludes, Nocturnes & Waltzes: 26 Preludes, 21 Nocturnes, 19 Waltzes for Piano (Schirmer's Library of Musical Classics) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0634099205/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_7OVPBbN1N403W
It's also extremely affordable.
> What would be required of me to learn to tune pianos?
You need average hearing (wouldn't hurt to be above average), average mobility and average strength, LOTS of willpower, patience and LOTS of time (seriously, it's just as demanding as learning to play the piano). You will also need some money for tools and materials.
The previous musical experience is nice but not at all required. It will not be of much use (trust me, 10 years at a conservatory + 4 years of private lessons were completely useless on my first experiments; the engineering background was far more useful).
> Where to begin?
I had to take option #5 because of geographical, financial, and other limitations. It's hard. I'd suggest to explore the other alternatives before trying that one.
Whatever route you take, lots of techs have taken it before. There are A HELL OF A LOT of techs who took option 5.
You can combine several of those options...
Whatever route you take, it wouldn't hurt if you start doing some reading.
Start by reading this and this.
Those will get you an idea of what to expect.
It's not just about tuning. Do yourself a favour and don't think about "just getting into tuning." Strings break, keys feel funny, pedals don't work... You frequently need many skills before even putting the tuning hammer on a pin.
You should at least lurk here and here.
Techs usually don't like people who take the DIY until they prove they can do stuff. See, piano techs are tired of people telling them what they do is super easy. They are tired of people using pliers to mutilate pianos...
Piano techs use weird tools. You don't need all of them at first, but it wouldn't hurt to start a tool fund. Do not even look at cheap tools. Things are already complicated, getting shitty tools will only cause you to suffer and curse. You will also, eventually, need some supplies.
I am NOT a piano technician, but I spent some time learning about this stuff and know how it is to start from nothing. OnaZ is a practicing piano technician (I think there are some others around here).
Amazon link for anyone interested in buying it.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0739082965/ref=sr_1_1_olp?ie=UTF8&qid=1372803515&sr=8-1&keywords=the+legend+of+zelda+series+for+piano&condition=new
You can buy a second hand fullsized casio keyboard to get you started, they will be pretty cheap. If you end up sticking with it, then spend some time and money on a good one.
This is a good book series to get you started;
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017OBN7CK/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i0
ALWAYS start out slow (any piece that you're playing should be a piece you're comfortable playing both slow and fast), and don't freak out if there's 572156th rests. I always listen to a piece on Youtube (if there is one), and mark up my score.
I've been playing for 8 years and I am still honing and sharpening my feel and pulse. Don't ever freak out-you're a beginner with a very common problem.
Like @ttovotsttnt (how do you tag people pls halp), metronomes are a great tool to help with rhythm and pulse. Get a cheap one-with a dial, or a one where you push buttons to adjust.
Finally, SIGHT-READING! A very, very good way to hone your feel and pulse is to sight-read rhythms. Get this book (https://www.amazon.com/Rhythmic-Training-Robert-Starer/dp/0769293751) to help you. I use this once every time I practice as a warm-up. Left hand as beat, right hand as rhythm. (For a challenge, say the beats as you use your hands too).
I wish you the best of luck in succeeding in vioWINNING at life.
Ideally, you'd find a Jazz teacher who can step you up from the basics, but, if that's not the case:
First, if your core music theory is not solid, take a few weeks to brush up on that. Make sure you understand and can play:
- Major Chords & Inversions (i.e. C E G for C Major)
- Minor Chords & Inversions (i.e. C Eb G for C Minor)
- Dominant 7th Chords and Inversions (i.e. C E G Bb for C7)
- Memorize the circle of fifths (though in 4ths, which is much more applicable in Jazz - this is just in reverse - C F Bb Eb Ab Db Gb B E A D G) - this will show up everywhere in jazz, including the first book I'll recommend.
Now onto the jazz stuff:
I'm a hobbyist, not a professional, but this helped me immensely understand jazz quite a bit more.
Obviously advice like "Listen to jazz and try to transcribe" is good too, but that will make you hit frustrating walls if you have nowhere to start. Also, do not get "The Jazz Piano Book" by Mark Levine - it's more of a reference text, NOT a step by step learning book - even if someone recommends it - it's not for beginners.
If you really want to learn how to program beats like Atoms for Peace you should start by studying rhythm and syncopation exercises. Their music is all about layering dense syncopated beats and comes from decades of practice. Before you can create beats like that you need to be able to conceptualize them in your head. It doesn't have to have anything to do with a drum set either. Here's a good book to start out with that you can do with just your hands and feet:
http://www.amazon.com/Rhythmic-Training-Instructional-Robert-Starer/dp/0881889768/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0FSV5N9M1P1CGCWSHHCH
After a while you'll start to hear recurring patterns in all the music you listen to and they will become easier to recreate and expand upon.
There is a core set of basics that are common - e.g. understanding music notation, rhythms, time signatures, scales/keys, chords, being able to read and play hands together, etc. However, here are some differences I can think of off the top of my head:
Classical:
Rock/Pop:
One book that seems to get recommended a lot for learning pop/rock piano is Mark Harrison's Pop Piano Book. Although if you're a beginner, that probably still moves too fast. I don't know of a good comprehensive resource.
In addition to a teacher, there are:
Other technique books I haven't read or had a glance at:
Your mileage may vary. These books I haven't read are often very expensive or out of print, so you may need to go to a library.
I got this one recently and am having great fun with it:
Chopin Complete Preludes, Nocturnes & Waltzes: 26 Preludes, 21 Nocturnes, 19 Waltzes for Piano (Schirmer's Library of Musical Classics) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0634099205/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_bkkqybDPYTAZX
A fake book is a book of tunes that just contains a lead sheet, with only the melody and chords (usually). Best example is of a fake book is (wittily named) The Real Book, which pretty much any jazz musician uses religiously.
To the OP: There is absolutely no substitute for taking legit lessons from a teacher who specializes in jazz. If you can play jazz well, you can play any non-classicaly genre (and it sounds like you already know how to play classical anyways). In the absence of good jazz instruction, you need to just play a shit-ton of chord voicings in every key and mode you can think of until you can fire off voicings for any chord progressions without having to move your hand all over the piano after every chord. If you want an especially good resource to teach you how to do this, the book I learned on is here. It gets boring as hell, but be able to do anything in that book from memory, and you'll have a really solid foundation for comping chords and putting a decently embellished melody over them.
Oh, also learn how to walk a bass line.
I have it too, and I love it (even if some of the pieces are above my skill level). I got it on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Legend-Zelda-Series-Piano/dp/0739082965/
Oscar Peterson's Jazz Etudes and this technique book by John Valerio come to mind!
Hmm, there isn't a simple answer to that. For theory, the idea of "level 5" is arbitrary, because I don't know what system you are using. PM me and I can ask you a few questions to give you a better sense of where you are with theory, but basically if you are getting into theory that is so advanced that you never are able to apply it and look for it in your rep, then you can probably rest easy, but there's no harm in continuing to learn more.
With technique, it's not WHAT you practice, it's HOW (which is why "teacher" is really the only correct answer here). Technique is primarily for learning the shapes and gestures that you'll find in rep, and secondarily for learning the notes of scales, chords, cadences, etc. Example: you can play a C Major scale with all the right notes and fingers, but you should be feeling for a loose arm so that the weight of your arm transfers from one finger to the other within a hand position, using a circular gesture that comes from the upper arm in order to do so seamlessly and with good legato, and working on shifts of your position that minimize the thumb "crossing under" or 3 "crossing over." For block chords and inversions, you should focus on dropping from above with loose hands (don't prepare your shape on the surface of the keys or even in the air) and letting go from the shoulder so that all that weight goes into the drop. Russian Broken chords and chromatic scales can train rotation, arpeggios are a combination of a few different gestures.
Again, much of this is best with a teacher who knows what they are doing technically (which is not all of them), but you can teach yourself a bit with either of the Books below. The Peskanov books also have a great layout and variety of exercises in them, but ignore his instructions printed in the books for the most part. Start with Piano Olympics level 1 or 2. Always stay loose, use your weight, not your fingers.
A few resources:
-Mastering Piano Technique, by Seymour Fink
-20 Lessons in Keyboard Choreography, by Seymour Bernstein
-Piano Olympics, by Peskanov and then later The Russian Technical Regimen
As you go along, definitely read Alan Rusbridger's Play it Again: Against the Impossible
It's a book by the former Guardian newspaper editor who is also a pianist - he's an amateur who attemps, like you are, to learn the Ballade in a year. It's a great, motivating, interesting read, and it has many tips to help you along the 'Ballade challenge' :)
Good luck!
Idiot proof. It will take time, though.
https://www.amazon.com/Super-Sight-Reading-Secrets-Step-Step/dp/0961596309
My piano teacher recommended this to me: https://www.amazon.com/Jazz-Keyboard-Harmony-Practical-Spiral-Bound/dp/1562240692/ref=asc_df_1562240692/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312057344057&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=365158453909601890&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9003231&hvtargid=pla-452702816110&psc=1
I just got it the other day and it's great. I have the Levine book too but I think that's more of a reference material rather than a practical guide to how to learn. I highly recommend the linked book.
I think besides straight metronome practice getting a book like this might help https://www.amazon.com/Rhythmic-Training-Robert-Starer/dp/0881889768
Robert Starer also has a more basic book that you could purchase prior to this one, the premise of it is he gives you a bunch of rhythms slowly progressing to be more and more difficult and you should clap/tap them while counting out loud and do this away from the piano, it's possible that even though you're counting out loud while playing you might be getting carried away focusing on the melody causing you to slow down and speed up. If you do some of these exercises everyday away from the piano you'll develop a pretty good inner pulse and understanding of rhythm without needing a metronome.
It's also possible you just haven't mastered the hard parts thus making the whole piece unsteady and inconsistent in which I recommend playing the piece no faster than you can play the hard parts until you ramp up everything to the same tempo, it's way better being able to play the entire piece at an absurdly slow pace like quarter note =40 as apposed to playing the piece the at quarter note = 120 and dropping down to 86 then 100 then 95 or whatever if you get me.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0849773024/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1520871736&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=piano+for+adults+bastien+book+1&dpPl=1&dpID=51pxQvnddwL&ref=plSrch
Buy it and get started!
Mark Harrison's books are pretty good - maybe start with this one then move onto the jazz piano one. If you can read music to a basic level, and are happy to come back to theory points later if you don't fully get them the first time round so as not to get bogged down or discouraged, you should find a lot to learn in there.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blues-Piano-Leonard-Keyboard-Instruction-x/dp/0634061690
I'd say the Ballade is more challenging than the Etude ... it focusses on many different techniques. That said, why not give it a go after 10 years' learning. You might like to read Play It Again: An Amateur Against the Impossible - available on Amazon - the story of Alan Rusbridger's plan to learn this Ballade in a year (mixed with other interesting bits of his very full life [he was the editor of the Guardian at the time]). It is splattered with hints on this Ballade given by some very well known pianists and is in any case an interesting read.
There are also a few masterclasses on it ... one of which given by Rubinstein on the piece ... just search on YouTube and you'll find them.
There's about 200 pages just on gospel in The Pop Piano Book by Mark Harrison.
Edit: A preview from the author --
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmCOBKxN3z0
I’d better buy a bigger bag, ‘cause you’re the BOMB!
I want to get this for a friend. :)
Link has twinkle toes
And happy early birthday! Mine's TODAY. :o
Legend of Zelda piano scores are available on Amazon.
I would kill for a giant Pokemon OST CD bundle.
I received a book of all of Chopin's Nocturnes, Preludes, and Waltzes for Christmas. I'd definitely recommend this book, there's tons of materials for extremely experienced pianists and for early intermediate pianists. There's also some helpful fingerings in the book as well. Anyway, here's a link to the book, there is so much you could do with it.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0634099205/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1496667388&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=Chopin&dpPl=1&dpID=51UvBuLr9fL&ref=plSrch
Edit: You can also get it Spiral-bound ;D
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0739082965/ref=sr_1_1_olp?ie=UTF8&qid=1372803515&sr=8-1&keywords=the+legend+of+zelda+series+for+piano&condition=new
Taken from /u/wtfmakesmecringe from the comments section that /u/girlfield just posted.
The numbness is unusual, but it also seems unlikely that you managed to do permanent damage to your muscles in a single weekend. I second the suggestion to play for very short periods of time, several times a day. Don't go all the way until your lips are numb; stop as soon as you start feeling off, even if that means just one scale at a time or something like that.
You might also want to take this opportunity to really optimize your use of your air and embouchure. If you are pinching the reed too much, holding lots of tension in your face or shoulders, or have poor breathing habits, that will all decrease the amount of time you can comfortably play for. Talk to a private teacher about improving your embouchure, and you could even consult an Alexander Technique practicioner to sort out other inefficiencies in how you play. If you have access to a library that can order them, or even want to buy them, the books Oboemotions by Stephen Caplan and Playing Less Hurt by Janet Horvath might be helpful for you!
That must be kind of alarming, but not knowing anything about your technique, repertoire or how much/how you practice, I think good advice would be to read thru Horvath's book (she's a professional cellist) and consult with other teachers and possibly neurologists who understand musical practice for different perspectives.
https://www.amazon.com/Playing-Less-Hurt-Prevention-Musicians/dp/1423488466
If you say where you're located, maybe people nearby can suggest doctors, Alexander technique, physical therapists.
Not OP but I know you lol, you're the fantasy football guy :)
First, get a teacher if at all possible
Second, is practice as frequently as possible. It's much better to practice every day or two for 15-30 minutes, than once a week for a few hours.
3rd, get a good book. I'd recommend Alfred's All-In-One , there might be a slightly cheaper version without the dvd but I couldn't find it:
https://www.amazon.com/Alfreds-Basic-Adult-All-Course/dp/0739082426/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?gclid=CjwKCAjw44jrBRAHEiwAZ9igKJqZFW9VZqy9shXQPxP9_uJYUryitEdN_s0tCKsDchLY9kj87h2E8hoChzoQAvD_BwE&hvadid=241599800156&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9030078&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=e&hvrand=12745665119885654643&hvtargid=aud-648278611385%3Akwd-111426183681&hydadcr=22340_10149493&keywords=alfreds+piano+book+1&qid=1566760763&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExMEMyTVZKR01SRzVCJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNjEyMjE4NjBZTUlNVFVONE9ZJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA5NzkzMjkzS0VWOFQ0WFpEVFBLJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==
he speaks the truth. also the book "steal this sound" (here).
take a look at this list.
Get a copy of Mark Harrison's pop piano book. It has a fairly unique take that I found quite useful. The first 100 pages seem pretty dry but some of the "drill" exercises are really good and translate very well to the kind of licks you're looking for in a variety of genres. It's definitely a step above most "learn to play [shitty renditions of] blues/pop/jazz in 21 easy lessons" books.
100 ultimate blues riffs is ...okay but worth getting ahold of and playing through. It also some ideas you could steal.
The short version is that it's all about the pentatonic, baby. Learn it. Love it. Live it. That famous solo in the Allman brothers "Jessica", the piano outro in "Sweet Home Alabama" and the crazy keyboards in "Frankenstein" are all largely built on pentatonic and blues riffs.
I play mostly classic myself but this book is a great way to get into jazz: http://www.amazon.com/Peterson-Exercises-Minuets-Etudes-Pieces/dp/0634099795
I′m sorry I can′ t help any further. But I assure you that this book is really good for learning off beat etc. Pardon my grammar.
Oh and this is a great set of free tips and exercises: http://www.tjjazzpiano.com
Free lessons!
If you're going to ignore everyone telling you to get a teacher, which you really shouldn't, get yourself a copy of this, start from the beginning, and work your way through it.
Alfred's All-in-One Adult Course book is really great, though if you only have 61 keys you'll have to cut some corners. I still highly recommend it.
And this guy has tons of free lessons, if you can deal with his particular teaching style which is rather long winded and full of bad jokes. (That's not a criticism, he's great at what he does)
When you do decide to get your piano, read the Piano Book by Larry Fine. It's an incredibly comprehensive resource.
I spent a good month researching and shopping around. I ended up buying a brand new Charles Walter studio, and I'm extremely happy with it.
this book, though not online, is a great resource for this kind of endeavor:
Keyboard Mag presents Steal This Sound
https://www.amazon.com/Keyboard-Presents-Steal-This-Sound/dp/1423492811
I highly recommend the Hal Leonard Blues Piano book.
I would second getting a teacher, because even if you manage to learn how to read/sightread music well, you will 100% have mistakes in your technique that will become very difficult to correct later and can cause long-term damage to your hands if you don't.
A good option is to get a teacher for ~3 months to teach you the basics and ensure proper technique. After that you can stop the lessons and move onto following this guide. This is one of the best guides I've seen (shoutout to u/clarinetist001) and really helped improve my sightreading.
I would also recommend checking out [this book] (https://www.amazon.com/Super-Sight-Reading-Secrets-Step-Step/dp/0961596309) which you can read online, if only to get an idea of the mindset you want to be in when sightreading, as well as some basic drills to get you familiar with the keyboard.
TLDR: Teacher for 3 months, follow this guide, enjoy being able to sightread well.
There are many. Pick one with good reviews that looks good to you and get started.
Also, check out this book.
And, as someone who has been playing piano for over 30 years, I recommend that everyone who is interested in learning an instrument find a teacher. It is so worth the money. You can even check out a local college and find a graduate student in music to teach you. You can find people who will give lessons online.
Things you will learn from a teacher that you will not learn from books and videos:
Good luck and have fun!
Rhythmic Training by Robert Starer
Based on your previous expierience in music you may want to consider teaching yourself the basics. I've used the [Bastien Adult Method] (http://www.amazon.com/KP1B-Bastien-Beginning-Lessons-Technic/dp/0849773024) a lot before when I used to teach with very good results.
There's nothing wrong with your motor skills. If you can wait I'll be addressing exactly this problem in my sight-reading series but for now a short version of the answer: the problem is that, even when you're playing without looking at your hands, you're still going through the works in your brain as if you are looking at your hands. That's why, despite practice, you're only seeing marginal improvements at best.
Playing without looking is not just doing the same thing blindly, there's a whole other mechanism that triggers the movements. This doesn't matter when you're only sight-reading simple melodies but it becomes an increasing hurdle as the music gets more complex. That's why so many pianists wrongly conclude they just lack the "natural" skill to sight-read. They got this far and, even with practice, can't seem to go further.
For now, I suggest you check out this book to get you started. Few things to note though: 1) It's akwardly structured and can get frustrating to work with and 2) I don't think he really understands the problem I described above and would personally suggest taking it a lot further than he does and practice his exercises in a different way.
But it's, for now, the best place to start. Oh and be patient. He says himself it takes anywhere between a few months and a few years. I would give it at least 6 months.
If you're looking for quality tools that a technician could use for decades, you'll want to spend the most on a tuning hammer with replaceable tips. The quality and price can vary from there, but that's a good basic guideline.
Here is one of your best bets for finding quality equipment available to the public. Generally, everything on that page above the nylon tuning hammer (S-4) is considered apprentice-level, because having a longer exposed steel rod allows a slight amount of flex at the shaft, and a longer handle prevents that. The extension lever is the lever many if not most technicians swear by, but is more expensive.
A different option is scour eBay for vintage Schaff or Hale tuning hammers, where you can find very high quality tools for a lot cheaper than retail. I got a steal on a Hale extension lever for under $30 that way.
Besides the tuning hammer itself, you will only need a small assortment of rubber mutes, a wool temperament strip or two, and possibly a good A fork.
As far as learning, there are few online resources that really go into detail on the process of learning aural tuning. The well-known Reblitz book does have a good section on tuning, but even this should only be a supplement to a wealth of information needed to truly understand the process.
Another good tool to use is the computer program Tunelab, for which there is a fully functional free trial that can be used indefinitely with only small intermittent pauses. It's good for beginning to learn to manipulate the tuning hammer without going wildly off base, and it's another useful tool to supplement an understanding of tuning theory.
This is a big investment, but if she is serious about learning the trade, the tools are well worth their price in utility, and once she trains to a competent level, they will quickly pay for themselves.
I do see free pianos periodically on Craigslist and in the other “PennySaver” classifieds. I’m in New England, and that helps, since a lot of older U.S. pianos were made in New York, Boston, and vicinity. In particular, I see large upright pianos from roughly 1870-1930 which was a tremendous production era for American pianos. These pianos are heavy and often neglected, and they are free because the cost of having them professionally moved can be prohibitive. So yes, strong people with dollies, ramps, and a UHaul can indeed score themselves free pianos.
My preference would be for people to restore these instruments, but I suppose that repurposing the wood is better than seeing these in a landfill. My piano is well over 100 years old, and my son and I learned to repair it ourselves. The mechanisms are fascinating yet fairly simple once you understand them. Usually the free ones have some non-working keys, missing ivory, and some damaged wood, all repairable. A cracked cast iron frame or pin block is usually not worth the effort.
On the harvesting, one of the more valuable parts are the real ivory keys.
P.S. Good book if anyone wants to learn about piano repair.
I’ve had RA for more than 25 years (basically my whole life), and coincidentally began playing piano the same year my symptoms appeared. I became a string player about 6 years later. I have recently quit teaching music in public schools. I’m a string player and no matter how independent my kids were I’d always end up tuning a few instruments every day, many of which were crummy “violin shaped objects” that were extremely difficult to tune. I had hand surgery last year and had to learn to do it differently, and it sucked. I adapted in lots of ways, and my singing got a lot more accurate pitch-wise because I would often sing instead of play in class. Between that and having kids demonstrate things when they were doing really well I managed to avoid a lot of playing.
I still gig and teach privately, but I don’t play on days I really hurt. Sometimes there isn’t any amount of technique modification or perfection that can help. Also, if my fingers are swollen enough I find it difficult to play in tune and accurately, not to mention the pain.I’ve read all of the recommended books for avoiding performance injuries in musicians (Janet Horvath and Nancy Taylor are authors you should check out if you haven’t already), and I’ve spent a lot of time working the tension out of my playing. I had a bunch of little nodules pop up on my fingers in the last year and quite frankly they scared the bejeezus out of me. My rheumatologist suggested that one of them might be due to the way I was holding my baton but due to elbow pain I spent a lot of time teaching my kids to play like chamber musicians and I didn’t wave the stick if I didn’t have to. I think it’s more likely from my bow hold, which I spent years working on and is otherwise comfortable at this point so it’s not going to change. My mom’s hands were in terrible shape the last 15 years of her life, and I’d like to preserve the use of mine for as long as I can. I spent a lot of time in therapy for my left hand post-surgery last year, too.
Leaving public schools has helped with the fatigue aspect of the RA, tremendously. It’s important to remember that autoimmune arthritis isn’t solely a disease of the joints. Fatigue, brain fog, etc are all common symptoms that can be difficult to manage. Unfortunately it wasn’t uncommon for me to pull 12-14 hour days multiple days in a row, and sometimes work 6 or 7 days a week. It was exhausting. Teaching is exhausting, period, but being a music teacher is extra exhausting. I’m planning to go back to school in January for something else because I don’t see myself returning to the classroom.
Anyway I’m glad you found so many ways to adapt and continue to pursue your passion. Good luck to you, and check out those authors if you haven’t already. Nancy Taylor is an incredible musician and also a licensed occupational therapist, so she knows what she’s talking about! Janet Horvath’s book is excellent as well.
Nancy Taylor
Janet Horvath
You're right that you shouldn't be contacting people at this stage yet. Fortunately, there are some resources that will help you.
https://www.amazon.com/Pop-Piano-Book-Mark-Harrison/dp/0793598788
Buy this book ASAP. It will answer your questions and give you answers to questions you haven't even thought of.
I have Bastian: Piano for Adults.
Lots of recognizable songs and has a bit by bit learning speed. Does a great job of teaching Technic and Sight Reading, with a little Theory mixed. Over all, not a bad book to start with.
Timing is the most important, and often the most neglected skill as well. If you can play in time, you can hang with a band, even if you can only play one note. Don't just learn how to feel time, learn to count it and communicate it as well. Practice playing with a metronome until you go crazy, practice figuring out strange or complex rhythms. Practice taking phrases from music or even sounds that you hear and writing out the rhythm to them.
Also, become best friends with the rhythm book
From a purely musical perspective, from that of the professional musician, it's offensive to hear amateur "DJ's" claiming they have musical skill. And it IS musical skill. I used to go to Clubs when I was in conservatory, to Tunnel and Twilo and Roxy. There was a marked difference between DJ ProducersBoyToy and Danny Tenaglia or Junior Vasquez. Yes, there is a talent, a sense for something that goes beyond music, but it is conveyed through music.
It is music, and it's a skill. Probably an extremely talent-dependent skill, but you're not going to convince me DJ's never get better and sensing and feeding the crowd's energy over time.
The DJ RandomTools at bars these days... if you can't even match a beat, if you can't make a continuous rhythm or a flow that makes sense... you may as well let iTunes take care of playing your playlist.
Some of the greatest DJ's couldn't match beats? Or didn't as an aesthetic choice? Or couldn't because they took one pill too many?
If you can't match beats, buy this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Rhythmic-Training-Robert-Starer/dp/0769293751
Just looking at it the image makes my eyes water. It's legendary. I think every music school/department uses it. If you can get 1/4 way through this book, matching beats will be nothing.
Haha understood. Maybe go with something like this https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Keyboard-Repertoire-Intermediate-Selections/dp/0882848577/ref=pd_bxgy_14_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0882848577&pd_rd_r=SPA40RZZWFZBMX6G7NR7&pd_rd_w=Jhm7Y&pd_rd_wg=JMC2o&psc=1&refRID=SPA40RZZWFZBMX6G7NR7 - the 'essential repetoire' series has a ton of songs which are all fairly spread in difficulty
It sounds like you haven't tried yet, so why give up before even trying? Playing any musical instrument is going to be hard and having a teacher would definitely help, but if you've got the motivation and tenacity, it's far from impossible. If I'm not mistaken, several posts here have been made by people who were self taught.
Of course, I had a teacher as a kid, so perhaps if a self-taught pianist could back up (or refute, if that's the case) what I'm saying, that'd be great.
PS: This seems to be a good resource for starting out:
https://www.amazon.com/Alfreds-Basic-Adult-All-Course-ebook/dp/B017OBN7CK/ref=sr_1_2?crid=39FU4MO6QNQ7E&keywords=alfred%27s+basic+adult+piano+course+level+1&qid=1550941821&s=gateway&sprefix=alfred%27s%2Caps%2C305&sr=8-2
I've seen some positive recommendations for this book but haven't used and don't own.
"Mastering Piano Technique: A Guide for Students, Teachers and Performers" by Seymour Fink, gives great advice and tips on technique. Here is a link to check it out: http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Piano-Technique-Students-Performers/dp/0931340462
https://www.amazon.com/Intro-Jazz-Piano-Leonard-Keyboard-ebook/dp/B00JZNNC6W
Also Easy Jazz Conceptions for piano by Jim Snidero
Finally, Aimee Nolte on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/user/NolteFam
I spent many years without being able to sight read at even 20% the speed required on most of the pieces I learnt.
But for what it's worth, I recently spent a month or two on the book "Super Sight-Reading secrets" (don't bother the catchy title) and I made tremendous progress in sight reading. After some really basic lessons to recognize the notes, the drills are separated in "keyboard orientation" drills and "visual perception" drills. Those former ones really made me improve ; and what is really weird is that the most progress I made was only by working several hours on one single sheet full of smartly positionned notes on 4 lines of piano staff. My level was really bad though, and I guess at higher level this book does not help much.
Bach chorales for piano are also advised in the book.
My teacher told me to try out Czerny's pieces too.
edit: add link
I found this one:
https://www.amazon.com/Alfreds-Basic-Adult-All-Course-ebook/dp/B017OBN7CK/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
But is seems that it is focused on piano lessons, does someone know if it have a reasonable amount of music theory as well? Is it enough?
Play It Again by Alan Rusbridger. Anyone's who's played (or attempted) Chopin's G minor Ballade should read this, for the insightful and often hilarious commentary on the challenges of learning this piece.
Also, not a book, but a webcomic. Don't Shoot the Pianist is a lot of fun! (the official site seems to be down right now, sadly)
It's Schirmer, which I don't think is good for Chopin. And like the other guy said, you can get it spiral bound at print shops.
HAhahahha.
I've got both of those books, and I'm doing almost exactly the same thing that you are! I added in the Rhythmic Training so that I could still be doing things related to music when I don't feel like unpacking my trombone.
I plan on finding/making some flashcards that have the slide positions and alternate ones too.
So. It sounds like we're in the exact same place, I think? There's that page in the front of the Rubank's method that you can use to walk through the exercises. We could maybe go through that and hold each other accountable?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0882848577/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This is a really good collection of pieces that I'm working through. Covers a wide variety of time periods and each composer has 2 to 3 pieces in ascending difficulty.
Perhaps loosely related is the book "Play it Again: An Amateur Against the Impossible". Link here. It's about an editor from the Guardian who (against most ideas of best practice) tries to learn Chopin Op. 23 in a year as an amateur pianist.
How do you think Suzuki compares to these two?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0849773024/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1616773022/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1.
I just cancelled the Bastien method, kept Faber and am also ordering Suzuki + Hanlon. Thanks for the advice.
There are some interesting things in:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0882848577/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I learned the Duncombe Sonatina and I've only been playing for about four months.
http://www.amazon.com/Alfreds-Basic-Adult-All--Course/dp/0739082426/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1372885537&sr=8-2&keywords=alfred+all+in+one+piano+level+1
(FYI, people won't see your responses unless you click "reply" on their posts directly, rather than using the box at the top)
Check out Oscar Peterson's Jazz Exercises, Minuets, Etudes, and Pieces. I've only played a couple (in a separate book), but they were great. Everything is written out for you, so no improvisation or theory knowledge is required, but they're a great way to start feeling what playing jazz piano is like.
You shouldn't have major technique issues if you are taking lessons and your teacher believes you are ready for that piece. It could be something subtle that your teacher won't see unless you say something, so I wouldn't rule it out completely, but I wouldn't call it the most likely suspect. How do you cross strings? Do you use your whole arm, from the shoulder, so that each string has its own hand and elbow level, and keep your elbow on the same plane that the wrist passes through when its in a neutral position? Does your wrist move with your bow strokes? Is your hand relaxed, with no death grip on the bow? Are your fingers close together on the stick and not wrapped around it in a claw hold? Are your pinkie and thumb bent? If all of that is true and your teacher has not corrected anything, and you are not tired after an hour of practice and do not experience pain or new mistakes that would point to you stumbling over yourself due to exhaustion, then my gut is that it has nothing to do with kinesthetic aspects of your technique but rather with your lungs.
We don't talk about breathing much when learning to play the violin because, unlike vocalists and wind and brass musicians, our lungs don't directly power our instruments. However, especially when we play something high energy with fast string crossings, our bodies need more oxygen. Otherwise, you default to a metabolic process called lactic acid fermentation, a form of anaerobic respiration (feeding your cells without oxygen). As a very short-term solution, lactic acid fermentation is a good way for your body to get emergency energy. However, if you use it for longer periods of physical activity, the byproducts of that process build up in your muscles, and it will result in pain until your body can break it down.
Weight lifters typically do not lift weights seven days a week. They have rest days, or they will focus on different parts of their body on different days, to allow themselves recovery and prevent pain and injury. They also have to know how to breathe and work in activities that are naturally more aerobic, like running or swimming or yoga, to compensate.
Violinists could actually learn a lot from weight lifters and other athletes. We need to learn to breathe, perhaps by building something that encourages it into our exercise routines. We need to learn to breathe while we play, give ourselves a slow warmup, and take breaks if we are tired or experience pain. Since ideally we do practice everyday, we need to learn to have a different focus each day, vary our routine so we don't end up with repetitive strain injuries.
Here are some books that cover these ideas, if you are interested:
https://www.amazon.com/Musicians-Yoga-Practice-Performance-Inspiration/dp/0876390955/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479054081&sr=8-1&keywords=musician%27s+yoga
https://www.amazon.com/Playing-Less-Hurt-Prevention-Musicians/dp/1423488466/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479054162&sr=8-1&keywords=playing+less+hurt
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0810833565/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_3?ie=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0810833565&pd_rd_r=RWHBKW02B6M7TF94YYKR&pd_rd_w=46ibZ&pd_rd_wg=u4M4j&psc=1&refRID=RWHBKW02B6M7TF94YYKR
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0195343131/ref=pd_sim_14_3?ie=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0195343131&pd_rd_r=E19SZTNCKQQDJQ6RBHGM&pd_rd_w=xqfGw&pd_rd_wg=92fpR&psc=1&refRID=E19SZTNCKQQDJQ6RBHGM
I've really enjoyed the Hal Leonard Keyboard Style Series, which covers a wide range of styles. These books will start from the basics of each genre from past to present. Each book comes with a cd of each exercise being played so you can hear how it is supposed to sound as well.
I started on my own with [this book] (https://www.amazon.ca/Piano-Adults-Beginning-Lessons-Technic/dp/0849773024).
Wondered what anybody thought about any of these technique books. Or something else you love?
https://www.amazon.com/What-Every-Pianist-Needs-About/dp/1579992064
https://www.amazon.com/Fundamentals-Piano-Technique-Russian-McKeever/dp/1495073017
https://www.amazon.com/Art-Piano-Fingering-Traditional-Innovative/dp/1479285277
https://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Piano-Technique-Students-Performers/dp/0931340462