Taking advices from you guys in this forum, I bought PSR-3000 2 months ago. I love it more and more everyday. I used to be a singer with a local rock band.But now I am running my own printing company.I love singing very much and now I want to be able to play the keyboard. I am 41 yrs now and I just started learning to read notation, Do you guys think it's too late? What is the best method of learning how to read music notation? What books/references should I get?

Fathi Bawazier

Fathi,

I never had the necessary skills to read music, however, I managed to learn most of the chords I needed to play. The best advice I have for learing is to go to http://psrtutorial.com/Resources/R_ChordSecrets/w00_intro.html which is on the PSR Tutorial site. It has been a big help to me and many other.

Good Luck,

Gary

fathan. I can only play when reading from sheet music. I now get so much pleasure from reading the notes. I started to learn to read music well after your 41 years, so it's never too late. Just sick with it and you will find your reading improves weekly. Start with a favourite tune that you like to play and just keep playing it over & over, then progress from there.

The person who enters a library and can not read has no way to enjoy all that is offered.
And so it is with music.

The person who only reads music has limited himself.

As Chet Atkins the famous country guitar player said when they asked him if he could read music, "Not enough to hurt my playing".

AS for learning to read music -- there's a myth about the difficulties of learning to read music -- if you go slowly it is easy. Stay with the simple forms of music --the big note type. It is very logical. there have been many writtings relating music to mathematices.

Consider that we teach 4 and 5 year old children to read music. I taught two of my friends to read music and play the keyboard -- ages 78 and 82. Hmmmmm!

Go to it, a world of joy awaits you, John C.

i would start with the fake books,the chord is printed above the staff for the left hand, and the melody notes with the right are on the staff also above and below,i would start off with the music in the key of C and as you become used to it go onto music in the key of F and G then Bb and D that way you will be keeping most of the notes played in the staff,and just above and just below the staff,that way you will find that you will progress quite quickly,mike

[This message has been edited by nardoni2002 (edited 04-01-2005).]

I learned to play by ear. I'm glad I learned this way too, because it allows me to improvise or even just play along without the need for sheet music.

I also realized at some point that learning to read would enhance my abilities and give me a better foundation for understanding theory, so I learned.....

It's pretty cool too because now I can actually identify and put a label on some of the stuff I was playing before I learned.... but I also strongly subscribe to Chet Atkins' theory....

AJ


[This message has been edited by Bluezplayer (edited 04-01-2005).]

It is definitely not to late. I learned how to play the organ in my early twenties for 2 1/2 years then just stopped playing. Picked it up agin at 54. Interest, attitude and talent is more important then age.
I learned to read music, but still very weak in reading bass clef. I accidentally taught myself to play by ear. I wanted to learn to play songs I heard at my church, but could only find the words and chords on the web. So tried to play by ear, now this is the only way I play. I only need the chords in front of me to play the songs I now. I find that I play better without the music then with it.
I sometimes place the leading notes as a superscript above the chords, then I now what the starting notes are, and then I'm playing. Now I need to accidentally teach myself to play chords by ear.
Scott "the Piano Guy" Houston says that people can play the piano, what they have problems with is transcribing the notes from music sheets. Once you know what notes to play, playing the keybaord is easy. Trying to figure out what the notes on the sheet music represent is a challenge.
I would also recommend what Gary suggested: to learn chords. Just learn the chords you need to play the song you want to play. Use an inversion with the least amount of hand/finger movement. Use full fingered mode. I can play most songs without ever looking at my left hand.
Starkeeper

Both the ability to 'play by ear' & music sight reading (from sheet music) are equally important skills for becoming a better musician. If you can only play by ear I encourage you to start learning to read music (at least a lead sheet/chord chart). This is essential, especially if you desire to play good musicians, and it helps insure everyone is on the same page, In addition, the ability to sight read music INCREASES your ability to pick up & learn a LOT more songs & expand your repetoire musch faster than playing by ear alone offers.

On the other hand, if you're only able to play with written out music in front of you, this too has serious drawbacks. I've found that some keyboard players who can 'only play' this way tend to sound stiff, because instead of LISTENING to what they're playing, they rely on the playing the dots on the paper, like a word processing typist does, and lack musical 'expression'. Dots (notes) on the printed page are only a written out approximation of what the song really sounds like because artistic phrasing & nuances of a melody (expression) cannot be captured from dots & music notation alone.

In conclusion, I feel that being able to play BOTH by ear & from written out notation essential skills. For my playing, I utilize BOTH skills together when playing. If you're weaker in one skill than another, spend the extra time to improve the weaker of the two.

Scott

I agree with Scott...when I learn a new tune, I go over it once or twice and write the lead line, changes and words out on a reference card. I try to destroy the card in a week, because, if I don't force myself to play by ear, that card will be yellow and falling apart years later...I'll alway rely on it and never really "learn" it.

At the same time, preparing for studio sessions or playing requests I don't know is much easier with the sheet in front of me.

Both are important!

Russ

Having tips, advices and words of encouragement from all of you guys, make me feel that I can can learn just about anything about music, because I know I have friends who stand always behind me. Thanks a million.
Garry, I visited the site you receommended, and now I know about 300 chords, it amazing how easy to learn when you know the shortcuts.

Fathan....I am 65 years old and I just started to teach myself how to play...I bought my first K/B in Nov. of 04 and since then have bought two more...I am committed to learn and I am having fun while doing it..
you are never to old to learn...you just need to be committed to you goal....good luck
and Listen to all of the good folks on these forums....

iT 'S NEVER TOO LATE. i WAS 60 YEARS OLD WHEN I STARTED TO LEARN KEYBOARD. I CAN'T PLAY PIANO, BUT I HAVE A TYROS & A PSR 3000 THAT I USE TO PLAY MANY GIGS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. I HAVE ABOUT 15 NURSING HOMES, PLUS PRIVATE PARTIES, SENIOR CENTERS ETC. I'M NOW 70 YEARS OLD AND CONSTANTLY AM BUILDING MORE BUSINESS FROM WORD OF MOUTH TO NEW ACCOUNTS. I DO NOT READ MUSIC WELL, BUT DO VERY WELL BY EAR, SO AGAIN, IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO START. GOOD LUCK. BOB

God, I didn't realise there were that many people in this forum not being adble to read music. I thought I was one of very few "uneducated" here.

I too got lessons for about 2 years, on an old 2 manual Yamaha electric something when I was 24 years old, but on most occasions the time was spent telling jokes with the teacher.

I play exactly the same as Starkeeper. I need some notes to start, and then I play, using the chords. If it is in a difficult key, I transpose in C, mentally calculating the "distance" of the first few chords and usually after a few tries I have it.

I find too that not being able to read is a pain in the butt. Not being able to read deprives me of the freedom to play what I want, when I want. Wasted youth. I just hope that "never too late" exists.

A problem that I have is not being able to sing or hum in tune while playing a line with the right hand. When I am singing to myself I am usually in tune, but when i lay hands on the keys, garbage comes out of my mouth. Any suggestions?

Count me in not reading music. Well not much anyway... Once I told I could never learn the chords or what are c,d,e,f ect. Now I know the basics of them and learning something new every now and then.

Learning isn't about your age, some people, like me, needs to hear and see at least 10000 times before learning anything and some needs only once..

And what do I know!! I've heard this only 9 times before...

------------------
Tony

http://zleepy.cjb.net

A little OT here. I usually like the original version of songs, not a new arrangment in another key by a different arranger (musican not keyboard). Sometimes the original song is in C, G, or F, and the written music is in E. The arranger made it more difficult on purpose.
Starkeeper

I actually started the reverse of many of you. I grew up reading music. Actually got my college degree in music..but was weak in ear training because I only played the notes.. Then at my church im surrouned by people who didn't read so Ive learned over the last 15-20 years to play without music.. It really opens things up being able to do both things! Thats the Ideal!

I teach piano and in my experience it can be difficult to get students who have played by ear to play by notes. This sounds bad but just looking at the aspect of learning to read the notes its often easier to teach someone who knows nothing about music than it is to teach someone who plays by ear.

Why?

1. Note reading needs to be done in baby steps.. you need to go through the phase of counting ..whole notes/quarter notes/ egbdf/face/major scales minor scales Theory etc.. and the truth is it probally won't sound great for a while. This is the hard part but it needs to be done! ok the regular student does goes through this as the only way it can be done...but sometimes the one who can improvise likes to skip this part... Hehe the problem can be they often they want to make it sound better by jazzing it up changing some things NO! Not at this point! Follow the notes! learn proper fingering! Rythms! learn the theory behind your chords etc. Then read read read read read.. The parents sometime complain their learning these songs outside the lesson that they like to play for fun. I say Great! do your lesson but read read read! When I grew up our house was filled with song books..classic/pop/church/ etc. for fun my sister would sit down and just play through a book.. we all ended up excelent site readers.. read read read... but you'll need to learn the basics first.. you need a few years of bootcamp and then it will all come together... once your reading is profecient meld it with your improvising. change chords for color, make difficult arrangements easy, make easy arrangments difficult etc, play in all keys.. understand the theory behind your chord changes.. hehe you have the power!

GL with learning note reading!

By Timo1:
......often they want to make it sound better by jazzing it up changing some things NO! Not at this point! Follow the notes! learn proper fingering! Rythms! learn the theory behind your chords etc......

The story of my life....

Following is a conversation between me and my teacher that happened the first 15' of my very first keyboard lesson:

Teacher: Ok, now with the right hand hold down the chord you see on the staff with the fingers corresponding to the numbers you see above it (C,E,G chord, fingers 1,3,5).....no, not like that (1,2,4), use fingers 1, 3, 5.
Me: Nope, using fingers 1, 2, 4 feels more natural to me, I'd rather do it my way.
Teacher (wide eyed in shock): No, don't make me hit you on the head, you will do as I say.
Me: But why?
Teacher (shouting): Because I say so and because that is the PROPER way to do it!

If you see me play you'll realise that still, after almost 12 years, I can't put my fingers on the keyboard properly. Not her fault though.