Well I found another course to teach people how to play the piano despite years of leassons, or who have never played. I have played piano sort of. Learned the tradional classical way. This needless to say, does not work for playing popular music. Most of what I learned in this seminar was simmilar to the style Scott Houston the Paino Guy taught on PBS. A lot of what I learned were basiclly tricks on how to play any peice of popular music. Which basicly means learning chords. Which is pretty easy once you know how to play chords. Which I do, so I was one up on most, but not all of the people in the seminar. There was at least one other who know chords as well.

So how come I quit playing the paino? Mainly because like most kids I lost interest in learning to play the piano, beacuse of the of the crap that goes with learning to play. Plus I got frustrated as well. And of course I wanted to be able to sit down and just start playing right away. I found out that does NOT work. I have to practice in order to play well. which is not one of my strong areas. Probably beacuse of the way I had to practice the piano for 20 minutes a day, playing classical music. This is by no means how kids should be taught to play, unless the have an affinity for classical music, which most kids don't have.

I figure the best way to learn, is to play a little bit each day until I get better. By starting with the chords first and then working my way up to melodies. Also I need to get my hands to work together. So at some point I could play "Misty" for example.

Of course I don't have a Piano, however I do have my Roland Juno-106 synth, to practice on. Eventually I will get a better sounding keyboard. At the moment I don't have the money for a better keyboard.

Paul,
I'm surprised that you stay around music at all. You sound as if it's all a chore. Don't you love anything about it? Isn't it worth a little time to perfect a skill that will bring you joy????
Quit looking for shortcuts and EZ methods. The only way to really learn it is to get your hands on the keys and practice. Get a good video or a good teacher and pay attention.... it's worth it - trust me.

That's a bit harsh, UD.

When I started learning piano some 40 (ulp)years ago it was "Classical or nothing" so I didn't hit a tune I recognised for two years, until I had done the "basics" (scales, learning to read music, etc etc). Luckily I could play by ear anyway so I could bash away at something I sort of knew to avoid getting really hacked off at the formal stuff.

If I hadn't been so lucky in being able to play by ear I'm not sure I'd have made it through theclassical stuff.

That's what arrangers are for
zuki

Whoa! I never said playing music was a chore. It's just no one ever made playing the piano fun. I was not taught to enjoy playing but to work at it and be correct with my fingering and counting. This class was not a short cut, but rather a different approch to playing non-classical music.

Perhaps we should all contribute to buy Paul a nice new piano; something like one of the new CVP's would do I'm sure. He'd still have to work like hell but at least he'd have a nice piece of furniture to polish..

I will willingly pass on any contributions!
Well, possibly.............

In this part of the world, there are folks giving away pianos every day. These are people who purchased pianos, mistakingly thinking their children, who live in front of computer and TV screens, would take piano lessons and become proficient--not a prayer. Consequently, those pianos, and there are millions of them, end up as plant stand, places to put picture frames with family photos, or essentially, just another horizontal surface that gets covered with useless junk. After a few years of the children pounding on the keys the parents decide to get rid of the piano. However, there is usually no takes for the advertisements they place in local news papers. Eventually, in desparation, the piano is offered for FREE--HAUL IT AWAY. The cost of having a piano moved in this part of the nation is about $500 to $800, and it's not possible for just two people to do it safely. Hence, lots of free pianos around. Just look in the newspapers.

Gary

I have a friend who quit playing the piano after about 13 years of practice, just 2-3 years short of her diploma. Watching her playing, got me interested in playing too, never had the patience to study though.
The reason she quit? Her teacher didn't manage to be a concert player, and tried to make one of her students. Putting so much pressure cracked some of them. In addition to that, when you urge a classical taught teenager to "play something" he/she usually will play some classical stuff. Not a sure way to have fun among teenagers.
Bottom line: She got sick of playing. The old upright piano is in the house, but I doubt if she has played more than 30 minutes in the past 10 years.
I, on the contrary play at least 45 mins every night in a humble keyboard. But nobody urged me to study for 12-14 hours a day.

This is only my opinion. I took piano for one year when age 10. I quit when a town hoodlum said it was sissy. Bad mistake. However, wanting to practice was a chore. Standard teaching methods. I know basics are good and all that but man, boring.

Decades later I decide I want to jump in again. Forgot all I ever learned. Bought a Yam psr740. It intimidated me. Where to start? It sat there for a year and I just kept banging on guitar.

One day, an epiphany. I thought "If I could play chords like I can on guitar, I should be able to make music." That, my friend, is the key to playing piano, IMO. That's it. THE key.

I read up on basic theory. How chords are comprised. (Which I had never learned and I'd played guitar for decades.) In two weeks, I was making all kinds of music.

I know I need to learn scales so I can play melodies more readily but chords, that's the key.

David Sudnow has a course you can buy. I'm not touting him but he makes a lot of sense. Which is to say that traditional method of teaching is absolute b.s. That 99% of everybody will never learn how to play by ear. Unless they learn to play by ear.

I recognize the value of being able to read. But playing by ear is more important to most people. Sudnow says you can develop it. He says just about anyone can. I dunno.

So, Uncle Dave, and all others who would not mind imparting some knowledge to a novice, what would you recommend as a good video, or other method for helping to learn to play? I have a great keyboard (Genesys) and all I do right now is, pick out tunes with one finger, and play along with the included styles. I would like to learn to use all the fingers on both hands and all the capabilities of this great instrument. I am 67 years old and would like to learn how to play compotently before I turn toes up. Many thanks to all who provide answers to this query.

Jerry Mullikin