Jkman

Hi everyone of MB. I'm kinda new and I was wondering if you guys could help me. I've been in music education for about 7 years playing the trumpet and french horn in school. I want to learn how to play piano. The thing is I don't have the time or money for lessons. I pretty much know all of the keys on the piano.

The problem i'm having is getting my hands to go 2 different speeds at once and doing different things. I would also like to know how to develope a frame of reference so I don't have to look down most of the time when playing. Can anyone help me out? Thanks

Arya Stark

Start with the hand you use the most.
Learn all of the scales with your right hand.
C Major Scale should probably be first.
If you don't know the names of each key, try that. Correlate them with what you see on paper, so that you're already learning how to read.

Here's the C Major Scale with correct fingerings. I would start on C5 and end with C6.
When I have time, I can look up some fingering and piano charts.
Thumb on C
First Finger on D
Middle Finger on E
Thumb on F
First finger on G
Middle finger on A
Ring finger on B
Pinky on C
And back down.

Try that first.
Then learn your other scales.
Some of the scales have different fingerings, so I'd try to look that up, first.

P.S. let me know a little bit more about how much you know and don't know about music.
I'm assuming you know enough to know how to read.
Correct?

__________________

MB Journal.
Azucar y Especia. My blog.

Jkman

Well I pretty much know all there is to know about reading music, I can subdivide, read notes, play dynamics. I know how to play in different time/key signatures (on my french horn) and right now just from messing around on the piano I think i can confidently play: C, F,G,Bb,Db,and Gb major scales without mistakes. I am able to read a note on paper and then play it on the piano.

I've been in music since i was in 5th grade and i'm now a senior in high school. But all of that experience is from playing french horn and trumpet and not using my hands like you would on a piano.

bandteacher1

Alright Sugar, this is definately my area of expertise. I've only been playing piano for 30 years.

What she said about learning all your scales is correct. Start with your stronger hand, learn all your scales, to the point that you can fluently play each one very quickly, at most temi. Then go to your other hand, and do the same thing. At this point, you're only using one hand at once.
The next step is to combine your two hands. Start with CMaj and work your way around, moving both hands in time together. Force them to work has a team. Now, take your stronger hand alone, and play 8th notes, going up and down the scales. Then your other hand. Now combine the two, playing 8th notes going up and down. What you're doing is you're teaching your weaker hand what to do.

Now split to the two up. Start with simple, simple subdivision. Have your weaker hand play whole notes, and your stronger hand play half notes. 4 beats per note. Now switch them. Have your weaker hand play half notes and your stronger whole notes. Once that is pretty strong, subdivide it again, and start all over. Have your weaker hand play half notes, and stronger hand play quater notes. Then switch. Then have your weaker hand pplay quaters and your stronger 8th notes. Then switch. Do this until both hands are fairly equal with each value.

Up until now, you've been playing the same now. Now it's time to change notes. Start by plying the scale with your strong hand going first, in half notes. Then your weaker hand follows, a measure later. What happens is you get a major triade without the 5th. Speed it up until both hands are able to do this, switching back and forth every now and again.

Now it's time to play two independent notes and rythems. We'll say CMaj just as an example. It works for all of your scales. Start with your weaker hand playing C in the bass range. Whole notes will be fine. And your stronger hand (in the treble range) play half notes, moving up and down the scale. Switch these back and forth as you subdivide into smaller and smaller divisions.
What you've done is you've thought your hands to work as a team, and independently. You will have split your mind into two, so that your left side works with and against your right side.

Now you can move on to more complex divisions. Take a very easy piano piece. Learn the treble part first. Then the bass part. Take it a section at a time, and make each hand fluent in it's own part. Then combine them. Once both hands can handle their part fluently or to your likeing, move on and do the same thing.

Always start slow and speed it up.


Now as for the reference, it'll come, don't worry! It takes years of practice for your fingers to be able to do that. I can do so, very fluently, but I have a lot more exprience.

Oh, and remember, pianos are in C.

__________________
Dr. Lea Moudlian
Director of Music
Clear View Regional High School
Home of the Firebird Marching Band
cvrhsmusic@yahoo.com

Jkman

Thank you both for your input. I can't wait to start learning and playing beautiful songs!

bandteacher1

Good!

One last piece of advice, it's going to take patience. Piano is one of the only instruments you need to be able to play numerous notes at once. With horn or trumpet, you can only play a max of two at once. With piano, you can play 24 at once.

And you're welcome to PM me if you have any more questions.

__________________
Dr. Lea Moudlian
Director of Music
Clear View Regional High School
Home of the Firebird Marching Band
cvrhsmusic@yahoo.com

storymilo

Well I know you said you didn't want to spend money but this book has all of the beginning scales you would need:

Flipkart.com: My Scale Book: David Hirschberg: Books Buy in India

Serge_Gee

Im thinking of getting lessons I do not ahve the discipline to teach myself!

Jkman

I have another question. How should I go about the fingering when ascending and descending scales. Like for ascending c major, if i start with my pinky on my left hand, and i get to my thumb on G, how should i finish? How would i do this descening and on the right hand.