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First let me introduce myself since i'm new here and this is my first post ...

Hi, my name is Celena. I'm 31, married with two boys (ages 1 and 3) and I live in Lake City, FL. In my spare time I enjoy knitting, reading, gardening and yoga. I also play the viola.

I'm about to be the proud owner of a 1971 Kimball. I have played the viola for 20+ years now. I played in youth orchestras in high school and in the UF Symphony Orchestra while in college but just on my own here and there since then. So I know music but I have never played the piano. I messed around on a keyboard when I was a kid so I know what notes are what but that's where it ends.

I've had this unrelenting urge to learn to play the piano for about six months now. I've been searching (on a tight budget) and I finally found a used piano that I will be moving home on Sunday. It will be a while before I can take actual lessons so that's where you all come in.

Anyone have advice/suggestions on resources for teaching myself? Websites, books, tapes/cd's, other posts on this forum, etc?

I'm classically trained as far as the viola goes and I'm thinking I would like to branch out with the piano. Maybe jazz or blues? Learning to play classics on the piano that I can play on the viola would be fun too. I'm really up for anything.

Comments/suggestions greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Hi Celena and welcome to the forums. I used to know a lot of viola jokes, but right now I can think of only one -- and won't repeat that here

You're very lucky having studied another instrument -- even if it is the viola! You have a head start on some of us here, who come into it cold. The self-teaching approach may work very well for you, and as a busy mother, you may not have time for lessons anyway.

To start with, I suggest Fundamentals of Piano Practice . Also don't forget the Search feature for these forums (top of this page) and follow the links where they take you. There are many free resources available.

As for starting genre, I suggest the classics, since you already have a lot of knowledge of that area. If you really want to play another genre, plan on branching out to that as soon as you have the basics. Life is too short to plug away at something you don't really love.

Have a nice day on Sunday -- I'm sure you will

There is nothing like the sonorous voice of a well played viola played by a real violist. I'm just getting back to piano myself so I can't offer much advice about learning material. But isn't there a piano version of the Saint Saens Swan, which is originally a cello/viola?

A lot of piano students seem to try to get a singing voice. I think that strings, voice, and winds musicians can try to transfer that straight into the piano for the melodic line as long as we don't see the piano as being "percussive" more than it is.

Probably the best thing you could do to
facilitate learning piano would be to
get a digital piano in addition to the
upright. We are now living in the digital
piano age, and digitals offer significant
advantages to learning over an acoustic
piano: no tuning or maintenance; volume
control so you can play anytime anywhere
(this is the single greatest advantage);
portability; durability and reliability;
grand piano-like performance and superior
technique development; extras like instant
record and playback, computer connectivity,
etc.; and much more. Any pianist today
who is not playing a digital is missing
out big-time on all they can do for him.
It has been pointed out on the digital
forum that top concert pianists like Andre
Watts and Valentina Lisitsa use digitals.
And the composer Henry Mancini uses
a digital.

An acoustic piano is a great supplement to
a digital piano, but you should be doing 90+%
of your practicing on the digital.

Hey Gyro,
Do you actually re-write the spiel about digital pianos every time? Or do you have it programmed into your computer so you just have to press a function key and it pops out?

Welcome to the forum Celena, and best of luck with your piano journey!

Bluekeys--I like your blog page. Very nice!!!


Welcome Celena. I played clarinet for 5 years before I started piano. It helps --but piano is such a different animal! Read everything you can --and get a good teacher--even if you just see her/him once a month.

Hi Celena, welcome to the forum and congratulations on your new piano! With two young boys, you'll need the stress relief of music. It's certainly possible to self-teach, and you'll have a head start with your knowledge of music notation and theory. My only advice would be to find a friend with piano experience who can show you the basics of posture, bench positioning, and fingering so that you get started off with the right technique. (When I first started, I made the mistake of sitting WAY too close to the keyboard and pedalling incorrectly, and it took longer to get used to the right posture than it would've if I had started out correctly.)

i would recommend The Piano Hand Book:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b/105-9326902-9223658?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=piano+handbook&x=0&y=0

which is especially good for already a musician like you.

signa, how important would you say the CD is for that book?

Ganpachi, you might find it in your local library, I found it locally.

Hi Celina, and welcome to the forums!

Like you, I also played three string instruments at different times (violin and cello during high school, guitar during college and grad school), so playing piano will not be difficult once you get the basics in fingering.

For music theory, I used Ricci Adams Music Theory Website to get the basics of the grand staff. This will help you not only learn the notes but also other terminology which I had difficulty mastering back in high school. Besides the lessons, there are quiz modules as well to test your retention.

For books, I am working out of the Alfred Basic Adult piano course as well as the All in one Course (difference between the two is the All in one covers more music theory). I have not tried the Faber books, but I imagine they are just as good. I also have the "Play piano in a flash" by Scott Houston (he is a member of this forum too) (a.k.a. Scott the piano guy on PBS) which I got as a Christmas gift from my sister. Scott also puts out a DVD as well. And he does a lot of jazz and blues in his books and videos.

You can also search the entire Pianoworld website using the search function for any subject you are interested in. You have all the resources available to help you learn piano. And if you know someone who plays piano well, ask her/him to show you the correct fingerings and posture. This way, you will play correctly, and minimize injuries.

Best wishes to you as you pursue piano music and the joy it brings!

- Mark

Thank you liszt's pinky. It may not be great literature, but it keeps me focused. It's been a great way to assemble web resources and monitor my progress. Glad you enjoyed it.

Thanks for all the tips. It definitely looks like I'm going to spend a lot of time around here.

As for the digital piano, I considered it and may be interested in the future but not now. I'm an engineer and everything I do is digital and uses modern technology. I'm looking for the piano to be a way for me to get away from that kind of thing. Maybe I'm old fashioned but I really want to learn on a regular piano. Digital just isn't the same, to me anyway.

I ordered Alfred's book 1 and Mel's Bays Play Jazz, Blues & Rock Piano. Don't know anything about the second book but it was used/cheap on half.com and was appealing so I bought it. Unfortunately for me, it looks like the weather is going to prevent the moving of my piano until at least Tuesday. I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas. I suppose it gives me a couple of days to work on my practice plan and spreadsheet and figure out which way I want to go with things. I've considered taking a completely different approach than with my viola. I feel like I depend so much on written music. I would love to learn by ear and memorization for a change. But then there's the musician in me that wants scales and theories and such. I guess I'll see which way my practice leads me.

I'm really loving all the great links I've found on this forum. Much better than the ones I came across on my own searches. Love the blog too Bluekeys. I'm a blogger myself and had considered starting a new blog to track my progress.

Go easy on me with the Viola jokes! Although I am definitely used to it by now. Why is it that everyone picks on the lonely little violists?!?!?

One more question while I'm thinking about it ... anyone have any experience/opinion on the Play Piano Deluxe v2.0 software? I know, I know ... so much for not digitizing my piano practice.

And I do have a friend nearby who has played the piano nearly her whole life. She also knows many other pianists in the area so I'm sure she will be a great resource for me.

Only three more hours until we move my piano! I feel like a little kid waiting for santa to leave presents.

We love pics, so please post one if you can of your new arrival after it's delivered.

Absolutely!

Alfred's Adult All-In-One, Level One would be a good choice. Alfred's teaches thru playing simple versions of tunes, many of which you'll probably recognize. The included CD lets you hear how the practice tunes should sound. (Cheesy MIDI sounds, tho.)

Many people put off learning to use the left hand. Alfred's will have you using it almost immediately. If you've studied composition, you probably already know that the accompaniment defines the song. Is it a waltz, a tango,... The left hand tells you that.

Theory is introduced as you proceed, but there are no extended theory sections. IMO that's a good thing, because the most important thing to learn right now is whether you really want to play the piano. That'll entail persisting thru the inevitable difficulties and frustrations.

Once you've worked your way approximately 2/3 thru Level One, you'll be ready for simple arrangements of tunes that you really want to play - maybe even a basic fake book.

Hi Celena - welcome to the Forums and the wonderful world of the piano!

I'll second FogVilleLad's recommendation of the Alfred's Basic Adult All-In-One instructional method series (3 Levels), which alot of people here (including myself) are currently using, so you'll be able to pick our brains ("slim pickings" in some cases ) with any questions or for tips, etc.

In addition to all the strong points about the Alfred series that FogVilleLad mentioned, their one really big asset is the very wide variety of musical genres from which the pieces in them are selected - everything from Bluegrass to The Beatles to Bach, so to speak. This makes studying from them much more interesting than if all the pieces were just of one type of music - which it sounds like what you're interests are anyway. Why limit yourself to one style of music when there's so much beautiful and exciting music out there in any number of musical "fields", right?

Many of us who use Alfred's as a core for study also use one or more other sources as supplements or companions to it. For example, I'm currently working simultaneously from 2 other books. You could do the same and choose from many different options depending on your specific interests - basic books on jazz or blues for instance.

Anyway, good luck and keep us updated.

Regards, JF

Hi Celena, just want to extend you a warm welcome!