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Hello!

My name is Marcel and I have just registered at the forum. I have been lurking for quite some time but finally decided to participate on the forum.

I recently bought an electric piano ( as I don't have enough space for an acoustic one ) and I bought a Piano method called: "It's never too late to play the piano" by Pam Wedgwood. I don't know if anyone here is familiar with this book, but I was hoping to receive some more in-depth information on the subject.

I would really like to know what people on the forum think about studying theory and when to incorporate this into the regular practise schedule. The piano method I mentioned earlier doesn't really cover a lot of material besides some beginner's pieces.

I am a difficult learner, I need a lot of structure in a method to be very effective for me. I don't have a teacher (I did, but I really wasn't under the impression that she was very qualified) so I have to figure things out by myself.

I know this is a long read, some of you might discard it, but I do hope that someone here can give me some pointers as to what I should consider practising (theory wise combined with the regular musical pieces)

Thank you in advance and I hope that I can be of assistance in the future!

Kind regards,

Marcel

A warm welcome, Marcel. As I'm sure you've already discovered, you will find much help and support here.

As for incorporating a study of theory into your practice routine, I say the sooner the better. There is no downside to knowing the theory and having a structural basis in which to apply your studies, and there are lots of upsides, including gaining the vocabulary and ability to communicate the problems you encounter in order to better receive help here.

I do urge you to rethink the idea of a teacher, and I'm sure I won't be the only one to recommend it. A qualified teacher, especially in the very beginning, can be absolutely invaluable and can save you loads of time and effort. And in your case, since you profess that you are a "difficult learner," whatever that means to you, I would doubly suggest finding a teacher.

That said, however, there are many, many self-learners here on Piano World and a constant exchange of information and advice for you to learn from the paths of others.

Whichever way you go, enjoy the trip and best of luck to you,

I think it partly depends on what type of piano playing you are looking to accomplish.

Don't get me wrong, some foundation in theory will help regardless of what type of piano player you want to be. But, if you just want to get to the level of playing some Christmas carols during family gatherings, you probably will not need to learn the theory of chord structure, circle of fifths.

But, it sounds like you are one to want to know the root of the instrument and the music that comes from it...how it is all built etc. For that, I would recommend a teacher that can explain the details.

I on the other hand, while I like to know some theory, am not as worried about that just yet. I know I'll need it as I continue to learn, but it is not as high on my to do list.

Hi Marcel,

I also think, if you can possibly get a teacher, even if only for a short while, they should be able to provide the 'structure' to theory that you need.

The trouble with theory is, there's rather a lot of it, and you don't want to go overboard. There is a danger of getting really bogged down in stuff way above your level. Also, some things don't seem to make sense until you see the full picture - which can take a while.

So, to answer your question, I'd suggest you try to learn whatever is relevant to what you are playing. If you are playing white notes only, then try a C major scale - one octave only, one hand at a time. For theory, learn the structure of the major scale. Then a C major chord. Once you play something with F#s in it, try learning G major.

Hope this helps a bit. It's where I would start, if I were teaching you.

Thank you for the quick responses,

@Legal Beagle

While I do agree with you on the subject of teachers, I am having a difficult time identifying the right teacher for me. The teacher I had, studied at the Dutch Conservatory, but for some reason things just didn't work out. She would tell me what exercises to do, but besides that, there wasn't much she was helping me with.

The music theory has always seemed very interesting to me, so that's the reason I'm asking. I have several books on music theory, but so far, I haven't finished any of them. Do I just start with scales, triads, sight reading etcetera? What would be the "right" order to study these subjects in?

@Cobra1365

Well, I don't have grand illusions of becoming a great player, but I would love to be able to play some classic classical pieces, that is my ultimate goal. I have been playing guitar over the last couple of years and even though I learned to play by ear, I never really mastered the theory. A friend of mine later on told me that the easiest way to learn music theory would be to play piano, hence my ambitions.

thank you very much for your responses,

King Regards,

Marcel

Hello ten left thumbs,

My past teacher didn't really provide me with any theory! that was one of the reasons I decided that we had to part ways.

Thank you for pointing me in the right direction, I will definitely give this strategy a go.

Thank you very much!

Kind regards,

Marcel