Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner I can play keyboard. I can't play piano

So, I've been playing piano/keyboard for two years now more or less. I've played mostly in a rock context, but I did take a couple private piano lessons and did learn some classical keyboard stuff as part of my music theory class. I'm very good at musical theory and reading music. I'm also pretty good at playing piano; I can learn songs very quickly through youtube videos, or rock band, or people showing me what to play. Except, when I read music and then need to play those notes on a keyboard and remember what my hands did it becomes incredibly hard for me. Rock songs are slightly more repetitious than the average classical piece I imagine, but I don't understand why I have so much trouble. I also don't know how to fix it.

Are you saying that classical music is what's hard for you or that playing on an acoustic piano is what's difficult? If it's the latter, than you may just need more time to adjust to the touch of an acoustic piano.

It sounds to me as though it is sight-reading that is difficult, as a skill?

And when you say very good at theory, what level of theory are you talking about? College theory of harmony and counterpoint, or the fundamentals?

What is the 'some classical stuff' you've learned in the past? There is also a difference at 'pretty good at playing piano'; while I'm sure you are a fine player, there are many different factors and levels.

@pianoloverus: it's a classical music so to speak. Anything requiring me reading sheet music and playing it on keyboard is annoyingly hard, but playing keyboard songs that I learn any other way are fine.

@Para Otras: sight-reading I cant do at all either, I worked on it in a private piano lesson once but I definitely didn't do well xD. And college, the highest I got was modulations and secondary dominances; I can write for four part harmony and counterpoint.

Um stuff like When the Saints Go Marching In, Greensleeves, and then the proper fingering for scales and such. As for pretty good, sorry, I meant I can technically play at a competent enough level to handle simple pieces of chunking out half note chords and I can memorize full pieces if they're rock songs I learned without reading the sheet music/

What ability do you desire, piano/keyboard-wise?

Welcome to the forum! You just need to practice more. What is different about playing classical vs. band stuff is you're playing some genius' ideas, always way above what you're used to playing in a band. Then it has to be the same, and correct. Just work on it slow and steady. You'll be fine. There are lots of 'practice' threads with good advice on the forum. You will find that the more you practice classical, the better your keyboard playing will become. It pays off.

@woodog: Well im fine playing keyboard and not being able to sight-read or memorize pieces from sheet music, but if I minor in music in college I'll need to take two semesters of piano centered around that.

@daviel: thanks, I'll look at some of those practice threads, hopefully they'll help. I guess I'm just used to a much quicker payout for practicing slowly for other instruments, other piano things, and music than im seeing here.