(Part 2) Best products from r/piano

Back when sightreading was still difficult to me, I started making a very specific effort toward it. I can sightread practically anything on trumpet now. Ultimately, having the technical facility, the understanding of scales/keys is a huge part of it. Beyond that theory can certainly help. Ultimately, while you are reading on sight, a huge part of it is an almost rote thing. There was a point where I would have to actively subdivide and I still do for particularly tricky rhythms, but honestly, you do start to just chunk together huge swaths of music because of their familiarity. The more you play in more styles, the more you see more odd rhythms that may be endemic to that style, and then you sort of internalize it.

So yes, practice and awareness has made me be able to sightread virtually anything on trumpet.

But you asked about piano, so I'll go into that too. My piano sightreading has always been terrible. I didn't start seriously until I was 26 and that was after my music degree. Due to what I do with piano, I haven't spent much time on sightreading and so it hasn't improved much.

But somewhat recently, I decided to start working on it seriously with a solid pedagogical understanding of how it works. I will say that I have improved a great deal in a fairly short amount of time just due to daily diligence (at least until very recently as the gigging of the Christmas season has gotten me see super busy with other projects).

A lot of the ideas are the same. You need technical proficiency. You need a good key/scale understanding. But you also need a deeper theory understanding than on a melodic instrument. You can't chunk as much together if you have to identify notes individually rather than as a chord. You shouldn't think C E G B. You should think "CMaj7" or something in your own mind. It doesn't matter if it it's a chord or arpeggio. Being able to quickly get an idea of the harmonic area you're in and related chords to that really help you look ahead.

A think about sightreading and piano is that many people who are good at it started young. They don't remember when it was hard. They often make suggestions that make it clear to me that they've never done much teaching. "Yeah, just start sightreading Chopin preludes hands together every day." This betrayed the fact that they are at a higher level and are taking for granted advantage they developed when they were younger.

You need to start very simple and make sure you construct all of the necessary scaffolding to allow you to reach higher levels. Progressive exercises are very helpful. Specifically things that are short... 8-16 measures. Also, things you haven't heard before is better than things you have.

I started with the Hannah Smith book which more advanced players might say is too easy. It's over 500 short exercises, mostly hands mirrored, with some extremely simple hand together stuff. I believe it's exclusively 5-finger stuff. It covers a lot of rhythmic ideas mostly in great detail and it covers all keys. Until the very last chapter, there are no key signatures, only written in accidentals, which is actually pedagogically clever as it gets you very comfortable reading accidentals rather than thinking in the key signature and freaking out when you see one.

I also started working through the Paul Harris books. They start ridiculously easy, but sometimes that's a good thing. When working on your sightreading, it's easy to hit a wall because of assumptions of your own skill. You should be able to play things in time. This series of books is great about slowly introducing concepts book by book and making you very subtly aware of expanded foundational ideas in sightreading. They also have ideas of style and written dynamics to make you work on paying attention to that stuff. Both these and the Hannah Smith book are very short, great progressive exercises.

I'm also using the Alfred Adult Books, currently in Volume II. These tend to focus very heavily (perhaps to a fault) on I, IV, and V in the progressions. It makes sense as these are practical simple chords for an adult to learn and be able to play lots of familiar songs.

These are longer in form and many are familiar tunes (which I think isn't a good thing for sightreading as you try to play the rhythm and tune in your mind rather than the on the page), but often the tune or harmony is simplified. It forced you to read what's on the page and not everything will be familiar. These also force you to follow road maps... DS, repeats, codas, etc. So that is good.

These are just resources I'm currently using and I'm sure there are plenty more out there. Now as for the approach.

Basically always play very slowly. You are going for accuracy. Don't read any line more than a few times at most. You don't want to 'learn' anything. You'll likely be repeating the exercises in some form of rotation over a period of time, so don't work on anything. It's the best part of about having tons of very short passages of non-familiar tunes. You can't remember them, so they are essentially fresh each time you look at them even if the concepts are not.

So go through a book like the Hannah Smith books potentially several times. It's long and may take you many days. Maybe aim for a chapter or two a day. Maybe supplement those with some other exercises.

If your scales and arpeggios are weak, make sure you're spending some time on those as well. I also would ay some very slowly Hannon wouldn't be terrible just for making sure your hands are comfortable doing lots of different melodic movements and finding very comfortable fingerings for them.

I'm not a beast at piano even if I am at trumpet. But I do know that the progress I made in a single month was quite substantial, though to be fair, I do have quite an extensive background in a lot of concepts that give me a learning advantage of sightreading.

At the end of the day, my advice probably sounds as dubious and anecdotal as the rest, so like with all advice, take it with a grain of salt, but just know that I actually started from a point of sucking (like could sightread Mary Had a Little Lamb sucking) and have made some significant gains when putting in the time directly toward reading.

I'm sure at some point when I feel like my piano sightreading fundamentals are stronger, I'll probably move on to hymnals, chorales, and any number of other things, but many of those are "cart before the horse" at my currently level and my attempt at that sort of sightreading practice in the past didn't bear much fruit. I had to put the training wheels on to find out what pieces of the puzzle I was missing. If you can humble yourself enough to make sure you have all of the scaffolding, it makes it a more efficient process.

I'm finally reaching a tipping point where it's not an absolutely slog. I can somewhat comfortably read a lot of materials out of childrens' song books and such. Once you can read decently and just start reading everything in sight, it will likely only be downhill from there. Then, like I do with trumpet when I see a tricky rhythm, I make note of it and add it to my belt. Same thing happens with piano and tricky composite rhythms or patterns or contrary motion things (my real Achilles heel).

In the end, it's all pattern recognition and slowly learning to recognize them in such a way that can create instant recall on the fly.

I was in the same boat as you a few years ago, I played classical my entire life then started to pick up some jazz when I entered college. This is super useful, as it has really helped my playing overall and now I can make a decent amount of money playing around town because i have diversified my skillset. As a classical player I can understand where you are coming from when you say you want to learn scales. I was definitely the same way when I started, very obsessive with the theory and involved in jazz, and I think that if you have been training your brain to approach the piano a certain way your whole life, you shouldn't try to change it now. I agree with OnaZ on his book choices, and you should start picking up your modes, but don't worry about them a whole lot, they are not the end-all-be-all of jazz music. Modes are just a tool you can use to achieve a desired sound or color. If you understand the way you find modes (different configurations of a major scale) then you don't need to spend hours and hours drilling them into your head. I think you'll find that once you start playing jazz and picking up tunes, etc, the modes and bebop scales will kind of fall into place.

More than anything, I suggest you find a teacher! And a good one! One that plays jazz primarily. I would suggest contacting a university nearby and see if you can get connected with some people in your area for lessons.

So! If I had to go back in time and give myself some advice to how to really pick up jazz it would probably go something like this:

1. Listen to Jazz:
   
   Only recently has jazz become something that you can learn in a school/university. Throughout the majority of jazz history, jazz was learned by people listening to jazz musicians. It is, more than anything, aural tradition. Find jazz that you enjoy, not just stuff that people say you should like (although you are going to have to listen and learn to appreciate some albums you may not care for). Definitely check out An Introduction to Jazz Piano (Although it leaves out my main man Red Garland:( )
   
   
2. Transcribe:
   
   Start picking up licks and riffs from your favorite players. Just steal them. The first step to becoming a good jazz musician is emulation. You don't have to transcribe whole solos (although this is ideal) you can just grab parts of them and learn some riffs here and there. Blatantly rip off the greats and start building up a bag of tricks. If you are already a little comfortable with some blues scales, I would highly suggest maybe doing a few transcriptions of Horace Silver. He is a great guy to start on and his timing/feel is impeccable. He plays a lot of blues that you check out on youtube or grooveshark.
   
   Listening and transcribing are going to probably be the most helpful, I find that a lot of players (especially guys coming out of classical into jazz) have more trouble with the rhythm and timing of jazz, and not the scales or notes. Honestly, I like to make the argument that rhythm is superior to harmony/melody in jazz (but that's just my opinion). The Jazz Theory Book is a great place to start. I would definitely recommend picking that up, although it is cheaper than a teacher, it definitely will not replace a good one!
   
   Wow, that is a pretty intimidating wall of text (sorry about that)! I tried to edit it down as much as possible, I could talk about this stuff all day. Although jazz can seem very intimidating at times, don't get frustrated! Your classical chops will really help you out. I really hope you find this music to your liking, I think it is the best stuff around. Good luck!!
   

Here is a good summary of four note rootless voicings and Here is a more complete chart.

I start all of my students off with these. The voicings generally take about 1-3 months to get in your fingers (mostly muscle memory). Around 6 months you'll be able to plug them into lead sheets without too much thought, but you probably won't be able to do it in real time. Around 12 months you really won't have to think about them any more. They are a great place to start with voicings because they give you a great sound in a compact one-hand format. Remember that the bass player is covering the root of the chord, so you are more concerned about 3,5,7,9,11,13.

The most two most important things in jazz are keeping your place in the form and playing in time. You can have the hippest voicing but if it's not in the pocket, it's going to sound awful. Likewise, you can have the coolest, most innovative improvisation, but if you're lost in the form, it's not going to flow over the changes.

Play with a metronome, ALWAYS. Explore play-along tracks, Jamey Aebersold books being the most well-known. There are also great online resources for play-along tracks. Check out here for a great place to start. These are also fun.

Get started on ear training yesterday. It'll help a lot. I like this trainer as it has a lot of things tailored towards jazz musicians. It has some simple play-along tracks too.

If you need something basic just to get by for now (while learning the voicings I linked above) then really start to learn the thirds and sevenths of chords. These are called guide tones and they are all you really need to define a chord. Try playing an A3 and an E4 in your right hand over an F2 in your left hand. There's a nice voicing for the Fmaj7 you listed above. It sounds a whole lot cooler than FAC and will get you started thinking about splitting your voicings up to use more of the keyboard. You want to get to the point where you see a chord on the page and you instantly know what the third and the seventh of the chord is. Make sure you get the correct third and seventh:

• Major7th Chord: Major Third, Major Seventh | C E G B
  
• Minor7th Chord: Minor Third, Minor Seventh | C Eb G Bb
  
• Dominant7th Chord: Major Third, Minor Seventh | C E G Bb
  
  Learn those combinations and see if you can get through a lead sheet naming thirds and sevenths as you go.
  
  There's really a whole lot more I could write about the topic, but this might be enough to get you started.
  
  If you have specific songs that you need help with, don't hesitate to ask. I would be happy to work out some simple arrangements/voicings/solos with you.
  
  Good luck!
  
  
  
  

I'd seriously consider taking a break from playing for a while to let yourself heal. I know it isn't your favorite option, but it is the best long-term solution to tendinitis. I had friends in the piano world who had multiple surgeries, had to take months to years off, and had constant pain/reinjury in their wrists and backs due to stress injuries. It's no laughing matter.

That being said, I understand why you won't/can't take that much time off. Seeing a medical specialist is your best bet, so I'd advise asking for a referral to physical therapy and follow the recommendations. In addition, here are some things that have helped me with my own chronic-use injuries over the years:

1. Ibuprofen regimen, as prescribed by my old doctor - 800mg, four times daily. It's the max dose and shouldn't be taken for more than a week. But a week of that plus rest/wrapping my wrists would really help.
   
   
2. Hot/Cold water baths. You can alternate between them, as it increases blood flow. So I'd usually do 5 minutes hot, then 5 minutes cold a couple of times, for about 20-30 minutes total.
   
   
3. Massage. It worked wonders for my back pain. Seriously, well worth the money. Also, my massage therapist did some myofascial release techniques around the carpal tunnel area, and it was awesome. I have been able to replicate it myself at home, though not as well, but I feel the knowledge I've gained through getting massages has helped me self-massage effectively to keep things loose between sessions.
   
   
4. Body mapping and mindfulness while playing. Learning to be aware of my body and practice safe techniques. As a teen, I was told I "move too much" at the piano, so I stiffened up. It took years to un-learn that stiffness and return to healthy playing. I'd recommend What Every Pianist Needs to Know about the Body by Thomas Mark. I met him for a couple-hours consultation once, and he's awesome. I learned so much, and it really helped my chronic pain.
   
   Hopefully some of these help! But, again, I'm not a doctor, and talking to a medical professional about these options is definitely the way to go. Good luck!

i was in the same boat as you

havent played since elementary school and just started up again at 21 last November.

i started off pretty slow in the beginning not even being able to play scales or do the most basic music for the first month

but the general plan that I've taken
i've used

http://www.amazon.com/Elementary-Training-Musicians-2nd-Edition/dp/0901938165/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395538406&sr=8-1&keywords=hindemith (this might not be as necessary if you're really good with rhythms?)

http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Classics-Moderns-Music-Millions/dp/0825640172

after doing about 5 of those pieces from that i moved on to beethoven sonata 49, then i moved on to eyes on me (http://ffmusic.ffshrine.org/ff8sheet/ff8-sheet-music.php), suteki da ne (http://ffmusic.ffshrine.org/ff10sheet/ff10-sheet-music.php), and then debussy's arabesque

so if you were looking for a timeline thats how I've been progressing so far with a teacher;

what was kind of helpful for me was just to go in with the mindset that each new piece you're gonna improve on reading and technique so that the next piece will be easier and to pick pieces that helped me; for example, i really wanted to play debussy's arabesque which involves a lot of polyrhythms and arpeggios in the left hand; while i definitely couldn't play it right after playing the sonata, the two songs i played before it was really helpful; eyes on me was great for the arps in the left hand and suteki da ne was great for the polyrhythms

First what you want to do is probably get a decent book of beginner songs and just work your way through them.

The piano literature series is popular, but I personally have not used them. I know volume 2 has a bunch of popular songs like Sonatina that everyone plays.

Burgmuller is also very popular among intermediate beginners.

You probably also want to get Hanon because everyone uses it for warm ups no matter what level, and it has all the scales.

And you might want Czerny, which are really short decent sounding pieces that people use for warmups.

These few books will get you started. Just start working through the books. Work on something from all three or four books.

Just a note. You'll probably be very enthusiastic in the beginning and get really bored before you reach your third month. You need to persist if you want to get good. I personally did not enjoy playing piano until I got pretty good and was able to play the more virtuoso piano pieces.

NOOooooooooooooo. DO NOT GET THE YAMAHA P45B, instead, consider the Yamaha P115. The reason is because the P45B comes with only 64 polyphonic voices while the P115 comes with 192 polyphonic voices. This makes a HUGE difference when playing piano! Especially when you get to more advance pieces.

I was in the same position as you last black friday as well and I choose the P45B at first because of it's price. It was pretty bad and some notes would just cut off at certain points (related to the polyphonic voices)! So I returned it and got the P115 and have been loving it ever since. The only thing I wish it had was a note display cause I started out as a beginner.

I took a look at the Kawai ES100 and it has 192 polyphonic voices as well, which is good, but it doesn't seem to have as much button settings as the Yamaha P115 does. I would suggest you look up the manuals for both to see all the settings both have. Some have hidden settings which use a combination of a function key + note key.

FINALLY. DO NOT MAKE YOUR DECISION OFF OF THE PEDAL. You can easily get a $20 pedal off of Amazon which is already better quality than both pedals you listed combined.

In conclusion, because I love my P115, I will recommend that over the Kawai. Hope this helps in your decision!

EDIT: Extra read up on polyphony.

EDIT 2: Me performing one of my favorite songs on the Yamaha P115.

Well, on a budget, I see three digital pianos that stand out. The Yamaha P-115, the Kawai ES100 and the Roland F-20. They have around the same specs. The differences are the number of voices, styles, speakers and polyphony and MIDI support and most importantly, Tone. They all support the three pedal assemblies sold separately and come with one. Also stay away from Casio. Their action and Tone are inferior.

Voices and Styles don't matter if you are playing the piano because a piano is not a keyboard.

As for Speakers, the Yamaha and Kawai have 2 7W speakers and the Roland has 2 6W speakers. This means the Yamaha and Kawai will probably be louder and will sound possibly better. I've only compared the higher end Yamahas and Kawais and not these particular models but i find their digital piano sound quite comparable. This will not matter if you practice with headphones or are planning to buy a separate keyboard amp which can go from an extra 100 to 300 dollars.

Polyphony in a nutshell is the number of keys you can press simultaneously that will be played through the speakers. The Kawai and the Yamaha are 192 while the Roland is at 128 but this shouldn't matter. 128 is for most people much more than needed.

The Kawai has a MIDI input and output port for digital recording as well as the usual headphone ports. The Roland has a USB port for digital recording and can connect to a computer. The Yamaha has just a USB to host connector which can record MIDI to your PC but no MIDI in unlike the other two. Here, I like the Rolands features the most and the Yamahas the least. None of this will matter if she records via AUX and MIDI does not matter to her.

Now Tone. I find Yamaha and Kawai to be very similar on tone and I prefer Roland to them. It sounds warmer to me which I like. Get your girlfriend to try one/any digital piano from each company to see which she prefers.

Overall, Id get the Roland because its more or less equal to the Kawai and the Yamaha but the 100 bucks more than the Yamaha gets me a tone I prefer. Then I'd get the Kawai because of MIDI IN/OUT. Else, I would have gotten the Yamaha. But the Yamaha is the cheapest and only loses features you possibly may not care about and has a very nice Tone too.

http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-P115B-Digital-Piano/dp/B00UHBGE7A?ie=UTF8&keywords=yamaha%20p115&qid=1465281078&ref_=sr_1_1&s=musical-instruments&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Kawai-ES100-88-key-Digital-Speakers/dp/B00GXH4XVQ?ie=UTF8&keywords=kawai%20es100&qid=1465281051&ref_=sr_1_1&s=musical-instruments&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Roland-F-20-CB-F-20-Digital-Piano/dp/B00FB2THIS?ie=UTF8&keywords=roland%20f%2020&qid=1465282786&ref_=sr_1_1&s=musical-instruments&sr=1-1

Here are the Kawai and the Yamaha with the furniture stand, the furniture bench and the three pedals in a combo. I recommend you get one of these.

http://www.amazon.com/Kawai-Portable-Digital-COMPLETE-BUNDLE/dp/B01BFIRNOG?ie=UTF8&keywords=kawai%20digital%20piano&qid=1465283255&ref_=sr_1_8&refinements=p_36%3A-100000%2Cp_n_condition-type%3A404228011&s=musical-instruments&sr=1-8

http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-P-115-Digital-Furniture-Style-Instructional-Polishing/dp/B00UOEBXBC?ie=UTF8&keywords=yamaha%20115&qid=1465283364&ref_=sr_1_4&s=musical-instruments&sr=1-4

And here are some good Keyboard amplifier to have a better and louder sound

http://www.amazon.com/Peavey-KB-20W-Keyboard-Amp/dp/B004LRP56W?ie=UTF8&keywords=keyboard%20amplifier&qid=1465283594&ref_=sr_1_2&s=musical-instruments&sr=1-2

http://www.amazon.com/Behringer-K900FX-BEHRINGER-ULTRATONE/dp/B000LQ29XE?ie=UTF8&keywords=keyboard%20amplifier&qid=1465283594&ref_=sr_1_3&s=musical-instruments&sr=1-3

Well, if you're really interested in playing piano for the long run and not just starting and quitting, you should get something nice. Because if you get something cheap and want to go further you'll probably regret it.

On the cheaper side, there's the Yamaha P-45 or the P-71 (They're the same thing) https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01LY8OUQW/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1509807635&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=P71&dpPl=1&dpID=41La5-9h9WL&ref=plSrch

The keyboard that my teacher has at lessons is a P-105. It's pretty good, probably better than the 45, but a bit more expensive. It may be a little old though idk. https://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-P105B-88-Key-Digital-Piano/dp/B009DER0MA

I've also seen a lot of people on here getting the P-115. It may be something you want to check out too. It looks exactly like the P-105... Strange
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00UHBGE7A/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1509808265&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=P105&dpPl=1&dpID=31FJaZHCjFL&ref=plSrch

I haven't gotten to play on them, but I've also heard really good things about the Kawai CA-67 and the CA-97. These are quite a bit more than the Yamahas I showed you but are a lot better quality. The two models are the same but the 97 has a better sound quality. It actually has a acoustic soundboard. You may be able to get these online or maybe at a store nearby. https://www.thomannmusic.com/kawai_ca_67_sb_set.htm?sid=a9519d05780fcfba15d9ee3e0fd56b33&ref=prod_rel_356373_0

https://www.thomannmusic.com/kawai_ca_97_r.htm

I think they just came out with newer models of these though. The CA-78 and the CA-98.

Anyway, here's some different options but definitely check out the FAQ on this subreddit. There's a whole page dedicated to this stuff.

It is really best that he tries out the various possibilities before you plunk down the money for one. For example, the YPG-235 only has 76 keys (full size is 88). Can he really make do with that? Which one does he like the feel of the keys best? Which one sounds best to him? Does he really need/want the hundreds of extra voices on the YPG?

Alexis digital pianos are basically beginner pianos mostly meant for parents who don't want to spend a lot of money to see if their child will like playing piano. They are cheap and sound like it, tend to have quality issues, and definitely are not suitable for busking.

For your price range, my suggestion would be the Yamaha P-45 (or Amazon's "exclusive" version, the P-71 ). Keep in mind that you will have to spend another $30 or so for a stand (which should at minimum be double-X style, not a single-X which are wobbly).

I hope this helps a bit.

Hi. If you're serious about filming yourself for either your friends to critique or for your own self critique, then I highly recommend you invest in a microphone. Your Smartphone will likely produce great video results wherever you put it, however, it's built in microphone won't be able to cope with the dynamic range of the piano. To compensate for this, there are plenty of 'plug and play' microphones you can use direct with your smartphone. I use the Shure MV88 which plugs directly into any iOS device and comes with a free app that you can use to control it properly. It's available on Amazon (with other options too) and whilst not super cheap, you'll get your money's worth from it very quickly.

If you want more information before buying, I created a couple of videos on it. This first one introduces it and shows you the actual difference in sound you will get by using it. This second one looks at the more advanced features - mainly centred around using the free app that you can download.

You'll also find some other videos on filming your playing that might be useful for you.

You can start by buying these two books and reading them cover to cover: Jazz Theory by Mark Levine and Jazz Piano Book by Mark Levine That's a good first step. There's plenty of other books out there obviously, but I've had good success with these. Learning Jazz is all about becoming acquainted with a new musical language and internalizing it to the point where it becomes as natural and automatic as speaking. This takes a lot of practice. Good luck and be sure to listen to lots of jazz!

If you want to play "combo style" just don't play the root at all. The LH plays chords with at least the guide tones (3 and 7) and the RH plays melody, The root is left for other instruments to play. It's not uncommon at all for a jazz pianist to play something like EGBD for a CMaj7. In fact my teacher would scold me for being too square if I played that and would want me to play something more like EABD. I the bass plays a C you're now playing a C6/9 between the two of you. If you use "band in a box" software you can let it play the bass for you for practice.

Incidentally Levine is great and all but I highly recommend you pick up a copy of Phil DeGreg's book Jazz Keyboard Harmony. Levine covers a lot of theory but DeGreg is a lot more hands-on useful.

I also recommend Bert Ligon's book which is very thorough to the point of intimidation but wow holy fuck is it good.

Oh, and get yourself a real book, of course.

[Czerny's 30 exercises are great] (https://www.amazon.com/Practical-Method-Beginners-Pianoforte-Op/dp/0793525675/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505531391&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=czeerny)


I would also recommend playing a few pieces from Bach, his music really reinforces right/left hand independence. Every time I sat down and committed to a Bach piece I came out a much better pianist.

Aside from that it takes time and commitment. For me it too a solid 6-8 months to really start getting comfortable with the mind/muscle connection associated with hand independence when playing.

How good is your sight reading? I would definitely recommend working on that. I have book recommendations but they're mostly lower-level so unless you've slacked on sight reading over the years, they probably won't prove useful. Maybe something like this would be good to read from.

Otherwise, there are plenty of exercises that you can work on:

• Major scales, 4 octaves, parallel and contrary motion
  
• Minor scales (natural, harmonic, melodic)
  
• Chromatic scales (with the 2 or three different fingerings)
  
• Improvising
  
• Arpeggios, either memorization or getting them up to a higher tempo
  
• Chords -- Blocked, whole, inversions
  
  You could also work on etudes from various composers, but stay away from the stuff that would surely be too difficult (Chopin, Listz, most Rachmaninoff, etc).
  
  There's a lot you can work on but the truth is that it certainly depends on what type of music you want to play -- pop, classical, jazz, anime, ragtime?

Get a book of music that is maybe a bit above your level, and try to play as much as you can from it. Example: when I was 13, my mom gave me the classic piano library here and I just really wanted to learn a bunch of the songs. The book was way above my level at the time, but I managed to get through a few of them pretty well - I think the first one I learned was The Beautiful Blue Danube. I got really good at reading after playing around in that book.

Another thing is to learn intervals and chords. I am the pianist at my church and I began a habit of reading chords instead of reading each individual note - which was generally how I read before - and my reading has gotten twice as fast.

Edit: added link

If you're looking for a specific series of works to tackle, Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier is always a good choice. Chopin's etudes are also very fun; don't be scared off by the word "etude", they're all very original and wonderfully musical.

If you're looking for collections, I have a bunch of books from the Library of Piano Classics series that are perfect for expanding your repertoire. I highly recommend them.

I don't think you can go wrong with a Yamaha P-115. It's gorgeous and sounds beautiful.

https://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-88-Key-Weighted-Digital-Sustain/dp/B00UHBGE7A

Amazon has a P71 which is "Amazon Exclusive" and a bit cheaper than the P45 but exactly the same keyboard.

https://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-88-Key-Weighted-Digital-Sustain/dp/B01LY8OUQW?th=1

I just got myself an MX-88 at Guitar Center yesterday for $1000 and she is a wonderful board with lots of fun features.

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Yamaha/MX88BK-Music-Synthesizer-Black-1500000043688.gc?cntry=us&source=4WWRWXGP&gclid=CKfv64HGwNMCFYSKswodUKYCjw&kwid=productads-adid^172488555108-device^c-plaid^260767648984-sku^1500000043688@ADL4GC-adType^PLA

Hope this helps you out!

You can get a nice digital piano like the Yamaha P95 for around $500 (there are often coupons). The good news too is that I see them sell for $425 on Craigslist here locally so you're not putting much at risk.

Once you have your piano, sign up for lessons. Please, please, please be patient though. It takes a bit to get comfortable with the piano. Don't give up too soon when you're not making the progress you expect. Most of all, just enjoy it. It's a fantastic hobby but it requires a good bit of practice to improve.

I actually have been self teaching myself the basics of jazz using two good resources with some input from my teacher (which does not focus on jazz). First of all Improvising Blues Piano by Tim Richards is really good, with a focus obviously in improvisation. After doing part of that book to understand the basics he recommends moving up to Exploring Jazz Piano 1. Since you have 18 years of classical experience you're probably going to be familiarized with most of the concepts and you can just focus on understanding the style and ideas for improvisation. Honestly I find it very helpful and throughout Richards has "assignments" you can do to further expand. Also in the songs themselves there is a reccomendation of notes you can use within the scale you're working on to improvise. Very complete overall.

http://www.amazon.com/Improvising-Blues-Piano-Tim-Richards/dp/0946535973/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421076430&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=impprovising+blues+piano

http://www.amazon.com/EXPLORING-HARMONY-TECHNIQUE-IMPROV-Schott/dp/190245524X/ref=sr_1_sc_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1421076430&sr=8-3-spell&keywords=impprovising+blues+piano

In addition to a teacher, there are:

• Mastering Piano Technique by Seymour Fink (video.) A good resource of various movements we can do to achieve our musical goals.
  
• What Every Pianist Needs to Know About the Body by Thomas Mark. Helps to update the conception of your whole body, not just the fingers, hands and wrists.
  
• The Craft of Piano Playing by Alan Fraser. Start with the section on Natural Hand shape first.
  
  Other technique books I haven't read or had a glance at:
  
  
• On Piano Playing by Gyorgy Sandor.
  
• Abby Whiteside on Piano Playing.
  
• The Art of Piano Playing by Heinrich Neuhaus.
  
• Chopin: Pianist and Teacher: As Seen by His Pupils. An insight to how Chopin taught.
  
• Twenty Lessons in Keyboard Choreography by Seymour Bernstein.
  
• The Physiological Mechanics of Piano Technique by Otto Ortmann.
  
• The Visible and Invisible In Pianoforte Technique by Tobias Matthay.
  
• The Art of Piano Playing by George Kochevitsky.
  
  Your mileage may vary. These books I haven't read are often very expensive or out of print, so you may need to go to a library.

They're from this series by Paul Harris:
https://www.amazon.com/Improve-Your-Sight-Reading-Piano-Elementary/dp/0571533116/

Yeah, I like them. They're filled with 4-bar exercises, and I tend to do one a day, which takes me 10-15 mins.

It has a good difficulty curve, never too hard or too easy. He has the exercises roughly grouped by scale, so you pick up a bit of scale-knowledge along the way.

I'm not saying the books make it easy, I think learning to sight-read requires a lot of work whatever route you take. But the way he has it broken up into small exercises is probably the best way of going about it. I'm starting to see benefits now when working on other songs of being able to recognise the notes quicker.

First of all you have to eradicate the idea that you are junking up their sound. As long as you are vaguely playing the same chords as them you are adding body to the sound, even if you only play a single root position chord at the beginning of each measure.

Also, get into the habit of working out the chords relative to each other e.g. I - IV - V - IV instead of, say, F Major - B flat Major - C Major - B flat Major. More often than not jazz/blues/pop/Broadway pianists are required to play in a key other than the one notated (e.g. to fit the range of a vocalist). Fake books indicate the chords in relation to the melody, but you will have to get used to transposing.

Although you may not be interested in Jazz specifically, if you assimilate the principals of jazz piano, almost anything else will seem easy in comparison. There's a great book by Mark Levine called The Jazz Piano Book which starts from the absolute basics and takes you through to solid proficiency (sorry I could only find a kindle edition, but there must be a hard copy available somewhere).

I've been using the Paul Harris "Improve Your Sight-Reading!" books and they have been great. They gradually move you from stupid simple, introduce a new technique/rhythm/key signature/something every chapter in a really logical way. I started with just basic grade 1 about 6 months ago and am now on grade 4, and the difference in my sight reading ability is pretty danged amazing.

https://www.amzn.com/0571533116

Learned by plugging my keyboard into my computer and using Synthesia to show me bit by bit. I realize it's better to learn using sheet music instead of sheer muscle memory but like I said, I'm stupidly impatient and determined to learn my favorite piano piece regardless. I did however recently start taking piano lessons so I am now learning music comprehension.

Question for you all: should I invest in a weighted keyboard so as to play ragtime and other pieces properly? Since playing Maple Leaf with weighted keys mine feels like a flimsy toy. And it's of course harder to make the transition. I'm seriously considering saving up this summer for the Yamaha P45B as it feels and sounds incredible compared to mine. Thoughts?

I'd recommend The Jazz Piano Book or The Jazz Theory Book, both by Mark Levine. There's a ton of great stuff in both, and they'll teach you how jazz musicians conceive of how they play—not to mention give you a foundation to play pretty much any popular style that strikes your fancy.

I'm 21 years old, and have been dealing with depression for a few years now. In order to help combat this, I'm trying to do things that I've always wanted to do, including learning to play piano.

I was looking at 88 key weighted electronic keyboards, and I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations? Is there one that reigns over the rest as the best?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UJ9LNDK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_EVWcAbVP0HW6K this is the one I sort of had my eye on, but definitely not set on anything.

TIA

"Easy Classics to Moderns" is a similar range of pieces. (Likely you can find a pdf of it online somewhere if you want to check it out first.)

https://www.amazon.com/Easy-Classics-Moderns-Music-Millions/dp/0825640172

Also good for sight reading at that level would be "The Piano Bench of Easy Classical Music". More of a range here but there's some right from the original sheet music and a lot of more accessible arrangements worth playing.

https://www.amazon.com/Piano-Bench-Easy-Classical-Music/dp/082561824X

Since you are just starting out, your emphasis right now needs to be on developing a solid basis of technique, . For the next 2 years I recommend you alot your practice time as follows:

• 1/3 to scales and arpeggios
  
  
• 1/3 to exercises - Hanon is the classic starter book. Czerny is a more challenging and interesting addition.
  
  
• 1/3 to pieces
  
  After 2 years, once you have built up your dexterity, then you can begin alotting a greater portion of your time to practicing pieces.
  
  Please note that this time estimate is based on my experience, playing for 3 hours/day during my formative training years. If you are practicing less, it may take longer for you to build your dexterity.

https://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-88-Key-Weighted-Digital-Sustain/dp/B00UHBGE7A?th=1&psc=1

This is what I have. I mostly play classical stuff and it sounds really well. The difference between a 500$ electrical piano and a 1000$ one if you just plan on to use default settings mostly (grand piano) and not do any fancy recordings or midi stuff is really minimal and not worth the extra 500$. So id say if you play mostly classical this one's the best for your buck.

Well, besides getting a teacher, there are a number of books/resources you could get. The problem is that you have holes in your knowledge from not playing so long, and no one knows what exactly you do know and what you don't, so there's no one place to "dive in". You may want to start with the more beginner resources and just skim through the parts you think you already know.

You might want to get a piano method book, which will guide you through beginner concepts to more advanced in a logical fashion. Pianoworld Discussion

Here's a popular beginner method book which is mentioned in the above thread: Alfred's All-in-one Adult Course.

Or if you want a more comprehensive reference that covers a LOT more in one book, a lot of people like this: Piano Handbook: Complete Guide.... But read the lower-starred reviews to see why many people think it's not necessarily a good book for a beginner to use.

See our FAQ links under What to practice for the pianopractice.org link and music theory links and more (You'll want a good grounding in music theory to start learning jazz piano).

Our FAQ has lots of links on getting started with Jazz, and there's an extra link in my comment here:
http://www.reddit.com/r/piano/comments/1kbs7u/best_youtube_videos_for_learning_jazz_piano/

I recently read What Every Pianist Needs to Know about the Body (https://www.amazon.com/What-Every-Pianist-Needs-About/dp/1579992064) for help with proper posture and all that, and it was a really great read. Super important to get posture right to prevent injury. If it hurts after an hour I dare say you're doing something wrong, and I hope you take it serious before it starts to hurt even sooner and impacts your playing!

Even after reading the book and trying to be conscious of all its teachings, when I went to see a teacher for some help she immediately pointed out that I needed to raise my right wrist more (I'm a lefty, not sure if this is a non-dominant hand thing, since you mentioned your left wrist).

So anyway, good playing, but take from someone who's been injured (weightlifting, not piano), it's really important to take form seriously :)

I have a book or two I would like to give away but I don't know anybody who would want or need them. Definitely would like to give it to somebody who wants it: one is "The Piano Handbook" and the other is a laminated, spiral-bound edition of the WTC.

As far as you want to go.

If you focus and practice consistently, this is an extremely good book: The Piano Handbook


After practicing for a year, I'm only about halfway through it but already receive lots of praise on my technique and improvements from when I first started. Learning on your own is tough and that book ain't easy, but it will take you very, very far.

I just got back into piano after years of not playing. I bought this book: The Library of Piano Classics and I have really enjoyed it so far. There's a mix of difficulty, with some really well known songs and others I wasn't familiar with, ranging from Bach to the 20th century. I am really happy with it and considering getting the sequel.

Mark Harrison's books are pretty good - maybe start with this one then move onto the jazz piano one. If you can read music to a basic level, and are happy to come back to theory points later if you don't fully get them the first time round so as not to get bogged down or discouraged, you should find a lot to learn in there.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blues-Piano-Leonard-Keyboard-Instruction-x/dp/0634061690

I've really enjoyed the Hal Leonard Keyboard Style Series, which covers a wide range of styles. These books will start from the basics of each genre from past to present. Each book comes with a cd of each exercise being played so you can hear how it is supposed to sound as well.

https://www.amazon.com/Library-Piano-Classics-Music-Sales/dp/0825611113/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1502164626&sr=8-1&keywords=library+of+piano+classics

Great deal. Has tons of popular classical pieces.

That is all very useful information, and thank you for even looking up recordings of all of the songs. Your response gives me a much better idea of how to teach him these pieces. Also, in spite of another commenter, I think I should brush up on and expand my knowledge of jazz. What do you think of this particular book? https://www.amazon.com/Jazz-Theory-Book-Mark-Levine/dp/1883217040/ref=s9_simh_gw_g14_i1_r?_encoding=UTF8&fpl=fresh&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=&pf_rd_r=M6709RMPFXXZBNG5JHYH&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=a6aaf593-1ba4-4f4e-bdcc-0febe090b8ed&pf_rd_i=desktop

There’s a few ways to go for this. There’s a Sight Reading book series that has multiple levels for beginners to advanced readers. There’s also a couple of helpful websites.

Sight Reading Factory (paid)
The Sight Reading Project

There’s definitely more out there of course.

If you want to learn how to sightread, I suggest you check out:

• [Bartok Mikrokosmos Books on Sightreading](http://imslp.org/wiki/Mikrokosmos,_Sz.107_(Bart%C3%B3k,_B%C3%A9la) ^^Amazon
  
• Burgmuller's 25 Progressive Studies/Etudes (Sidenote: Do this if you're a medium level sight reader)
  ^^Amazon
  
  If you wish to become better at endurance, dexterity, fingering, etc., I suggest you take a look at:
  
  
• [Czerny's Practical Method for Beginners](http://imslp.org/wiki/Practical_Exercises_for_Beginners,_Op.599_(Czerny,_Carl) ^^Amazon
  
• [Liszt Technical Exercises](http://imslp.org/wiki/Technische_Studien,_S.146_(Liszt,_Franz) (Use if you're a bit advanced) ^^Amazon
  
  
  If you want to know what level you are at piano, check out ABRSM
  
  
  IMPORTANT SIDENOTE: The IMSLP links don't work due to Reddit's formatting system, so when you click them, add a ")" (without quotes) to the end of the URL link.

There are a bunch of books like this one on amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Library-Piano-Classics/dp/0825611113

If you want simpler arrangements:

https://www.amazon.com/Library-Easy-Piano-Favorites/dp/082561483X

I like the steinway library of piano series too.

There's a lot of used sheet music on ebay btw.

My last teacher recommended "Exploring Jazz Piano" by Tim Richards as a great book to get into Jazz. The author has a similar book on Blues (Improvising Blues Piano).

There are definitely better keyboards out there, but going off of what little I know about your needs, maybe the P115? Try it in a store if you can, or some Yamaha with Graded Hammer Standard, to make sure the keys feel right to you. Amazon has them new, used and refurbished, so hopefully one of those prices works for you.

It has 88 fully-weighted keys, but you can't get the best weighted keys on the cheapest keyboard, so YMMV. The keyboard has USB-to-Host MIDI, so it can act as a controller for your piano software. It also has an aux in, so you can run that sound back from your computer to the keyboard's speakers.

I got this book a few days ago and it looks very solid. I'm still at the level where the first few pages are giving me grief, but it all looks achievable.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Improvising-Blues-Piano-easy-grasp/dp/0946535973

The two volumes of jazz material in the same series are intended to follow on from this book as well.

Take a look at these: this and this. I have a relative who minored in piano in college and who sent me the latter book. Checked and it is still published. Intend to jump into it when I finish my current method book in about 2 months.

Because I am two months away from your point, I would be interested in answers from others too.

EDIT: Forgot to add this series that I found awhile ago. Books 7, 8, and/or 9 might be good as a continuation.

I haven't played one, so I don't know. This sub likes to recommend the P45, which is the same price on Amazon right now. https://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-Weighted-Digital-Sustain-Standard/dp/B00UJ9LNDK?th=1

You will need a stand and a pedal, though.

Wondered what anybody thought about any of these technique books. Or something else you love?

https://www.amazon.com/What-Every-Pianist-Needs-About/dp/1579992064

https://www.amazon.com/Fundamentals-Piano-Technique-Russian-McKeever/dp/1495073017

https://www.amazon.com/Art-Piano-Fingering-Traditional-Innovative/dp/1479285277

https://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Piano-Technique-Students-Performers/dp/0931340462

I suggest getting a big book called "Library of Piano Classics."

amazon.com/Library-Piano-Classics-Music-Sales/dp/0825611113

It spans many composers from multiple eras (mainly Baroque, Classical, Romantic). All the songs are on the Beginner/Intermediate level. Great for sightreading and learning well-known pieces.

https://www.amazon.com/Piano-Handbook-Complete-Guide-Mastering/dp/0879307277

Awesome book for beginner.

Definitely, the only other complaint i"ve seen is that the full combined set of Czerny books is big and kind of cumbersome to try and set up on many stands/pianos (especially digital ones with relatively flimsy stands) so if you just want to start out with the first volume.

You can also save a couple bucks buying this version: https://www.amazon.com/Practical-Method-Beginners-Op-599/dp/0793525675/ref=pd_sbs_14_1/146-7772873-1196205?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0793525675&pd_rd_r=1ddf146f-a969-11e9-85ce-aff8187a0e51&pd_rd_w=iCFBw&pd_rd_wg=XQAFs&pf_rd_p=588939de-d3f8-42f1-a3d8-d556eae5797d&pf_rd_r=VZ57KF2TQTAH2Q8MHZVK&psc=1&refRID=VZ57KF2TQTAH2Q8MHZVK . If you need to hear demonstrations of the etudes, you can find plenty on youtube.

this is popular. The quality is mediocre though. There is huge variation in difficulty. There's a library of easy piano classics too. No idea what's inside it.

is this combo any better?
https://www.amazon.ca/Yamaha-P-45-88-Key-Digital-Piano/dp/B00UJ9LNDK?ie=UTF8&tag=marioverehr05-20

This one has the first two pieces you mentioned plus lots of other famous classics. Volume 2 has many more. Plus they have a nice comb binding that lays flat.

Aflred All in One - A reliable go to for the complete beginner to get them using both hands, reading music, understanding chords and keys etc.

Improvising Blues Piano - Great book for intermediate to later beginners looking at exploring contemporary styles.

Exploring Jazz Piano - Similar to the blues one but using jazz which requires a higher level of complexity.

I'd go with a Yamaha P-95. Very nice entry digital piano with weighted keys.

Glad to hear. This book might give some insight along the away.

The Mark Levine books The Jazz Theory Book and The Jazz Piano Book are both good resources.

I highly recommend the Hal Leonard Blues Piano book.

Definitely get an adjustable bench/chair. Also read this book: What Every Pianist Needs to Know About the Body https://www.amazon.com/dp/1579992064/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_6e9uCb201PZ5C

When starting from zero I'd recommend music theory for dummies (and check out r/musictheory). For jazz specifically:

http://www.amazon.com/Jazz-Theory-Book-Mark-Levine/dp/1883217040

So I'm finally going to start working part time and start saving up for a keyboard. My first question is if the Casio PX350 is worth the 100$ more than the Yamaha P115. And my second question is how much are piano lessons on average? I'm so damn excited to finally get formal lessons after all these years of butchering music on my own.

https://www.amazon.ca/Yamaha-88-Key-Contemporary-Digital-Piano/dp/B00UJ9LNDK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1549740059&sr=8-1&keywords=yamaha+p45

I started with a weighted piano. Poeple told me that the feeling of a not weighted piano is not worth it after if you want to continue in playing

This book has been recommended many times on this sub and it's full of ideas for both hands:

https://www.amazon.com/Improvising-Blues-Piano-Tim-Richards/dp/0946535973

I think Long & McQuade listed the MSRP, or the price was for a bundle (stand, seat, pedals).

I can't find a listing for P-115 on Amazon Canada to compare prices there, but the US prices are more reasonably in line with each other:

• P-115
  
• P-125

If you plan on going the self-teaching way, and want to buy one book that covers a LOT of material and different styles, I suggest getting "The Piano Handbook" by Carl Humphries. Helped me tremendously when I started, and I still refer to it and read/re-read chapters now. It can be found for ~$25 new or $7-10 used on Amazon

https://www.amazon.co.uk/BERT-LIGON-COMPREHENSIVE-TECHNIQUE-MUSICIANS/dp/0634001760

you can try Hanon or Czerny
https://www.amazon.com/Hanon-Virtuoso-Exercises-Complete-Schirmers/dp/0793525446


https://www.amazon.com/Practical-Method-Beginners-Op-599/dp/0793525675/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0793525675&pd_rd_r=99a4ecb3-d10e-11e8-bdc5-8929d75e6129&pd_rd_w=rcva6&pd_rd_wg=2EWZ1&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=6725dbd6-9917-451d-beba-16af7874e407&pf_rd_r=X17PZ9CXNGYQ9JEAG7X0&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=X17PZ9CXNGYQ9JEAG7X0

I think the p115 is only 600 new https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UHBGE7A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_6Vxtyb42W70A0

Probably not. You should consult someone who knows something (I don't) or try this book https://www.amazon.com/What-Every-Pianist-Needs-About/dp/1579992064 which has helped me a ton.

I'm not sure if I should just message the mods about this, but I have a question so I'm just gonna mention it here. The faq is a little outdated, it says that the Casio privia px-350 costs $700, but it seems that the price dropped to $600.

So now for the actual question, as someone who is looking to buy my first digital piano, would it be a good idea to buy a yamaha p115 that is a little damage from Amazon warehouse? Specifically this deal. it seems like it's just cosmetic damages, so I don't see why not, but just wanted to know what you guys think.

And also relating to the first paragraph, how does the privia px-350 compare to the p115 since they have the same price now? And should I make this into an actual post?

No, it really starts from the beginning. The first part is available in amazon's preview.

http://www.amazon.com/Improve-Your-Sight-Reading-Piano-Elementary/dp/0571533116/