# Learning Piano



## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

One thing I've always wanted to do is learn keys. My daughter has a fairly decent keyboard to learn on. I think it cost $3 or 4 hundred from L&M and certainly looks adequate for beginner. I'm going to borrow it for a month and if I like it I'll buy a better one for my self.
So I'm looking for a bit of insight.
I'm a fairly accomplished guitarist and have been playing for over 40 years. Anyone else decided to take up piano after many years of playing guitar? How did you find the transition?
I'm pretty much a self learner. In my days of learning guitar I didn't have the advantage of Internet or youtube. So I have that going for me. But still, should I consider lessons?
Last, One thing I have never been good at in guitar is a chet atkins or alternate bass style of finger picking. Some of this is attributed to the fact that I'm a left handed playing right handed guitar. The benefit this has given me is I was always very fast and accurate at pull offs, hammer ons and any technique with fingering left hand. But the right hand presented challenges. Although mostly flat picking could keep up with the left hand (although sometimes left could get carried away presenting some timing issues with the right hand keeping up) getting my right hand to finger pick thumb on bass and fingers on melody was something I couldn't do. I think mostly I just didn't put the time in to it as I could naturally flat pick very well.
So with these 2 handed challenges is this going to present a challenge playing Piano? I know that one of my hands will be bass and one will be melody. Of course this may not be as challenging as trying to get my right hand to do thumb bass finger melody. I don't know thats why I'm asking.
So any help and advice anyone can offer will be appreciated.
As well any links for learning will be appreciated.


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## ronmac (Sep 22, 2006)

Lessons are always a good idea, but maybe not necessary right away.

My wife is a piano teacher and I am amazed at how quickly the beginners, not all youngsters, progress. The key, pardon the pun, is following a very regimented and progressive learning programme. There are a lot of different lesson series available in book form that take you from absolute beginner to concert ready. It does take time, dedication, etc.


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

I found piano was easier to pick up than guitar (for basic tunes anyways)

I played piano when I was younger for about a year or so. I STILL remember how to play a few kids tunes and I was only in grade 3 or 4 (i'm 32 now) when I played piano and had 0 appreciation for music.

When I picked up the guitar 4 years ago, I had a hell of a time learning and I still can't play the same tunes i know on piano on guitar.

any how, good luck on your quest. this is something I would also like to do sometime in the future.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

I'm a big fan of finding a teacher. It should speed up the process considerably. Before signing up for lessons, though, you should think about what your goals are. Are you thinking of keyboard in the context of a band or as a solo/featured instrument? Is there a style of music you want to play? You don't need to have answers to these questions, but if you do, let your teacher know before signing up.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

I took piano lessons as a kid.
I enjoyed them--but always with my eye on the guitar later on.
Beware of teachers who say they have a new way to learn piano--it's probably crap (this happened to me the last year I took piano--it soured me on lessons for a few months.)
If I had more time I would get a keyboard & re-learn some stuff and learn some new stuff.
I may get one anyway--but probably a cheap one--probably used.

It can be fun.


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

I played piano in my teens and still can play but obviously not as well. I found that learning the piano was just easier for me then guitar. I would never go back to piano My true passion is guitar. 

I think that going to a piano teacher is a very good idea. Once you get the juste of things you could probably teach yourself! So many great pianists though never had a lesson in their life.


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## 4Aaron GE (Jul 12, 2009)

Keep an eye out on Kijiji. There's usually a handful of free uprights in the London to KW area.

I went the other direction. If you've got your music theory down, you'll have an easier go at it. Knowing how my part played in the piano, I could easily map out what I wanted on the neck. As for learning how to deal with two parts at the same time, it just takes practice. Get a teacher that knows what they're doing. If you're hellbent on having a go at it solo, try starting with the Bastien Piano books. They'll be a little (read: very) kid-centric in their presentation, but the way they gradually build things into the lessons is pretty good.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Thank everyone.


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## ThatGingerMojo (Jul 30, 2014)

From the brief time I played piano, the only advice I can give is posture, hand position, and proper fingering from the beginning. Go over the keys like you are holding a tennis ball, and keep your back straight. It is such a discouragement when you finish a half hour practice in pain. Good technique from the beginning, major steps in progress.


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## Waldo97 (Jul 4, 2020)

guitarman2 said:


> Thank everyone.


Thread from the dead… How did it go?


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)




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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

My back ground in piano and clarinet helped immensely when I first picked up my guitar. It wasn’t as foreign to me if I hadn’t of had these experiences.


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## Sketchy Jeff (Jan 12, 2019)

If you want to accompany yourself or others singing you can learn the cowboy chords equivalent on piano with a few basic chord shapes in common keys. That's especially true if you like organ in a blues rock band. You can sit there with two fingers playing a continuo part along with the bass and ryhthm guitar and the whole things will sound great while the singer and lead guitar player do the decorative stuff over top. Piano has the advantage of everything laid out in front of you and only one place to play each note so there's not the complexity of the guitar neck and no need for separate tab and score.


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