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I've been playing piano for many years. I was showing a beginner friend some piano technique issues that I noticed. And when I was recording myself doing the same passage, I realized I have a tendency to curve my thumb "outward" (it's like the joint is collapsed -- the opposite of "thumb under" technique).I think it's because it was a very mild stretch, and the maximal stretch you can get is with your thumb curved that way. I think it's only in the stretch cases that I play it like that -- is that normal? I feel like it is but it looked a little odd recording myself.
I also think I have a tendency to collapse my thumb that way when it's not being used (but then when it's time to use it, I'll un-curve it unless it's that stretch). I think this is problematic?
For some reason I can't find any online discussion on this (I might be using the search queries)
how to git gud at playing with both hands?
Practice hands separately first. You don't want to get confused about what the rhythm or notes should be while you are trying to play hands together.
When you are putting them together, just focus on getting everything in the right order. Forget about the rhythm temporarily. After you can get the notes in the right order, slowly put the actual rhythm back in.
Play slowly enough that it is easy. Build up very gradually.
Does anyone has sheet for Charlie Puth - Attention by The Theorist?
I want to start learning how to play the piano and I want to buy a digital one. Also I want to be able to connect it to my pc and have some sort of sound settings like making it louder/being able to use it with headphones. i want something under 350 if possible
If you want to be able to play piano repertoire well, and/or move to acoustic later, anything < 15 years old with 88 fully weighted keys by yamaha/roland/casio/kawai/korg second hand. make sure you account for a stand etc.
Normally when I practice I'm fine but when I perform my hands sweat profusely and my accuracy drops. Does anyone have any antiperspirants(or other solutions) they could recommend that don't damage the piano or leave residue?
I've found I sweat more when the keys are dirty. Wipe the keys with a lint-free cloth (like a lens cloth for your glasses) before you play so there's no dust or anything on them.
I’ve been playing for almost a year now, and I’m still struggling to play pieces with a lot of piano ties. Tied notes? Not sure what to call them. I’ve been using a metronome to help with my counting, but whenever I play without it my rhythm goes back to inconsistent. For some reason they really throw me off. Any tips?
Work on having a mental metronome counting when you practice sometimes. Count the beats that aren't there/ are hidden by long notes.
What are the best pianos for advanced pianist with no space in a walk up apartment?
I live in a walk up apartment with small stairs and it’s a pain to move pianos in and out. I also might move soon so I’m looking for something not too heavy/doesn’t need to be craned. However I have been disappointed with every single digital piano I have ever tried (example: any keyboard at a Costco warehouse). Is it because I haven’t tried really expensive digital/hybrid? What would you recommend for me? I would estimate my playing is at an undergraduate level (think Chopin ballade, Beethoven tempest sonata), but maybe I’m just a sound snob 😢.
If you were judging on sound, then that's the wrong criteria. The primary thing for you to pay attention to is the action. The sound can always be changed through nicer headphones/speakers or running the piano through a DAW for access to a VST like pianoteq.
I've been offered a free Morton Bros & Co piano. Unfortunately the owner is unable to get me the exact model and I have only seen one picture. It had been tuned and maintained regularly until the last few years so I'm not really concerned about the condition.
That being said, the owner says it was purchased from The Piano People in Dartford, UK in the 1990s. Their name is stamped just above the keyboard at the right hand side. Embossed in the back panel is the name "IONA PIANO." Googling it results in nothing related. Does anyone know what that could mean?
Pic of the piano in question
It had been tuned and maintained regularly until the last few years so I'm not really concerned about the condition.
When was it last regulated, when was it last partially restored, when was it last completely rebuilt or manufactured? Expect very approximately £1000, £5000, £20000 for each of those.
It was last restored by The Piano People in the mid 90s but that's all I know. As I mentioned before though, the owner can't get me any more info. She's elderly with arthritis which is why she's giving it away. Sorry I can't provide more but thanks for the reply!
If it was fully restored then, it's got 20 years of good life left. If it had some work done but major components left untouched, it may be basically dead by now. Do you have any pictures of the internals? recordings of you playing it?
Unfortunately not as the owner still has it at her house. Just waiting on the piano removal company to schedule pickup. She did mention that it's "a really lovely instrument, which plays wonderfully well" which is a good sign seeing as she has owned it for around 30 years!
Thank you for your input, genuinely.
i found two here and here , the first one seems solid except someone was saying keys that they didnt press will play on their own sometimes. So it might be a bit cheap unless their keyboard was just a bit screwed. The second one has very few reviews but seems ok still from reviews.
Originally I was going to buy the alesis q88 because it was a midi controller which I wanted and it seems very nice from reviewers and all, except that people say its not good for learning on because it is only semi-weighted. Even If i never get a real piano I still want fully weighted keys I suppose if it means my technique wont be messed up.
Do any of these 3 look okay for learning on?
I wouldn't get either of the first two you linked. Never heard of either company, and in general no-name Amazon companies aren't good.
The cheapest ok weighted piano is probably the Alesis Recital Pro or Donner DEP-20. Most people here would recommend the Yamaha P45 and the Roland FP10 as the best bang-for-the-buck. (Personally went with the Roland).
Keep in mind though, that playing is better than not playing. Ideally you'd have the nicest weighted keyboard you can afford, but plenty of people have started on literal toys.
What is the correct / easy way to jump from D4 left finger to B4 middle finger? (small hands if it matters) Do you move the middle finger to the right or you go with the left finger under?
The correct fingering depends entirely on what you're playing before and after the specific notes you're concerned about. If you post an excerpt from your music with the relevant section highlighted, we'll be able to offer more helpful suggestions.
Thank you. Here are the notes: https://imgur.com/a/xxCpR2W (first picture followed by the second).
Starting from the thumb on D -- 3 4 5 for B, C, and D flat respectively
Honestly, if you were out with a group of your friends and you came across a public piano, what would you play? In simpler terms, if you wanted to be a complete show off and flex on all of your friends, how would you do it?
Right now I just play chords and a bit of melody for Taylor Swift's Champagne Problems, but no one except my mom is impressed lol. I played Bach tonight, stumbling a bunch, and got a ton of compliments and I was so flattered. This is a 65+ community :) She said - and others there have said - that they will welcome my piano playing any day. My hands do not fly across the piano, I'm not a virtuoso, I'm probably beginner intermediate - but people still appreciate me playing.
I think a lot of folks outside some of the folks on here appreciate that you are trying and mistakes are part of that, i think it makes it seem more relatable...
Is it too late to learn piano at 27? If say I wanna become a composer, teacher and a player?
Nope. You can start learning at any age. Even with the guidance of a good teacher and you putting in the work every day, I would expect it to be in the ballpark of a decade before you'd be have the piano skills to start teaching (that's not a hard and fast rule, by any means, but you want to be fairly advanced in your own skills before you try to teach someone else.)
You can start composing pretty much immediately. Obviously, your first compositions aren't going to be anything to write home about, but emulate, emulate, emulate. Play a wide variety of music on piano and learn from it: take the elements that you like, and add them to your musical toolbox.
When you look for a piano teacher, if your goal is to do gigs, I would strongly encourage you to find a gigging musician who teaches to learn from: they'll be able to talk to you about what gigging is really like, they'll be able to make sure you're learning the skills that will be most valuable to you for gigging, and when you're ready, they can potentially recommend you for gigs and introduce you to people. It would be ideal if that person also enjoyed composing.
Hey, I am moving and I have an used piano that I won’t know the model and current price, can I post it here to get feedbacks?
You can post questions like that in this thread, though there's no guarantee you'll get responses. 'What's my piano worth' is answered in the FAQ -- follow the link to the Piano World Forum article and read it -- and you're not going to get a lot more specific information than that.
In general, your old acoustic piano is probably not worth much if anything at all unless it's from one of the major manufacturers and has been well cared for over the years (ie, you've had it tuned regularly and any other maintenance needed has been done.)
Even if it's a great piano, there's a good chance it won't sell quickly, so if you're moving soon, you may not be able to sell it in time.
Come on home - The Lijadu Sisters
https://open.spotify.com/track/2NIIJ5WfrK4ANNPHcOhSeb?si=cHwcVFhZQKi4ViEy8gG-DA
I love the jammy piano in this, what are the chances anyone has sheet music for the piano for this track?
If you can't find sheet music for it, you can check out the transcribe subreddit where you can ask people to help transcribe it for you.
Any piano+drums material you would recommend looking up/watching/listening to? Cheers.
Does anyone have the sheet music for this piece? I've searched up and down for it. https://youtu.be/q2yDFYKijOQ?si=HohjWLcOFgIG23nz
Hi all,
Am a beginner adult student. Currently starting Grade 2
Would like to check. With the limited amount of time, which should be more of focus?
Practise scales / arpeggio / or chromatic scales?
Currently: C / F / G major Practising: C / E major with contrary motion
Minor with Natural / Harmonic / Melodic still not great. Based on circle of 5th derivation, I can derive on spot to play. But it still feels and sound awkward
With the current work schedule, I can draft out 30 min per day to practice
What are you worst at? That.
So meaning practise all evenly? Since all are currently equally bad. I’m practising dynamics with scales currently on a digital piano based on memory of strength input on my teacher’s acoustic piano. Still saving to buy a 2nd hand GP
Work on one at a time, if you are equally bad it doesn't matter where you start.
Seconding what Inside_Egg said, don't try and cram everything into one practice session. Pick one skill per day and practice that for like 10 mins or something at most, then spend the remaining 20 minutes practicing other things such as any pieces/repertoire you have.
What kind of piano is this? Thought it was Bosendorfer originally but obviously not. Tried searching on the ending bit - dond no luck. Can’t tell what the first letter is, E?
https://i.imgur.com/zhdZabP.jpeg
Maybe Ivers & Pond?
The last three letters line up but can’t seem to find a matching decal.
I'm so stuck as an "advanced beginner" who's been poking around this instrument for 4 decades. I need focus.
I like jazz harmony and chord progressions. I have NO desire at all to ever be a jazz piano soloist where I noodle around endlessly. I do like the idea of accompanying a singer.
Naturally, I looked for Jazz Piano Accompanist courses. Didn't find much. Just looking for other ideas or avenues I should pursue.
You could start with blues. It’s a bit more manageable. Or you could accompany yourself. That’s a good way to learn some songs.
Blues is a good start. It's the foundation of SO much (especially American) music. Thanks!
Bill Withers - Ruby Lee Piano chords
So I’m a beginner pianist, I know the notes and majors scales… but my musical ability takes a nosedive right about there😅. Been messing around the past few weeks and Ruby Lee is one of my favorite Bill Withers song, I’d love to learn at least the basics.
(If anyone has any ideas, please give me all notes (not just an A-minor chord, etc I’ll have no freaking clue haha) also don’t know much about ideal fingerings so any help is appreciated, thanks in advance!
I know this isn’t what you are asking for but learning chords will open up a lot of resources. You can look the song up on ultimate guitar and you’ll have a basic idea of the song. When you’re stuck people are much more likely to be give you help with chords
Any advice on piano lessons and whether I should continue lessons?
I went with first teacher who got back to my inquiries. I'm his most advanced student but that is not saying much because it seems like he does not have any advanced students (it seems like the second-most advanced student is probably around RCM 8?). I feel like there is no structure to the lessons and he does not really seem to remember what pieces I am playing from week to week. For example, I am working on Chopin but he literally asked me if I was playing Schumann (I have never played any Schumann repertoire). His approach seems to be closer to playing through easier pieces quickly whereas the teachers I had (probably closer to Russian-style piano teachers) would have me work on 1-2 pieces for months on end. I don't know which is better - at first the easier pieces seemed a bit refreshing - it was nice to just get through something - but I also feel like I'm not learning any piece particularly well and he does not really have me memorize anything, either, so I'm finding that I basically learn / finish a piece and then forget it or get very rusty on it weeks later.
I am feeling guilty because I also feel like I myself should be more engaged and motivated, particularly as an adult student who is paying each week, but with the lack of structure and attention to my learning I am finding it hard to keep things up.
Is he making notes for you on each lesson? If you give him your notebook he should know what you're playing. There's no reason for him to guess that you're playing Schumann if the notebook he's looking at says "Chopin".
It sounds like your teacher's style and your expectations aren't matching. They may be a perfectly good teacher and a nice person, but that doesn't mean they're the right teacher for YOU. If you've talked to them and things haven't changed for the better, my suggestion would be to look for different teachers in your area and see if you can find someone who is a better fit.
Have you discussed this with them?
I’ve discussed some aspects but he doesn’t seem to think it is a problem and/or he didn’t give me any suggestions on how to address it
Old Yamaha Clavinova, give away or sell?
So, I have a Yamaha Clavinova CVP-55 standing here and gathering dust (lots of it). I am no pianist in any way but I bought this piano used for my girlfriend who used to live with me at the time. That was some 15 years ago and I hardly ever touched it. So I decided to get rid of it. Initially I wanted to give it away to any young musician on a budget in my circle, but then a buddy told me there may be some actual value to it.
I tried looking up listings in the usual places but I would find very few, mostly old, and greatly varying prices (from $150 up to $800). I am by no means in the 'piano scene' so if anybody could give me an estimation I would very much appreciate it. Oh, and for $150, I still will give it away :)
It is in excellent condition, especially for it's age. The seller told me though he couldn't get the floppy working. Never tested it myself so there's that. Comes with the original stool, that for obvious reasons also was not used much.
The CVP-55 is from 1991. It was a good instrument back then, but the technology it uses is EXTREMELY out of date and also well past the instrument's expected lifespan. At this point, I would either give it away or charge some token amount if you can find someone willing to pay it.
Understood. Very much appreciated, thank you.