yea. i know i shouldnt relied on the piano scores. but i really dunno how to go abt playing without score. my teacher doesnt teach me pop song. he always teach from the book. so when i wanna learn other pop songs by myself, i can only look for the piano scores or from u tube when they have tutorial videos on the songs. but not all songs have tutorial videos. i wanna learn playing accompiant for this song. so that i can sing along. does this means my RH just need to play the chords, i try playing accompiant for other songs, but the chords i play just doesnt sounds right, the chords for the songs i find from internet. and i dunno wats wrong.
How to practise?
- Thread starter lavender
- Start date
yea. i know i shouldnt relied on the piano scores. but i really dunno how to go abt playing without score. my teacher doesnt teach me pop song. he always teach from the book. so when i wanna learn other pop songs by myself, i can only look for the piano scores or from u tube when they have tutorial videos on the songs. but not all songs have tutorial videos. i wanna learn playing accompiant for this song. so that i can sing along. does this means my RH just need to play the chords, i try playing accompiant for other songs, but the chords i play just doesnt sounds right, the chords for the songs i find from internet. and i dunno wats wrong.
Many people here will want to be your instructor including me.:mrgreen:
Anyway, you should change school or instructor. If you find instructor has perfect pitch, he or she may able to train you hear and play by it. However, the theory of playing should be taught to you.Every school or trainers have their way. But all lead to common understanding of chord formation, chord progression, LH and RH style, type of genre....etc It is even possible that you wanna compose your song too.
Anyway, you should change school or instructor. If you find instructor has perfect pitch, he or she may able to train you hear and play by it. However, the theory of playing should be taught to you.Every school or trainers have their way. But all lead to common understanding of chord formation, chord progression, LH and RH style, type of genre....etc It is even possible that you wanna compose your song too.
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hmm.. i just feel my progress is really slow. i dunno is it becoz im a slow learner or is just normal. dunno the problem lies with me or the teacher.
and i also feel that my teacher dun really have the passion to teach. everytime went for lesson, he jus seems wanna end the lessons fast or to pass time only. he dun really communicate with me also. he would just randomly flip the textbook and ask me to play that piece, and playing over and over again. maybe he just wanna toughen up my basics but it would really get kinda boring if u keep playing the same old thing. and when i just started learning from him, he actually say he would prepare some pop song and learn from there, but after learning from him for abt 6 mths, the pop song never appear, up till now, i never learn any pop song from him at all, i actually learn some pop songs thru u tube by myself.
hi dylan, its a private lesson. its just a small music school at AMK. i choose there because it was near my home and working place.
haha. yea and i would like to learn from you all too. got a lot of info and learn many things from this forum too.. thanks to the experts here and i hope one day i can be like you guys. maybe you guys can post more tutorial for pop piano. hee..
z_z
New member
Relating to what Kong Wee has said about playing by ear, I think a bit of "ear training" helps to break away from relying too much on scores. Listen to music and try to transcribe it onto a piano sheet.
Having a software or instructor who can train you to id and transcribe chords, melodies etc instead of just concentrating on playing on the piano works wonders for your "musical sense" and enjoyment of playing on the instrument... ideally
Having a software or instructor who can train you to id and transcribe chords, melodies etc instead of just concentrating on playing on the piano works wonders for your "musical sense" and enjoyment of playing on the instrument... ideally
thanks to the experts here and i hope one day i can be like you guys. maybe you guys can post more tutorial for pop piano. hee..
Sounds like you've found some motivation to learn again~ That's good~
pf
New member
Amethyst,
you have to analyze and understand your slow progress. Is it not putting in enough time to practice? Is the piece too boring for you to want to practice? Is the technique required to play the pieces chosen by your previous teacher too difficult for you, therefore you're slow to progress?
Like what I said to lavender, the important thing is to learn how to learn to play the piano. Songs and techniques will come and go, learning how to learn stays with you to overcome your difficulties in all songs and techniques.
I hope this helps! And that you will get a more inspiring new teacher!
you have to analyze and understand your slow progress. Is it not putting in enough time to practice? Is the piece too boring for you to want to practice? Is the technique required to play the pieces chosen by your previous teacher too difficult for you, therefore you're slow to progress?
Like what I said to lavender, the important thing is to learn how to learn to play the piano. Songs and techniques will come and go, learning how to learn stays with you to overcome your difficulties in all songs and techniques.
I hope this helps! And that you will get a more inspiring new teacher!
Amethyst, in the meantime, practice all major and minor scales. Got time blues scale. Got time arpeggio on many chord formation as possible. It is possible to find them all on the net. I prefer books on this kind of practice. Once you manage to get through all major and minor scale around mid tempo(80). Ditch them all.Well, don't practice further.
Lavender. you can start to eat up some scale too.
Don't practice more that 20 min for this kind of thing, or gone too crazy for it.
Lavender. you can start to eat up some scale too.
Don't practice more that 20 min for this kind of thing, or gone too crazy for it.
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OKAY!!!!
Major and minor scales, blues scale, arpeggio .. Here I come~!!!!
Watch this video and all other videos by the same guy..
http://www.expertvillage.com/video/1153_piano-c-major-scale.htm
pianomankris
New member
Lavender;
If you must practise scales, then don't begin with the C major scale. It is actually technically one of the most difficult. Most bad teachers give their students it because it is theoretically easy to learn i.e. 'all white', and most teachers feel that 'students should practise scales', without actually understanding why.
Begin with the E major and B major scales. Reason being that the crossing of the thumb always occurs after playing a black key. This gives you more 'room' to get the thumb ready for the white key. There is less chance of you making a technical error with these scales.
For example (talking about RH here btw), when playing E major scale, you'll cross the thumb under after playing G# with finger 3. Because finger 3 (the longest finger) is on a black key, you will find it easier to get your thumb ready for the A.
Please, do not start with C major scale. Too much damage is done to pianists when they start scales - usually because they begin with the C major scale.
PS Chopin taught the above method e.g. beginning with E and B major scales when the student begins practising scales.
Just be careful. There is a lot that can go drastically wrong when you're playing scales - things you won't even be aware of e.g. pushing the elbow out at the thumb crosses, things like that.
If you really must practise scales, take it easy.
If you're going to do any kind of classical technical work, get a good classical teacher before you begin practising.
As a side note - did you know that the Moscow Conservatory (probably the strictest and greatest music school in the world) piano course used to be 9 years long, and the first 3 years were devoted entirely to scales, arpeggios, and etudes? And this was with some of the best young prodigies in the world. They simply weren't allowed to play 'actual' pieces for the first few years, as they could do great damage to their technique - damage that could potentially be irreversible. I don't mean physical damage to the hand (although that is also possible), but forming a habit in the hand/mind that is impossible to break. If after a few years of study it was found that a pupil simply couldn't break a mental/physical habit, they were discarded from the school.
If you must practise scales, then don't begin with the C major scale. It is actually technically one of the most difficult. Most bad teachers give their students it because it is theoretically easy to learn i.e. 'all white', and most teachers feel that 'students should practise scales', without actually understanding why.
Begin with the E major and B major scales. Reason being that the crossing of the thumb always occurs after playing a black key. This gives you more 'room' to get the thumb ready for the white key. There is less chance of you making a technical error with these scales.
For example (talking about RH here btw), when playing E major scale, you'll cross the thumb under after playing G# with finger 3. Because finger 3 (the longest finger) is on a black key, you will find it easier to get your thumb ready for the A.
Please, do not start with C major scale. Too much damage is done to pianists when they start scales - usually because they begin with the C major scale.
PS Chopin taught the above method e.g. beginning with E and B major scales when the student begins practising scales.
Just be careful. There is a lot that can go drastically wrong when you're playing scales - things you won't even be aware of e.g. pushing the elbow out at the thumb crosses, things like that.
If you really must practise scales, take it easy.
If you're going to do any kind of classical technical work, get a good classical teacher before you begin practising.
As a side note - did you know that the Moscow Conservatory (probably the strictest and greatest music school in the world) piano course used to be 9 years long, and the first 3 years were devoted entirely to scales, arpeggios, and etudes? And this was with some of the best young prodigies in the world. They simply weren't allowed to play 'actual' pieces for the first few years, as they could do great damage to their technique - damage that could potentially be irreversible. I don't mean physical damage to the hand (although that is also possible), but forming a habit in the hand/mind that is impossible to break. If after a few years of study it was found that a pupil simply couldn't break a mental/physical habit, they were discarded from the school.
Oh I can see that you like zebras. I personally like penguins.
No! Panda!
so funny. I think C# scales sound v nice
