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Well considering you’re probably an adult. I’d recommended the Alfred Adult Level 1 book. I’ve played piano for 8 years and this is what my instructor uses for her beginning high school who have never even touched a piano. There’s 3 levels and all have pretty well rounded lessons. It teaches a lot of chords, note names, scales, and etc. good luck! Adult All-In-One Course: Lesson-Theory-Technic: Level 1 https://www.amazon.com/dp/0882848186/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_.hRQAb5KQXXJC. If you ever need help shoot me a message
I learned independently but would probably have learned a lot faster with a tutor. The moment it "clicked" for me, so to speak, is when I bought this book: Music Theory for Computer Musicians. I immersed myself in that book and read it in no time. For me it worked wonders just staying away from the computer and endless tutorials to just jump in for a deep dive.
I know you're probably joking, but on the off chance that you're not:
This is a good starting point. I would also recommend learning some music theory. There are lots of online resources for this or if you want it all in one place, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Theory is actually a really good book (don't be dissuaded by the title). After you've learned some and want to play some music of your own, MuseScore is a great program that has a huge collection of user created sheet music. You can often find beginner versions of popular songs on their website. Best of luck and remember to have fun!
Music theory for computer musicians. It is classical theory but written in a piano roll in case you can't read music. Great book in my opinion. Read it all the way through and it helps every day.
https://www.amazon.com/Theory-Computer-Musicians-Michael-Hewitt/dp/1598635034
I should add that there are a few minor errors in the book. Nothing factually wrong, just a few mislabeling of images.
https://www.amazon.com/Hanon-Virtuoso-Exercises-Complete-Schirmers/dp/0793525446
This is a warmup book I have used for 10 years and I love it with all my heart. Although it doesn’t have any impressive technique or pieces, your keystriking and fluency while playing will improve if you do these warmups every day.
I don't believe there is a good quality website for that. However, this book is an industry standard for adults to learn reading. The lessons are well-organized and it is possible to go through it on your own. It's probably better than anything you'll find online. You can order it on Amazon if you want to avoid stores!
Good enough? Everyone should know? If there were only a handful that were useful, then the others would not be taught. Sure, you’ll find that 80% of songs consist of the same 20% components/themes. But there’s no “easy hack to be good enough” — progress is made through establishing a consistent practice routine and setting measurable goals.
Don’t try to go the easy route and skip fundamentals; it’s counter productive when learning piano.
This is a great book for beginners of any age that captures the spectrum of elements to learn.
On a different note, you may find that a hymnal, ignoring the religious component, is an excellent example of the common piano music practices — chord structure, inversions, voicing, etc. If you can play through a hymnal front to back, you can consistently play most American piano music.
My two cents as a lapsed classical pianist: If you want to go old school and learn to read music a bit too, struggle your way through the Hanon exercises for piano, specifically the scales and octave scale progression through all keys.
It is boring, dry stuff. But I will be damned if I don't still remember every scale once I start off on the right note, even if I don't remember any of the classical pieces themselves. Because of that bastard Hanon and his exercises.
'Music theory for computer musicians' It teaches the theory behind harmony and melody.
As far as playing goes, there's no substitute for putting your hands on keys as often as you can. Try learning songs you like.
I've posted this a few times but I think its well worth repeating:
I am using Alfred's Adult all in one and there is a guy on YouTube that covers each lesson with good instruction and tips. Here is the link: Alfred's Video
I also hired a tutor who I meet with every two weeks, just to make sure I'm not picking up bad habits.
No. Not only because there are so many, but the word "should" is highly debatable.
In one sense you don't "need" to know any theory at all. It just depends on how much you "want" to know, which depends partly on what kind of music you're playing, and how much you want to get into improvising, composing or arranging. Or how much you talk to more qualified musicians. And on your own curiosity of course.
Basically, just buy a book - like this - and see how far you get (or want to get). Or if you want a free resource, try this. Again, take it as far as you want to.
A Modern Method for Guitar will get you there. Exclusively sheet music.
The Alfred All In One books have been pretty good so far. I started playing on Friday and have learned so much. Here’s the Amazon link to the first book. You can also use the PDF version.
I started with this book about four years ago. You can find used copies pretty reliably at half price books:
https://www.amazon.com/Adult-All-One-Course-Lesson-Theory-Technic/dp/0882848186/
I worked out of that for about six months and then started taking lessons, but there are three volumes you can work through yourself with lots of supplemental books. It’s a great series IMO.
What works for me... Each practice session generally goes like this...
Practice makes perfect but if you practice the wrong things that's what you will perfect.
1) Start by Warming up to something formal. Scales, chords, rhythmic phrases, styles, and various time signatures. Use a metronome. Start slow and work up the tempo. Count out loud. 1 E & ah, 2 E & ah...
2) Practice something new to learn and expand your skillset and instrument's vocabulary. Learn a song or part of one. Or work on theory if it suits you. Just keep trying new things.
3) Work on feel. Play 1 single note and try to make it as Musical and expressive as possible. Play the same note at different octaves, positions, tones, volumes, and rhythms. Then add a second random note and play using only the two. Always be as expressive as possible. It's an exercise in feel. Continue adding notes up until 4. I use a 12 sided dice at times to pick random notes and random syncopations to play. (Ted reed syncopation is gold).
4) Put all the formalities aside and experiment. Less thinking and more feeling. At this point, if you gave 1 through 3 enough time and consideration you will have more ticks in your bag to pull out on the fly. Over time your bag will become a treasure trove. Never stop.
Ted Reed Syncopation
It can be applied to all instruments.
Learn the notes on the fretboard. Frets 0-4 at least, on each string; work up from there.
Learn notation.
Start with major scales, in this order: C, G, D, A, E. Then F and Bb. Play each one on the guitar as you're learning it, and play it around the chord shape (or shapes) you know for each of those major chords. (If you already know scale patterns for these keys, make sure you know the chord shapes in each one.)
Learn the I, IV and V (and V7) chords in each key. Then the vi, ii and iii. You may know this already, but check to confirm, filling in any gaps.
The more you know the fretboard (notes, chord shapes or scale patterns), start to knit it all together into those keys. I.e., pick one key, and check how many of the notes and shapes for each chord you can find, everywhere on the fretboard. (This is obviously more about fretboard knowledge than theory per se, but think of theory as the names - or more names - for things you may already know by sound and pattern alone. IOW, you're studying a map of a terrority you already feel is "home", but you're learning a few place names and street names you didn't know before.)
Take various songs you already know, and start to look at them from a theory perspective. What key are they in? How does each chord relate to that key? Are there any chords which don't fit the scale associated with that key? (Probably there are...) No rules are broken there, just different rules being followed. The more theory you learn, the more you will be able to label everything that's going on.
Recommended book (covering most of the above points in order): https://www.amazon.co.uk/Leonard-Guitar-Method-Theory-Online/dp/063406651X/
well hi again. No, I've been going strong for a year, but I really want to invest myself in music theory and to grasp the whole idea of tempo and scales and what makes what.
Books are better for that because they take you through the whole story a video only shows you a page or a chapter at most.
If you’re three months into piano, and especially if you’re teaching yourself, I’d recommend Hanon.. Of course, keep doing what you’re doing because it’s amazing. Hanon really helps strengthen your fingers.
Good job, especially for three months. :)
Are you trying to learn music or learn guitar, as sometimes you need to bias your search. I’d get a beginner theory book first (https://www.amazon.com/Music-Theory-Guitarists-Everything-Wanted/dp/063406651X) then I’d move on to this one (https://www.amazon.com/Hal-Leonard-Guitar-Method-Complete/dp/0881881392).
I started out by the electronics chapter in "The Guitar Handbook" - maybe it's on Amazon Kindle now, I don't know - they have an entire chapter on the basic circuits of what's inside an electric guitar and how they work. I found it not too difficult to take what I learned there and start studying various wiring diagrams for other guitars online and learn how they work.
Just a footnote - the old blue cover version I have on paperback - the first diagram for the single humbucker guitar shown at the start of the chapter has proper left-handed wiring, I got a crash course in left and right-handed wiring when I wired my first guitar using that as a guide.
Here's the Book - https://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Handbook-Ralph-Denyer/dp/0679742751/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1471535240&sr=8-1&keywords=the+guitar+handbook
Former classical guitar student here that definitely agrees that piano is easier than guitar in many ways. Anyway, there are a number of method books for piano such as Alfred's Adult All-In-One Course: Lesson-Theory-Technic: Level 1. A search at Amazon for "piano method books" will turn up others. Good luck!
Can you afford an inexpensive book? Alfred's is the usual suggestion around here, and it spells everything out pretty clearly. You can pick it up on amazon.
One usually tried and true method to learning to actually play music is to start slow and with some simple pieces. A book like this will help you do that. The journey is long so prepare for a marathon rather than a sprint.
I'm like you, a hobbyist having fun on journey of musical discovery. I will say this, since beginning music production a year ago, I started out constructing songs solely by ear and my own taste. They sounded pretty okay for someone with no experience whatsoever. I found it actually very encouraging and quite exhilarating.
But I did reach a point where I did want to know more theory. My wife is trained musician and she always kind of recommended learning some. I'm not much of a book person, but casually browsing Amazon yielded this guy: Music Theory for the Computer Musician
25 bucks well spent. Not only is it fairly well written, it's geared exactly toward folks like us. Honestly, I found kind of cool to learn how the interplay of sound and its relationship to frequency makes all the music we love. It isn't an end all, be all. But I do create music differently now and with a little more intention, more able to predict how something might sound rather discovering it by trial and error.
I don't think there's anything wrong not knowing it, but knowing some is definitely a benefit to your process. Good luck.
Are you trying to work on reading music? If so, it's just like reading words. Remember when learning to read how you did it? Taking it slow, like first recognizing 26 letters and the sounds they make, then you sound out groups of them called words, then groups of words for sentences, etc. You get better the more you do it. There may be tips/tricks promising quick results, but even with them, you just have to do it over and over.
I would suggest adult beginner piano books.
They don't go painfully slow like kids beginner books, and taking it from the beginning is nothing to be ashamed of. Having a solid foundation will make future skills more stable. Best wishes!
The FAQ has a great section on how to get started as a beginner. In addition, there is some talk about what and how to practice.
Most people on this sub will recommend using the Alfred All in One series if you want to teach yourself. Amazon Link
Do you know your way through Ableton already or are you looking to learn more about the in's and out's of Ableton?
If you know how to use Ableton already, I highly recommend spending more time delving into music theory over DAW tutorials (especially if you are producing deep house which has more complex chord structures). I bought the following book off Amazon and was happy with what I learned off music theory (allow the beginning starts off a little slow if you have been producing for awhile):
If you are wanting to learn more about the in's and out's of Ableton, I'd recommend saving some money and looking up tutorials on YouTube on how to accomplish what you are looking to do. If you have any questions regarding Ableton plugins, there is likely a YouTube tutorial on it for free.
Also...this has a ton of other info in it as well...chords, scales, repair...its a great all around book I would advise any player to get. You will reference it many times.
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My advice would be to start here.
What you describe sounds like a piano method book. Maybe take a look at the table of contents of Alfred's All in One Course to see if it's for you?
I’d gladly teach you. I teach my two kids that have been playing daily for the past 6 years. I also play flute and teach oboe. Music is tons of fun to playing and extremely satisfying to learn.
I’d recommend getting alfred’s beginning piano for adults book.