Learning how to play the keyboard. Tips and tricks!!

[LDB]

Yo! I'm currently trying really hard to become a basic keyboard player. I know we have some pretty good piano and keyboard players on ILL and we also have a lot of "keyboard players in training".

We all know that it's harder to learn any kind of instrument as an adult. I wish like heck my moms would have put me in a class to learn how to play the piano when I was like 3 but she didn't and I'm faced with the uphill task of trying to get proficient at it now.

It would be cool if people would post "beginner adult" level keys to successfully learning the keyboard in this thread. I have a very good course that's doing wonders for me. Text tips or video tips would be greatly appreciated by all learning I'm sure.


I'll start it off: I'll probably drop a video tutorial on this simple technique as well later tonight or this week if anybody's interested!

HOW TO FIND ANY CHORD ON THE KEYBOARD:

Remember this, whole step - whole step - half step - whole step!

Put your first finger (Left hand it's the pinky, Right hand it's the thumb) on the Root of the chord (the root is the name of the chord i.e C,D,E,F,G,A,B) The first finger will always be the name of the chord!

Now to get the whole step whole step half step whole step process you have to understand that each and every key on the keyboard or piano is equivalent to a "HALF STEP", it take 2 "HALF STEPS TO MAKE A WHOLE STEP".

Now you place your first finger (right hand thumb, left hand pinky on the root of the chord). I'll describe a D major chord since it's not as easy has a C major! You don't count that first finger!!! Your count starts with the second finger (if you're using your right hand that's your index finger).

I place my right hand thumb on D, the first black key to the right is a half step away and I need to go a whole step which would put that second finger on E, I need to take that third finger (middle finger) and go another whole step, the first white key would only be a "half step" so in order to go a whole step (2 half steps) my middle finger would land on the first of the 3 black keys which is an F Sharp, the forth finger ALWAYS only proceeds a half step (learn this, it's key) which is G and my fifth and final finger (pinky) has to go a whole step which would put in on A. So you have D - Fsharp - and A...that's a D major chord.

Once again with the whole step, whole step, half step, whole step tool you can find any and every Major chord on the keyboard or piano!

FOR U ADVANCED PEEPS LOOK PAST THIS THREAD....LOL...THIS IS FOR US BEGINNERS...UNLESS YOU'RE CHIMING IN TO HELP!

Picture below is the fingering number for the left hand. It's the same as the right, number one is always on the thumb.

 

[The Arkitekt]

Good post, but can you clarify the first finger thing? You say its the pinky for the left hand then the thumb is first finger on the left hand in the pic.

 

[Kontents]

^^^
In piano you have to use all 5 fingers to get the full effect of the piano scales. LDB is right for the pinky being finger (1) if he is going up scale with the chord and so on. If its a down scale progression then he would use his thumb so all the other fingers are on the side position of where the scale is going.

Also the chord pattern you have posted is for major only. A cool trick for an immidate minor chord is to take the 3rd key and drop it 1/2 step.

Ill post some diagrams and some scale charts up in here as well. Glad to see people are into learning how to play piano and not just hit some keys.

Good drop LDB

 

[The Arkitekt]

Oh ight. So finger number depends on which direction your moving your hands on the keys?

 

[Kontents]

^^^
Exactly!!

When going up scale starting on middle C your thumb would be placed on C as finger 1. Your next two fingers hit the next two keys, then your thumb swings under your middle finger to the next key so that the next keys in the scale each have a position for each finger. ... I hope this makes sense?..

 

[LDB]

^^^

Also the chord pattern you have posted is for major only. A cool trick for an immidate minor chord is to take the 3rd key and drop it 1/2 step.



Good drop LDB

Yep that was coming next. I didn't want to hog the thread! I'll let you elaborate on the minor chords which are hella simple explained that way. Before I got this course all the others tried to make playing the keyboard seem like Chinese Arithmetic.

Drop that as soon as you can then I'll explain Flats and sharps...unless someone else wants to.

I want to keep this thread based on the members experience as opposed to roaming the internet posting various vids. Posting pics is cool though. If you post a vid make it yourself. It'll probably be a bit more clear for the members to get the perspective from one of us! I got a gang of vids I could post but if I do it'll be a remake of that vid after I learned the tip or trick myself.

 

[The Arkitekt]

Makes perfect sense. I actually know how to do scales using that technique (bout the only thing I know how to do with a piano lol). I just didn't know about the finger numbering thing. Thanks.

 

[MagnaOpera]

definitely subscribing to this thread... big ups guys.

 

[Vice]

there were some good tutorials posted by Afrique a while back... it was very useful

 

[Ominous]

It is all too complicated for me.

I am just praying and hoping I develop a skill where I can see the keys and know the sounds they generate and just "feel the music." LOL.

 

[LDB]

It is all too complicated for me.

I am just praying and hoping I develop a skill where I can see the keys and know the sounds they generate and just "feel the music." LOL.

Good luck....tried it....DIDN'T WORK.....U have to at least learn the simple mathematics of it all. Pattern piano is the closest thing to what you're saying...trust on that. After you learn the fundamentals and the theory behind patterns the feel is not far behind!

 

[Ominous]

Good luck....tried it....DIDN'T WORK.....U have to at least learn the simple mathematics of it all. Pattern piano is the closest thing to what you're saying...trust on that. After you learn the fundamentals and the theory behind patterns the feel is not far behind!

I bought this dope ass piano lesson kit that you use on your computer and I have been meaning to learn but the MPC has taken so much of my time that I haven't been practicing.

I will try to use the time available in Black history month to get my black ass on the piano.

I think understand chords better is the last thing I need to feel completely competent when making beats.

 

[LDB]

I bought this dope ass piano lesson kit that you use on your computer and I have been meaning to learn but the MPC has taken so much of my time that I haven't been practicing.

I will try to use the time available in Black history month to get my black ass on the piano.

I think understand chords better is the last thing I need to feel completely competent when making beats.

whole step whole step half step whole step my brother. Amaze yoursefl....lol...I did! There are only 12 chords!!!! There are variations of them from there but you need only learn 12. There minors are as simple as dropping that third finger ( middle fuck u finger...lol ) a half step down aka to the left! I can't tell u how long I tried to figure that out by other means.....with this program I learned each and every chord in a couple hours. Had my wife and kids sitting down watching me hit 'em with a big ass grin on my face....lmao

I can play a mean ass "home on the range with variations and the whole nine now....he he he he....fuck it....I'm proud of myself!

 

[Ominous]

^^^ Hahaha. I'ma try and get that good by the end of the month.

 

[2GooD Productions]

I dont understand the 4 key chords, but I can normally find the chord for any note just by using my ears.
Knowing the chords opens so much possibilities, like arpeggiating through the chord scale.
Through copious quantities of practice I have finally picked things up by ear, but it really has taken years to do it.
I should have just got lessons.
Im no skilled pianist, but I can improvise to pretty much anything, and the key is understanding the full note half note steps LDB mentioned. Once you know the chords you can improv all day.
I dont know majors minors 5ths or any of the other fancy chords, I just go by what my ears say is right.

 

[daproduct]

4 key chords are the 7th and augmented versions.. the piano is pretty simple when it comes down to it.. i'd say go with learning your single notes first, do some work on chords for timing and just getting comfortable with em, then move on to scaling to work out transitional moves..
too bad a sucka like me cant upload all my knowledge to yall matrix style or some shit!
for anyone that wants a quick reference, i'd recommend a chord chart just because you aint gonna pick up on all them different keys right away, and they'll atleast give you an idea which keys are the natural keys for the key you're playing in.

 

[Ominous]

^^^ seriously.

That would be mighty handy.

 

[2infamouz]

Minor scale

IDk if this helps ne1 but i only play in a minor scale n to Find a minor scale u just Pick a root note, then the following notes will be UP A Whole step, Half Step, Whole Step, Whole step, Half, Whole , Whole and u should be back on the root note, only u'll b 1 octave above it. Any one of the keys u hit on the way up are gonna b part of ur minor scale... Im not bach or anything but ive def learned a lot n the past 6 years, just from experimentin n usin my ears. If anything u need to train ur ears not ur mind. Music isnt an exam, u dont think of the right answers n fill em in, u have to hear it And Feel it to really understand it.

 

[samuelock]

don't know if this'll help or not:

i'm a visual learner. when i started to get pretty good at the keys, i started to see patterns. if my fingers felt like they were in the right place, i knew that was a good chord. i correlated muscle memory and visualization with sound. it wasn't so much a 1-2-3-4-5 kinda thing for me..just playing and playing made me realize patterns and that made it more interesting to learn and improve.

hope that made sense, or helps a little!