PSR-OR700 - Yamaha PSR-OR700 » Learning To Play The Piano http://www.psr-or700.com All the best information about PSR-OR700 - Yamaha PSR-OR700 Thu, 24 Dec 2009 06:15:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 en hourly 1 Piano Chords A Chord Book And Forty Eight Popular Chords For Beginners http://www.psr-or700.com/piano-chords-a-chord-book-and-forty-eight-popular-chords-for-beginners/ http://www.psr-or700.com/piano-chords-a-chord-book-and-forty-eight-popular-chords-for-beginners/#comments Thu, 24 Dec 2009 05:53:32 +0000 http://www.psr-or700.com/piano-chords-a-chord-book-and-forty-eight-popular-chords-for-beginners/ I am sure you have heard of Piano Chords. Well, that can be a little misleading because when you play chords, normally with you left hand, you would play chords on an electronic keyboard or electric organ rather than a piano.
When learning to play the piano you would normally learn, what I call a moving left hand rather than a three note or four-note chord. You can still use chords with a piano but you must put the bass note in first before playing the chord. So if you are playing a C chord you would play the C bass note first with your left hand then the C chord. With an electronic keyboard, you would just play the C chord and the auto-chord feature that most keyboards have will add the bass note for you.
So, for all you keyboard and organ beginners out there all you need to start with is some basic triad and seventh chords. There are hundreds of chords to learn, but guess what; you don’t need to learn them now.
Let me give you an example, if you are playing your favourite song on your keyboard and you come across a chord called C6 or C9 or even C11 what do you do, stop, and learn these chords or carry on playing and learn these chords later, if you want to. Sound confusing, it’s not really, what you do is play a simple C chord instead of the C6, C9 or C11.
When you see a number attached to a chord it means you are adding another note to that chord. So for example C6 means play a C chord and add a sixth to it, and if you don’t know what the sixth is just play the C chord and learn the sixth later.
Now I don’t want to bombard you with theory but there are certain rules when playing ninth and eleventh chords, the rule being you must include the seventh when playing these types of chords. Now, as a beginner you can substitute ninth and eleventh chords with seventh chords. So now, you have a choice, if you see a C9 chord, you can play either a C chord or a C7 chord, both are adequate and both will sound correct.
Here are the chords I recommend beginners learn first.
12 Major Chords
12 Seventh Chords
12 Minor Chords
12 Minor Seventh Chords
The 12 Major Chords are:
C, G, D, A, E, B, F#/Gb, C#/Db, Ab, Eb, Bb, F
The 12 Seventh Chords are:
C7, G7, D7, A7, E7, B7, F#7/Gb7, C#7/Db7, Ab7, Eb7, Bb7, F7
The 12 Minor Chords are:
Cm, Gm, Dm, Am, Em, Bm, F#m/Gbm, C#m/Dbm, Abm, Ebm, Bbm, Fm
The 12 Minor Seventh Chords are:
Cm7, Gm7, Dm7, Am7, Em7, Bm7, F#m7/Gbm7, C#m7/Dbm7, Abm7, Ebm7, Bbm7, Fm7
That’s 48 of the most popular chords used in modern music today. If you learn these chords, you will be able to play hundreds of songs that are widely available in songbooks and sheet music.

]]> http://www.psr-or700.com/piano-chords-a-chord-book-and-forty-eight-popular-chords-for-beginners/feed/ 0 Piano Learning Software – A Modern Way To Learn http://www.psr-or700.com/piano-learning-software-a-modern-way-to-learn/ http://www.psr-or700.com/piano-learning-software-a-modern-way-to-learn/#comments Thu, 24 Dec 2009 04:02:11 +0000 http://www.psr-or700.com/piano-learning-software-a-modern-way-to-learn/ Piano lessons have changed over the years. Now you can download a full piano course to your computer and learn to play in a new and modern way.
With the cost of electronic keyboards and pianos becoming easily affordable, especially if you buy a second hand keyboard, now is a good time to start learning to play the piano. Gone are the days when you had to buy a big and heavy upright piano to start learning to play. Today, you can buy a roll up piano. It doesn’t take up any room, just roll it flat when you want to play it, roll it up when you’re finished and put it in the cupboard or under the bed, its incredible how technology has made musical instruments, especially keyboards, more accessible to more people.
It was inevitable that with new types of electronic keyboards there would be new ways of teaching. Now you can download piano lessons directly to your computer and start learning to play immediately. You need the right piano course to get you started and it needs to be easy to follow and keep your interest.
There are many courses available that have a new and interesting ways of learning to play the piano. Many of these new piano courses include hundreds of sound files and video files that show you how to play. It’s a bit like learning a new language where you listen then you speak, only in this case you listen then you play.
Learning to play a song on a piano or keyboard has been made easier by splitting the songs in to sections. Think of these sections as mini songs. When you have learned to play all the sections, you can then play the whole song.
You can also watch real piano techniques on video. With hundreds of piano learning video files, there is plenty to watch and learn from. Its simplicity itself, you just watch the video on your computer, copy the techniques and play on your keyboard. This is how piano teachers teach the piano, they show the student how and where to place their hand or fingers on the keyboard and the student copies the technique. Really, the only difference between piano software and a piano teacher is you can have software along with its sound and video files 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
There are many good quality piano courses available that take you from a beginner to an advanced piano player. Now learn at your own pace with piano software, the modern way to learn to play the piano.

]]> http://www.psr-or700.com/piano-learning-software-a-modern-way-to-learn/feed/ 0 5 Best Ways To Learn To Play Piano http://www.psr-or700.com/5-best-ways-to-learn-to-play-piano/ http://www.psr-or700.com/5-best-ways-to-learn-to-play-piano/#comments Wed, 23 Dec 2009 20:12:07 +0000 http://www.psr-or700.com/5-best-ways-to-learn-to-play-piano/ Thinking about learning to play the piano. Here are the top 5 best ways to learn to play piano:
1) Learn From A Teacher
One of the 5 best ways to learn to play piano is to learn from an experienced teacher. A teacher is of sorts, a live database of highly trained skills. So having access to one is more than appropriate, it’s a gift! Of course the better the teacher — the better your skills. So one of your first tasks in learning piano is to find a *good* teacher. We recommend learning from a teacher who has a degree in music and who regularly performs somewhere. The degree will ensure that you’re being taught the basics, and the regular performances will ensure that your teacher practices what she preaches! After all, it’s one thing to “say” what we should do, but it’s an entirely different thing to actually “do” what we should do. A teacher who plays the piano on a regular basis therefore continues to learn, and the lessons that she learns will be passed on to you.
2) Learn From Piano Software Lessons
Piano software lessons are unique tools that hook up to a MIDI Digital keyboard/piano, and they give feedback during play. If you make a mistake, the software will let you know so that you correct it. This feedback makes these tools invaluable but not 100% effective. Some people claim that these tools are as effective as teachers, but their emotional-less qualities make comparing piano software lessons to physical tutors a bit far-fetched. Learning from this resource *will* teach you how to play and is great for busy people but don’t stop here. Using software without some form of follow-up with a teacher will only teach you to play like a machine instead of a human!
3) Learn From Multimedia Books and Videos
Multimedia books and videos are appropriate alternatives for those who keep unusual schedules or who live in remote areas. Being multimedia, these resources exist on the Internet and they can be accessed any time of the day. Some of these tools can be downloaded and accessed from your own computer, while other tools are accessible on the web. To get full use, you’ll need a computer system that’s up-to-date, equipped with a DSL Internet connection, and capable of displaying uninterrupted streaming data. There’s nothing more aggravating than trying to learn from a video that repeatedly starts and stops.
4) Learn From Playing Piano By Ear
Many accomplished piano players learned to play by ear and some have never swayed from it. We contend that playing by ear serves as an easy introduction to the piano. But it’s an introduction that should lead to reading sheet music — a skill that every pianist should have. After learning from both approaches, you’ll find that they’re seemingly inseparable. A large part of playing music after all, depends heavily on listening skills. Learning to play piano by ear first will thus refine your listening skills and eventually make reading sheet music a lot easier.
5) Learn From Chord-Based Piano Lessons
As one of the fastest ways to learn to play piano, chord-based piano lessons provide quick access to what could several months to learn. Bear in mind that chord-based piano lessons will teach you how to create accompaniment — not melodies.

]]> http://www.psr-or700.com/5-best-ways-to-learn-to-play-piano/feed/ 0 It’s Never Too Late To Learn To Play The Piano http://www.psr-or700.com/its-never-too-late-to-learn-to-play-the-piano/ http://www.psr-or700.com/its-never-too-late-to-learn-to-play-the-piano/#comments Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:44:52 +0000 http://www.psr-or700.com/its-never-too-late-to-learn-to-play-the-piano/ Learning to play the piano is age irrelevant. Whether you are 16 or 60, are brand new to the instrument or haven’t played since you were a child, you can learn how to play the piano for your own enjoyment. It really doesn’t matter how old you are when you start.

Age is only a state of mind and should never be viewed as a barrier to prevent you from achieving a particular goal. Perhaps the circumstances of your life didn’t allow you to pursue your dream when you were younger; maybe you didn’t have any interest in playing the piano then, or you were simply too busy with your career or raising a family. 

Whatever the reasons were that kept you from learning the piano, they mean nothing today.  If you are truly passionate about playing music at this time of your life and you have the opportunity and the desire, it’s up to you to make it happen.  And you can.

Do you have access to a piano or digital keyboard? Are you sufficiently motivated to devote the necessary time and effort to practice? If you answered yes to those questions, then you have what you need to get started on a joyous adventure that you’ll treasure forever.

Learning a musical instrument these days is even easier when you factor in the convenience and immediacy the Internet offers for self-study. Without ever having to trek to a private teacher every week for a 30-minute lesson, and for less than the cost of dinner for two, you can take advantage of an online piano course and begin learning scales, chords and other musical concepts right from your home.

It’s much easier than you think and before you know it you could be impressing your friends and playing your favorite songs.  There is an abundance of online piano courses to choose from.  They cater to all types of music, but essentially they teach the same thing. 

Of course teaching methods will vary and they are many ways to check out which piano course may be right for you before you make your selection.  What’s important is that you get rid of the myth that you are too old to learn to play the piano.   That’s simply nonsense!  Just get out there and go after your dream to learn the piano.   You’ll be happy you did.

]]> http://www.psr-or700.com/its-never-too-late-to-learn-to-play-the-piano/feed/ 0 Beginners Can Learn to Play the Piano Online http://www.psr-or700.com/beginners-can-learn-to-play-the-piano-online/ http://www.psr-or700.com/beginners-can-learn-to-play-the-piano-online/#comments Wed, 23 Dec 2009 07:42:37 +0000 http://www.psr-or700.com/beginners-can-learn-to-play-the-piano-online/ You can start learning to play the piano right now, if you have an internet connection. Expensive pianos and ongoing piano lessons are no longer the norm. Anybody that has an interest in learning to play the piano can make a start thanks to the World Wide Web.If you want to get some inspiration, then watch a good pianist at work or keyboard player, there are plenty of videos available on youtube to inspire you. When a pianist plays the piano well, the listener can be drawn in to a very different world created by the expressiveness of the performer. Learning skills in general can be improved when learning to play the piano and children can benefit from this at school. Piano lessons can also help to have a better understanding of science and mathematics.
It doesn’t have to be expensivePiano lessons are now available to the masses not least because of the technological advancements of electric pianos and keyboards. Not too many years ago, if you wanted to learn how to play the piano your only option would be to buy an expensive piano. It’s easy to learn to play the piano online these days, and you can buy a used keyboard for next to nothing. You don’t have to spend a fortune when you are just starting to learn the piano or keyboard. An expensive piano is not going to make a lot of difference to a beginner.Improve your hand eye coordinationWhen you read sheet music, eye to hand coordination comes in to play and this process will improve dramatically the more you practice. You may be surprised at how fast this improvement will be.Choose your own practice timeWhen you take piano lessons with a teacher, you will normally attend once a week at the same time on the same day. If you learn to play the piano using a piano software course then you can choose your day and time of day when you have lessons. You can learn in the morning, afternoon or evening. You don’t have to wait for a particular day to have your piano lesson. Everybody has busy and quiet times so do more when you’re quite and take a break when you are busy. So if you don’t want to be tied to a teacher, online piano lessons is the way to go.It’s already been mentioned that to learn to play the piano properly you need a piano and piano lessons. There is also a third crucial requirement when learning to play the piano and that is you. Even though the process is considerably easier than it was you still have to practice. A piano, piano lessons and practice equals a great piano player.

]]> http://www.psr-or700.com/beginners-can-learn-to-play-the-piano-online/feed/ 0 Piano Tutorial – Are You Ready To Learn How To Play The Piano (Part 1) http://www.psr-or700.com/piano-tutorial-are-you-ready-to-learn-how-to-play-the-piano-part-1/ http://www.psr-or700.com/piano-tutorial-are-you-ready-to-learn-how-to-play-the-piano-part-1/#comments Wed, 23 Dec 2009 07:16:00 +0000 http://www.psr-or700.com/piano-tutorial-are-you-ready-to-learn-how-to-play-the-piano-part-1/ In these times of the internet, it’s never been a better time to learn how to play the piano. Why is that? I hear you ask, because, information on virtually any subject you can think of is available, with a little research on the internet, and learning to play the piano, is no different than any other subject you might wish to learn.
Do I need a piano?
Obviously, if you want to learn to play the piano, then a piano keyboard of some sort is essential. While advanced piano playing would require a full size piano keyboard, normally eighty-eight notes. To start learning, all you would need is any type of keyboard, such as a Yamaha PSR keyboard, which have forty-nine and sixty-one note versions or an electric piano, which are available in seventy-six notes versions. You could even start learning with an accordion or a roll up piano, as long as you have a keyboard, you can start to learn.
Should you buy a new piano keyboard?
If you don’t have a piano or keyboard then you do need to buy one, but you defiantly don’t need to buy a new keyboard. Again, the internet comes to the rescue. There are thousands of auction listings offering second hand electronic keyboards, electric pianos, in fact all kinds of keyboards. For a beginner, there really is no point in buying an expensive keyboard because when starting to learn to play the piano you will only use a fraction of a piano keyboards features including the keyboard. From a beginner’s point of view, you only need between five and eight notes on the keyboard to start learning.
What’s the best make of keyboard to buy?
I am asked this question a lot, and from a beginners point of view there really is no worst and best because it’s the actual keyboard, the black and white notes that are important to start learning to play. Yes, as you become more advanced in your playing ability, you will need a better quality keyboard but not at the beginning. The best advice I can give to anybody wanting to buy there first keyboard, is to first, set you budget and second try to stick with the more popular makes of keyboards, for beginners these are Yamaha and Casio. Both of these companies have been making electronic keyboards for many years and they know what they are doing. This of course is just my opinion and it’s the same advice I give to my pupils.
So to recap, if you don’t have a keyboard, then borrow one or buy one second hand. It doesn’t have to be a traditional piano with a full size keyboard, as a beginner you will only use up to eight notes. It’s a fact, that not everybody will take to learning to play the piano, so why spend a fortune on a keyboard when you don’t need to. If you don’t take to it you haven’t lost a fortune, if you do take to it, buy a better keyboard.

]]> http://www.psr-or700.com/piano-tutorial-are-you-ready-to-learn-how-to-play-the-piano-part-1/feed/ 0 Piano Software Courses Vs Piano Tuition Books (Part 1) http://www.psr-or700.com/piano-software-courses-vs-piano-tuition-books-part-1/ http://www.psr-or700.com/piano-software-courses-vs-piano-tuition-books-part-1/#comments Wed, 23 Dec 2009 06:52:30 +0000 http://www.psr-or700.com/piano-software-courses-vs-piano-tuition-books-part-1/ If you want to learn to play the piano, you can go to a piano teacher or teach yourself. If you’re going to teach yourself how to play the piano then you have to decide whether to use piano software courses or tuition books. Whichever method you choose you should be aware that there is no magic solution to learning to play the piano, whether you choose piano software or tuition books there is going to be a certain amount of study and self-discipline on your part to succeed.
Let’s look at the benefits and drawbacks of both methods of teaching yourself to play the piano. Both methods will help you to learn to play the piano or keyboard. Both will provide you with songs to play on the piano and both will include the necessary music theory required to play the piano. So which method is best?
The benefits of tuition books
The obvious benefit of using tuition books is the cost. When you buy a beginners tuition book for example “The Complete Piano Player” or if you’re using a Yamaha keyboard “The Complete Keyboard Player”. They are normally sold as part of a series, for example, book 1 to book 4 and each book costs about six to ten pounds. You just buy the book you need, which means it’s incredibly cheap to get started. Each book contains about twelve songs and each song will introduce something new to learn.
When first starting to play a keyboard instrument its normal practice to learn a simple piece of music that just uses five notes, typically C, D, E, F, G. This is always a good start because it immediately teaches you to use all your fingers on your very first piece of music. Tuition books and software will use this method of teaching.
The drawbacks of tuition books
The main drawback of these books are not the books themselves but the fact that they are designed to be used with a piano teacher. If there is something you can’t quite grasp then a piano teacher would have many ways to explain things. Without that help, your task can become overwhelming and many people will give up within the first three months.
The other main drawback is that tuition books dont teach you what you need to know before you start using the books. That is, the basics, what the notes are called on a keyboard, what are the notes called on sheet music, time signatures and time values. These are the basics that apply to all musical instruments and you must learn this first.

]]> http://www.psr-or700.com/piano-software-courses-vs-piano-tuition-books-part-1/feed/ 0 Piano Keyboards http://www.psr-or700.com/piano-keyboards/ http://www.psr-or700.com/piano-keyboards/#comments Wed, 23 Dec 2009 04:22:19 +0000 http://www.psr-or700.com/piano-keyboards/ If you are thinking of learning to play the piano, you may well want to start out with an electronic keyboard. They are generally much cheaper than a real acoustic piano and have options like percussion rhythms or instrument sounds. However, if you intend to have piano lessons your piano teacher will probably want you to have an acoustic piano at home to practice on. All the same, an electronic keyboard can give you hours of fun and if you want to progress to an acoustic piano you can do that later, when you think you will be able to play.

Most experts recommend that you buy an electronic keyboard with at least 61 keys so that you can play more traditional music. A good option is a piano keyboard with a Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) sometimes known as a USB Keyboard, which can communicate with your computer and other electronic instruments. The USB keyboard is a less expensive option and have no built in sound so can only be used with a computer. It is expert opinion that even the lowest priced piano keyboards perform better than the USB keyboard which loses some sound quality.

Digital Pianos sound closer to the true acoustic piano but they are much more expensive and more suited to experienced players. Digital Pianos are great for professional musicians who travel around and need a portable piano. They also have the ability to reproduce many other sounds as well as piano. Musicians like the fact that they can produce rhythm patterns, bass lines, acoustic and electronic instruments, and percussion sounds, along with all the digital effects like reverb, delay, distortion and chorus.

It really does depend on what type of musician you are when it comes to choosing a keyboard. You might be a DJ wanting to add in some more musical effects or you might want to learn to play without the expense of a full size piano. You may well be a touring musician. The only true restriction is how much you want to spend. Prices start at under £100 and rise to over£3000.

]]> http://www.psr-or700.com/piano-keyboards/feed/ 0 Black and White Piano Keys on a Portable Electronic Keyboard http://www.psr-or700.com/black-and-white-piano-keys-on-a-portable-electronic-keyboard/ http://www.psr-or700.com/black-and-white-piano-keys-on-a-portable-electronic-keyboard/#comments Tue, 22 Dec 2009 11:50:43 +0000 http://www.psr-or700.com/black-and-white-piano-keys-on-a-portable-electronic-keyboard/ The first thing you need to learn before playing the piano is the piano notes. What are they called? A regular piano keyboard has 88 keys on it including the black notes. The first notes to learn are the white notes, but how do go about memorizing the names of all those white notes.There are many different sizes of keyboards. Sixty-one and seventy-six note keyboards are standard for electronic keyboards, and pianos are traditionally eighty-eight notes. No matter what the size of keyboard there are only seven white notes to learn. Black notes are associated to the white notes and are known as sharps and flats.So, firstly let’s learn the seven note names. They are C, D, E, F, G, A and B. Wherever on the piano you play you will be using one of these notes names. You will see that from C to G is alphabetical, the reason I haven’t started with A is because when you start learning to play the piano you will be using C as one of the first notes you ever play and it will also be a very important note and will help you relate to the other notes particularly on sheet music.Now you know the notes, your next step is to find them on a piano. The easiest way to do this is to look at the piano keyboard, if you don’t have a keyboard, find a picture of one on the internet. Now, just look at the keyboard carefully and you will see sets of two black notes and sets of three black notes. Look at a set of two black notes first. Starting with the black note on the left, notice a white note to its immediate left this note is called C, the white note to its immediate right is called D, and this is also between the two black notes. Finally, the white note to the right of the second black note is called E. So all the notes in this section of two black notes starting at the left are called C, D and E. Depending on the size of your keyboard you will see up to eight sets of two black notes together, these are the same and also use our three notes C, D and E. The only difference between the sets is the pitch of the notes. On the far left of the keyboard, notes will sound lower in pitch and to the right, notes will sound higher.The next shape you are looking for is three black notes together and these notes are surrounded by four white notes. Starting from the left again these notes are called F, G, A and B. That’s it; you have learned all the white notes on a keyboard. The two black note and three note shapes are repeated on the whole keyboard and so are the notes. With a little bit of practice you should be able to find any note on the piano. Just remember that every two black note shapes are surrounded by C, D and E, and every three note shape is surrounded by F, G, A and B.

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