Hello

[Successfulsteveo]

I'm looking around here and I haven't seen a lot of direction for people(like myself) that are very new to the keyboarding deal. Maybe I haven't looked hard enough but I'm looking to learn a lot about the keyboard, looking to buy one but I needed recommendations for a decent(not TOO expensive) keyboard to start with. A lot of my favorite artists(mostly modern rock but also many older artists) play piano/keyboard and I'm interested in learning. How do I get started here. Thanks.

-Steven

 

[Skot]

Hello steven, hows it goin?

There definitely isn't too much on this site yet, its pretty new and there aren't very many people on it yet. I'm hoping that will change so everyone can get more answers.

As for the keyboard, it totally depends on what kind of stuff you want to play, and what is in your price range. Are you planning on playing live? do you need tons of different sounds, or just a piano? do you want a professional quality board or just something to mess around with? Do you want to be able to synthesize (create/tweak your own sounds)?

If you want to play just piano, then i would recommend getting a digital piano to start out with. Others may say otherwise, but I think it is the best way to get into keys if you are really serious about it. If you just want to mess around with stuff and see what you can do with all the different voices, then you might want to just pick up a portable keyboard for a few hundred bucks.

If you really have no idea what you want, go to guitar center or something and just mess around with all the different boards there. The only problem is you will be tempted to buy stuff
Craigslist is good, too.

If you don't wanna get into the whole piano lessons and stuff, then just start playing and messing around with equipment. you will learn a lot.

 

[Laura]

If you don't wanna get into the whole piano lessons and stuff, then just start playing and messing around with equipment. you will learn a lot.

Since you want more people on the site, I'll put in my 2 cents. I'm NEW too. I don't even have a keyboard yet. So I'm talking to folks about what kind of equipment is out there.

I'm thinking since I don't play yet, the best thing is one of those boards that has "lesson modules". I suppose these are play-along tracks that let you learn rhythms etc. That would be a good way to get started.

I play guitar, and I'm mostly practicing by just playing along with songs. But for a totally new instrument, I think I'll need the discipline of a real lesson program. If this comes with the instrument, it'll be cheaper than lessons and it will still be more structured than "just fooling around".

I'm thinking one of those Yamaha models for maybe $200. It has the lesson modules and it also has many beautiful voices & tones that will sound great even if I don't know how to play! Which will give me positive feedback... always a good thing. (some instruments, like fiddle, sound horrible when you're a beginner. So the beginner constantly feels bad and usually gives up.)

 

[Skot]

Hmmmm, I guess I never really thought about that. I wonder how good those lesson function keyboard things are

 

[Successfulsteveo]

Hello steven, hows it goin?

There definitely isn't too much on this site yet, its pretty new and there aren't very many people on it yet. I'm hoping that will change so everyone can get more answers.

As for the keyboard, it totally depends on what kind of stuff you want to play, and what is in your price range. Are you planning on playing live? do you need tons of different sounds, or just a piano? do you want a professional quality board or just something to mess around with? Do you want to be able to synthesize (create/tweak your own sounds)?

If you want to play just piano, then i would recommend getting a digital piano to start out with. Others may say otherwise, but I think it is the best way to get into keys if you are really serious about it. If you just want to mess around with stuff and see what you can do with all the different voices, then you might want to just pick up a portable keyboard for a few hundred bucks.

If you really have no idea what you want, go to guitar center or something and just mess around with all the different boards there. The only problem is you will be tempted to buy stuff
Craigslist is good, too.

If you don't wanna get into the whole piano lessons and stuff, then just start playing and messing around with equipment. you will learn a lot.

Since you want more people on the site, I'll put in my 2 cents. I'm NEW too. I don't even have a keyboard yet. So I'm talking to folks about what kind of equipment is out there.

I'm thinking since I don't play yet, the best thing is one of those boards that has "lesson modules". I suppose these are play-along tracks that let you learn rhythms etc. That would be a good way to get started.

I play guitar, and I'm mostly practicing by just playing along with songs. But for a totally new instrument, I think I'll need the discipline of a real lesson program. If this comes with the instrument, it'll be cheaper than lessons and it will still be more structured than "just fooling around".

I'm thinking one of those Yamaha models for maybe $200. It has the lesson modules and it also has many beautiful voices & tones that will sound great even if I don't know how to play! Which will give me positive feedback... always a good thing. (some instruments, like fiddle, sound horrible when you're a beginner. So the beginner constantly feels bad and usually gives up.)

Ah, well thanks a lot. It's nice to see some friendly people on this site I don't really think I have the time or cash to do piano/keyboard actual lessons but these "Lesson Modules" could probably help a beginner like myself. I guess I'm looking to pay no more than a $200-$300. I am not really aiming for the piano because from what I'm aware of, you can't get nearly as in depth or technical with it as you can with a nice keyboard or synthesizer. I don't think I'm ready for a synthesizer and I don't want anything too professional now but a I'm looking for a pretty decent keyboard for a beginner and mostly to mess around/have fun with but I'd like to get into it and learn a lot. I'll look around at craigslist and such. I'd really prefer some recommendations though

-Thanks

 

[Laura]

I'd really prefer some recommendations though

-Thanks

I was looking at the Yamaha PSR E403 for $199. It has 61 keys and about 400 voices. It's really very sweet, but then my son & I discussed it... he used to work in the music store. he reminded me that the "cheap" keyboards aren't very durable and that in a few years some of the keys might stop working. Once even a single key stops working, the keyboard is basically junk.

He kind of persuaded me to look for something a little more professional, like one of the low-end synths for $499 or so. (the Roland Juno-D was what we looked at.) Apparently these are more "pro" and they'd be more durable. They also have a midi output, which the cheaper boards don't have. they have knobs to do lots of sound tweaking, which is cool if you want to do Ambient & electronica (I do).

I'm still not sure which way I want to go, it's partly financial and partly that I can't play yet, so how do I know I ever will be able to play. So perhaps I should go with the cheapie.

That's the reasoning parents use when they buy their kids the cheapest guitar. "how do I know he won't lose interest in 6 months".

On the other hand, playing keys is something I am determined to learn before I die, and I've had that in my mind for years & years!!!