Just bought my first keyboard a Yamaha PSD E443. Bought it mainly because of the onboard teaching software. Looking for recommendations about how to tackle the early stages of learning ( don't know a crotchet from quaver!). Tempted by on line teaching like pianogenius by Tim Gross I think. Anybody got any strong recommendations about starting online systems or books? All advice gratefully received. Gotta get started quick - I'm 68 and keen.
New Old Boy
- Thread starter TeeJay
- Start date
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2014
- Messages
- 4,110
- Reaction score
- 1,736
Greetings from a fellow PSR-E443 owner, Teejay! I hope your new keyboard brings you much pleasure and enjoyment. 
There's a thread in the "Technique and Posture" forum called "Good Tutorial Links" that has a long list of suggested online tutorials and resources. You can clink the link below to be transported there instantly-- but if you ever want to wander into the "Technique and Posture" forum on your own, the thread is easy to find because it's pinned to the top of the forum.
https://www.keyboardforums.com/threads/good-tutorial-links.24556/
There's a thread in the "Technique and Posture" forum called "Good Tutorial Links" that has a long list of suggested online tutorials and resources. You can clink the link below to be transported there instantly-- but if you ever want to wander into the "Technique and Posture" forum on your own, the thread is easy to find because it's pinned to the top of the forum.
https://www.keyboardforums.com/threads/good-tutorial-links.24556/
Rayblewit
Love Music / Love Life
Teejay, I only began playing keyboard a few years ago and knew nothing about music at all. I am 64 now not much younger than you. I taught my self with the help of "beginners" books. Check out your local book store or if you prefer on line shopping amazon or ebay. Alberts have a series of courses for ADULT beginners. Don't get sucked into learning nursery rhymes and silly pointless tunes. Go straight into learning proper tunes. The first tune I learnt was bob dylans blowin in the wind. I could play it in the first week. It has only 3 chords. Follow the lessons in mini steps. Learn and play the chords one or two at a time. At the same time learning and play the melody makes it fun and pleasurable.
That is my opinion anyway. I figured practising scales all day long would send me ga ga and I would have given up on playing altogether.
Good luck with it all.
Where are you located?
Cheers
That is my opinion anyway. I figured practising scales all day long would send me ga ga and I would have given up on playing altogether.
Good luck with it all.
Where are you located?
Cheers
Hi Ray
Thanks for this. Which of the many books out there did you find most useful? Have you tried any online tutorials like pianogenius? I live in Alton in Hampshire.
TeeJay ( John )
Greetings from a fellow PSR-E443 owner, Teejay! I hope your new keyboard brings you much pleasure and enjoyment.
There's a thread in the "Technique and Posture" forum called "Good Tutorial Links" that has a long list of suggested online tutorials and resources. You can clink the link below to be transported there instantly-- but if you ever want to wander into the "Technique and Posture" forum on your own, the thread is easy to find because it's pinned to the top of the forum.
https://www.keyboardforums.com/threads/good-tutorial-links.24556/
Hi Michael
Thanks for getting back to me with the long list of online resources. I don't see the Tim Gross pianogenius one there though, have you or anybody else got any experience of that. It's American and TG is obviously a high class pianist, he advocates a learning by numbers method. He's got some free samples on youtube which I quite like. After a free introductory month he charges about $20 a month, so about £13 or £14 - not too bad I thought, he's got hundreds of happy customers!
TeeJay
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2014
- Messages
- 4,110
- Reaction score
- 1,736
I have no experience with his online course, but perhaps someone else here does. You can add your own suggestions to that list if you have any.
Welcome to the family Teejay. I am also a late in life beginner of keyboard or piano. I find that 15 minutes a day experimenting and writing my discoveries down in a practice log to be the most advantageous. If things are feeling good with my arthritic fingers then a half hour just whizzes by in no time. Good luck, I experimented with the synth pad examples on my preloved Casio WK-1350 last night.
Rayblewit
Love Music / Love Life
Hi Teejay, I asked where you were located because thought you if you were close to me I would have given you some of my books. But Melbourne Australia is not close. Lol.
Anyway, I started with Kenneth Baker's Complete keyboard book 1.
Then I bought book 2 and book 3. As well as that I borrowed from the library the idiots guide to learning keyboard. Or it could have been keyboards for dummies. I can't remember which. These books gave me a great start and I never looked back.
I had a look at piano genius just now (that you suggested) and I can see he is mainly teaching piano. I feel keyboard is a bit different.
Do you want to learn piano with your left hand playing the bass stave?
Your keyboard PSR 443 is loaded with vast styles of music accompaniments and pre programmed chords for your left hand. You should take advantage of these . . . learn to play keyboard rather than piano is my suggestion. Much more enjoyable and less tedious.
Cheers
Anyway, I started with Kenneth Baker's Complete keyboard book 1.
Then I bought book 2 and book 3. As well as that I borrowed from the library
the idiots guide to learning keyboard. Or it could have been keyboards for dummies. I can't remember which. These books gave me a great start and I never looked back.I had a look at piano genius just now (that you suggested) and I can see he is mainly teaching piano. I feel keyboard is a bit different.
Do you want to learn piano with your left hand playing the bass stave?
Your keyboard PSR 443 is loaded with vast styles of music accompaniments and pre programmed chords for your left hand. You should take advantage of these . . . learn to play keyboard rather than piano is my suggestion. Much more enjoyable and less tedious.
Cheers
happyrat1
Destroyer of Eardrums!!!
I have four beginner's books which I highly recommend.
http://www.amazon.com/Basic-Music-Theory-4th-ed/dp/1492831638
http://www.amazon.com/Everything-Music-Theory-Book-understanding/dp/1440511829
http://www.amazon.com/Everything-Reading-Music-Book-Understanding/dp/1593373244
http://www.amazon.com/The-Everything-Piano-Book-classical/dp/1598699768
I found these books to be extremely well written and they will go a long way toward explaining modern and historical music theory and a great aid toward learning to sight read music.
Gary
http://www.amazon.com/Basic-Music-Theory-4th-ed/dp/1492831638
http://www.amazon.com/Everything-Music-Theory-Book-understanding/dp/1440511829
http://www.amazon.com/Everything-Reading-Music-Book-Understanding/dp/1593373244
http://www.amazon.com/The-Everything-Piano-Book-classical/dp/1598699768
I found these books to be extremely well written and they will go a long way toward explaining modern and historical music theory and a great aid toward learning to sight read music.
Gary
happyrat1
Destroyer of Eardrums!!!
Watch this video and you'll have earned your PhD in Music Theory
Gary
Gary
happyrat1
Destroyer of Eardrums!!!
After you're done with the fun and games btw, here's an excellent playlist from Youtube on Basic Music Theory
Last edited:
Hi
Thanks to you all for great advice. Ray in Melbourne, shame it's about a million miles from Hampshire! I want to learn Keyboard not piano and take advantage of all the extras so I'll maybe skip pianogenius but I did like his manner and style. I'll like the thought of having an on line tutor on a tablet rather than a book on the music stand. Has anybody gone through the on board tutoring system on the Yamaha PSR E443? That was one of the reasons I bought it but I haven't started yet. I spent the first day setting it up, I want to play through headphones because my wife has hearing like a bat so she'd go nuts listening to me practice. So the first problem was the jack on the end of my headphones didn't fit the quarter inch socket for headbphones - off to the store to get an adaptor. Now I've got the tablet sound coming out of the keyboard through a line in and sound out coming through the headphones - all I have to do is figure out what all those white and black keys do!.
I would be interested to hear any opinions about the on board tutoring on the Yamaha 443.
Thanks.
TeeJay
Thanks to you all for great advice. Ray in Melbourne, shame it's about a million miles from Hampshire! I want to learn Keyboard not piano and take advantage of all the extras so I'll maybe skip pianogenius but I did like his manner and style. I'll like the thought of having an on line tutor on a tablet rather than a book on the music stand. Has anybody gone through the on board tutoring system on the Yamaha PSR E443? That was one of the reasons I bought it but I haven't started yet. I spent the first day setting it up, I want to play through headphones because my wife has hearing like a bat so she'd go nuts listening to me practice. So the first problem was the jack on the end of my headphones didn't fit the quarter inch socket for headbphones - off to the store to get an adaptor. Now I've got the tablet sound coming out of the keyboard through a line in and sound out coming through the headphones - all I have to do is figure out what all those white and black keys do!
.I would be interested to hear any opinions about the on board tutoring on the Yamaha 443.
Thanks.
TeeJay
Rayblewit
Love Music / Love Life
"Music theory made stupidly" as posted by Gary (3 steps back) I found to be quite enlightening! He is a funny dude but to tell the truth I didn't know the make up of sus2 and sus4
So I actually learnt something from this crazy dude today.
So I actually learnt something from this crazy dude today.
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2014
- Messages
- 4,110
- Reaction score
- 1,736
I've never made use of the Yamaha Education Suite on my Yamaha keyboards, so I can't give any informed feedback about that feature.
Regarding your comment about the plug on the headphones, I take it that you haven't bought the SK-D2 Survival Kit yet? A power adapter might be included with the keyboard in some countries-- not in America, unfortunately-- but if you didn't get one and are currently just using batteries then I recommend getting the Survival Kit, as it includes a power adapter, a pair of headphones, a sustain footswitch, a CD with software, a 2-year extended warranty, and some rebate offers, making it well worth the extra money. The headphones are cheap plastic that could break easily (so handle them gently), but they have a 1/4" plug that fits the jack on the keyboard without needing an adapter, and they're very light and comfortable to wear-- even more comfortable than a much more expensive and heavy-duty pair of headphones I have. The sustain footswitch is also just cheap plastic and is a switch, not a pedal, but provides a way to add sustain until you buy the FC-4 sustain pedal. The CD has software for some online keyboard tutorials, music education software, and piano learning software, although I don't think I ever tried any of them, and at least some of them are for a subscription service (which is probably why I didn't try them). The extended warranty adds another year to your keyboard's 1-year warranty, making it a 2-year warranty, which could come in handy if there's a problem with your keyboard and it needs to be serviced.
Anyway, the adapter you bought will also come in handy for letting you connect your keyboard to your computer via a standard 1/8" TRS audio cable so you can record your keyboard's sound in a DAW or other audio-recording software.
Regarding your comment about the plug on the headphones, I take it that you haven't bought the SK-D2 Survival Kit yet? A power adapter might be included with the keyboard in some countries-- not in America, unfortunately-- but if you didn't get one and are currently just using batteries then I recommend getting the Survival Kit, as it includes a power adapter, a pair of headphones, a sustain footswitch, a CD with software, a 2-year extended warranty, and some rebate offers, making it well worth the extra money. The headphones are cheap plastic that could break easily (so handle them gently), but they have a 1/4" plug that fits the jack on the keyboard without needing an adapter, and they're very light and comfortable to wear-- even more comfortable than a much more expensive and heavy-duty pair of headphones I have. The sustain footswitch is also just cheap plastic and is a switch, not a pedal, but provides a way to add sustain until you buy the FC-4 sustain pedal. The CD has software for some online keyboard tutorials, music education software, and piano learning software, although I don't think I ever tried any of them, and at least some of them are for a subscription service (which is probably why I didn't try them). The extended warranty adds another year to your keyboard's 1-year warranty, making it a 2-year warranty, which could come in handy if there's a problem with your keyboard and it needs to be serviced.
Anyway, the adapter you bought will also come in handy for letting you connect your keyboard to your computer via a standard 1/8" TRS audio cable so you can record your keyboard's sound in a DAW or other audio-recording software.