Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with music and Piano

What keyboard and instructional materials should I get to learn how to play a piano?

Nonce — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 09:11:24 -0800

So what keyboard and music book(s) should I purchase to teach myself how to play a piano? I'd like to get some sort of grounding in music theory along the way that will help me appreciate music more, or understand what the hell a time signature is, or whatever. I also can't afford lessons.

I don't care about having a lot of different instrument sounds. All I want to do is learn how to play a piano. A headphone jack would be necessary so I can rock out quietly. Can I just pick up a cheap keyboard for $50 at Walmart? Or is there a minimum amount of quality/features that I'll be thankful to have six months into this?

Recommendations for DJ samples/songs ala Fatboy Slim?

heatherfl — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 18:30:56 -0800

My husband mixes dance music using Fruity Loops. I want to get him some CDs for Christmas for samples -- particularly stuff that sounds like Fatboy Slim. Help? I can buy loops already sampled or I can buy songs for that he can sample himself, it doesn't matter.

This song is a good overview of what FBS sounds like and what I'm looking for:
Mad Flava

There's a lot of retro sounding piano and brass, some funky bass/guitar, syncopated percussion, a bit of synth/electronica, and non-rap but rhythmically interesting vocals. If you're familiar with Fatboy Slim, you know what I mean!

FYI, I already got him "The Ultimate DJ Sample Box" which has actual Fatboy Slim samples. Just looking for supplemental goodies now.

So what should I get for him, music experts?

Thanks so much!

Help me find piano music to play.

philokalia — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:57:32 -0800

I want to expand my (intermediate/advanced amateur) piano repertoire. Can you recommend some music? I finally have some time to play the piano again, and I'm looking for some music recommendations. I used to be pretty good, but my technique has really deteriorated since college. I'll be working on that, but becoming a virtuoso is not really a priority, so what I'm after is interesting pieces that aren't too long or technically demanding. Bonus if they're witty.

Sometimes I feel like I've exhausted everything that's available for someone with my skills, but that can't be true. I've played through most of Beethoven's sonatas and short pieces, some Haydn sonatas (but no Mozart, which I find insipid). Also already in my repertoire are Chopin's Nocturnes, Waltzes, Polonaises (most of the Etudes are too demanding, I think); lots of Schubert, some Brahms, some Schumann. Scarlatti is fun; I don't have the patience for too much Bach polyphony, though I know it's always worth the effort. I loved Gershwin's piano preludes, and a handful of Prokofiev's Visions fugitives. Ravel is a little long-winded, I think. On the other hand, Debussy's Tarantelle styrienne is my latest favorite.

Who else wrote piano music for non-virtuosi? I'd welcome suggestions about almost any style of music except atonal or Philip-Glass-minimalist.

Sheet music for Eileen Ivers' Bygone Days

jaden — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:59:00 -0800

My Mom loves the Thanksgiving: A Windham Hill Collection and would like the piano accompaniment for track 2, Bygone Days by Eileen Ivers. Her birthday is in late December and I'd like to buy it for her, if I can find it. I've searched all the sheet music sites I've found but my Google/Bing-fu has failed me. All I've located is the same song (track 3) on Crossing the Bridge and a live version of the song on YouTube.

It's possible the song was written by someone else and only performed by Ivers, but the only alternate version I've found by Rudolf Friml is a different song.

Does anyone know where I could look (or if it exists)?

SWM seeks casual encounters with Piano - you must host!

Lutoslawski — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:49:59 -0800

Where in Portland, OR might I go to practice piano...for free/cheap?? I am a pianist without a piano. I have a decent keyboard, but it's just not the same at all. I'd really like to find somewhere I could practice just a couple times a week on a real piano. Preferably, I'd like to do this for free; though I might be able to scrounge up some pocket change.

I've had access to a piano my entire life (home, college), but now that I have graduated college I find myself piano-less - and I'm poverty poor so I can't afford to buy one; nor do I want to acquire a free one on Craigslist, as most would require a lot of maintenance - and besides, I don't really have anywhere to put a piano at the moment anyway.

Any suggestions? Do universities/community colleges ever offer some sort of "practice room membership" thing? Do you know of any rehearsal spaces with good pianos that aren't too spendy??

Thanks in advance everyone!!

Not your grandma's Schumann records: give me piano bands that will rock my face off.

JaiMahodara — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:37:13 -0800

I'm looking for piano-based rock bands that rock really, really hard. I've seen this question, but I'm specifically looking for bands - not songs - that are led by a badass, hard-rocking pianist, like the Led Zeppelin of piano rock.

I love Ben Folds, Fiona Apple, Brad Mehldau...and suggestions in this genre are certainly welcome as well, but I'd love to find bands leaning more towards punk, heavy metal, hip-hop, or any hard-rocking, unconventional bands that are piano driven.

Bring me audio ecstasy, hive mind.

Modern VL-Tone?

dmd — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 07:24:53 -0800

What's the modern equivalent of a Casio VL-Tone? I've seen suggestions like the microKORG, MINIKP, and KAOSSILATOR, but that really doesn't capture the same segment. I'm looking for something appropriate for a 5 year old.

"I got all five senses and I slept last night..."

Inspector.Gadget — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 09:06:35 -0800

Soundtrackfilter: Please recommend to me mostly-instrumental, sometimes dark, contemplative soundtrack albums (or even compilations or regular albums) in the vein of Michael Andrews' work for Donnie Darko or Robin Guthrie and Harold Budd's soundtrack for Mysterious Skin. As you might imagine from me citing Donnie Darko, I'm also open to soundtracks with a considerable 80s synth cheese element - even better if the songs are tweaked a bit a la M83 to not be so cheesy. Anything on the brooding <> inspired spectrum is especially welcome. As a point of reference, I very much enjoyed the recent movie Brick and would like to find soundtrack or ambient songs that capture that sort of "pieces fall into place, and it's awesome/terrible" feeling.

Thanks in advance, hivemind! My guess is that anyone with broad exposure to ambient, modern classical, guitar-based instrumental, electronic shoegaze, post-rock, etc. albums is sitting on at least a few recommendations.

How long will it take me to learn the keyboard?

DMan — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:38:25 -0800

Is it reasonable to expect that I can develop reasonable proficiency at piano/keyboard with 30 minutes to an hour of practice each day for a few months? Longer version: I consider myself to be musically inclined; I played French Horn in high school, picked up drums when I was in eleventh grade, and play guitar with a Christian worship band now. I really, really want to learn the keyboard, but what concerns me is that it seems like people spend years and years learning to play piano and even after that time, they seem skilled but not as much as I would expect if someone had been playing drums or guitar for as long.

So do the keys have a really long learning curve? My schedule is fairly busy and I know realistically I'll only be able to spend an hour at most per day practicing it. Is it reasonable to expect to be able to play through some songs after a few months of this, or am I looking at jumping into years of study?

Bonus points for recommended learning materials, but I realize other AskMe questions exist for that purpose.

Where can I practice piano in DC/NoVA?

phrontist — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:01:13 -0800

Is there anywhere in the DC area I, being relatively broke, could practice on a real piano? I'm about equidistant from East and West Falls church metro, and I don't drive.

What is this contemporary classical mozarella music?

stereo — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 07:30:11 -0800

What is the music in this video?I've had no success with Shazam, Melodyhound or Google.

What are some books or educational DVD's for learning rock, blues and jazz piano and Hammond B-3 soloing and licks

doppler68 — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 21:28:52 -0800

What are some good books or educational DVD's, besides Jamie Abersol, for learning rock, blues and jazz piano and Hammond B-3 soloing and licks. I am a very competent keyboardist. I can play by ear, chord chart and written music. I am a good band musician. I can comp and sound great. But I can't solo for the life of me. I have a good digital piano and Micro B mark II. I don't really have any good licks. Where can I go to learn this stuff?

A guitar book that's good for my wrists?

invitapriore — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:06:59 -0800

I suffer from a tendency to develop tendonitis in my wrists. Gyorgy Sandor's On Piano Playing has helped me learn to play piano in a way that keeps my wrists happy. What similar book exists for guitar? My wrists recently flared up again and I decided it was time for a technique reboot on the instruments I play. Sandor's advice, things like keeping the active finger(s) in line with the respective muscles in the forearm, has really helped me to play in a way that doesn't cause me pain or damage. I've been trying to apply his general principles to guitar playing (all kinds, but mostly with a pick), but the ways in which they might be applied aren't always obvious to me. Is there a similar book that you recommend for guitar, that focuses on anatomically healthy technique that allows you to get maximum effect with minimum tension?

No access to a piano for a year

freddymetz — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:59:12 -0800

Im going to have practically no access to a piano for a year. What can i do to avoid forgetting how to play? Will this happen at all? What experiences have you had with not playing for a certain period of time? I'm going to be living in a small village in Mexico and buying a piano isnt really an option.
Will playing another instrument (guitar) help in some way?

Suggestions for comedy songs to sing at the piano

chrismear — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 02:20:33 -0800

I'd like to learn some more comedy songs to sing at the piano along the lines of Hugh Laurie's Mystery. Suggestions? I have a book of Tom Lehrer songs, but that's where my knowledge ends. Can you suggest any classics, gems, or just personal favourites that I should seek out?

Which Pianist Doesn't Like Daniel Albright?

jefficator — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:17:39 -0800

Does anyone know which pianist wrote this obscure piece? When I was in college, a young pianist came to perform in the Lower Common Room of Adams House at Harvard University. He played an absolutely hilarious song he'd written for his thesis adviser, Daniel Albright. Apparently, Mr. Albright had called the pianist's work absolutely dreck. Perhaps appropriately, then, the piece was entitled, "Fuck you, Daniel Albright".

I would like to hear this performer again, or at the least get a copy of that piece. Does anyone have any idea what I'm talking about?

Is it possible to introduce my kid to NYC's musicians?

agentwills — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 11:46:40 -0800

NYC music filter: How can I find musicians who would be willing to let my kid hang with them? I’ve got a musical eight year old on my hands. I’m in Manhattan, which is an awesome place to raise a musical kid, and I feel like there’s this whole city of possible mentors for him that I just don’t know how to tap into. Other kids his age can’t keep up, and since he’s only 8 years old it’s not like he can go to open mic night. Nothing motivates him like playing with or being around musicians…but where to find them? I think he’d even be happy just sitting in on a rehearsal or something.

Before you file me under “crazy stage mother”, I’m really just looking for opportunities for him to be encouraged and for him to pursue his love of music (plays drums/piano, and composes/writes lyrics). We have a few resources that currently work and some we’ve tapped out, e.g. his school, our church, music camps, and of course his instructors.

I’m looking less for structured lessons (which he does take) and more for inclusion in that atmosphere with people who get him and he can really, really learn from just by being around them. Obviously safety is an issue so random Craigslist postings are completely out of the question.

Sad Pretty Music

erikgrande — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 20:58:23 -0800

What was the piano piece played about 35 minutes into tonight's episode of Big Love? It starts right after Bill and his brother are talking to his wife to be, right when the show cuts to Margene dying her hair back to brunette. Thanks.

Name that tune...or else I just might die from frustration.

Detuned Radio — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 21:05:29 -0800

SONGFILTER It's a good one. I consider myself a music aficionado, but I still am stumped on this one. My buddy thinks it's from a movie soundtrack, I' not too sure it is - but we both definitely recognize the hook. We transcribed it into notes for you all - more after the jump... SONGFILTER: My buddy and I were at Barnes and Noble and I got this particular tune in my head. I could hear it very distinctly and when I whistled it to him, he instantly recognized it. We are both pretty music-savvy, but we couldn't pinpoint this tune. He thinks it's from a movie, I'm not to sure about that. Anyway, we figured out the notes of this hook we have in our heads. It's either:

G (1/2 note) F (1/2 note) E (1/2 note) D (1/2 note) C# (1/4 note) D (1/8 note) E natural(1/8 note)
(It starts at that G, climbs down the scale, and goes back up for the last two notes - I don't know music theory, so sorry for the lame musical terms and explanation.)

My bud thinks that the third "E" note should be a D#.

Anyway, play it on a piano or whatever and tell me what you think. I seriously can't remember the last time I was this frustrated.

Does this piano software exist?

jcwilliams — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:50:29 -0800

When I learned to touch type, I used software where the letters appeared and did not go until I had pressed the right key. I was wondering if there is any similar software for reading music but with a usb/midi keyboard. I know it wouldn't be much use for improving timing, but it would help with learning notes and possibly chords too. I am also interested to know what other free internet/ software you have found useful while learning to read music.

Help me ID this piece.

pseudonymph — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 05:09:32 -0800

Help me identify this piano piece? (Audio/sheet music inside) I'm trying to track down a piano piece I used to play, years and years ago. I can only remember the first few bars, which i've written here. (There's an option to listen, rather than read. I'm covering all possible bases!)
The note lengths are approximate, but to my ear seem fairly accurate.

Can anyone ID it? Failing that, could you point me to someone/somewhere that might?

Is There An Osaka Sound?

Xurando — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 07:31:13 -0800

I'd like an introduction to Japanese jazz/piano ambient. Where should I start? Who's great? Who should I avoid?

Need Sheet Music for Carol of the Bells by William Joseph

adriana — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 07:00:20 -0800

Where can I get William Joseph sheet music for Carol of the Bells? This was supposed to come out last fall, but I can't find it anywhere. Anyone have any ideas where I can get this sheet music on the web? Thanks for any help you can give.

Most piano-like 88-key portable digital keyboard under $1000.

shmooly — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 11:06:24 -0800

I've searched desperately and extensively for reviews on digital pianos and find them lacking. Please share your experiences with looking for pianos and/or your (dis)satisfaction with your digital piano. Differences between brands welcomed. I'm looking for an 88-key portable digital piano that feels and sounds most like a real, acoustic piano, I don't care about bells and whistles. The only thing is it must have USB/MIDI ports. Thanks!

Help Me Play the Piano

wittgenstein — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 13:26:18 -0800

Can anyone help me navigate this web site? I am looking for piano pieces that a beginning to intermediate pianist can play. Unfortunately, you cannot search this site by difficulty level (or, if you can, I haven't figured out how to do it.) So, I figure the next best thing would be to let people already familiar with the music recommend stuff.

I am already familiar with these pieces and am trying to learn this piece a little at a time. This will give you an idea of what level I am playing at.