Musical mefites lend me your gadgets! Learning songs on a digital piano.

March 4, 2016 12:27 PM

I have access to a digital piano (Kawai CN24) and wouldn't mind learning to play a few songs. I do not want to learn to read music. Memorization/repetition of a few easy to moderate songs is the goal. What digital or electrical tools are there that might help me accomplish this. Ideally, I'm thinking android or windows tablet applications or maybe a cheaper piece of musical hardware that somehow integrates with the hardware/MIDI outs/ins on the piano in question.

I've had a bit of luck learning Edelweiss with an android app I found called Perfect Piano. Basically it drops the notes onto a mockup of the keys in Guitaro HeroTM fashion.

Again, I do not want to learn to read music. My vision (a strong, never quite corrected prism) is such that reading notes and differentiating them on paper is a non-starter. At one point when I was a kid I had about 10 songs I could pick through on a piano and it is something I wouldn't mind being able to do again.

Thanks for the help.

posted by RolandOfEld to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (4 answers total)

The Amazing Slow Downer might be helpful if you're interested in learning songs by ear. It lets you slow down/loop sections of music straight from an mp3 while retaining the original pitch.

I've used the PC version to learn lots of stuff and highly recommend it.

Looks like they have an Android version as well.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 12:53 PM on March 4, 2016

Best answer: I've used Synthesia in a similar situation - probably a lot like the Perfect Piano app you mentioned, it shows the notes dropping down like in Guitar Hero, but it uses MIDI to link to your piano and evaluate how you do. It can also advance note by note at your pace, which is kind of a nice learning tool. You would just need the software and a MIDI-USB connector like this one, which is the one I used with Synthesia. I believe it was about $60.
posted by pocams at 12:59 PM on March 4, 2016

Have you done an app or software search for anything "By Ear"?
posted by Chitownfats at 6:55 PM on March 4, 2016

Response by poster: So it looks like Synthesis, at a glance, might be exactly what I need.

Regarding learning things by ear, I have always had crappy hearing to the point where friends pressing two different keys on a piano are flabbergasted that I can't tell them apart or say they sound the same to me when, per their well trained and experienced ears, the opposite is actually the case. It's bad.

Did I mention I'm shy? I am, to the point where I wouldn't even be attempting this if the instrument didn't have a private headphone out Jack.

So, I think I'm going to snag that midi cord and that app and go from there with occasional consults with the friends that can and do play as needed and when my pride can stand it.
posted by RolandOfEld at 7:25 PM on March 4, 2016