Learn how to play keyboard

Source:Internet    Posted by:Learntopianoonline.com   Date:2010-01-27   Click:

If you want to learn to play keyboards, you've come to the right place. Many beginners, players of other musical instruments and even folks who have been playing the keyboards for some time are making use of online keyboard lessons and courses.

The Basics
A full piano keyboard had 88 keys in total (a little over seven octaves) - electronic keyboards will have less. The while keys are whole notes (e.g. C,D,E etc.), the black keys the sharps or flats you'll encounter.

Each octave consists of twelve keys - C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A#, B (not that a sharp can also be a flat, so D sharp can also be E flat, for example). The octave is grouped two black keys then three black keys, making it easy to find C. As a first exercise, play an octave on the white keys, eight keys going up from C to C, starting with the thumb. Hold your arm horizontal above the keys, fingers at 90 degrees. When you've played the first five notes, pass your thumb under to start on the remainder smoothly. Now try it going down, beginning with the little finger, and then passing that over after you've used your thumb.

After you've mastered that, playing smoothly, try it with your left hand on the bass keys. Once you have easy movement up and down the scale in both hands, trying playing an octave using both hands together, your right hand in the treble (above the middle of the keyboard) and your left hand in the bass (below the middle of the keyboard).

When I started playing keyboards, I must admit that I had to figure out a lot of stuff on my own. With a guide like some of the good courses available today where you learn to play keyboard using proper techniques, I certainly would have been better off. Nothing beats having someone teach you along the way and have you understand exactly what you're doing.

Exercises
The best way to learn is to play regularly, at least half an hour a day if you can. Work on scales in different keys with both hands to get smooth movement in your fingers. A simple music theory book will give you the sharps and flats in different keys.

It's perhaps blindingly obvious, but the more you play, the better you'll become. Practice making chords in different keys, too. Once you've mastered triads, able to finger them easily, move on to chords involving the thumb and three fingers.

Try picking out a melody with your right hand, and putting in appropriate chords at intervals with your left. It takes some work and some trial and error, but when you finally manage it, the feeling is fantastic.

Advancement
Good keyboard players don't need to look at their hands to play. They can feel the spaces between notes. Practice playing without looking. It'll sound awful at first, but gradually you'll become used to it and your confidence will grow.

The best thing you can do to become a better player is learn to read music. It will open up a new world to you, not only of music to play. You can continue to learn "by ear," but your knowledge will never be as great.

Learn How To Play Keyboard & Piano - Recommendation!