How to Play the Keyboard
Here is a basic outline on how to play a keyboard, in addition to opinions on why you should buy one and how the keyboard measures up to the digital piano. This article will explain how to play the keyboard, how much easier a keyboard is to learn than a piano, and how the keyboard gives you more playing options than similar instruments, like the digital piano. This also tells you about performing in bands or solo.
When first positioning your fingers, please be aware that some sheet music has little numbers, which represent each finger placement next to some black dot notes on the sheet music stave. These are 1= THUMB, 2=INDEX (pointing finger), 3=MIDDLE FINGER, 4=4Th or ring finger, and 5=LITTLE FINGER. This sheet music shows you, by placement of these numbers, which fingers play either the white or the black keys.
Learn how to read sheet music first.
Play a tune on the keyboard in 1 of 2 ways: either play a song you remember "by ear," or follow the sheet music.
Learn to play "by ear." Remembering the sound of a song and finding which notes on the keyboard to press is not easy to do. Here is how you can start.
Sound Colours. Particular songs are closest to one of 12 "sound colours." If you know DO RE ME FAH SOH LA TI DOH or the song "Doe a deer a female deer," then press a C to begin (again see the fingering exercise linked below to find out where this is.) Now sing the next note UP while pressing each WHITE note to the RIGHT of the C on the keyboard. Play the following notes: C= doh D=re E=Me F=Fah G=Sol A=Lah B=Ti C= DOh again. You have just sung or played one of those 12 colours!
Key of C: The entire combination of notes is called the key of C. When your ear is good and practiced, you then begin to recognise some songs on the radio as "fitting" into the Key of C. You will need to know that there are another 12 quite different keys to recognise and that some songs might "fit".
Think of the keyboard as having 3 kinds of "brains," each of which is a type of memory. The first type of brain is called a sound brain, or more commonly known as a tone. This works by storing all the sounds like pianos, strings, flute, and even combines some of these tones to make new ones like "fantasy" or "synthesized " keyboard sounds. A 2nd sound brain is known as the "rhythm brain," called "rhythms" on some keyboards or "styles " on others. Here the keyboard sets off a whole little band of drums, bass guitar, piano and other combinations and allows you to play a right hand melody along with it. The other kind of keyboard brain or memory records what you play. For instance, if you played a left hand Bass guitar part, you could later play accompaniment with that. You could then play something entirely new, like a piano or voice melody, to "fit together" with what you originally recorded.
Decide between keyboards versus digital pianos. Consider the following:
Learning to play the keyboard seems easier than learning to play the piano in some ways. Some beginners find playing a keyboard easier to learn because they can play a larger variety of music, like pop, rock, country and jazz.
Don't confuse a keyboard with a synthesiser or a digital piano. These instruments have different abilities.
Classical music sounds far better played on a piano than a keyboard. A digital piano is comparable to a piano, but doesn't operate like a keyboard. A keyboard is more like a one-man band, and a fun way to learn music as a beginner.
Try taking it up a notch, play in a band. Get a couple of friends who can play drums and a another one who plays guitar. With the instruments, the guitar does chords in C major, the keyboard does the C major scale, and the drums outlines the rhythm patterns.
Try and learn from people who know.
Avoid silly mistakes, especially in performing.
Don't expect to learn overnight. Mozart and Beethoven didn't learn things quickly, so practice.
You can choose any instruments in the keyboard, but the properties of the sound differ to other instruments. Like the tie in in the piano. If you do this when you select the trumpet, the sound will stal forever.
