I learned practically all I know and can do playing the keyboad by means of books, courses, and LGM.Com. My major regret is that I did not get a teacher early on who was into gospel music, and who knew how to teach. I know without any doubt that I would have progressed much faster and gone much farther if I had done that.
I started out with big note books and learned to chord with my left hand and to play one finger melodies with my right. I ignored the recommended fingering and used what I thought was convienient to me.(error)
After I learned all the chords(triads and 7th chords) and could play them very well, I added a second note(from the chord)to the melody notes in my right hand so that I was playing a chord with my left and partial chords with my right.
Then I heard someone playing bass notes with their left hands in runs and chords with their right. I learned to do that. It took a while to learn hand independence. All the while doing this, I practiced some reading(not much but fairly regularly)
I had noticed that there were some progressions that musicians seemed to use a lot. When I asked about them, no one would really tell me anything. I finally figured out a 6-2-5-1. Then a 3-4-5-6-7-8. I use many versions of the 6-2-5-1 to this day.
I started to go to the LGM web site and learned many progressions and chords. Many songs I learned from the chord postings that were available there.
A lot of the theory postings were very hepful as well. T-Block, Ferrente and others are very generous with their knowledge and have made very comprehensive postings.
I also bought a huge gospel fake book and learned to play using a fake book.
I played in public from the start as often as I could.
I have taken at least 15 mail order CD courses. Some had value, some were worthless. Jermaine Griggs, Hartwell, Gregg Hannon, Ethel Caffie-Austin off the top of my head, were good. Jermaine's 300 page course is good. I have several of his courses.
I have always practiced at least an half hour each day, but usually, I practice 1 to 2 hours.
I never really learned to read music very well. So little of gospel music is learned from reading that I likely didn't give it the proper time and attention.
After 10 years, give or take some months, I can play almost any traditional song(after a fashion)that one might sing and in any key. I can learn most contemporary songs but I cannot play them off the top of my head.
I would class myself as somewhat above a beginner as a performer. I am well in the intermediate range in knowledge of music though. It is hard to put the two together.
I know that having a teacher for the first couple of years would have benefitted me.
