Beginner player

[alias]

Hi, I'm new here!

I want to learn to play gospel piano. My question is, is this something I can do without paying someone for weekly, private lessons? I'm familiar with basic theory and have a pretty good ear, plus I can read music (albeit pretty slowly). Can anyone recommend how to go about it teaching myself, like a good video course?

(edit)Also, if I'm looking at a piece of music in the hymnal, do I play the treble clef with my right hand and the bass clef with my left? Should I play the music as is or maybe make it easier by only playing, for example, the bass notes when their is a chord change or once a bar?

Thanks and God bless,
Lynn

[2octaves]

Hi Lynn
Me again and 1st I like to welcome you to this board and enjoy your stay because here is alot of people that are willing to help you.
Question1 - Yes you can learn piano without a teacher, but it is so must better to attend lessons and have your own teacher because there is so must stuff on this board at 1st you wont understand but with private lesson and this board as backup you will learn must quicker.
If you can afford it why not get the 300pg book of Jermaine and work through it because he have cd's that come with it.

Question2 - Yes you always play the treble clef in your r/h (right hand) and bass in your l/h but my pastor is playing by ear and he is doing it the other way around so I don't really know the teory behind it, maybe it is what is the most comfortable way and best sound.

One think I learned over these years is that playing for sheet music or hymnal or even attending classes you play most of the treble cleff with one finger like playing a piece as a soloist but at this board when they give you the chords to a hymn/song they will chord it out 4 you and it will sound strange when you practice it at home but this chord way is use when you play in a band you will play chords and not as a soloist.
This I realise only at a later stage and was very confusing as a beginner.  
Cheers
Mike

[alias]

Thanks for the suggestions, Mike.

Unfortunately, I really can't afford lessons right now. All my family's extra $$ goes to paying my son's school tuition, so for now I'm on my own in terms of learning how to play. I have heard good things about the Briggs book, however, so I will purchase that. Also,  I do know one musical director who will let me ask her questions from time to time.

they will chord it out 4 you and it will sound strange when you practice it at home but this chord way is use when you play in a band you will play chords and not as a soloist.

So in this way I would maybe play the root and fifth in the left hand, then fill out the chord and add little fills in my right hand? As opposed to playing everything (melody, chords) as I would if I were playing solo?

Thanks and God bless,
Lynn

[ABEsWIFE]

First Praise the Lord everybody and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I wanted to responed to this question because it sounds so much like me about 3 years ago.   I will say I'm not where I want to be musically but I've come so far!  I owe a lot of it to the many resources available on the internet including learngospelmusic.com.  I don't know exactly where you are as a "beginner" so I'll just share my experience with you.  

As a beginner I basically could play any major chord and if the song was simple I could play it with the I  IV  V major chord.  I could also throw in a 7th. I've purchased a lot of material.  Probably $1000 worth if I were to add it all up.  Plus lessons!  So let me say this.  It's all worthless IF YOU DON"T PRACTICE!  

Okay how I got started:

The first person to start openning my understanding was Rev. John Fullard at http://www.abcgospelmusic.com/ .  He taught me the circle of 5ths (he calls it giftys circle).  I'm still amazed at how prevelant this is music.  For me it was the key!  So if you don't know the circle of 5ths I strongly recommend you learn it.  In fact Fullard instructs you to use it as a practice method to learn all your other chords.  Now I'm not giving his "secret" away since I've also seen this same information in Jazz books that I've used.  This method will also help you to learn how to play in all twelve keys.

The circle of 5ths is as follows:

C  F  Bb  Eb  Ab  Db  Gb  B  E  A  D  G

http://www.geocities.com/abeswife_music/CircleOf5ths.html


The way you use this is to play your major chords around the circle.  Play all inversions.  Then do the same with the minor , 6th, 7th, diminished....etc.  You will learn the chords and it will help to nail the circle in your memory.  

Sorry I need to cut this short right now.  I'll try to post more later today.  

Determined to see HIS face!

[alias]

Abe'swife:

Happy new year to you too and thanks for the tips! I know about the cycle of fifths from learning jazz tunes as a singer. . . however, I don't know how to apply this knowledge to learning how to play piano. For example, as a practice routine, would I play a C scale and then immediately after an F scale then Bb, etc? Then should I do the same with chords? Play a C chord then an F etc.? What is the best way to learn which voicings to use? In other words, how do I know which keys to put my fingers on? That kind of thing! I guess I'll just keep asking questions and put it together in bits and pieces. Can anyone recommend any recordings of traditional hymns/gospel songs featuring clearly-heard piano playing that I can listen to so that I can beging trying to learn from recordings?

Thanks and God bless,
Lynn

[ABEsWIFE]

Use the circle of 5ths to practice your chords in all twelve keys.

First start with your major chords and play the chord in each inversion.
Key C:    C   E   G  then     E   G   C   THEN   G   C   E
Key F:     F   A   C   then   A   C   F   then   C   F   A
Key Bb:   Bb   D   F   then   D   F   Bb   then   F   Bb   D
Key Eb:   Eb   G   Bb    then   G   Bb   Eb   then   Bb   Eb   G
Key Ab:   Ab   C   Eb   then   C   Eb   Ab   then   Eb   Ab   C

etc.

If you're just getting started do this drill every day.  Understand this won't teach you a song but it is like learning the alphebet.  You can arrange all the chords you've learned into a song.

Here's a  midi of me practicing major chords inversions.

http://www.geocities.com/abeswife_music/majorchords5ths.mid


 If you don't have it already I would suggest that you download Vanbasco's Karaoke Player from www.vanbasco.com  .
It's free.  Using the software will let you see the keys that are being played on the piano.  Right click on the link above and save the target file on your computer.  Then use vanbasco to play the midi file.  

Here's a midi of me practicing minor chord inversions

http://www.geocities.com/abeswife_music/minorchords5ths.mid

When I was making this midi, I didn't realize how rusty I was on this.  

I'll add more later.


Determined to see HIS face!
freda

[2octaves]

Abewife happy new year to you and your family and God's blessings on your life and your ministry.

You got my attention with practicing using the circle of fifths, did you see my post on practice routine this sure can be added on there.
I read on one of the hearandplay session I think it is the last one posted for the year where you can quickly see the 2-5-1, 7-3-6 and many others by only looking and knowing the circle.

Thanks again and please post some more information on how you started and continued from there. By the way I am browsing the site of Rev Fullard now to see if there is some more stuff to buy and learn.

Mike

[ABEsWIFE]

Mike,
You're exactly right about the circle of 5ths helping you with progressions.  For instance, if you're in the Key of "C" and you're doing a 2-5-1 progression.  First look at the "C" scale

C    D    E    F    G    A    B    
1     2    3    4    5    6    7

The 2-5-1 would be:  D    G   C

Now look at the circle of 5ths.

C F    Bb    Eb    Ab    Db    Gb    B    E    A   D   G  
If you start on the D chord, the next chord is G, then you're back to C!

Please note that I don't want to confuse the issue but the D-chord in the key of C is probably a minor but that's a whole other topic.  However, this would be the reason to learn major, minor, diminished chords etc in every key and in all inversions.

I rarely think about the numbers.  I'm not saying that's a good thing, I probably need to study that more.(Especially when a music teacher starts talking about "the five of five".  Again another topic.)  But I think it's because I learned the circle first and it works.  I do remember the first time the circle clicked for me!  I was playing a congregational song in church in the key of "F".  Somehow I ended up on a D-chord, just without thinking I went to a G-chord, then to a C-chord, then I was back at F.  I just KNEW to do that because I'd studied the circle.   If you look at the numbers, the Key of F is:

F    G    A    Bb    C    D    E  
1    2    3      4       5     6      7

So what I did, almost without thinking, was a 6-2-5-1 progression

Here's the circle again

C   F  Bb    Eb    Ab    Db    Gb    B    E    A   D   G  

[alias]

Thanks, Abeswife. Very helpful. Do you look at your hands when you play, for instance, when you transition from one scale to another? I'm assumng you have to change hand positions at those points.

[ABEsWIFE]

I look at my hands a lot.  That's probably why it's difficult for me to read music or a cheat sheet.  But I think as I grow more confident, this will change.

I remember chating with Will(ing) sometime ago.  I think he said he likes to play with his eyes close and he visualizes the chords in his mind.  That might be a good way to learn to follow your ear.

[alias]

I think he said he likes to play with his eyes close and he visualizes the chords in his mind. That might be a good way to learn to follow your ear.

Thanks for the suggestion, which I think is a good one. I learned to play guitar by looking at my fingers then had the devil of a time once I started to perform, trying to play and sing at the same time (very hard to connect with an audience when you are staring at your fingers the whole time).

God bless,
Lynn