Electric Piano Questions

[Aatrex]

Ok, I have a Yamaha CLP-611 piano. It has a great quality of sound and the keys have a great feel to them. The only problem is: I suck at playing the piano.

I learned some when I was 6 years old then convinced my parents to let me quit playing (stupid). A few years ago I started messing with it again and conned mom into teaching how to play Fur Elise.

Anyways, I know that you can link up the piano and your PC and do some neat stuff. It has the ports on the back of the piano (though I'm not sure what cord I'd use, I think it goes to a 9 pin serial on my PC?)


The other half of this is that once I do link them up or whatever: What software should/can I get to help me to relearn how to play? I really like playing and I want to expand my horizons.

Any tips, info, or stories about how playing an instrument helped you with the ladies would be much appreciated.

[araby]

my boyfriend bought just a usb keyboard for like $150 and uses it with garageband software, but that's on a mac. he taught himself but I"ve been watching dvd's lately that I ordered from netflix to help me learn. It's really neat though, i just watched the dvd and play the the keyboard at the same time and within no time, I was just playing chords (slowly) along with a guitar and singing too...which is funny because I've never done that before, haha.
I don't know who the guy is but it's called "beginning rhythm piano" or something...the guy is kind of annoying but the way he teaches is really easy to follow and makes a lot of sense.

[Tikker]

you need a midi port~


a really cheap, and simple program is Noteworthy Composer
I don't know if it's still kicking around or not, but I fiddled with it a couple years ago and it was fun, and relatively easy to use


something else to check out if you're interested is Fruity Loops (sp? might be frooty loops), Band in a Box and....cool edit? i think it's called



ps, I play piano exactly for that reason, to pick up chicks (rather, I used to) on the piano to pick up the chicks, and learn how to play piano decently, you need to master like 4 songs, and then you're golden~


1) You're the inspiration - Chicago This ones good cause of the ballad properties, but it'll actually teach you quite a bit about modulation, and different keys

2) Phantom of the Opera - Webber This one is impressive as fuck sounding, but amazingly simple to play. the biggest thing to learn out of this really is scales, and how to play octaves

3) Can you feel the love tonight - Elton John This one again has all the ballad and soundtrack goodness, but will teach you 3 different ways to play accompaniment with your left hand.

4) Bohemian rhapsody - Queen This one will teach you everything you need to know about piano. everything from chord progression, to soloing, etc etc



the easiest way (in my opinion) to learn how to play piano is to learn how to read music, then learn some theory, and then learn Lead Sheets (basically they just contain melody, with a chord written above. this lets you learn how to fill in harmony on your own, and doesn't overwhelm the senses when you're just learning)


also for simple left hand stuff, learn to stretch for octaves

[araby]

I want a midi

[Gaazy]

I played for like 12 years, but never continued on with it, which was very stupid. I really need to start playin again

[Eldred]

If there was one insturment I wish I learned how to play it would be the piano, I love classical music and it's just such a beautiful looking and sounding insturment. I just don't have the money to buy one, and I'd want a real piano, not a keyboard.

[Tikker]

I'll sell you mine for $500

granted, it'll cost you more than that for shipping, heh

[Eldred]

I'll sell you mine for $500

granted, it'll cost you more than that for shipping, heh

I'd love to buy one for that much, but yeah the shipping would be rediculous. I shipped a piece of artwork to England about 6 years ago matted but not framed, and it cost me over 35 bucks w/ insurance, and it only weighed a quarter of a pound maybe. That and I just got hit up for $500 bucks that I owed to college because they left off some materials off my expence layout.