An Essential Introduction To Rock Piano Lessons

by Tony Dunne
Just when you think digital pianos and keyboards can't get any better, along comes one of the big manufacturers with a new range of instruments which blows away all the ones that went before. And if you're looking for rock piano lessons so you can learn to play one of these amazing instruments, I've got some good news ... there's never been a better time to learn to play and the quality of lessons just keeps getting better too.

In this article I'll be looking at how you can find the best rock piano lessons, whether you're looking for a teacher in your neighborhood, or you want something a bit less formal like online lessons.

1. Finding a teacher in your neighborhood

Once upon a time, there was only one way to learn to play the piano. You had to learn to read music, study music theory, practice scales until your fingers were numb, and play every piece of music from a written score. Times have changed and now there are many new ways to learn to play the piano, whatever kind of instrument you have or are thinking of buying. But before trying to find one of the new ways of learning, you might consider the old way, with a twist.

You see, even the music establishment is so much more diverse than it once was. A whole generation of musicians has grown up accepting that non-classical forms of music, such as jazz, blues, rock and pop, are art forms in themselves. The result of this, especially if you live in a town or city, is that you should be able to find a music teacher in your neighborhood who is quite happy to teach you how to play rock keyboard.

Of course, you need to do your research before making your decision. As well as asking local candidates how much they charge, you also need to find out whether they teach on digital keyboards, whether they use other digital media such as software for writing your own material, whether they provide opportunities for students meeting, playing with and learning from each other, and so on.

2. Informal Piano Lessons

The alternatives to a local piano teacher are either going to your nearest music shop and finding suitable books, or DVDs to tutor you or venturing online to find them there, or to look on the internet for a suitable package of lessons you can download directly onto your computer.

There are now a number of internet based music packages that can teach you all you need to know about the basics of learning to play piano. These range from piano lessons for beginners, containing a number of different modules to get you reading music and playing by ear, to more advanced courses aimed at musicians with greater skill and experience. The disadvantage with this method is that many of these packages lack quality. So, if you're thinking of buying one, as with finding a local teacher, you need to do your research. Try to find a review site run by someone who doesn't have a vested interest in pointing you in the direction of a particular package of lessons, for example, because they are affiliates of the package in question and derive a fee from each one that's sold.

The good news is the quality of the best packages of online lessons are getting better all the time. But you have to be realistic. Many of them will never be able to teach you to play beyond a basic level. And although you don't need to read music to play well, it certainly helps if you can.

That said, you should be able to find a package of lessons that teaches you patterns of chords you can then use as a platform for further learning. The thing about the internet, and about multimedia generally, is that it can provide you with a level of playing that's right for you at the time. After having learnt some of the basics, you could do a more advanced course, perhaps with the same tutor, and take your playing to a new level. In this way you can build on your experience gradually.

Hopefully, this article will provide you with an essential introduction to rock piano lessons. Providing you are realistic about what you can achieve, there's no reason you shouldn't find an exciting tailor-made package that will ignite your career as a musician. And good luck to you.

An Essential Introduction To Rock Piano Lessons