Hi every1,I'm new in playing music but I'm interested in learning some of them.I plan to learn about piano/keyboard and violin.Anyway I have a few questions to ask and hope you all can guide me

1)When taking piano/keyboard music class,is it necessary to own a piano/keyboard at home?
2)What is the difference between keyboard and piano?
3)I heard ppl saying that if learn piano 1st,u can play keyboard as well,but if you learn keyboard 1st then it is harder to play piano,is it true?
4)Which 1 to recommend?Piano/keyboard or violin for a beginner like me?
5)Which 1 is cheaper,piano/keyboard or violin(brand is not so necessary,as long can play)

Thx in advance

1) Of course. U need practice
2) keyboard have more function, basically both quite qdifferent
3) not true, both are difficult
4) depends which instrument u interested in. Theres no easy or difficult. If you're nterested in that instrument, u feel joy when playing it and it becomes easy

1) same as fifi, u definitely need to have instrument to practice.

2) i assuming u comparing a keyboard and a digital piano? usually keyboard has more function, but a piano is more simple in terms of function but more concerned with touch of keys.

3) same as above

4) i always believe that you much jive with whatever instrument you wish to learn. take me for example, i dun feel for a guitar and never really made it a point to learn it.

5) dun choose based on price alone, u gonna invest time to learn which imo is more expensive than the difference u ever gonna spend on your instrument, so better to choose something you really like rather than choose something cheaper that you dun like.

Having said that, a starter violin is definitely cheaper than the piano to buy.

Yup true. I also dont have feel for guitar. Gave up after 5 mins of trying eventhough many ppl can play guitar well.

As for drums, I dont take a lesson and i think im doing good with it although not professional level yet.

I think everyone's answer will the same as above.

Keyboard is cheapest. Mine only cost RM100. I waited for a sale

rm100 for a keyboard? sounds like u bought a kids toy

It is no toy. It has 5 octaves and piano size keys.

care to share the details? the model and so?

thats cheap. i like to know more details too if u dun mind...

It is just a once in a long while deal. You may think of it as a toy if you like because it is not something you get from a music shop. What is important is it can do the job and is of the right size. From that prespective, it is certainly not a toy for me. I got it at a hypermart for RM99 actually. I did not pay attention to brand and model as it was not important. Eletronic gadgets are all the same. It does not matter if it is a Yamaha, Casio or some chinese brand. They all generate a certain frequency measure in hertz to create a note (eg 440hertz for the note middle A).

I will give you more details on brand and model tomorrow but I dont think deal like these will come by often. For you info, the item was sold out on the first day the hypermart advertise it on the papers.

oh alright. haha... i picked up a few bargain from hypermart too. but never a keyboard yet. haha

anyway, TS, did we somehow answer some of your questions?

true true but when u reach a certain level of playing the sound does matter to u

Still, to get a keyboard to potter around and experiment with, for only 100 bucks...that's damned cheap la. Good deal wei.

Does the RM100 keyboard *FEEL* like it's only RM100 when you play it?

Taking up a musical instrument means hours and hours of practice. Everyday. well, maybe not that much. But if you cannot put in at least 30 minutes every day, might as well forget it ... few people take it up as an adult. I'm guessing there's two possibility. (1) unlike kids, adults have to work and take care of their family, and don't have the time (2) 3 months down the line when the kid is sick of the practice and wants to quit, mom and dad forces him/her to continue. "I've spent so thousands on the instrument and music classes, and you want to quit?!." After 3 or 4 years, the kid has enough skills and momentum to go on. Adults find it harder to get over this hump because there's no one to force them over it.

Digital piano/keyboard - you can use the earphone and practice at night. Acoustic piano - loud and disturbs the neighbours. Especially if have to practice at night, after work and dinner. But not as much as if you were to take up a drum set. That's for if you really hate your neighbours.

I'll say piano is probably easier, at least for the first month. Press a key, you get a note. It's not so simple with violins.

Why do you want to take up an instrument? To play by yourself? To jam with your friends? AFAIK, there are very few songs for the single violin. OTOH, violins are portable, and pianos are not. Which may or may not be a good thing.

That may be a long time before I can pick up the difference. If you use electronic tuners, do you think the branded ones can be accurate to the 0.001 hertz? (By the way, middle C is 261.626Hertz while C# is 277.183Hertz). I doubt my ear can pick up the difference given decades of trainning. Again to me, all the eletronics are more less the same.

Actually Dkk I never thought of the instrument feeling like it is only RM100 when played. It would matter if it is out of tune. For eletronics I dont think you need to bother. Once the frequency is preset at the factory, it will stay fixed. Tunning acoustics is a different deal.

I think you learnt instrument as a child. You did not realise that passion is the main factor adults take up music instrument. It is this passion that continually burn in them that drive them through bumps and even mountains. I started picking up music instruments (self learn) in my mid twenties. Today I play 4 instruments. I still have intention to take two more instruments.

+1

Motivation is really the driving force behind someone independently picking up and learning any skill, music included.

Yup, so many piano players with grade 7 or 8 started, started from young age, but most of em are like "kayu". Learn for the sake of parents and paper qualifications.

hello! im learning piano and violin and stopped keyboard.

1) Yes, because you need to practice yourself at home:)

2) the keyboard touch is lighter than the piano touch. Some might say it's easy to play because the touch is light, but for me, i prefer piano's touch.

3) Not true. both are different thing.

4) Recommend you to learn piano first. I picked up violin when im on grade3 piano. - my experience and opinion : violin is 10x harder than piano. there's alot of different techniques

5) All same. and do choose the one you really like, not the price.

- it's best you start music lesson in young age, but nothing is always too late to learn when you put efford in it. Good Luck!

anyway, TS, you seem to place piano before asking about violin, seems that you are more interested in piano, haha...