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...

Thx alot of all the replies

Anyway to make things clear,the reason I asked about the price is because I need to plan for my budget,I will learn both,it is just a matter of time(and money,lol).

After seeing all those youtube videos,I've decided to choose piano than keyboard,but violin still remains.

May I know how much usually a starter piano cost?

Here is a picture of my actual size toy keyboard. The brand is Fujicom. I guess it does not really matter. It is still an unknown brand anyway.

TS, it is nice you finally made up your mind on what instrument to start with. Good luck and have fun practising.

This post has been edited by faceless: Sep 28 2010, 08:50 AM


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digital or acoustic? i believe ml888 can furbish u with the info...

btw, faceless, wondering, why is the nails on your left hand? cannot figure out what instrument u play. unless u using left hand guitar/pipa/zheng?

@faceless-Thx

@Karenalvin-I think I should go for digital 1st,I googled and those acoustic 1 look like will cost a bomb,lol

Karenalvin,
I was playing the guzheng and suddenly I remembered to get details of the keyboard. I decided to take a picture of it. Wow, I didnt know people will pay attention to these details. The battery in may camera was too weak to take another picture so I did not bother to remove the nail for another picture. I thought people would be more interested in the size of the keyboard.

well... new digital piano aint too cheap either. i mean weighted keys and stuff. RM 2k plus in general.

and faceless, just curious, do u use left hand to pluck the zheng?

TS,
Hah, cost! That rememinded me that I was interested in the paino when I was a child. I choose the keyboard instead I waited till it was RM99 to make a purchase I am not brand conscous.

Karenalvin,
I thought you were more observant than that, actually. Since the left hand was in the picture, it indicates that the right hand held the camera and took the picture. So I am not left handed as he may be inclined to think.

The guzheng is played with both hands. It uses the same concept of melody with right hand and bass accompaniment with left hand. Unlike the piano you can actually filp it arround.

Let's take playing the chord c with piano for an example. (Thumb is no 1 and little finger is 5 as per standard piano fingering notation) You will use this fingering on the notes 1c, 3e, 5g for right hand. For left hand you will use 5c, 3e, 1g. With the guzheng you use the same fingers for the same note regardless of right or left hand.

This post has been edited by faceless: Sep 28 2010, 11:32 AM

Is gu zheng that hard on the fingers until must wear plaster? Never tried it b4

You do not use plasters to pluck. The plasters are are used to hold/stick the plucturms into position. Pleasuresaurus as a guitar player, you already know the answer to the question you asked. 1) Can you play without pluctrums even though it hurts after several hours of playing? 2) If you use pluctrums, do you use them because they sound better than using finger nails?

alright. so u use 2 hands plucking. haha... sorry man, always have the idea u pluck wid one hand on the zheng. my bad. keke

Maybe you confused it with the quqin. They look similar but the guqin is a fretted instrument (like a guitar). I am not too familair with that instrument. I imagine it plays like a guitar with one hand plucking and the other hand stopping the strings at the frets.

Keyboards are electrical while pianos are traditional.

Therefore keyboards have much more flexibility over pianos. They can be wired into computers for direct sound recording, sound processing for effects (through programs such as Absynth) and other useful software such as Synthesia. Keyboards are also portable compared to pianos. Price-wise I'm not sure...should hell a lot cheaper.

But a comparison of the 3 instruments you listed...I'm guessing keyboards a definite winner.

I heard that keyboard can also play piano tone,is it true?

i think can but keyboard keys are shorter than piano so still cant get the real effect of a piano

well... technically u can play guitar, drums, violin, etc on a keyboard, but how it sounds and the techniques u can apply is obviously limited.

TS,
I think what Karenalvin means is string players are very particular with how you touch the strings. The pressure you apply in plucking can sound differently each time you pluck it with different pressure. Not many people are bother to learn this skill. They are more concern about the ability to play out the song. We can talk more about acquiring this skills when you choose acoustics.

As it is a keyboard can have sounds of many instrument. Even my cheap keyboard has the sound of 118 different instruments. I have not heard of pressure pads (thanks to Karenalvin for bringign it up). Now I know, when I get good at the keyboard, I would not mind paying the extra for pressure pads. Even then it is not good enough. Let me take voilin as an example. The pressure I apply is one factor. The speed I pull the bow is another factor. I think you can imagine the many possible final products when I just change these two factors. The same goes for drums. I am sure you played badminton. I am sure you have realised that hitting the shuttle with a swing is different than hitting it with a swing and a bit of wrist work. Drums are struck the same way too.

I'm not familiar with gu zheng - didn't reealize u play it like a piano. For me, its inconsequential playing with or without plectrum - if it hurts u suck it up and get used to it, although I would play with a plectrum. Not because they sound better then finger nails, rather my nails aren't long enough for plucking.

Pleasuresaurus,
I am too lazy put on pluctrum most of the time. There is too much hassle involve. I use it because it sound nicer. So when my mood is right, I wear the pluctrum. Perhaps you should try ivory plectrums. They sound best on metal string. Although I seldom seen ivory guitar plectrums. You may end up getting guzheng plectruns instead. You may not get it so easily at any music shops unless the shop sells guzheng. Furthermore the size is not condusive for guitar playing. If you are that curious you can borrow mine

This post has been edited by faceless: Sep 29 2010, 10:54 AM

Ivory plectrum?! Like real elephant ivory? Wow, talk about Mastodon. Is it brittle? Could probably machine it down to guitar pick size if it isn't too hard to work with.

Yes, elephant "tooth". Hey some snooker white ball are still made out of ivory.

Turttle shell is the second best. That is according to guzheng players. Although I would say my guitar plectrum (look like nylon to me) sound as good.