To All Keyboard Players:

[PlaysLikeMyung]

I want to start learning some simple stuff. Mostly to increase my sheet music skills, but also to start learning another instrument. I have this old Yamaha DX-7 that has been gathering dust in the basement.

What should I start with?

Is there any other exercise I can use to practice right hand/left hand dexterity?

[MetalMike06]

I'm not much of a keyboard player at all, but if you've never taken piano lessons or anything, I'd say just start with the major scales - one hand. Then eventually both hands simultaneously. That's how I started, and I think it's generally the first thing you learn in piano. There's a plethora of books out there.

[Dr. DTVT]

Start with the key of C, and practice simple songs that don't require you move your hands frim the "home" position (CDEFG).  Then work on one-handed scales (requires you to cross over).  Then work on other keys, it makes sense to go up accidentals in the key signature (G, D, A, E, B, then others).  Your left hand will be mostly chords in the beginning stages.  I know its not cheap, but a teacher is a good idea.  No use in doing something half-ass, but shop around, try to find someone who is a good match musically.

[brakkum]

Start with the key of C, and practice simple songs that don't require you move your hands frim the "home" position (CDEFG).  Then work on one-handed scales (requires you to cross over).  Then work on other keys, it makes sense to go up accidentals in the key signature (G, D, A, E, B, then others).  Your left hand will be mostly chords in the beginning stages.  I know its not cheap, but a teacher is a good idea.  No use in doing something half-ass, but shop around, try to find someone who is a good match musically.

pretty much this for beginners.

[nemesiskoen]

If you want to increase your reading abilities doing scales is not going to help a lot. The best advice I can give you, that has worked for me, is take a song that you like but feel that it's out of your league. Not something that you look at and be able to read from beginning to end without a problem. Then play it very slowly, you'll be counting lines to figure out what note is which key. After doing so, play it again, you'll feel that you remember the lines that you counted and the notes you played. Do it again, and again, and again. And after a while it won't be a problem to read the second lowest A, or lowest G (or highest for the right hand ;-)). When you have done this with, let's say 10 songs, you'll feel that your reading skills have improved massively. I started with the 3rd movement of the moonlight sonata, and after that I did the 1st and 3rd movement of the sonata pathétique. Reading through Rudess' stuff after this is child's play (playing it is something else, but reading it won't be difficult).

[ZachyDou]

I own a book called Boris Berlin's Essential Daily Excercises For Piano
Its basically a book with hundreds of daily excercises to warm up and increase different piano skills. Ive had it for at least 2 or 3 years now doing about 2 excercises a week, and im barely even half way through. It'll last you a long time.
Other great books ive used are the "Four Star" and "Hanon" excercise books.
Other than that, make sure to go through all the scales; including (eventually) triads, arpeggios, four note chords, dominant 7ths, major/minor harmonic and melodic scales, everything.

[In The Name Of Rudess]

You should start by learning to play scales and arpeggios (as mentioned before).
Once you can play these reasonably smoothly, I would strongly advise you to start playing Bach's Inventions (at a relatively slow speed at first). These are real technique builders for both hands, while allowing you to develop your dynamics and musicality.

You should NOT play "exercises" like Hanon exercises.
It will give you repetitive strain injuries in no-time at all, since most of these exercises
focus on playing the same exercise time and time again, using the same muscles and tendons. (trust me on this, I have seen people go from playing pain-free to not being able to lift a cup of tea because of these dreaded exercises) If you don't have a teacher, playing these exercises is especially bad, since you could be ingraining the wrong technique. Because of the numerous repititions, it'll take a huge amount of time to get rid of the wrong habits. Another reason why you should play songs instead of exercises is that the exercises are incredibly boring and you don't develop dynamics or any sense of musicality in your playing. Excuse me for the ranting, but I have seen so much trouble caused by these "exercises" that I don't want you to make that mistake.

If you can get access to a teacher, I would strongly advise taking lessons. Playing the piano properly requires teaching, your posture and technique are very important. If you play piano using the wrong technique, you can develop injury very quickly in comparison to other instruments. Also, if you have access to a real acoustic piano, I would advise playing that, since it's better for your technique.

[ZachyDou]

 
I dont really understand the comment about excercises. A lot of teachers recommend them.
Its not something that your supposed to do as the only thing in your practice. I simply do one excercise a day, two or three times repeated, alternating hands. Theyre simply meant to warm up and practice different techniques. I think its pretty obvious that you have to play a lot of actual music to develop a good ear, dynamics, etc.
Its is true that your shouldnt repeat excercises too much though. I have been told before that they can create problems if repeated truly rediculous amounts, but I think your blowing it out of proportion.

[In The Name Of Rudess]

It's true that a lot of teachers recommend them. There are also a lot of teachers who recommend playing with a coin on top of your hand, without making it fall off. If you want to create lots of tension, that's a good idea. If you want to play the piano well, it's not. You'd be surprised at how many teachers teach without a license and knowledge about technique.

If you play the exercises the way you play them, there's of course no problem. It's just that a lot of beginning pianists use the exercises the wrong way. They see exercises for all sorts of techniques, and they think "Well, if I just play this one 50 times and that one 70 times, I'll have mastered that technique.". You're right, I may have overreacted a bit, but I just wanted to make sure he doesn't make that mistake, since it's advised by some books to start playing the exercises the way I just described.

[LudwigVan]

Scales and exercises are all well and good, but they're not much fun.  I say you should just dive in and pick up the Schirmer edition of "First Lessons in Bach" and go from there.  That way, you'd actually be playing something that's musical at the same time as working out interdepence of fingers and sight-reading skills, not to mention getting a feel for classical composition.  That would be much more interesting than dry exercises, on top of which you'd end up being able to play a few pieces by one of the greatest composers of all time.  And being a Symphony X fan, PLM, I'm sure you could definitely appreciate J. S. Bach   

[sonatafanica]

It's like I always say. "If it ain't baroque, don't fix it."

[antigoon]

*rimshot*