Learning on Your Own

[Cezar20]

Hello just wanting info from such knowledgeable sources.

 

I am trying to teach my self keys. My main goal is to accompany my vocals in a live situation. Style I guess is fairly versatile with an inclination towards Rnb/Pop. I do wish to solo etc somewhat.

 

I have difficulty finding motivation to persevere with lessons and time constraints etc.

 

I have been using resource books to teach myself, chord theory, sight reading, rhytm etc. I have plenty of virtuoso buddies who regularly assess my technique. If I am diligent is it possible to attain a high standard of playing without lessons? ANy self taught players out there, who are quite confident in their abilities??

 

Another question. I would like to greatly improve my rythm for the purpose of my keys playing and also because my gf is a drummer and dancer and well, I gotta keep up! Id love to be able to play keyboard drums the way she does. What exercises can anyone suggest to better my rythm. WIll drum method books assist my keyboard drumming? Anyone know of free resource available on the net? And the same question but for ear training. ANy exercises/resources??

 

Many thanks guys.

[gchildpblutah.com]

I taught myself to play keyboards for about five years when I was young. Then I took lessons in college. It made me realize I should have been taking lessons all along. Yes, you can get pretty good by watching videos and listening to records of good playing but having a Master giving you quick feedback is invaluable. They'll have that "life wisdom" that books just can't give you. I had a couple of the rigid, stereotypical piano teachers but you can shop around and find a teacher who will teach you what you want to know and will give you tips to save physical effort in achieving where you want to go.

 

As for drumming on keyboards, you will never get as subtle and agile as your GF but if you get drum method books and look up drumming magazines you will be able to learn the drumming notation styles and you will pick up a lot of good tips. To truly get good drumming from a Keyboard you have to go into your sequencer and tweak and tweak and tweak those notes. There are just so many subtleties when you really start listening to good drumming. One tip I learned is, remember a drummer only has two hands and two feet. I know that's a "duh" statement but so many keyboardists forget that and try to be Keith Moon x 5 and use every drum sound in their keyboard kit. Remember, simplicity in drumming while nailing that killer groove on the keyboard is your goal.

[Graham English]

Here's my advice:

#1- Know exactly what you want to accomplish. Break it down into small bites. You want better rhythm is one bite. Playing keyboard drums is a separate bite.

#2- Collect the information. If it's rhythm you want to learn, go to Amazon.com and get a book on rhythm.

#3- Take one of those bites and record yourself. For rhythm, record yourself tapping simple quarter notes, eighth notes, etc.

#4- Take a break.

#5- Analyze the recording and correct the errors.

When you've accomplished the goal of #1, move on.

 

That's a simplified version of my own method. It's absolutely necessary to know exactly what you want. Not, "I want to get better" but "I want to specifically improve my syncopation". And recording yourself is the only way to analyze and correct your mistakes. Just like a writer writes and then edits, we must record and then edit. Especially when you don't have a teacher to correct your mistakes in real time.

Good luck!

By the way, I have a good practice schedule here:

Practice Schedule

[Cezar20]

Here is my real problem. I can tap out rythms provided I don't have to play another rythm simultaneously. Ie im one of those people who cant pat their head up and down whilst rubbing circles on their belly. Hence, I can play and kick and snare patterns both on the keyboard and the real thing but not whilst tapping the hi-hat. Same goes for my keyboard and guitar playing. Can strum etc but the moment I start singing my timing goes off. This pretty much translates to a lot of things I'm unable to do. Playing complex left hand key parts whilst doing something else witht the right, playing anything other than quarter notes, whilst im singing. And also, im an Rnb singer so i have to riff vocally a lot and when i do that the playing goes very astray.

 

Any tips to get better on this Rythmic Disorder I suffer from? Thanks to the previous replies.

[Graham English]

First things first:

Your ideas about your abilities are very limiting. Don't allow such judgement on your part. It's not your job. Your job is to figure out what you want and then do it. It will take practice and it can be done.

And I'm being dead serious. Limiting beliefs manifest themselves in action. Believe that you can do it first. Then, figure out how.

 

As for details, practice playing quarter notes in your left hand with any finger and play only the back beat (2 and 4) with any finger in your right hand. When you've got that down, change the right hand to eighth notes on that back beat like this: (rest) 2 and (rest) 4 and. When you've got that down, change the left hand to eighth notes on the 1 and 3 like this: 1 and 2 3 and 4.

When you get that exercise together, send me an email and I'll give you more complex exercises to try or you can get a drum book like "Progressive steps to syncopation for the modern drummer" by Ted Reed.

Good luck!

 

PS- Spend a couple minutes before you try these exercises visualizing yourself as a rhythm expert. Imagine what it would feel like to have perfect time and rhythm. That will set you up for success. And as you practice, recognize the "inner critic" as being like the Wizard of Oz: a little man behind big machinery. It helps to label the "editor" so that you can move on to more productive work. Only edit the recording of your practicing after you've taken a break and created some distance from the actual playing.